Focusing on threats from the Sahel to the Levant to the Arctic, special operations forces (SOF) from across the globe are collaborating to overcome shared security challenges. In May 2014, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) established a division focused on strengthening relationships with special operations counterparts elsewhere in the world. The division, the J3-International, is part of the Operations Directorate (J3) at USSOCOM’s headquarters in Tampa, Florida. It provides facilities for 16 liaison and exchange officers from other countries.
The program is intended to build common understanding, communities of interest and communities of action toward common challenges. The J3-International’s core priorities are to build relationships and global understanding, integrate partner nation representatives into USSOCOM processes and promote interoperability among partner SOF.
In September 2014, I arrived in Tampa as a liaison officer for a yearlong tour after the U.S. and Jordan signed a memorandum of agreement to establish a Jordanian SOF liaison position at USSOCOM. As the first non-European partner to arrive at J3-International, I have been able to contribute a Middle Eastern perspective to combined SOF planning efforts and, in particular, to the planning to counter Da’ish. As a result of my presence in Florida, Jordan has been positioned to shape and coordinate the contribution of Jordanian SOF to the broader effort.
In addition, I am also able to contribute to organizing U.S. and Jordanian SOF joint exercises and SOF-related conferences, as well as to facilitate Jordanian SOF requests for equipment and access to U.S.-based training opportunities open to partner forces.
Many of the nations represented in the program have experience working together in large combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The J3-International aspires to bring to a strategic headquarters what we have learned to do well at the operational levels after many years of experience cooperating and sharing information on the battlefield.
USSOCOM intends to grow international representation at its headquarters, and negotiations are underway that would allow a liaison or exchange officer from 13 additional countries, including the United Arab Emirates, to come to USSOCOM headquarters. The state-of-the-art facilities coupled with the side-by-side proximity to so many nations creates the conditions for successful collaboration.
“From my perspective, the most important thing here is to have the broad coalition and partner nations present — providing a perspective of how our nations think,” Norwegian exchange officer Lt. Col. Asbjorn Lysgaard said.
Lt. Col. Lars Soerensen, a Danish exchange officer at USSOCOM agreed: “Being here provides me immediate access to multiple nations and enables synchronizing and deconflicting combined operations and activities.” He added, “It is important to cooperate at the outset of planning, as it becomes difficult and time consuming to create partnerships and understanding later on.”
This proactive approach has helped create a community and facilitate dialogue, forging a stronger global network of multinational forces to combat challenges we all face.