“Today, the Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee will meet to discuss the challenges and opportunities our Special Operation Forces (SOF) will face in the coming years.  I want to thank our witnesses for attending and lending their expertise to the important discussion of how we will continue to use, expand and improve our SOF forces. We welcome you and your thoughts.

 “In light of our experiences over the last few years, the continued expansion and recalibration of SOF will face challenges, but it will also present opportunities. While we must diligently cultivate new personnel to ensure we maintain adequate quality, we must also not let this concern stand in the way of developing the capabilities necessary to protect national security, especially in the arena of counterterrorism and irregular warfare. 

 “Special Operations Forces lead the way in our global efforts to combat violent extremists and the opportunity to expand our forces presents an opportunity to enhance our ability to thwart the efforts of those who seek to do us harm.  The success of SOCOM not only hinges upon its ability to maintain high quality personnel, but also its ability to expand and adjust its capabilities in the face of growing threats. We are here today to ensure we achieve both.

 “In order to boost the overall number of SOF and maintain adequate quality within its ranks we must continue to evaluate and adjust our recruitment, retention and training components. We have been successful at ensuring current SOF personnel remains well-equipped and we must continue to do this, but we should also ensure our retention, recruitment and training efforts have the resources necessary to maintain the quality of SOF personnel.

 “As we continue to utilize, expand and reform SOF, we must also continue to discuss and refine its overall role, mission and application. In a post-9/11 world, the threats we face from extremist groups continue to change and so, too, must our efforts to disrupt and destroy their capabilities.

 “Again, I thank the witnesses and look forward to an illuminating conversation on how we can more effectively tackle this critical challenge.”