The concept of hunter-killer operations deep within enemy territory evokes a sense of excitement and adventure, especially for those of us familiar with the exploits of Robert Rogers' Rangers of the 18th century or the operations of Special Forces and Rangers in Afghanistan today. In this monograph, Colonel Joseph D. Celeski (U.S. Army, Ret.), argues that hunter-killer teams be routinely established as part of our standing Special Operations Forces (SOF). He states that guidelines for their employment should be included in ...
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The concept of hunter-killer operations deep within enemy territory evokes a sense of excitement and adventure, especially for those of us familiar with the exploits of Robert Rogers' Rangers of the 18th century or the operations of Special Forces and Rangers in Afghanistan today. In this monograph, Colonel Joseph D. Celeski (U.S. Army, Ret.), argues that hunter-killer teams be routinely established as part of our standing Special Operations Forces (SOF). He states that guidelines for their employment should be included in counterinsurgency (COIN) doctrine, and Celeski further advises that the use of such forces should be a routine part of the overall COIN effort. The idea is to aggressively pursue the enemy within his own sanctuaries, disrupt his operations and sustainment, and neutralize or destroy the adversary before he can threaten a friendly host government or project extremist operations onto the world stage.Celeski's operational concept for hunter-killer operations bolsters the command vision of U.S. Special Operations Command, which seeks to develop a force capable of "distributed operations, within an environment characterized by irregular warfare and asymmetric challenges." The hunterkiller organization, with its strike units and teams, would be reinforced with indigenous forces, much as we saw during the Vietnam War and the early phases of the Afghanistan war. This kind of force could contribute toward achieving the U.S. SOF mission to act with "...speed, aggression, and lethality to achieve tactical through strategic effect."
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