The Importance Of SOF Imperatives

As a Special Forces Soldier, we are often in positions where we are working with other nations. Our actions can cause political implications, both good and bad. It is important to conduct ourselves in a professional manner and be aware of the effects that our decisions can have. The Special Operations Forces (SOF) Imperatives are the foundation for conducting Special Operations and can serve as a guide to ensure success for our missions. In the book, The Ugly American, there are many examples of how characters either applied or ignored SOF Imperatives. In this paper, I will demonstrate how the characters Louis Krupitzyn, Father John Finian, and Colonel Edwin Hillandale applied SOF Imperatives to reach their personal or political goals. In chapter two, we meet Louis Krupitzyn, the Soviet Ambassador-designate to Sarkhan. Louis was very successful in achieving Soviet goals in Sarkhan for a number of reasons. In comparing his actions to the SOF Imperatives, Louis applied three masterfully. Louis (1) understood the operational environment, (2) engaged the threat discriminately, and (3) anticipated and controlled psychological effects. Louis trained many years to learn Asian culture, language, and religion. Once selected as the next Ambassador-designate to Sarkhan, Louis dedicated two years to prepare himself for the job. Furthermore, …show more content…
Consequently, Hillandale was able to connect with the Filipinos in a pro-Communist part of the Philippines. By understanding the culture, language, and music, Hillandale was able to get the attention of the locals and gain their favor. Once he had their attention, he was able to disprove the anti-American propaganda and ultimately build a long lasting relationship with the community by visiting weekly. If Hillandale had not understood the operational environment, he would not have been able to know how to connect with the locals to get his message out and