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ir Force Special Operations Command has proposed establishing a wing to handle counter-insurgency operations, according to Flight International, which obtained an AFSOC White Paper spelling out the proposal. This sounds much like the position espoused by US Special Operations Command head Army Gen. Bryan Brown almost two years ago. Brown, who announced his retirement plans in May, declared that he needed more outfits like AFSOC’s 6th Special Operations—the sole unit tasked with advising and training foreign air forces for internal defense, i.e. counterinsurgency, and now also combating terrorism worldwide. As FI notes, Rand analysts last year advocated a broadening of USAF counterinsurgency expertise. The 2006 analysis led by Alan Vick suggested that “the single most effective means of expanding this expertise is through the creation of a wing-sized organization dedicated to aviation advising.” Has its time come
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
