H. Res. 305

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

April 18, 2007.

Whereas the failure to organize, train, equip, and plan special 

operations forces (SOF) missions in a joint environment 

ultimately led to the aborted military operation Eagle 

Claw, more commonly referred to as Desert One, where 

eight servicemembers lost their lives attempting to rescue 

American hostages held in Tehran; 

Whereas this failure led to Congressional passage of the 

Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986, which established the United States 

Special Operations Command and the principle legal authority for the United States military to organize, train, 

equip, and operate jointly; 

Whereas April 16, 2007, marks the 20th year anniversary of 

the establishment of United States Special Operations 

Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; 

Whereas United States Special Operations Command is comprised of—

(1) United States Army Special Operations Command at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina; 

(2) Naval Special Warfare Command at Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, California; 

(3) Air Force Special Operations Command at 

Hurlburt Field, Florida; 
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(4) Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and 

(5) Joint Special Operations Command at Ft. 

Bragg, North Carolina;

Whereas the most visible SOF mission is direct action, but 

SOF missions also extend across the vast operational 

spectrum to include unconventional warfare, 

counterterrorism, counterproliferation, counterinsurgency, 

strategic reconnaissance, civil-military operations, foreign 

internal defense, psychological and information operations, humanitarian assistance, and theater search and 

rescue; 

Whereas the President, in the 2004 Unified Command Plan, 

expanded the role of United States Special Operations 

Command to serve as the ‘‘lead combatant commander 

for planning, synchronizing, and as directed, executing 

global operations against terrorist networks in coordination with other combatant commanders’’; 

Whereas special operations forces are ideally suited to meet 

the asymmetric threat posed by violent Islamists who 

promote intolerance, stifle freedom, and destroy peace; 

Whereas the United States has called on the special operations community to promote freedom and democracy 

around the world in places such as—

(1) the Island of Basilan in the Philippines, where 

Army Special Forces teams and Navy SEALs continue to 

successfully develop partner nation capacity that has significantly improved Philippine security and has furthered 

America’s national security interests in the Pacific region; 
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(2) South America, where SOF personnel continue 

to train and cooperate with local forces to thwart illicit 

drug trafficking and terrorist activity; 

(3) the Horn of Africa, where Marine special operations and other SOF personnel work closely with coalition partners to promote regional stability; 

(4) Afghanistan, where Air Force combat controllers 

and other SOF personnel significantly contributed to the 

liberation of a nation from an oppressive regime and continue efforts to maintain the peace and promote democracy in that country; and 

(5) Iraq, where SOF personnel have admirably 

served in support of coalition forces;

Whereas the SOF community consists of numerous individuals recognized for acts of distinction and valor, including 48 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients; 

Whereas the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review recognized 

the importance of SOF and the critical role that it plays 

in the War on Terror and called for an increase of 15 

percent in SOF beginning in fiscal year 2007; and 

Whereas the core principles of the special operations community, known as the SOF Truths, hold that—

(1) humans are more important than hardware; 

(2) SOF cannot be mass produced; 

(3) quality is better than quantity; and 

(4) competent SOF cannot be created after emergencies occur: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) honors the sacrifices and commitment of the 

53,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and civilians 

that comprise the Nation’s special operations forces com-
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munity and recognizes that it owes each and every one 

of them a debt of gratitude; 

(2) honors the families of the Nation’s special operations forces warriors who are there day-in and day-out 

while their loved ones are deployed around the world; 

and 

(3) recognizes that the United States military 

should seek to replicate the success that the special operations forces community has achieved throughout the 

War on Terror. 

Attest:

Clerk.