There has been, and will continue to be, a great deal of chatter and articles about women in ground-combat roles and women in special operations ground combat. Yet, given the length of the SOF training and the elevated standards to which all special operators are held, it will be a while before women join the SEALs, Green Berets, 75th Rangers, and Marine Raiders. And there are many who say if, not when, women will join the ranks of these elite warriors. The more important issue for our special operations components is this: How will they be deployed to counter the ISIS threat? What will they be asked to do in the complex and ambiguous environment? The nature of war has changed a great deal since 9/11, and the emergence of ISIS has accelerated that change. But has our military evolved to meet the new challenges to our national security and our vital interests abroad–the demands that are now collectively being called Grey War. Admiral Eric Olson (USN Ret), former U.S. Special Operations Commander, thinks not and makes an elegant case for his views in Defense One magazine:
http://www.defenseone.com/
