09 May 2023
‘Gotta be there early’: American special ops lessons from Ukraine
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The head of US special operations says he doesn’t necessarily see a “direct linkage” between some of the lessons learned in Ukraine and those useful in a potential conflict with China, but Kyiv’s defense of its country has emphasized another, more general rule: When it comes to international partner forces, “be there early.” (
"USSOCOM chief Gen. Bryan Fenton was referring to the American special operations relationship with the Ukrainian military, dating back to shortly after the end of the Cold War. In the mid-1990s, he said, someone from the special operations community was there ” to shake the hand of this new nation, Ukraine, and talk to their military and say, ‘We want to be a partner.'”"
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