Visible vs. Valuable: Why Restructuring U.S. Special Forces Won't Fix a Failure of Perception

by Maurice "Duc" DuClos

Published June 1, 2026, by Small Wars Journal

The article argues that the primary problem facing U.S. Army Special Forces is not structural failure but a deep misperception of their mission, as they are often judged by direct-action standards rather than their true role in enabling partners. It explains that the force’s most important contributions—building partner capability and creating “composite” effects—are inherently indirect and therefore frequently invisible or misattributed. The author concludes that fixing Special Forces requires changing how the institution perceives, measures, and values its work, not fundamentally restructuring the force itself.

READ HERE: Restructuring U.S. Special Forces Won’t Fix a Failure of Perception