This thesis is a history of the Polish Country Section of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a British organisation whose purpose was to infiltrate agents behind enemy lines during World War II. The thesis covers the period 1940 – 1946, the entire period that SOE existed, and its close connection with the Polish special department, formally known as the Sixth Bureau of the Polish Government in Exile. Chapters contained herein each cover a full year of operations from 1941 -1943, followed by two chapters for 1944, and one chapter for 1945-1946. Covered are details of agent training, information on the first flight to Poland to drop agents and couriers and the problems encountered. The German invasion of the Soviet Union and SOE’s thoughts on the predicted outcome is covered, as are also Polish operations in France and indications of support for Polish operations in other parts of the world. Throughout, is evidence of the difficulties in obtaining sufficient air support for flights to Poland which, although inadequate for Polish requirements, were more abundant than many realised at the time. This is especially true with reference to supplies dropped to Warsaw during the rising of 1944. Brief accounts of the meetings between the ‘Big Three’, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, at Teheran and Yalta in as much as they affected SOE/Polish relations. The thesis finishes with appendices detailing agent/courier parachute drops, lists of personnel involved, a bibliography and glossary.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / This thesis presents a historical analysis of the evolution of US Army Special Forces operations from 1995 to 2004, focusing specifically on operations conducted in the Balkans (Bosnia and Kosovo), Afghanistan and Iraq, answering the research question: How have the operations conducted by US Army Special Forces evolved from the Balkans in 1995 through Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)? The thesis examines the progression of Special Forces operations during each of the aforementioned campaigns, analyzing their evolution in the areas of intelligence operations, unconventional warfare and foreign internal defense, close air support, integration with conventional forces and the institutionalization of lessons learned. The thesis concludes by examining future roles of US Army Special Forces with respect to employment. Tracing the progression of Special Forces employment from the Balkans to OIF is critical to understanding the factors contributing to the success of Special Forces operations in both the decisive operations and stability and support (SASO) phases of OEF and OIF. / Major, United States Army

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / Warfare planners and tacticians are seeking ways to leverage information technology to gain advantage on the battlefield. With the advent of Internet technologies, complex systems are becoming more networked, and access to information is more critical than ever. The increasing utilization of special operations forces in ad hoc, dynamic operations poses a need for adaptable communications to support the unit. Effective communication within the unit and critical information exchange with the command center affect the overall outcome of the mission. An adaptive, mobile network with UAV relays is well-suited to support the ad hoc nature of special operations. The area of research for this thesis is the role of the tactical network operations communication coordinator in mobile UAV networks. The coordinator's purpose is to oversee the management and status of the network and provide feedback to network participants, thus resulting in an effective and well-functioning environment. The tactical network coordinator is an important and integral part of network operations by establishing what is known as network awareness. This thesis will be a model for sharing network awareness, and it will explore the potential benefits of incorporating network performance as a planning objective rather than a constraint. / First Lieutenant, United States Air Force

This thesis focuses on the changes to law enforcement precipitated by the establishment of counter terrorist squads within State police forces during the late 1970's. It looks at the impact of Victoria's specialist counter terrorist squad, the Special Operations Group (SOG), on policing in Victoria and asks whether the group has led to the development of a more 'military based' approach to policing. The research demonstrates that the SOG has been the harbinger of more military styles of policing involving high levels of confrontation, more lethal weapons and a greater range of weapons and more frequent recourse to deadly force. The establishment of groups like the SOG has also undermined Australia's democratic traditions by blurring the boundaries between the police and military and weakening the safeguards which have in then past prevented military force being used against citizens. / The SOG has acted as a vanguard group within Victoria police, anticipating and leading progress towards a range of new military-style tactics and weapons. The SOG, although relatively small in number,, has had a marked influence on the tactics and operations of police throughout the force. The group was never contained to dealing with only terrorist incidents but instead used for a range of more traditional police duties. While terrorism has remained rare in Australia the SOG has nevertheless expanded in size and role. Because the SOG is considered elite and because the SOG are frequently temporarily seconded to other areas of policing, SOG members provide a role for other police and have the opportunity to introduce parliamentary tactics into an extended range of police duties. The parliamentary skills developed by the SOG have been passes on to ordinary police through training programs headed by former SOG officers. In addition, the group has effectively been used as a testing ground for new weapons. The structure of the Victoria Police Protective Security Group and the way public demonstrations and industrial disputes are viewed in police and security circles ensure that parliamentary counter terrorist tactics will be used to stifle dissent and protest. The move towards paramilitary policing is necessarily a move away from the police mandate to protect life, keep the peace and use only minimum force. / The interrogation of SOG and SOG tactics into everyday policing has occurred without any public debate or recognition of the important democratic traditions that have ensured that military force is not used against citizens except in the most extreme circumstances. Although the SOG is not formally part of the military it is nevertheless a significant parliamentary force virtually indistinguishable in terms of the weapons and levels of force at its disposal from the military proper.

Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense))--Naval Postgraduate School, March 2010. / Thesis Advisor(s): Simeral, Robert L. Second Reader: Van Nuys, Thomas J. "March 2010." Description based on title screen as viewed on April 26, 2010. Author(s) subject terms: Terrorism, classified evidence, disruption, intelligence and evidence, preventative detention, interagency integration, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Special Operations Command (SOCOM), National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Military Commissions, Classified Information Protection Act (CIPA), national security, homeland security. Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-126). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S. in Defense Analysis)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2005. / Thesis Advisor(s): Anna Simons. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-58). Also available online.

Thesis (MMAS)--Command and General Staff College (CGSC), 2006. / AD-A451 259. Includes bibliographical references.

On the 24th of April 1980, the US military conducted Operation Eagle Claw that aimed to free 53 American citizens held hostage by an Iranian student terror organisation in the US embassy in Teheran, Iran. This study uses the factors of simplicity, security and rehearsal to investigate why this rescue mission resulted in failure. These three factors derives from the principles of Simplicity, Security and Repetition from McRaven´s theory of relative superiority, and the criteria of Feasible Objectives, Flexibility of Mind and Tactical Competence from Gray´s theory on when special operations succeed. Based on a qualitative single case study, the results suggest that the factors of simplicity and rehearsal were absent during the planning and preparation of the operation, but that the factor of security was, however, present in excess. In the end, this dynamic generated a complex plan that was not properly rehearsed, which resulted in mission failure. The study contributes to existing research on Operation Eagle Claw, and gives further understanding to the area of special operations and its relevance to the Swedish Armed Forces.

The President, Thabo Mbeki, established the Directorate of Special Operations (DSO) in 1999 shortly after the general elections. The DSO was intended to supplement the efforts of the South African Police Services in combating crime. The unit would concentrate on national priority crimes and police corruption and would report to the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP). The founder members of the DSO were identified in my research and open-ended interviews were conducted with them. The goal of my research was to understand the founder group's experience of the creation of the organisational culture of the DSO and what that experience meant to them . In particular, I wanted to establish what role the founder members of the DSO believed their values and beliefs played in creating the organisation's culture, and their perception of how those values influenced the leadership, management and organisation processes of the DSO. The public sector environment seldom offers opportunities to create something new and this was a unique experience. The founder members received no personal gain except the satisfaction of creating something that would be there for their descendants, something that would change the face of law enforcement forever and in fact, pioneer the troika methodology for the first time in the world within a permanent structure. The values of the founder members influenced their decision to join and they believed that the DSO would make a difference in the lives of ordinary South Africans. They were dedicated, committed, loyal and passionate. Their leadership inspired the members of the organisation and ensured the success of the DSO, despite the lack of resources, staff and legislation. This was an exciting time in the history of the organisation and many personal sacrifices were made. The founder members are proud of the achievements of the DSO and of having been a part thereof. It certainly was "a brilliant time".

In the new era of hybrid warfare information is key. But information by itself is not enough, decisionmakers want information that is certain and has quality. One method of obtaining this information is special reconnaissance. However, the field of special reconnaissance is slim and hasn’t been researched extensively enough. In the field of special reconnaissance only a single theory exists. That theory is Anders Westbergs theory of special reconnaissance. Westbergs theory states that there is a term called relative certainty. Which is the threshold where there is sufficient actionable intelligence on the opponent or target. To achieve relative certainty there are a certain set of principles which should be fulfilled, these principles are coordination, review, cover, reporting and exploitation. Westbergs theory however is still not tested by an outsider. This study therefore seeks to investigate if Westbergs theory is valid when tested through a qualitative case study on a case that is not only a failure and more modern, but also untested against the theory. The chosen case is the patrol Bravo Two Zero in the Persian Gulf War, 1991. The result shows that Westbergs theory can be used to explain the failure of Bravo Two Zeros mission. Some principles such as reporting shows significant value to the explanation.