Pentagon cuts will leave gaps special operations can't fill, experts warn

As the Pentagon moves to slash tens of thousands of combat troops from the U.S. Army and Marines Corps, officials are allaying fears by suggesting that special operations forces will be beefed up to fill any gaps in America’s defense needs created by cutbacks totaling roughly $485 billion. But experts are saying that will stretch the definition of special operations forces, muddying the traditional role the elite units have successfully executed since 9/11.

“Special operations forces are a scalpel, not a Swiss Army knife,” said James Carafano, senior defense analyst for the Heritage Foundation. “They are not a substitute for all the instruments of military power needed to protect the nation’s interests.”