Are U.S. Special Forces Being 'Stretched'?

A U.S. Navy SEAL member provides cover for his teammates advancing on a suspected location of al-Qaida and Taliban forces, Jan. 26, 2002.

VOA: Pace of Operations Starting to Wear on US Special Operations Forces

A continuous, heavy reliance on the most elite U.S. forces is threatening to erode what many officials now see as an increasingly indispensable set of military capabilities.

Already on the front lines in the battle against terror groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaida, U.S. special forces are increasingly being called upon to help combat a growing variety of threats from state and nonstate actors at a pace that Pentagon officials fear may not be sustainable.

"We've been operating at such a high op-tempo for the last decade-plus," Theresa Whelan, acting assistant defense secretary for special operations and low-intensity conflict, told the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. "We've mortgaged the future in order to facilitate current operations.

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