He said those teams could be brought in from National Guard units from California, Indiana, Michigan and other states. “We won’t walk away and abandon this,” General Waldhauser said. That has fostered an institutional skepticism about the American military’s increasing reliance on Special Operations Forces in recent years, like those spread across Africa. In the interview, General Waldhauser said that other combatant commands, such as those that cover the Middle East and the Pacific, will face similar changes. American troops on the ground in Africa have already found their missions scaled back by stringent restrictions placed on Special Operations forces following the Oct. 4 ambush in Niger.

Source: New York Times September 02, 2018 14:26 UTC