"Special operations forces (SOF) remain the Joint Force's pathfinder and our Nation's vanguard in an era of global uncertainty and strategic competition," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a Nov. 2 memo that proposes raising the civilian head of special operations to under secretary level and rebranding the office with a historic name.
Hegseth's Nov. 2 memo: elevation, an OSS name, and explicit resourcing
The memo lays out a concrete restructuring: change the post from assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low‑intensity conflict (ASD SO/LIC) into an under secretary job, give the office the vintage Office of Strategic Services (OSS) moniker, and authorize a secondary title of Assistant Secretary of War for the Office of Strategic Services. Hegseth tied the move directly to resourcing, specifying at least $45 million, 75 civilian positions and 25 military billets, and dedicated space in the Pentagon.
Hegseth framed the proposal as a "bold, foundational change" intended to bring civilian oversight into parity with the military departments for the man, train, and equip mission. The memo implements a requirement from the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act to craft a plan enabling ASD SO/LIC to function comparably to the military departments.
Long road to parity: 2017 authorities and the 2020 reporting change
The proposed shift follows earlier statutory and administrative steps. The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act granted ASD SO/LIC initial authorities over manning, training, and equipping special operations forces. In 2020, acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller ordered that the position report directly to his office rather than to the under secretary for policy, effectively placing it alongside the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Hegseth's memo moves the effort beyond those steps by formalizing a higher rank for the civilian chief and by reallocating funds and staff specifically to build capacity for oversight and enterprise management.
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Protect the town officeWhat advocates and former officials say about oversight and scope
Supporters who have long argued for civilian oversight on par with service secretariats see promise in the resourcing. "Giving SO/LIC standing comparable to the military department secretariats should help normalize its participation in budget, acquisition, personnel, and readiness decisions," David Maxwell, vice president at the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy and a retired Army Special Forces officer, told Defense One.
But former officeholders cautioned about unintended consequences. Michael Lumpkin, who served in the office twice during the Obama administration, warned that renaming the office to something "very ambiguous" could invite additional tasks to be bolted on, potentially diluting oversight of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Lumpkin also said the memo should be read as the opening of negotiations with Congress: "The details matter, and very specific legislative language is required to drive the desired outcome, because at the end of the day, the Congress cannot legislate culture at the Pentagon."
Maxwell added that a properly staffed civilian office would enable "expertise and independent analysis" needed to assess requirements, scrutinize investment choices, resolve support problems, and hold the enterprise accountable.
Congress as the hinge: legislation, politics, and implementation
Hegseth's directions are administrative, but several voices in the memo and among observers emphasize that codification in law will be necessary to make the changes durable. "It must be codified in law to make it effective," Lumpkin said. David Maxwell warned that strained relations between the department and the Republican-controlled Congress could impede passage of required legislation, and the department faces additional friction ahead of a change in congressional majority in January.
That political dynamic is central: the memo authorizes titles and resources "unless and until such time as" Congress decides to put a name change into law, and analysts framed the memo as the first step in a legislative negotiation rather than a final, self-executing reorganization.
What this means for USSOCOM, Congress, and Pentagon civilians
- USSOCOM: A civilian office with a larger budget and staff could normalize civilian participation in budget, acquisition, personnel, and readiness decisions and provide independent scrutiny of enterprise choices, supporters say.
- Congress: Passage of enabling legislation is the explicit hinge for permanence; former officials expect detailed language and negotiation with the Hill to determine scope and authorities.
- Pentagon civilian workforce: The memo promises new civilian expertise and analysis capacity—75 civilians and dedicated space—intended to support oversight, though officials worry about mission creep if the office's name and remit become ambiguous.
Hegseth's memo ties decades of incremental change—2017 statutory authorities and a 2020 reporting shift—into a single proposal that couples rank, brand, and funding. Whether those elements become law, or whether they reshape how special operations are overseen, will now depend on a legislative process framed by a tense relationship between the department and Congress and the precise language negotiators agree to. For proponents, the proposal is a chance to institutionalize civilian oversight; for skeptics, it is only the opening round of a negotiation where details will determine whether oversight is strengthened or diluted.
