Special Ops Commander

Admiral William McRaven,Commander,U.S. Special Operations Command,seeks more authority to preposition his forces and equipment to sensitive areas as intelligence and open sources dictate,according to The New York Times.This could mean expanding their presence in the underepresented areas of Asia,Africa and Latin America without getting State Department consent or the approval of the other combatant commanders-parties who have a concern about turf being violated,either their own or another nation's.
The admiral,himself a product of the Navy SEALs,personally oversaw their training for the bin Laden capture or kill mission.As a young captain,he had been assigned to the White House since right after 9-11.He has perhaps been the world's chief terrorist hunter ever since,searching globally for both Taliban and al-Qaida militants.
Admiral McRaven is said to occasionally accompany his men on their secret missions.A colleague describes him as possessing the rare attribute of combining the qualities of a great leader and a big thinker.A key figure in the ascent of special ops to their current prominence in this age of infantry downsizing,he may well be regarded with a mixture of admiration and annoyance in the corridors of power.
Emblematic of this ascent is the making of the film "Act of Valor,"which stars actual Navy SEALs in a true to life drama and is slated for release on 24 February.