US special operations leaders are having to do more with less and learning from the war in Ukraine

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

FORT LIBERTY, N.C. (AP) — U.S. special operations commanders are having to do more with less and they’re learning from the war in Ukraine, That means juggling how to add more high-tech experts to their teams while still cutting their overall forces by about 5,000 troops over the next five years. The conflicting pressures are forcing a broader restructuring of commando teams that often are deployed for high-risk counterterrorism missions and other sensitive operations around the world. The changes under consideration are being influenced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including lessons learned by British special operations forces there.