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Resistance Operating Concept (ROC)

Fiala OC. Resistance Operating Concept (ROC). MacDill Air Force Base, FL: The Joint Special Operations University Press;
April 2020. 283 pages, softback. ISBN 978-1-941715-43-7.
Review by COL (Ret) Warner “Rocky” D. Farr, MD, MPH

his document, which I shall call “the ROC,” started its There are an additional 10 appendices on topics such as legal
life as an academic treatise at Special Operations Com- considerations, methods of nonviolent resistance, Russian hy-
Tmand Europe (SOCEUR) in 2014. SOCEUR was at this brid warfare tactics, Second World War case studies, Cold War
time commanded by Major General (MG) Mike Repass, an US resistance case studies, case studies lessons learned, assessing
Army Special Forces officer who began it while later SOCEUR resilience, population interaction with a foreign occupier, gov-
commanders and staffs aided by other members of the wider ernment interagency planning, and more. The glossary supplies
European special operations community (not just NATO terms, definitions, abbreviation, and acronyms. The book is very
members) continued the effort forward. well documented with 624 endnotes. I was particularly pleased
to find discussions of post–World War II unconventional war
After a series of meetings, the doctrine for possible unconven- plans by NATO in occupied Western Europe, an area and a
tional warfare in Eastern Europe was codified. Actions of a plan not well documented in the literature. Also covered are
resurgently aggressive Russia began to make this effort more the plans in Poland and eastern Europe to include Russia. Also
of a priority inside the European Special Operations commu- mentioned is the elusive CIA plan called “Operation Gladio.”
nity, including some non-NATO, nonmember The only area of guerilla warfare activity not cov-
nations. The ROC started becoming a concept ered in the book is the American Special Forces
that would aid Northern and Eastern European plans for Berlin, featuring “Detachment A.” This
countries in their efforts to deter and resist any book is one of the rare texts on unconventional
Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. warfare that covers medicine, to include an un-
derground hospital diagram.
This led to the first book, titled Resistance Op-
erating Concept. The chief editor was Otto C. The Resistance Operating Concept is being
1
Fiala of SOCEUR, and the book was printed used by European SOF in both academic and
and distributed in limited copies in late 2019. field training environs. In collaboration with
December of 2019 saw the Swedish Defense SOCEUR and Latvian special operations forces,
University and SOCEUR jointly announce the the Joint Special Operations University con-
finished product. It received acclaim in the open ducted a National Resistance Course in Riga,
source SOF press. A new printing of Resistance Latvia, during December 2019.
2
Operating Concept has just been done by the Joint Special Op-
erations University (JSOU) Press at MacDill Air Force Base, The Resistance Operating Concept is the capstone publication
Tampa, Florida. This printing is a collaborative work between to be used by European SOF and US SOF for many years to
SOCEUR and JSOU. A digital version of the newest book come. It will certainly be integrated into the curriculum of SOF
(PDF) is available free online (see reference 1). centric courses and schools. It is also a powerful addition to
any military professional’s library.
Not only is this product a compendium of Unconventional
Warfare tactics and techniques, but there also is a large Available electronically by free download: Resistance Operat-
amount of historical and contemporary unconventional war- ing Concept, JSOU Press, 2020, https://jsou.libguides.com/ld
fare topics. Major General Kirk Smith supplied the foreword – .php?content_id=54216464
a former commander of SOCEUR and BG Anders Lofberg, the
commander of the Swedish Special Operations Command also References
supplied a foreword. The four main chapters are (1) Introduc- 1. Fialia, Otto, Ed. Resistance Operating Concept, SOCEUR and
tion, (2) Resilience as a Foundation for Resistance, (3) Resis- Swedish Defense University, 2019, 251 pages. PDF Document On-
tance, and (4) Interagency Planning and Preparation. Those line at Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet.
chapters by themselves would make a great how to book on https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1392106
/FULLTEXT01.pdf
GUERRILLA WARFARE, but there is more. 2. “SOCEUR and Resistance Operating Concept”, by John Friberg,
SOF News, July 19, 2019.
https://sof.news/uw/resistance-operating-concept/

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