A Study of Military Change: The Transformation of Army Special Forces and Naval Special Warfare in the Vietnam War

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dc.contributor.advisorTerriff, Terry
dc.contributor.authorCooper-Takada, Patrick
dc.contributor.committeememberHiebert, Maureen
dc.contributor.committeememberStapleton, Tim
dc.contributor.committeememberBoucher, Jean-Christophe
dc.date2023-02
dc.date.accessioned2022-10-03T15:49:11Z
dc.date.available2022-10-03T15:49:11Z
dc.date.issued2022-09-28
dc.description.abstractThis work serves to investigate the nature of the changes experienced by the Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and Naval Special Warfare (NSW; Underwater Demolition Teams, and Sea, Air, Land [SEAL] Teams) during the Vietnam War, using contemporary military change literature to evaluate the processes and results. In conducting the research, this thesis used a combination of primary and secondary sources for a qualitative analysis of military change. The result of this investigation was two clear examples of military innovation that resulted from different processes in environments that were vastly different in terms of leadership conditions and mission requirements. Naval Special Warfare experienced innovation through the inception of the SEAL Teams, which gave them increased capabilities not seen before by a permanent Navy Special Operations Force unit. This revolutionary innovation was not directly impeded by Navy bureaucracy due to intervention by the Kennedy Administration on behalf of NSW. The Army Special Forces underwent a different kind of innovation; because of their open mindset, high level of training, and misappropriation by Army leadership, the Green Berets adapted to multiple new roles in the Vietnam War. As a result of these multiple smaller changes, the entirety of their existence was altered and they became a force transformed over 14 years of sustained adaptation, rather than the rapid changes experienced by Naval Special Warfare. These lessons of these two case studies are significant as they demonstrate different learning processes in similar combat environments as a result of variables in leadership, demands, experience, unit culture, skills, and relationships with external agencies.en_US
dc.identifier.citationCooper-Takada, P. (2022). A study of military change: the transformation of Army Special Forces and Naval Special Warfare in the Vietnam War (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/115336
dc.identifier.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/40336
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArtsen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectspecial forcesen_US
dc.subjectspecial operations forcesen_US
dc.subjectmilitary changeen_US
dc.subjectmilitary innovationen_US
dc.subjectmilitary adaptationen_US
dc.subjectmilitary learning processesen_US
dc.subjectNavy SEALsen_US
dc.subjectGreen Bereten_US
dc.subjectUS special forcesen_US
dc.subjectVietnam Waren_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Social Sciencesen_US
dc.subject.classificationEconomics--Historyen_US
dc.subject.classificationMilitary Studiesen_US
dc.subject.classificationPolitical Scienceen_US
dc.subject.classificationPolitical Science--International Law and Relationsen_US
dc.subject.classificationSociology--Theory and Methodsen_US
dc.titleA Study of Military Change: The Transformation of Army Special Forces and Naval Special Warfare in the Vietnam Waren_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineMilitary & Strategic Studiesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Strategic Studies (MSS)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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