JIm @jtallen83 - here's a very accurate rundown on everything in our involvement in the PI, starting 2002. I'm a plankholder in all that, and started it all up, everything intel, how to do it, how to mix disciplines, how to attack it, how to implement it... And it worked. We pioneered that, and now it's more widespread throughout SOF, based on what we did there.
There's more to that story right there ^^^, but I can tell you it's going on today, right now.
There's one or two MAJOR issues I have with this article, and I'll spill the other one later. The first, biggest beef I have is their numbers- they state 1300 people. BS. Total BS. We were Force-Capped by the Phil Govt at 660 members, and they were serious about trying to bring in #661... That's a HARD number, and we could never exceed it, the whole time. Period. Full Stop.
At any rate, here's the article, and it's pretty damn good, minus 2 big errors... It's a long read, but worth every minute of the time.
https://cco.ndu.edu/PRISM-6-3/Article/1020239/the-sof-experience-in-the-philippines-and-the-implications-for-future-defense-s/