The US broke records for deploying special forces under Trump.

U.S. special forces were deployed to 149 countries in the first year of President Trump's term, 1.5 times more than in the 2010s.

US Navy SEALs fighting in Iraq. Photo: US Navy

"We operate and fight in every corner of the world," Sputnik quoted General Raymond Thomas, commander of the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), as saying. New data shows that US special forces were present in 149 countries in 2017, 50% higher than during the George W. Bush administration.

U.S. President Donald Trump granted greater decision-making authority to military commanders in conflict zones such as Yemen and Somalia, allowing them to conduct offensive operations without Pentagon approval. In the first six months of Trump's presidency, SOCOM forces conducted five times more combat missions than in the final six months of former President Barack Obama's term.

However, this forces the U.S. to spread its military presence thinly around the world, causing concern among its lawmakers. "We don't know where the U.S. military is or what it's doing," Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, stated in October.

Washington showed no signs of scaling back its deployment of special forces worldwide in 2018. This could lead to increased resource demands on SOCOM and limit its ability to resolve conflicts through diplomatic means.

"This is a terrible mistake when considered in light of the U.S. global military strategy following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It only causes more damage and is ineffective in preventing terrorism," said William Hartung, director of the Armaments and Security Project at the Center for International Policy.

According to Dan Viet