A History of "Special Ops"

This year, St. Mark’s History Department is offering a one-of-a-kind elective course: A History of “Special Ops” since 1945. As modern warfare is shifting away from large-scale military campaigns, this course will focus on the select men and women who operate largely unnoticed in defense of their country. Upper School students will have the opportunity to investigate post-World War II American military and diplomatic history, and in particular, the use of special forces such as SEAL teams and Green Berets as a tool of state power.

 

The course was first proposed by history teacher Michele Santosuosso, whose brother enlisted as a Navy SEAL in 2011 and is an active part of the War on Terror.

 

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to bring to life a course that includes topics I am very passionate about,” Mrs. Santosuosso said. “I hope my students learn the value of researching multiple perspectives when they study history.”

 

Mrs. Santosuosso worked closely with her colleagues and History Department Chair David Fisher to create this course. In light of current events, Mr. Fisher sees merit in a class that explores “the current age of uncertainty, including the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Syrian conflict,” as stated in the official course description.

 

“I would like students to come out with an understanding of how special operations can be used,” Fisher told The ReMarker student newspaper. He also hopes that this Special Ops class will inspire other unique learning opportunities. “We should be in the business of offering optional courses that address high student interest and also play to the passions of the teachers who offer them.”

 

Read the full ReMarker story at https://issuu.com/smtexas/docs/remarker_may/18