Here is a news flash.
The knives were on sale for at least three years and did not overwhelm the secretary. There were plenty in stock. Most people who said they wanted them never ponied up the money. It took six months for the last half dozen knives to be paid for and picked up.
The USASOC CG directed SWCS and the Gift Shop to handle all of the paperwork without providing any additional resources.
SWCS does not have an automated database, so a couple of people had to take on additional duties to make this happen.
The Gift Shop had to deal with angry customers who wanted the knife, but did not have the paperwork or creds. I suspect the Secretary had to deal with some of these people as well. They also had to order and secure serial numbered items and maintain strict accountability.
The fielding plan sucked. The first people to get knives should have been the ODAs. Then SF guys not on teams. Then new graduates. There was not enough money to do it this way, so the Team Sergeants never got the knife issued, but the newbie on the team did. Thanks a lot for your years of service, old dudes.
There was never really a good plan for anything but team guys walking in on Bragg to purchase the knife in person. As soon as the non-Bragg Groups, retirees, spouses and groups for gifts, etc. started making special requests for the knives, more rules had to be made, along with exceptions.
As soon as the USASOC CG who pushed this on SWCS was gone and SWCS was able to get out of this requirement, they did.
I do not see them picking it up again without significant pressure.
TR