Institutionalizing Artificial Intelligence Integration in Special Forces: The Case for a Group-Level AI Cell

CW2 McClendon argues the Army must prioritize combat agility over excessive equipment weight, drawing on Blitzkrieg tactics, Jedburgh teams, and GWOT lessons to advocate for lighter, faster, more lethal forces in LSCO.

By CW2 Aaron McClendon

Analyzes the influence of digital media platforms, particularly podcasts hosted by SOF veterans, on public perception, military recruiting, and organizational culture within U.S. Special Operations Forces, advocating for renewed adherence to traditional 'Quiet Professional' ethos.

By Chief Warrant Officer 2 Frank Ayala

A SOF sergeant major challenges the assumption that language proficiency is mission-critical, arguing decades of successful operations prove cultural acumen matters more — and calls for USSOCOM to rebalance LREC toward needs-based training, technology, and accountability.

By Sergeant Major Michael Dean

This article explores the significant financial and safety challenges the U.S. Army faces with parachute and jumper recovery after airborne operations, particularly from tree landings. Sergeant First Class Nathan Berry argues that current recovery methods are inadequate, financially wasteful, and pose unnecessary risks to soldiers. The author proposes a standardized, safe, and cost-effective recovery capability by adopting arborist techniques and developing inter

By Sergeant First Class Nathan Berry

U.S. Army Special Forces must shift from risk-averse GWOT culture to embrace calculated risk-taking for large-scale combat operations. Article examines how excessive command oversight during counterterrorism operations created decision paralysis and proposes empowering tactical leaders.

By Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew van der Graaff

U.S. Special Operations Forces must prioritize cultural competency alongside technology. The 1st Special Forces Command's Regional Expertise and Culture program equips soldiers with interdisciplinary tools to build partnerships and win in irregular warfare.

By Mark Koopman, Command Sergeant Major (ret.) and Emily Stranger, PhD

Explores how AI tools amplify small exercise control teams in military training, enabling scalable scenario design, dynamic content generation, and immersive simulations for large-scale combat operations readiness.

By Maj. Joshua Corson and Maj. Paul Kuemmerlein

Aaron Bank is known as the father of Special Forces. He was the first Director of Special Forces and was the first Commander of 10th Special Forces Group when it was activated in 1952. Before standing up Special Forces as the Army’s premier unconventional, Special Warfare Journal Archive

By Aaron Bank, Col. USA (Ret.), and Reviewed by MAJ John Byrnes

Successful technology companies ruthlessly focus on how customers will use their products. Likewise, the best tool for senior leaders to determine where to invest constrained research and development (R&D) budgets is their soldiers.

By Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Scharnhorst

Citizen sensors in modern warfare: how Ukraine's Diia app, OSINT, and AI transformed civilian reporting into real-time military intelligence, and why governments should build Total Defense frameworks before the next invasion.

By Captain Ryan Davis

This article examines how the Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center (JSOMTC) is modernizing its courses—including Special Operations Combat Medic, Special Forces Medical Sergeant, and Civil Affairs Medical Sergeant—to better prepare SOF medics for the challenges of large-scale combat operations, prolonged field care, and irregular warfare environments.

By Maj. Brett Ambroson, Doctor of Medicine, Special Operations Combat Medic Course Director and Col. Amy Bogiel, DO, U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Surgeon

Military medical training faces challenges in preparing forces for large-scale combat operations. This article proposes using humanoid digital twins and AI-driven data collection to personalize medical training, similar to professional sports analytics. The MASTER-E program exemplifies data-driven performance optimization, though significant infrastructure and governance challenges remain for implementation.

By Col. Paul O. Kwon, DO MPH; Gary P. Zientara PhD; Cmdr. Darshan S. Thota, MD; George Matook; Maj. William T. Davis, MD; William Y. Pike, PhD; Maj. Allison J. Brager, PhD; Col. Jeremy C. Pamplin, MD

Captain Keyes describes how Special Operations Forces teams in Syria succeeded through strong relationships built during pre-mission training. His Civil Affairs Team, Special Forces ODAs, and Tactical PsyOps Teams adapted to Syria's changing environment after Assad's fall by prioritizing communication, teamwork, and collaborative training that created lasting professional bonds.

By Captain Nicholas Keyes

This article examines the critical role of Austere Resuscitative Surgical Care (ARSC) teams in modern military operations, particularly in preparing for potential large-scale combat operations against near-peer adversaries.

By 2nd Lt. Mason H. Remondelli, 2nd Lt. Joseph Rhee, 2nd Lt. Isaiah Gray, 2nd Lt. Ryan M. Leone, Col. Jay B. Baker,and retired Lt. Col. Dan S. Mosely

This article examines Operation Cardinal, a 1945 OSS mission that rescued Allied prisoners of war from Japanese-occupied Manchuria at the end of World War II. On August 16, 1945—just seven days after Nagasaki and one day after Japan's surrender—a six-man OSS team parachuted into Mukden, China, with orders to reach Allied POW camps before Soviet forces could get there.

By Lt. Col. Zachary Griffiths