An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Banner Image for The Impact of Synchronization vs. Scrutinization in TSOC Operations
Diagram of Special Forces Deep Operations showing battle zones: Contested, Middle, Deep, FLOT, and electronic warfare areas.
Cover page for military publication on irregular warfare proficiency
General Dwight D. Eisenhower speaking with paratroopers of 101st Airborne Division before D-Day invasion, June 5, 1944
  • The Weight of War cover image
    Perspectives: The Weight of War and Reclaiming Combat Agility

    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

  • Title pic including the words 'Impact of Digital Media on US Special Operations and Forces: Challenges, Perceptions and Cultural Shifts' and a decorative image of a microphone
    The Impact of Digital Media on U.S. Special Operations Forces: Challenges, Perceptions, and Cultural Shifts

    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

  • Military personnel and instructors engaged in language and cultural training session with educational materials
    Beyond Words: Rethinking Language's Role in Special Operations

    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

  • A group of soldiers in camouflage uniforms and helmets, carrying large backpacks, walking toward a military transport aircraft parked on an airstrip. The aircraft is gray with 'U.S. Army' markings visible on its side. The sky is partly cloudy, and the surrounding area is open with grass and distant buildings.
    Perspectives: Parachute and Jumper Recovery (and Why the Army Should Care)

    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

  • Banner image for Modern Warfare and Risk. A U.S. Army Green Beret assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), right, leads Air Force security forces personnel with the Air National Guard in a joint forceable entry, JFE, during a final culminating objective as part of exercise
    Modern Warfare and Risk

    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

  • Banner Title
    The Lethality of Relationships: Understanding Culture is a Necessary Skill

    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

  • Two people talking outdoors: a civilian in a gray t-shirt and a soldier in camouflage uniform with gear.
    Artificial Intelligence: The New Force Multiplier in Training Exercises

    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

  • Banner Title
    From OSS to Green Berets: The Birth of Special Forces

    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

  • Banner Title
    Perspectives: 21st Century Hedgerow Problems

    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

  • Cover image for Resistance in Total Defense: The Role of Citizens in LSCO. A retro propaganda-style illustration depicting civilians resisting an invading force, flanked by an American flag and a tactical operations display. Bold text reads RESIST — REPORT beneath a Democracy for Freedom emblem.
    Resistance in Total Defense: The Role of Citizens in LSCO

    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

  • Soldiers carry a casualty on a stretcher toward a U.S. Army medical evacuation helicopter in a grassy clearing. One soldier signals the aircraft as others assist in the evacuation effort.
    Joint Special operations Medical Training Center: Transformation & Modernization

    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

  • A promotional image with large white text reading 'DIGITAL TWINS FOR A DIGITAL WORLD' overlaid on a futuristic blue-tinted background featuring a silhouetted figure with digital interface elements, data visualizations, and biometric monitoring displays. Below the main title is a subtitle that reads 'DATA-DRIVEN TRAINING OPTIMIZING THE READY MEDICAL FORCE'. The background includes various technological elements like charts, connection nodes, and digital overlays suggesting advanced medical and fitness monitoring technology
    Digital Twins For A Digital World: Data-Driven Training Optimizing The Ready Medical Force

    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

  • Two soldiers in multicam camouflage uniforms walking away from the camera across a dusty, arid landscape. Both are wearing tactical helmets equipped with night vision goggles and other electronic devices, along with full combat gear including body armor and tactical vests. The soldier on the right appears to be holding or carrying something in their hands. The background shows a blurred desert or training environment with some structures visible in the distance.
    IN SOF: Relationships Reign Supreme

    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

  • Close-up of a medical professional treating a simulated casualty under red tactical lighting, with medical equipment and monitoring electrodes visible on the patient's chest.
    Austere Resuscitative And Surgical Care Teams: Supporting Far-Forward Trauma Care On The Future Battlefield

    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

  • Graphic with text 'Drop, Improvise, Win OSS in China' and 'Operation Cardinal' alongside a red silhouette map of China on black background.
    Drop, Improvise, Win OSS: In China

    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