Welcome Harding Fellows

By Maj. Emily Lopez, Civil Affairs, Harding Fellow and SGT. 1st Class Benjamin L., Special Forces, Harding Fellow

Article published on: July 1st 2024, in the Summer-Fall 2024 Special Warfare Edition

Read Time: < 2 mins

The Harding Project logo featuring an eagle holding rifles with a star below on a red background.
 

We are honored to assume the role of Harding Fellows for Special Warfare. As we step into this responsibility, we look forward to fostering thought-provoking discussions and advancing the critical conversations that shape the future of Army special operations forces (ARSOF). Our mission is to continue building on the rich legacy of Special Warfare as ARSOF’s professional journal and serve as a platform for the voices within our community. We are committed to driving forward the exchange of ideas, innovations, and experiences that will prepare our formations for the future operating environment.

Since 2022, the SOF-Space-Cyber Triad has charted a promising course toward a more integrated joint force as the Army adopts multidomain operations as its guiding concept. Two and a half years into the initiative, the ARSOF community faces a pivotal moment. Some contributors in this issue argue the Triad is losing relevance due to unclear foundational principles. In contrast, others see its early application as an opportunity to refine and strengthen it for future use.

Regardless of stance, the articles in this issue challenge ARSOF professionals to rethink how our formations will fight, influence, and partner in shaping the operational environment’s physical, informational, and human dimensions. The rapid pace of technological change is driving the Army to evolve. Success will depend on how quickly and effectively we sense, adapt, and respond to threats from state and non-state actors. Concepts like the Triad and multidomain operations represent the shifts needed for future formations to grasp modern warfare’s tangible and intangible aspects in a digitized battlespace.

Special Warfare continues to foster this vital dialogue by featuring the perspectives of diverse authors, including experts from private industry,U.S. Space and Missile Defense Command, and U.S. Army Cyber Command, among others. Their intellectual dedication and courage in sharing these insights are greatly appreciated.