Special Warfare Journal - Tag Office of Strategic Services

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Stability by Design: How ARSOF Culture Empowers the Operator and Anchors the Household

Military service is built on a shared cultural identity. Conversations across the force often default to the concept that every Soldier is part of one Army. All Soldiers, from Stryker infantrymen to Special Forces weapons sergeants, share the foundational identity represented by the U.S. Army nametape worn above their heart. Likewise, every Soldier is bound by the same oath and serves the same Constitution. However, this shared foundation overshadows the profound organizational and cultural differences between the conventional force and Army special operations forces (ARSOF).

Tag: Office of Strategic Services

June 15, 2026

The Joint Force in the Jungle: The Alamo Scouts Blueprint for Special Forces in Large Scale Combat Operations

Over the last 20 years, the U.S. military has been highly focused on counterinsurgency operations as we engaged in the Global War on Terror (GWOT). This focus, along with expertise in irregular warfare and partner force operations, enabled Special Forces to take a predominant role in Afghanistan and Iraq. Today we face a different world. Competition among the great powers is increasing, requiring the U.S. military to shift focus to prepare for LSCO undertaken against a peer enemy. This transition is a natural fit for the conventional force as tankers prepare for armored clashes, naval officers plan fleet engagements, and pilots contemplate a world without airspace supremacy. For Special Forces, this shift can be more confusing. As divisions and corps become the units of action, where does a small team of Green Berets fit?

Feb. 12, 2026

Book Review: From OSS to Green Berets: The Birth of Special Forces by Aaron Bank, Col. USA (Ret.)

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 warfare capability, Col. Bank served in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) as a Jedburgh during WWII. In writing the book, Col. Bank wanted to tell the story of the OSS’s operational groups conducting unconventional warfare in WWII, and of the subsequent development of the Green Berets. His purpose in telling this story was to emphasize that the OSS and its legacy are intrinsically tied to that of the Green Berets as the “operational predecessor” of U.S. Army Special Forces.