Nov. 24, 2025

Getting Small: Institutionalizing Split-Team Operations for Large Scale Combat Operations

Modern battlefields are characterized by intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)-saturated and electronic warfare (EW)-contested environments. Large formations are vulnerable to drone swarms, rapid counter-battery fire, and automated targeting, making agility, dispersion, deception, and timely action critical for survival. Special Forces (SF) employ these necessary characteristics of modern warfare through split-team operations – dividing into small, independent elements, even down to singleton operators – to achieve stealth, autonomy, seamless integration with joint fire support, and increased operational coverage.

Sept. 25, 2025

Who We Are, What We Do: Framing the Special Forces Identity Debate

“Our nation will require answers without even knowing the questions—but answer you will.” -Command Sgt. Maj. Dave Waldo, addressing a graduating Special Forces Regimental First Formation in 20241 Over the past year, a public debate has emerged over the Special Forces Regiment’s identity: who Green Berets are, what missions define us, and how we remain relevant in great-power competition. The conversation is occurring beyond official channels in LinkedIn® posts, podcasts, and professional journals—an indicator that the community is wrestling with foundational questions.

Nov. 25, 2024

Strategic Disruption: An Operational Framework for Irregular Warfare

FORT LIBERTY, NC — The effectiveness of special operations forces (SOF) in irregular warfare is hindered by the lack of a clear and structured operational-level framework tailored to irregular warfare, akin to what large-scale combat operations (LSCO) offers in conventional warfare. Whereas LSCO provides a systematic framework for planning and preparing for conventional warfare, the concept of irregular warfare lacks any such framework – irregular warfare lacks its LSCO, so to speak. The absence of this nested, operational-level concept has introduced ambiguity for Army special operations forces (ARSOF). The broader joint force community has led to varied interpretations and approaches to irregular warfare. This ambiguity complicates the understanding of irregular warfare and challenges planners to align their efforts effectively.