Special Warfare Journal - Tag Operational Planning

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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: Operational Planning

April 1, 2026

Historical Examples of Modern Warfighting Terms

Clear definitions are crucial for enabling a shared understanding as we adapt to modern times. This article argues that simply rebranding old military concepts with new terminology, without critically examining and learning from history, risks creating the illusion of innovation and leads us to repeat past mistakes. Without grounding our terminology in historical understanding, we risk repeating failures and overlooking successes from prior conflicts. It also presents examples of conventional forces - special operations forces integration, interoperability, and interdependence (CF-SOF I3) employed in the 20th and 21st centuries. The key argument is that effective adaptation to contemporary challenges requires both doctrinal clarity and historical insight.

July 1, 2025

The Algebra of Irregular Warfare: A Planning Methodology for Transregional Operations

How do special operations forces (SOF) plan operations against threats delineated in the National Security Strategy that transcend the geographic and legal boundaries imposed by the Goldwater-Nichols Act and Unified Command Plan? The Department of Defense (DoD) requires, but does not have, an entity that connects, integrates, and globally synchronizes irregular warfare across combatant commands and the interagency. The solution to fulfilling that requirement is to create an entity that can integrate and leverage all the instruments of national power, domestically within the U.S. and through international allies and partners throughout all phases of the conflict continuum.