Special Warfare Journal - Tag Special Warfare

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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: Special Warfare

Sept. 30, 2025

Pursuing Higher Education: New Degree Pathways for Civil Affairs Special Operations Combat Medics

The role of special operations combat medics continues to evolve alongside rapid advancements in military medicine. Special operations medics are specially selected Soldiers tasked with the delivery of critical care in complex environments, while also individually embracing opportunities to enhance their medical expertise through higher education. This article details the unique journey of the special operations combat medics enrolled in the Special Operations Civil Affairs Medical Sergeants (SOCAMS) Course, which is offered at the Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center (JSOMTC) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Operators assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) conduct medical evacuation training at Oahu, Hawaii, Aug. 9, 2024. This was part of Joint Training Exercise NAKOA FLEEK which saw 10th SFG(A) Operators train and evaluate Soldiers of 25th Infantry Division on warrior tasks and battle drills.

March 28, 2025

Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center: Transformation and Modernization

FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA — The United States Army special operations forces (SOF) operate in a near continuous state of transformation and modernization. During the last two decades of conflicts in the Middle East and the wider world, these transformations happened at a rapid pace, often placing significant strain on force generators, such as the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) and the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Now, the U.S. military is requiring its commands to dramatically change their tactics and training in anticipation of large-scale combat operations (LSCO) against peer and near-peer adversaries.

Nov. 15, 2024

The Three Pillars of Irregular Warfare Education

Irregular Warfare education is a holistic, iterative, and lifelong learning process that has a different set of key knowledges as base requirements at certain points in an Army special operations force (ARSOF) Soldier’s career. These key knowledges are represented by three pillars of Irregular Warfare education: institutional training and professional military education, personal self-study, and unit-level experiential learning. The process used to train and educate Soldiers about Irregular Warfare —in many regards—is not unlike other education development and learning models. What is different and unique is how this education is delivered and managed.