Aug. 4, 2025

Transforming Dental Support to the U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence

Special Operations Forces (SOF) operate in high-stakes, austere environments where dental emergencies can jeopardize operator readiness and mission success. The spectrum of support provided by Army dentists ensures operators remain deployable and effective in these dynamic environments. Army dentists, as critical medical enablers, must have a deep understanding of SOF's unique mission and culture to deliver timely, effective care and training. While Army dentists have historically contributed to unit readiness and operational outcomes, dental representation within SOF remains limited to Special Forces (SF) groups and the Civil Affairs brigade, leaving gaps in capability and mentorship. A dental officer assigned to the United States Army’s Special Operations Center of Excellence (SOCoE) would provide SOF medics and dentists with an advocate and mentor at this critical command level. This article examines the Army Dental Corps' engagement with SOF, identifies deficiencies in current dental support, and proposes a path to enhance the delivery of care, medical training, and force readiness. By integrating an experienced SOF dentist in a key position, the Army can strengthen operator health, improve training outcomes, and ensure mission success in any environment.

July 10, 2025

Book Review: Patton’s War: An American General’s Combat Leadership, Volume 1

George S. Patton, Jr. remains one of the most renowned leaders in American military history. This is the narrative any student of history will find, emblazoned by Patton’s own memoirs, the seminal works of Martin Blumenson, Carlo D’Este, and Stanley Hirshon, and autobiographies of Patton’s peers and superiors. Historian Kevin Hymel seeks to contextualize this narrative through the lens of another Patton, “the man mentioned in the letters and memoirs of the many soldiers he led into battle.”

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.