Jan. 7, 2026

Supporting the Army Special Operations Forces-Space-Cyberspace Triad: Selection Criteria for Army Space Officers Supporting U.S. Special Operations Command

The preponderance of special operations forces (SOF) missions requires non-SOF support. There is only one Army Space officer (Functional Area 40) at every theater special operations command (TSOC) and Special Forces Group (SFG). These officers have an outsized impact on what commanders and units of action can accomplish operationally, or when preparing units of action to deploy forward (organizing, training, and equipping). At a TSOC, developing and directing lines of effort against an adversary’s communications architecture demands as much analytical rigor as ensuring units of action are properly equipped and trained to successfully contribute to a TSOC’s campaign support plan. While the Army’s talent management system has made positive strides in recent years, screening Army Space officers for service at SFGs or TSOCs warrants additional scrutiny. The suggestions below are scoped to Army Space officers due to the backgrounds of the authors, but this model could be applied to other low-density jobs in SOF, such as cyberspace or electronic warfare.

Dec. 11, 2025

A Team Room Discussion on the SOF-Space-Cyber Triad

The SOF-Space-Cyber Triad marks a critical evolution in how U.S. Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) prepare for strategic competition, crisis, and conflict. It is a practical concept that weaves space-based capabilities, cyber effects, and deep-sensing platforms into Detachment-level operations. The emphasis is not on developing bespoke technology for its own sake, but to extend the operational reach, survivability, and decision-making agility of forward Detachments.

Dec. 5, 2025

On Leadership: 10 Rules of the Road from Senior Army Leaders

For the past three decades, the Army Values (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage) have provided a constant guardrail for professional Soldiers as they navigate their careers. Yet, oftentimes we see Soldiers challenging, arguing against, or failing to adhere to these values in and out of uniform. Over the years, I've found that sticking to these precepts is often a recipe for a successful career. However, those who stray from the Army Values may need to reorient their compass and make a course correction, or they risk falling into legal, moral, or ethical problems.

Dec. 4, 2025

Transforming the ‘ARSOF Advantage’ Lines of Effort with Enhanced Mesh Network Technology

Mobile, secure, and scalable mesh network technology significantly increases U.S. Army special operations forces’ (ARSOF) communications flexibility, operational security, resilience, and survivability during high-risk missions in hostile, denied, or contested operational environments. The purpose of this article is to explore an innovative tactical communications capability that can help inform the Army Transformation Initiative and enable “the ARSOF Advantage” five lines of effort by providing “ARSOF in Contact” with secure, off-grid mesh network technology.01 Contested or degraded operational environments require next-generation processes and capabilities that provide resiliency, interoperability, security, and agility for ARSOF teams navigating the contemporary competition-crisis-conflict continuum.02

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.

Nov. 21, 2025

Military Culture Shift: The Impact of War, Money, and Generational Perspective on Morale, Retention, and Leadership by Corie Weathers

How often have you heard the phrase, “Today’s generation is so different?” With four generations of Americans serving across the joint force, a key challenge is the “messy dynamic” of leading and caring for them regardless of age, experience, or beliefs.

Nov. 20, 2025

Loitering Munitions in Modern Combat: Addressing Tactical Gaps at the Small Unit Level

In the dynamic landscape of modern warfare, the bedrock of U.S. special operations forces (SOF) has always been its unparalleled adaptability. Yet, as the character of conflict undergoes a quiet but profound revolution, there exists a critical vulnerability within the tactical small unit. The current gap within SOF units is the lack of an organic and expeditious package capable of conducting precision strikes and providing direct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). Loitering munitions can address this gap.

Nov. 18, 2025

Special Warfare Drone Networks for the Modern Battlefield

As the U.S. military evolves to meet the complexities of modern warfare, the looming threats of conflict can sometimes overshadow the essential preparations needed to address future challenges. One critical requirement for the modern soldier is connectivity, whether for an infantryman, a pilot, or an intelligence analyst. The question then arises: How can U.S. forces maintain connectivity in denied, degraded, or disrupted environments during large-scale combat operations (LSCO)? This article explores how an unmanned system (UxS) network can provide reliable connectivity to the forward line of own troops (FLOT) in combat scenarios.

Nov. 13, 2025

Call for Feedback: Help Shape the Future of Civil Affairs

Have you ever observed a capability gap and advocated for a change, only to see your thoughts and ideas go nowhere? All too often, units develop important insights from training events and generate extensive after-action reviews, only for these products to sit at the team or company level – of little to no use to the broader enterprise.

Oct. 15, 2025

Perspectives: Realigning Joint Combined Exchange Training within the ARSOF Readiness Model

The Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) program, a longstanding cornerstone of U.S. special operations forces (USSOF) training, has faced tensions between the force provider components and the theater special operations commands (TSOCs). Per U.S. Code Title 10, Section 322, the primary purpose of JCETs is to train special operations forces. While JCETs can supplement TSOC theater campaign plans, they are often used as a convenient solution to achieve objectives outside the scope of training authorities. Therefore, the current sourcing and execution of JCETs are misaligned with the Army special operations forces’ readiness model.