Special Operations

The hub for thinking, dialogue, and professional growth across the Special Operations community, bridging operators, policymakers, researchers, and industry partners.

Iran, Ukraine, and the Realities of “Resistance” & “Regime Change”

This article, published in Small Wars Journal in mid-2025, examines the limits of externally driven regime-change strategies through a comparative analysis of Iran and Ukraine. Drawing on Ukraine’s experience of bottom-up resistance, the authors argue that durable political transformation depends on long-term civic mobilisation rather

The Shadow War Within the Larger Conflict

How U.S. Special Forces Must Posture for Deep Area Operations in Large-Scale Combat Operations “While the main armies clash, it is in the shadows—deep in the enemy’s rear—that wars are often decided.” Operation Overlord (D-Day), the largest military operation in modern history, is remembered

Beyond Lethality: The Primacy of Influence in Cognitive Warfare

“The decisive battles of modern warfare are no longer fought primarily on terrain, but in the minds of populations.” Introduction Twentieth-century warfare was defined by industrial-scale lethality: mass mobilization, mechanized destruction, and the pursuit of decisive battlefield supremacy. In contrast, the strategic environment of the twenty-first century

The Future of War Part III: Strategic Sabotage in an Era of Great-Power

Episode 144 of theIrregular Warfare Podcast continues our four-part Future of War series with a focused examination of strategic sabotage, indirect action, and deterrence below the threshold of armed conflict. This episode centers on “Special Delivery,” a near-future short story by author and futurist August Cole, set in

Review of Special Operations and National Security: Policies, Strategies, and Tactics by Ben Gans

When everything is “special,” nothing is. In Special Operations and National Security: Policies, Strategies, and Tactics, Ben Gans confronts an enduring and increasingly relevant question: what exactly constitutes a special operation in the modern era? As technological innovation, multidomain integration, and the blurring of military and intelligence activities reshape contemporary

What Determines Success in Guerrilla Warfare?

Episode 143 examines what enables guerrilla and insurgent forces to develop military effectiveness on the battlefield. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4pWsQqnILdT1Om2CXyaAFc Our guests discuss why ideological cohesion, social ties, and material resources are insufficient for insurgents to successfully implement guerrilla strategies. Drawing on historical examples and a detailed analysis

Codifying Irregular Warfare—Inside the Pentagon’s new DoD Instruction 3000.07

Episode 142 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast features Dr. Jonathan Schroden, Mick Crnkovich, and Dave Maxwell for a deep dive into the Pentagon’s new irregular warfare policy instruction—DoD Instruction 3000.07—and what it signals about how the U.S. military understands, organizes for, and competes in irregular

Chance and Necessity: Evolving the Supporting Role of SOF to Cyber Operations

Introduction “Evolution is driven by chance and necessity.” This was the mantra of Nobel Prize winner Jacques Monod. While Monod was primarily known for his work as a French biologist and philosopher, he also served as Chief of Staff for Operations for the French resistance organization, the Forces Françaises de

Sabotage as a “New Normal”

“Efforts will be made in such countries to disrupt national self-confidence, to hamstring measures of national defense, to increase social and industrial unrest, to stimulate all forms of disunity.” -George Kennan, The Long Telegram Since 2022, there has been a spate of high-profile sabotage attacks across Europe: a

Advancing the SOF Profession: The future of IWI's SOF Focus Area

Since launching in August 2024, the Irregular Warfare Initiative (IWI) “SOF in Competition Project” has aspired to serve as the intellectual home for Special Operations Forces (SOF). As a retired Army Special Forces officer and leadership scholar, I am proud to have taken over this initiative from its founding director,

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Bridging the gap between irregular warfare scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.

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The IWI SOF Program is the hub for thinking, dialogue, and professional growth across the Special Operations community. Built as a virtual team house, it brings together operators, policymakers, researchers, and industry partners to explore how SOF contributes to irregular warfare and to the broader national security mission. The program curates analysis, ideas, and debates that help the force learn faster, think deeper, and stay relevant as strategic competition evolves.

At its core, the program strengthens the human network that makes SOF effective. It gives the community a place to read, write, debate, and test ideas—whether examining the future of SOF activities, unpacking emerging technologies, or translating lessons learned into forward-leaning concepts. Contributors can publish articles, propose podcasts, shape events, and collaborate across the joint force and interagency. The goal is to cultivate a shared intellectual space where the profession sharpens itself.

The SOF Program is also a platform for leadership development and service. Team members gain visibility, build experience, and help shape the profession’s future direction. Anyone with a stake in the SOF enterprise—practitioners, scholars, and industry professionals—is invited to engage, contribute, and join the team as we advance the conversation around SOF and irregular warfare.

Meet the Team

Dr. Joseph Long Dr. Joseph Long Director, SOF Program
David Cook David Cook Advisor, SOF Program
David Maxwell David Maxwell Advisor, SOF Program
Don Edwards Don Edwards Advisor, SOF Program
Dr. Frank Sobchak Dr. Frank Sobchak Advisor, SOF Program
Dr. Robert Burrell Dr. Robert Burrell Advisor, SOF Program
Jaclyn "Jax" Scott Jaclyn "Jax" Scott Advisor, SOF Program
Paul Cobaugh Paul Cobaugh Advisor, SOF Program