Popular Resources
Orientation Video
Recently Ended
The Concept Maneuver in the Narrative Space
The Fourth Age of SOF: The Use and Utility of Special Operations Forces in a New Age: History, Theory and Future Practices
Special Operations Forces (SOF) Support to Resilience and Resistance: Geostrategy in an Era of Compound Threats
Popular Resources
Orientation Video
Recently Ended
The Concept Maneuver in the Narrative Space
The Fourth Age of SOF: The Use and Utility of Special Operations Forces in a New Age: History, Theory and Future Practices
Special Operations Forces (SOF) Support to Resilience and Resistance: Geostrategy in an Era of Compound Threats

In a world increasingly defined by the Compound Security Dilemma and marked by conditions of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, no component of the military element of national power is better prepared to help secure vital U.S. interests than the nation's Special Operations Forces (SOF). U.S. SOF is ever-evolving in order to meet the challenges of an uncertain future, which now sees the dawning of a Fourth Age of SOF. An understanding of the ways in which SOF previously deterred conflict and combatted the nation's enemies is necessary, but not sufficient, to meet the challenges of the future. With an eye on the past and a focus on the future, this forum provides a platform in which to consider, debate, and explore what are sure to be many answers to the question, "What kinds of personnel, capabilities, authorities, mission sets, equipment and doctrine will best prepare America's Special Operations Forces to succeed in the Fourth Age of Special Operations?"
Agenda
Essential
Read Ahead

Andy Maher
Major Maher
has served in the Australian Army for 20 years and is taking leave in 2022
to complete a Doctorate examining Proxy Warfare. He has served with
multiple deployments to both Afghanistan and Iraq and has been a military
fellow and post-graduate lecturer with the University of New South Wales
(UNSW), Canberra. He is also a visiting fellow with the Charles Sturt
University Terrorism studies program, a non-resident fellow with the Modern War
Institute at West Point, and lectures with David Kilcullen on Irregular
Warfare and the Theory of Special Operations. In 2021, he was an
Australian Chief of Army Scholar.

Brett Chaloner
BRIG Chaloner entered Army via the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1991 and
commissioned in 1994. Following service in Transport and Infantry, BRIG Chaloner
completed Commando selection and reinforcement training and served in the 4
th Battalion,
The Royal Australian Regiment (Commando) (4RAR(Cdo)). He subsequently completed
Special Air Service Regiment selection and training, serving in a range of command and
operations appointments. These included deployment to East Timor and Counter Terrorism
duties in support of the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Concurrent to service as the Adjutant of the
Royal Military College – Duntroon, BRIG Chaloner deployed in support of operations in Iraq
in 2003.

Brian Babcock-Lumish
Brian Babcock-Lumish is the
director of the General David H. Petraeus Center for Emerging Leaders at the
Institute for the Study of War. He is an adjunct associate professor in the
Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University, a nonresident fellow at
the Modern War Institute at West Point, and a security fellow of the Truman
National Security Project. He served as a U.S. Army military intelligence
officer, retiring after 24 years in uniform. Dr. Babcock-Lumish had two deployments
to Iraq, first training Iraqi intelligence collectors and then serving as
General Petraeus’ daily intelligence briefer during “The Surge” in 2007. At
U.S. Army Pacific, he served as the analysis chief leading 200 analysts
watching the 36 countries of the Indo-Pacific. He served two tours teaching
international relations in the Department of Social Sciences at the United
States Military Academy at West Point where he also led the Academy’s graduate
scholarship program. Formerly an enlisted Russian linguist, Dr. Babcock-Lumish double
majored in International & Strategic History and International Politics and
received his commission from West Point. Upon graduation, he earned an M.Phil.
in Russian and East European Studies at Oxford University as a U.S. Marshall
Scholar. Prior to his first tour on faculty at West Point, he completed his Ph.D.
in War Studies at King’s College London as a Harry S. Truman Scholar. He is a
member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Royal United Services
Institute, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and Chatham
House.

Charlie Faint
LTC Charles (Charlie) Faint commissioned into the Military
Intelligence Branch of the US Army through the ROTC program at Mercer
University and claims Alabama as his home state. After completing a branch detail to the
Infantry in the 101st Airborne Division, he subsequently served as an
intelligence officer in a variety of units, including ing the 2nd Infantry
Division, the 5th Special Forces Group, the 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment, and the Joint Special Operations Command. His most recent operational assignment was at
Fort Shafter, Hawaii, where he served as the Chief of Intelligence Plans and
Exercises and then Chief of Intelligence Operations on the G2 staff of US Army
Pacific. LTC Faint currently serves as
an Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the Modern War Institute at West
Point, and instructs the Comparative Defense Policy course. During a previous tour at West Point, LTC
Faint was the Course Director for MX400, the Superintendent’s capstone course
on Officership, for two years. He also
instructed International Relations, American Politics, Comparative Politics,
Conflict and Negotiation, and Intelligence and National Policy for three years
in West Point’s renowned Department of Social Sciences.
Christopher Fussell
Chris
was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Navy in 1997, and spent the
next 15 years on US Navy SEAL Teams, leading SEAL elements in combat zones
around the globe. From war-torn Kosovo, to counter-terrorism operations in Iraq
and Afghanistan, to highly specialized efforts in the troubled areas of the
Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, he experienced and led through the modern
evolution of the US military’s Special Operations community, first on SEAL
Teams Two and Eight, then in the Naval Special Warfare Development Group.
Chris
is also a Senior Fellow for National Security at New America, a Washington,
DC-based non-partisan think tank dedicated to understanding the next generation
of challenges facing the United States. Chris is actively involved in several
non-profits dedicated to helping veterans and their families, and holds a seat
on the Board of Directors for the Navy SEAL Foundation. He is also a lifetime
member to the Council on Foreign Relations.
Chris
earned a Master of Arts in Irregular Warfare from the Naval Postgraduate
School, receiving the Pat Tillman Award for highest peer-rated Special
Operations Officer in the program. His thesis work focused on the interagency
collaboration and intelligence sharing processes that drove effective,
cross-silo collaboration during the peak of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Cristian Simon
Cristian Simon is in the U.S. Army for 22 years, 7 as a
Western Hemisphere Foreign Area Officer. He spent 2 years as a WHINSEC
Instructor, 2.5 years in the US Embassy in Nicaragua, 2.5 years in the Joint
Staff J5, and 4 years with the OUSD(I&S) CPE WHEM -- current WHEM Team
Chief.

David Kilcullen
David Kilcullen is Professor of Practice in the Center on the
Future of War and the School of Politics and Global Studies, a Senior Fellow at
New America and an author, strategist and counterinsurgency expert. He served
25 years as an army officer, diplomat and policy advisor for the Australian and
United States governments, in command and operational missions (including
peacekeeping, counterinsurgency and foreign internal defense) across the Middle
East, Southeast Asia and Europe. In the United States he was Chief Strategist
in the State Department’s Counterterrorism Bureau, and served in Iraq as Senior
Counterinsurgency Advisor to General David Petraeus, before becoming Special
Advisor for Counterinsurgency to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He is the
author of a number of influential books including, The Accidental
Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One and Counterinsurgency, Out
of the Mountains and, Blood Year: The Unraveling of Western
Counterterrorism based on an essay that received the Walkley Award,
the Australian version of the Pulitzer Prize.

Doug Jordan
Mr. Doug Jordan is Course Director for the newly developed Strategic
Influence and Information Advantage (SAIA) Integrated Program of Study
(IPoS) for the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU), MacDill AFB,
Florida. He also serves as the Course Director for the the Special
Operations Forces Security Cooperation Course (SOF-SC) and the
Information Related Capabilities Seminar (IRC-S) and is assigned to the
Department of International Education and Joint, Interagency,
Intergovernmental, Multinational and Commercial (JIIM-C).
JSOU is the joint educational component of the United States Special
Operations Command (USSOCOM), a global combatant command which
provides fully capable Special Operations Forces (SOF) and synchronizes
DOD planning against terrorists and terrorist networks.
He was detailed from 2019-2020 to the Office of Defense Cooperation, US Embassy Ukraine as the
Ministry of Defense Advisor for Strategic Communication. Mr. Jordan is a Master Instructor at JSOU
responsible for the coordination, development and delivery of senior leader education programs in
support of U.S. and International SOF personnel, including strategic and operational leadership and the
coordination of joint special operations and irregular warfare education. He earned Defense Security
Cooperation- Intermediate Certification in 2020. He graduated from the Air War College (Non-Resident)
in 2021.

Isaiah Wilson
Dr.
Isaiah (Ike) Wilson III, PhD is the
President of the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU). He is a master
strategist and a leading advocate for change in America’s concepts of and
approaches to security and defense policy, and affairs of war and peace. A
decorated combat veteran, former army aviator, and strategist, he most recently
served as Director (Chief), Commander’s Initiatives Group, for the Commander,
U.S. Central Command. A full professor of political science, Dr. Wilson
formerly served as a professor and academic program director at West Point,
where he also founded the West Point Grand Strategy Program. He has also taught
extensively at the undergraduate and graduate levels at a number of prestigious
colleges and universities, including Columbia University, Yale University,
George Washington University, and the National War College. Prior to his
appointment with U.S. Special Operations Command, Dr. Wilson was the Director
of the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) and
USAWC Press. Dr. Wilson has numerous publications to his credit,
including, Thinking Beyond War: Civil-Military Relations and Why America Fails
to Win the Peace. Dr. Wilson is a life member of the Council on Foreign
Relations and an International Affairs Fellow with New America. He also
serves as a professor of practice with the School of Politics and Global
Studies at Arizona State University.

Jacob Shapiro
Jacob N. Shapiro is Professor of Politics and International Affairs
at Princeton University and co-founder of the
Empirical Studies of Conflict Project, a multi-university consortium that studies
politically motivated violence in countries around the world. His
research covers conflict, economic development, and misinformation. He is
author of The Terrorist’s Dilemma:
Managing Violent Covert Organizations and co-author of Small Wars, Big Data: The Information Revolution in Modern Conflict.
His research has been published in broad range of
academic and policy journals as well as a number of edited volumes. He has conducted
field research and large-scale policy evaluations in Afghanistan, Colombia,
India, and Pakistan. Shapiro received the 2016 Karl Deutsch Award from the
International Studies Association, given to a scholar younger than 40, or
within 10 years of earning a Ph.D., who has made the most significant
contribution to the study of international relations. He is a veteran of the
United States Navy.
James Gagliano
Elected on March 16, 2021, Mr. Gagliano was
installed as the Village’s 29th mayor, after serving one term as a Village
trustee. His professional pursuits include serving as a law enforcement analyst
and policing methodology subject matter expert in the media, where he provides
on-air analyses of complex law enforcement and counterterror matters. An
adjunct assistant professor and doctoral candidate at St. John’s University in
Queens, New York, he is a sought-after speaker on criminal justice, homeland security,
police use of force, and organizational leadership matters, and delivers
keynote addresses for corporate clients and in academic settings.
A 1987 graduate of the United States Military
Academy at West Point, he was commissioned as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer,
serving as a light infantry platoon leader and company executive officer in the
2nd Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division, while stationed at Fort
Benning, GA, and Fort Drum, NY, between 1988 and 1991. He earned an M.P.S. in
Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Leadership from St. John’s University in
2017.

Jaroslaw Jablonski
Colonel Jaroslaw Jablonski has been a member of the Polish Special Forces since 2002. COL Jablonski received his MA in defense analysis from the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in 2009 and a PhD in information and knowledge management in 2012. COL Jablonski has a combined more than 40 months of deployment time to Balkans, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Afghanistan in support of the ISAF. At present he serves as POLSOF Exchange Officer in USSOCOM.

Jarrid Johnson
Sergeant
First Class Jarrid Johnson is the senior enlisted advisor for the Modern War
Institute at West Point. He is an instructor for MS200 Fundamentals of Small
Unit Operations. SFC Johnson is also the non-commissioned officer-in-charge and
dive supervisor for the USMA Maritime Assessment Course for cadets attending
Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course (CDQC). SFC Johnson was
assigned to an Operational Detachment Alpha as a senior weapons sergeant and
combat dive supervisor. He deployed with the detachment to Afghanistan in
2017-2018 and 2019 in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. He also deployed
to Latvia in 2021 in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

John Melkin
Mr. John Melkon is the Director of the Center for the
Study of Civil-Military Operations and an Assistant Professor at the United
States Military Academy. In this capacity he is responsible for facilitating
the coordination, planning and execution of the strategic vision and mission
for the Center and education of cadets, faculty and the community of practice.
He is the Course Director for the Geography of the Middle East and North
Africa, and the Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa as well as a Civ-Mil Ops
Colloquium. Before assuming his position at West Point, Mr. Melkon served as a
Senior Operations Advisor to the United States Army Africa in Vicenza, Italy
from 2009 to 2012 and service to OPERATION ODYSSEY DAWN. He was also a Strategic
Operations Officer for the Department of Defense from 2006 to 2009 with service
to OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM. He is a retired Army Special Forces Officer with
tours in Europe, Africa, SE Asia, the Middle East and multiple combat tours in
Afghanistan. He has been awarded the
Ranger Tab, the Special Forces Tab, the Combat Infantry Badge and the Global
War on Terror Expeditionary Medal. Before re-entering public service Mr. Melkon
worked as an International Banking Associate for Credit Suisse First Boston in
Frankfurt, Germany. He holds an AB History from Princeton, an MA European
Politics and Certificate of Professional Achievement in Enterprise Risk
Management from Columbia, and an MBA from the Lowry Mays School of Business
along with an MAIA from the Bush School of Government & Public Service at
Texas A&M. He enjoys competing in endurance events and completed Ironman
Indian in 2021.
Joshua Rudd
Major General Joshua M. Rudd most recently served
as the Deputy Commanding General - Operations for the
25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. In this
role, he oversaw 29,000 soldiers, family members, retirees,
civilians and contractors. He provided operational oversight
for the planning and execution of current and future
operations, training, contingency response requirements,
readiness exercises, and Theater Security Cooperation
Plans in support of the USINDOPACOM Commander's
objectives. His other flag assignment includes Deputy
Commanding General, 1st Special Forces Command
(Airborne).
Brigadier General Rudd was born in Southern California and
grew up in South Carolina. He graduated from Furman
University in 1993 after earning his comission through ROTC.
He entered active duty as a Quartermaster Officer, and in 1996 he successfully completed
Special Forces Assessment and Selection. As a Special Forces Officer he has commanded
at every echelon - from ODA to Group. Most recent Command Assignments include:
Commander JIATF-NCR (2017-2018), Commander of a Forward Deployed Combined
Joint Special Operations Task Force (2017-2018), and Commander 3rd Operations Support
Group (2015-2017), Commander of a Forward Deployed Combined Joint Task Force
(2015-2017). Brigadier General Rudd has deployed in support of multiple combat operations
including to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom, and Iraq and Jordan for Operation
Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Inherent Resolve.
Brigadier General Rudd has completed the following military schools: US Army War College -
Fellowship at Duke University, Naval Command and Staff College, Infantry Officer Advanced
Course, and Quartermaster Officer Basic Course. He holds a M.A. in Strategy and National
Security from the Naval War College and a B.A. in Political Science from Furman University.
He is authorized to wear the following awards and decorations: Defense Superior Service Medal
(2nd award), Legion of Merit (3rd award), Bronze Star Medal (3rd award), Combat Infantryman
Badge, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Badge and Combat
Diver Supervisor Badge.

Kari Thyne
Dr. Kari Thyne served in the US Air Force for 20 years as an aircraft maintenance and munitions officer. Her experience includes command of a C-5 aircraft maintenance squadron at Dover, Delaware, before and after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, as well as shop and flight line aircraft maintenance experience on C-130 and C-141 aircraft. She was also a conventional munitions maintenance flight commander and munitions accountable supply officer (MASO) for the Air Force’s largest conventional munitions stockpile.
She served in the Pentagon on the Air Staff, the Joint Staff, and in the immediate office of the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She recently worked in the RAND Corporation’s Washington office supporting Project AIR FORCE’s Strategy and Doctrine Program.
Within academic environs, Dr. Thyne taught biomedical ethics and formal logic at the Northern Virginia Community College-Annandale Campus and military ethics at the US Air Force Academy.
She holds a doctorate of liberal studies from Georgetown University, a master of arts in philosophy from The Ohio State University, a master of science in educational leadership from Troy State University, and a bachelor of science from the US Air Force Academy.

Kate Nelson
MAJ Kate Nelson is the National Media Manager for the Army
Enterprise Marketing Office (AEMO) which includes Linear Video, Streaming
Video, Programmatic Online Video, Sports, Entertainment, Esports, Gaming,
Digital Direct, Streaming Audio, Paid Social, Custom Content and Print
media. As a Military Intelligence
officer she most recently served as the US Army Pacific G2 Battle CPT where she
was responsible for tracking the integration and execution of intelligence
operations across the Pacific theater. She served as the Bravo Company
Commander in the 715th MI BN where she was responsible for timely
and relevant Signal Intelligence in support of NSA-Hawaii. She served as a
targeting and reconnaissance officer for unmanned aircraft supporting Joint
forces, Special Operations, and multinational forces. She served as the 82nd Aviation 1st
BN S2 deploying to Afghanistan in support of combat operations. She began her
career as an enlisted Radio Operator with 5th Special Forces Group
deploying multiple times with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force
throughout Iraq. MAJ Nelson will complete her Doctorate in Business
Administration from Temple University this summer focusing on digital fan
engagement. She holds two Master’s degrees, Master of Military Studies and
Master of Sport Management.

Katie Crombe
Lt Col Katie Crombe has served in a variety of
strategy and planning roles across the Middle East and currently serves at U.S.
Special Operations Command Central as the Director of Strategy and Plans. Prior
to this assignment, Katie served at U.S. Central Command, where she led a
planning team charged with the D-ISIS campaign plan within the strategy and
plans directorate prior to being selected as the CENTCOM commander’s
aide-de-camp. Katie also spent three years working at the U.S Embassy in Amman,
Jordan overseeing bilateral, coalition, and interagency plans, culminating with
serving as the planning adviser to the Jordanian Chief of Defense for the Syria
crisis and initial operations to combat ISIS along the Jordanian border.
Katie also served as an exchange officer in the United Kingdom’s Operational
Headquarters, leading the team in development of a new U.K. theater strategy
for the Middle East.

Keith Carter
Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Keith Carter is a United States Army officer currently stationed at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he serves as the Director of the Defense and Strategic Studies Program. Keith’s last operational assignment was at Fort Bragg where he served as a strategic planner in the Joint Special Operations Command. Prior to that Keith Commanded 1-26 IN at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Over the course of his career, Keith has served in a variety of infantry formations including the 101st ABN DIV, the 2nd Infantry Division, the 75th Ranger Regiment, and the 4th Infantry Division.
Keith earned his Doctorate in Political Science from the University of
Pennsylvania; his research interests include technology and strategy,
civil-military relations, the role of arms trades in alliance formation, and information
age war.

Ken Segelhorst
Lieutenant Colonel Ken Segelhorst is a U.S. Army Special Forces officer
and information operations practitioner. He is currently assigned to the Simon
Center for the Professional Military Ethic at the United States Military
Academy at West Point. Ken serves as the course director for MX400:
Officership, the Superintendent’s capstone course. In his previous assignment,
Ken served as a joint information operations officer and cross-functional team leader
with Joint Special Operations Command. His operational experience includes numerous
deployments to the Middle East and Africa. Ken’s interagency experience
includes assignments to U.S. embassies in Baghdad, Iraq, and Bangui, Central
African Republic. He is also a non-resident fellow with the Simons Center for
Ethical Leadership and Interagency Cooperation at Fort Leavenworth.
Ken Tovo
Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ken Tovo retired from the U.S.
Army in 2018 with 35 years of service. A career Green Beret, he commanded at
every level in the 10th Special Forces Group. He commanded SOCCENT, the Nato
Training Mission in Afghanistan, was the deputy at U.S. Southern Command and commanded
the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Ken was the 3rd Battalion, 10th
Special Forces Group Commander, working with the PUK before and during
Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Kyle Atwell
MAJ Kyle Atwell is an instructor in the Social Sciences
Department at West Point and the founder and Chair of the Irregular
Warfare Initiative, a joint venture between the Modern War
Institute at West Point and the Empirical Studies of Conflict Project at
Princeton University. His operational experience includes assignments in
North and West Africa, Afghanistan, South Korea, and Germany. As a civilian, he
has also held positions at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, the United
States Mission to the United Nations, and worked for two California state
legislators. Kyle is currently a nonresident senior fellow in
the Forward Defense practice of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft
Center for Strategy and Security and a Council on Foreign Relations term
member. He was previously a Center for a New American Security Shawn
Brimley Next Generation National Security Leaders fellow and a fellow
at the Princeton Center for International Security Studies. Kyle received
B.A. degrees in both Economics and International Relations
from the University of California at Davis (2006), a M.A. in Public
Affairs from Princeton University (2021), and is currently a Ph.D.
Candidate in Security Studies at Princeton University.

Liam Collins
Liam Collins is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel who conducted
operational deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, South America, the Horn of
Africa, and Bosnia. He was the founding director of the Modern War Institute at
West Point, former director of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, a
fellow at New America, and a permanent member with the Council on Foreign
Relations. Collins’ work has been cited by the assistant to the president for
homeland security and counterterrorism, the White House press secretary, the
New York Times, the Associated Press, CNN, ABC News, Fox News, NPR, the Wall
Street Journal, and USA Today. He is co-editor of the Routledge Handbook of U.S
Counterterrorism and Irregular Warfare Operations and holds a PhD from
Princeton University.

Meghan Cumpston
Lieutenant Colonel Meghan
Cumpston is the Assistant Chief of Staff – G2, 1st Armored Division.
LTC Cumpston received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Villanova
University in 2003, and completed her Masters in International Relations and
International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International
Studies in 2013. LTC Cumpston was recently selected as a Goodpaster Scholar and
will pursue a PhD upon completion of her assignment as the 1st
Armored Division G2. LTC Cumpston served in multiple Army and joint command and
staff appointments, including five years assigned to the Joint Special
Operations Command Intelligence Brigade (JIB). LTC Cumpston previously taught
in the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy, and
is a 2009 recipient of the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award.

Michael Eiland
Graduated from USMA in 1961, commissioned Field Artillery. Special Forces 1965-75
(7th, 5th, 1st Special Forces Groups and MACVSOG). OSD 1975-77. Detailed to
Department of State and US Embassy Bangkok 1978-83. DIA 1984. Retired 1985. CIA
1985-2003, primarily in Southeast Asia (Chief of Station, Chief of Base, Chief of
Platform, etc). Independent contractor 2004-present. BS USMA, MA Georgetown
University, PhD George Washington University. Resides in Arlington, VA.
Michael Harris
Colonel Michael Harris is a leading irregular warfare
practitioner and scholar. He’s led special operations teams conducting
integrated deterrence, support to resistance, unconventional warfare, hostage
recovery, counterterrorism, counterproliferation, counter-narcoterrorism, and
joint forcible entry operations. He’s completed studies at National
Defense University, U.S. Army War College, Columbia University, and Harvard
University. His scholarly work on deterrence of hybrid warfare while an
Army War College Fellow was lauded by senior faculty from Columbia
University. His PhD dissertation analyzes Russian and Chinese
appropriation of resistance methods in gray zone campaigns. He is
currently working on a book titled, “The Love of War.”
Michael Kelvington
Lieutenant
Colonel Michael Kelvington was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. He
graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in May 2005
with a bachelor’s degree in American History and commissioned as a 2nd
Lieutenant in the Infantry. Upon completion of the Infantry Officer Basic
Course, Ranger School, and Airborne School, he was assigned to the 501st
Battalion (Airborne), 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Fort
Richardson, Alaska, where he served as an Airborne Rifle Platoon Leader. In
2008, LTC Kelvington was assigned to 1st Ranger Battalion at Hunter Army
Airfield, GA where he served as a Ranger Platoon Leader and Ranger Company
Executive Officer. At the completion of the Maneuver Captain’s Career Course at
Fort Benning, Georgia in 2011, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th
Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82d Airborne Division at
Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he assumed command of Battle Company in August
2011. In January 2013, he relinquished command and was assigned to 2nd Ranger
Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord where he served first as the Battalion
Assistant Liaison Officer and then later as the Battalion Logistics Officer. In
April 2014, he was hand-selected to become the aide-de-camp of the Deputy
Commanding General of Joint Special Operations Command and returned to Fort
Bragg. After a year, LTC Kelvington was selected for the General Wayne A.
Downing Scholarship. In June of 2017, upon completion of ILE and grad school,
LTC Kelvington was assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment for a third time,
serving as the Battalion Operations and Executive Officer of the Regimental
Special Troops Battalion at Fort Benning, GA.
During this time period, he also served overseas twice as a Joint Task
Force Commander. In June of 2019, LTC Kelvington became the Deputy Operations
Officer of the 75th Ranger Regiment, where he served as the Operations Officer
for a Joint Task Force in support of overseas contingency operations. He has deployed 14 times in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Freedom’s
Sentinel. Following these assignments,
LTC Kelvington and his family moved to Columbus, Ohio where he now serves as
the Professor of Military Science and Leadership at The Ohio State University.

Michael Rutledge
Michael Rutledge originated
from Bettendorf, IA and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in March 1990. He served
three years as a helicopter rescue swimmer and graduated from Basic Underwater
Demolition/SEAL training in 1994. Assigned to SEAL Team ONE he completed 3
contingency deployments as an M-60 machine gunner, and air operations
specialist. Michael’s last assignment in the SEAL Teams was Course Director of
Air Operations at Naval Special Warfare Group One.
In 2002 upon returning from the initial assaults into Afghanistan, Mike transferred from the US Navy to the US Army to become a helicopter pilot with a direct follow-on assignment upon graduation to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. After 13 years of continuous combat operations, Michael was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer Four and assumed command of the Executive Flight Detachment and Aviation Department at the United States Military Academy at West Point. In May 2019, CW4 Rutledge retired after 30 years of active duty and combat operations in Desert Storm, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He currently resides in Casa Grande, AZ as the CEO of Rutledge Airborne Applications providing wildland aerial firefighting capabilities and training. Michael and his wife Dena of 27 years have 2 children, Matthew and Joshua who is currently deployed as an Army Infantryman.

Moriamo Sulaiman-Ifelodun
CPT Moriamo
Sulaiman-Ifelodun currently serves as a Public Affairs Officer. As a
prior-service enlisted Imagery Analyst, her first unit and combat tour were
with 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne). As an experienced Military
Intelligence and Public Affairs Officer, Mo has a demonstrated history of
working across all ranks, echelons, and communities. Mo is a published author
and holds a Master's of Professional Studies in Public Relations &
Corporate Communications from Georgetown University.
Patrick Howelll
Col.
Patrick Howell is the assistant to the director of the Modern War Institute at
West Point. He is a career Engineer officer as well as Strategic/Operational
Planner and is currently a Chief of Staff of the Army Advanced Strategic Plans
& Policy Program Fellow. He has served in a variety of conventional and
special operations assignments and has conducted multiple deployments to
Afghanistan, Iraq, and Eastern Africa. He has graduated from several military
courses including Ranger School and the School of Advanced Military Studies.
Prior to assuming his current position as the Director of MWI, Patrick served
as the lead Strategic Planner at the Joint Special Operations Command,
Battalion Commander, and an Assistant Professor of International Relations in
the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy. He has
taught courses in International Relations, Comparative Politics, Politics &
Government of Europe, and Central European Security Studies. He has a
bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the United States Military
Academy, Master of Arts in Law & Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law
& Diplomacy, Master of Military Arts & Science from the School of
Advanced Military Studies, and PhD in Political Science from Duke University.

Peter Cloutier
Peter Cloutier is the new Joint Special Operations
University Professor for Development and Human Security. He is a career
Foreign Service Officer in the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) having served as Office Director for programs in Afghanistan,
Mozambique, Angola and Timor-Leste (East Timor). He has devoted much of his
Foreign Service career to developing innovative strategies and advancing
interagency partnerships in a range of technical fields. He is a successful
and skilled negotiator with host country governments, in sector coordination
bodies, and within the interagency. He has a track record for leading teams to
achieve ambitious results in multiple technical areas. He is an accomplished
writer and presenter, as evidenced by authoring a USAID country strategy and
presenting numerous interagency proposals and presentations to senior USG
decision makers. With 15 years overseas with USAID, he has demonstrated
consistent leadership, accountability and impact. USAID
has recognized his sustained performance with three Superior Honor Awards as a
result.
Richard Clarke
General Richard D. Clarke currently serves as the 12th Commander
of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) headquartered at MacDill Air Force
Base, FL.
Prior to assuming command of USSOCOM, General Clarke served as
Director for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5), Joint Staff, the Pentagon,
Washington, D.C.
General Clarke’s other assignments as a general officer include:
Deputy Commanding General for Operations, 10th Mountain Division from 2011 to
2013; the 74th Commandant of Cadets, United States Military Academy at West
Point from 2013 to 2014; and the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division.
His formative and key, Army and special operations, assignments
include: Director of Operations, Joint Special Operations Command from 2009 to
2011. Eight years in the 75th Ranger Regiment first as a company commander,
then as a battalion commander, and finally as the regimental commander. He also
served as commander of 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd
Airborne Division.
General Clarke has led Soldiers at all levels in Airborne,
Ranger, Mechanized and Light Infantry units in five different divisions, the
173rd Airborne Brigade, and the 75th Ranger Regiment in the United States,
Europe, Iraq and Afghanistan. His deployments while serving in the aforementioned
positions include Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Joint
Guardian in Macedonia, three deployments in support of Operation Enduring
Freedom, four deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and one
deployment as the commander of the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command
- Operation Inherent Resolve.
General Clarke was born in Germany and raised in an Army family.
He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and
was commissioned into the Infantry in 1984. He holds a Bachelor of Science
degree from West Point and a Master of Business Administration from Benedictine
College. He is a distinguished graduate of the National War College earning a
master's degree in Security and Strategic Studies.

Rob Stephenson
Brigadier Rob Stephenson
commissioned into The Parachute Regiment in 1987. During his career he has deployed on numerous
operational tours in Northern Ireland under Op BANNER and also on various
overseas operations both with the Parachute Regiment and with other units
including to Bosnia, North Macedonia, Iraq and Afghanistan. As a staff officer, he has fulfilled a
variety of roles within the UK’s Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office. In 2009 he was made an Officer of the Order of the British
Empire (OBE) for his unit command appointment which included operational
deployments to Afghanistan and North Africa. He has been the Deputy Commander
of NATO Special Operations Headquarters since August 2018. Brigadier Rob holds
a Masters Degree in Defence Studies from Kings College London. He is married
and has two sons.

Robert Burrell
Dr. Robert S. Burrell is a military historian and professor of irregular warfare at Joint Special Operations University. Previously, he taught military history at U.S. Naval Academy. He is also the former editor-in-chief of special operations doctrine.
A
retired Marine with combat experience, Dr. Burrell is an Asia-Pacific expert
with 12 years living and working in Japan, Korea, Philippines, and Thailand, as
well as a diplomatic tour at the U.S. Embassy in Australia.
He is married to Carmen Burrell and has three boys Alex, Max, and Ben.

Seth Jones
Seth G. Jones is senior vice president, Harold Brown Chair,
director of the International Security Program, and director of the
Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS). He leads a bipartisan team of over 50 resident staff and an
extensive network of non-resident affiliates dedicated to providing independent
strategic insights and policy solutions that shape national security. He also
teaches at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies
(SAIS) and the Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) at the U.S.
Naval Postgraduate School.
Shane Shorter
Command Sergeant Major Shorter enlisted in the
Army in 1988 and attended Infantry Basic Training
and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning,
GA. He was subsequently assigned to 3rd Infantry
Division in Kitzingen, Germany.
Command Sergeant Major Shorter volunteered for
Special Forces training and graduated the Special
Forces Qualification Course in 1992. He was then
assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (A)
at Fort Lewis Washington. During the following 23
years, he has held the positions of Junior Medical NCO, Senior Medical NCO, Team
Sergeant and HSC First Sergeant. His Sergeant Major assignments are all with 1st
Special Forces Group and include, OPSDET Sergeant Major, Company Sergeant
Major for Charlie Company 3
rd Battalion, Group Operations Sergeant Major, and 1st
Battalion Command Sergeant Major.
Command Sergeant Major Shorter’s military education includes every level of NonCommissioned Officer Professional Development, to include the Summit Course.
He is a graduate of the Special Forces Qualification Course, Special Forces
Operations and Intelligence Course, Static Line Jumpmaster Course, Dive Medical
Technician’s Course and the Military Free Fall Parachutist Course.
Command Sergeant Major Shorter’s awards and decorations include the Bronze
Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with “V”
device, and Army Achievement Medal. He has been awarded the Special Forces
Tab, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Field Medic
Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge, and the
Saint Phillip of Neri Award (Bronze Order).
Command Sergeant Major Shorter currently serves as the Special Operations
Command, Pacific (SOCPAC) Senior Enlisted Leader. He and his wife Leslie have
been married 26 years and have one daughter, Kelcie, who is a senior at the
University of Washington.

Shawna Moore
1LT Shawna Moore graduated
from the United States Military Academy in 2018 as a Stamps Scholar and Rhodes
Finalist with a degree in Environmental Engineering. She commissioned as a
Field Artillery Officer and began her service with the 101st Airborne
Division. Subsequently, she deployed in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel
as a JSOC targeting operations officer and cultural support team member.
Currently, 1LT Moore is serving as a company fire support officer in 2D Ranger
Battalion. She also works as a project manager at Allied Airlift 21, a
non-profit evacuating at-risk partners from Afghanistan.
Timo Braese
Sergeant Major Timo Braese was born on 23 September 1972 and is a native of Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He enlisted into the German Army on 1 July 1991 as an infantryman. SGM Braese has served in all leadership positions from team leader to platoon leader of a ranger assault platoon. He was appointed as Sergeant Major of the German Armed Forces on 1st January 2015 and continues to serve today. His last assignment was with 3rd EGB 31st Airborne Regiment (SOF), and has served as an Operations Sergeant Major for the unit.
Timothy Heck
Timothy Heck is the deputy editorial director of the Modern
War Institute at West Point. He is an artillery and regional affairs officer in
the US Marine Corps Reserve and a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. He
previously served at SOCOM FMD-JCT. He writes on Soviet military history,
amphibious operations, operational art, and the Cold War. He teaches courses in
the Defense & Strategic Studies program.

Trevor Hough
COL Trevor Hough is a career U.S. Army Intelligence Officer
with extensive assignments in USSOCOM units. COL Hough has served at
every level of Special Operations formation from Special Forces Company to
Special Operations Intelligence Brigade to 3 Star Joint Special Operations Task
Force level. COL Hough has also served at the national policy making
level including tours at the Joint Staff and at the White House as Vice
President Pence's Middle East policy advisor and at the National Security Council
Staff. COL Hough's last assignments in the Army were as Commander,
Joint Special Operations Command Intelligence Brigade and at the National
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency as the Deputy GEOINT Mission Manager for
Counterterrorism and the Near East.
What is the 4th Age of SOF?: Conversation w/ Dr. Isaiah "Ike" Wilson, JSOU President
The views expressed in this video are entirely those of the speaker[s] and do no necessarily reflect the views, policy or position of the United States Government, Department of Defense, United States Operations Command, or the Joint Special Operations University.
Forum Scene Setter, Dr. Isaiah Wilson, JSOU president and CSM Shane Shorter, SEA JSOU
JSOU - The fourth age of SOF: the use and utility of Special Operations Forces in a new age history, theory and future practices scene setter with Dr. Isaiah “Ike” Wilson III, JSOU President and CSM Shane Shorter, SEA, JSOU. Day 1, 29 March 2022. Opinions in this forum are those of the presenters and may not necessarily be the views of U.S. Government, Department of Defense, United States Special Operations Command, and the Joint Special Operations University.
Show Notes:
-
When we speak about “Ages of SOF”, we are referring
to organizational structure essentially, and how ours has or has not changed
over time to help us – SOF -- meet mission
requirements for Nation.
-
We like a “Back to our Futures” approach to
framing or rediscovering, the Ages, and this involves 3 main questions: a) how
is Global Geopolitical or Power Competition changing, and what are the
implications of such change (good and bad)?
b) What does this mean for
Special Ops and SOF, for next 30 years? c) What will change / needs to change for SOF to
meet mission requirements? Consider: 12 core tasks, joint combined
competencies, SOF’s value proposition – what can we offer, force structure, force modernization, force design, etc.
-
Consider all this in the context of: 2022 draft
National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, National Military
Strategy
-
3rd Age of SOF -- James Dietz’ “Call to Colors” Print, explanation. The GWOT Era in hindsight – this is the 3rd Age of SOF, which shows: failure of preventative deterrence, reactionary posture, under-preparedness, Iraq and Afghanistan Wars define the 3rd Age. But new light ahead – hope through new intention, benefits of anticipation, benefits of foresight. SOF Operators at the left of the print show SOF at the vanguard of change.
o
Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021, puts an
end to the 3rd Age of SOF, closes out the second GWOT War.
-
SOF are at another threshold crossing, Compound
Security, driven by a Compound Security Dilemma. Need SOF that is equally “compounded”
– use all we have learned from the last 3 Ages and make new. We lose nothing,
we take it all and use it.
-
Compound Security – this dynamic is placing new
demands on us – New Operational Overview. Conflicts at the Seem – low intensity
conflict, indirect force, physical and human terrain at the sub - system level.
Gain positional advantage – in physical, virtual, and ideationally*
-
Sources of conflict can be viewed as sources of
opportunity
-
Old School Mercantilism – going back to a more transactional
international relations – breakdown of Westphalia
-
Early Age – task forces used for Special Ops – team
put together and then disbanded after mission complete.
-
1st Age – WW2 – still disbanding
after wars. But were becoming able to see the values of SOF.
-
2nd Age -- President John F Kennedy saw the need to
build COIN and that SOF was the way. In response to Cold War threats against
nationalism.
-
3rd Age – started w/ Operation Eagle
Claw and the establishment of USSOCOM. Goes through Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan,
9/11, and ends with the end of GWOT, August 2021.
-
Now begins the 4th Age of SOF –
exploitation of traditional Western institutions. China and Russia no longer
playing by established norms.
o
China – island building, Taiwan, One Belt One
Road Initiative
o
Russia
-- little green men and Wagner Group,
bold invasion. Georgia, Ukraine
o
We must view these threats NOT ONLY as
singularly and separate threats, BUT ALSO in light of ALL the other threats –
Iran, Terrorism, CWMD, Climate, Information, etc
-
How do we overcome transactional relationships?
How can we find positional advantage? Mention
of Commanding Heights in the One Belt One Road Initiative.
-
Is the key to preventing hot wars using irregular
warfare in order to extend the length of periods of relative peace?
-
SOF Value Proposition: SOF has the most professional, educated,
discipline, and mature forces our nation has to offer. SOF can help in 5
ways: Geostrategic Shapers, Agent of
Influence, Integrated Deterrence, Help pursue ideological supremist and CWMD
proliferators, SOF Options for traditional warfare and crisis response
Panel 1: Session 1: Ages of SOF from a Historical Perspective
JSOU SOF Q2 Forum - Panel 1 - Day 1, 29 March 2022 Panel 1: Ages of SOF from a Historical Perspective What are the major historical lessons from each previous age of Special Operations, and how can they be used to prepare for the future? Moderator: Mr. John Melkon Panel: COL (Ret) Mike Eiland CW4 (Ret.) Mike Rutledge 1LT(P) Shawna Moore Day 1, 29 March 2022. Opinions in this forum are those of the presenters and may not necessarily be the views of U.S. Government, Department of Defense, United States Special Operations Command, and the Joint Special Operations University.
Show Notes:
Kings College War Studies research – Royal Navy officers
dismissed historical lessons learned from 18th and 19th
century commanders, which led to rigid Commands. Also, they dismissed
technology from past decades and centuries that they should have been familiar
with in order to benefit tactically, operationally, and strategically.
We do not study military history, or even history really, in
our national education system. Why? We
didn’t want to study the Vietnam War, due to national embarrassment, and so we
refused to learn lessons from it. Why did it happen? Why did it expand? What did we do wrong?
Next was the Cold War, Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD),
as well as the desire to abandon warfare altogether. Elites searched for the
source of the problem, the “warmongers” they considered to be the
“establishments” of the government, military, religion, etc. They saw war as a
failure of human action / inaction. Trotsky
– “You may not be interested in war, but it is interested in you”.
Panelist 1: COL
(Ret) Mike Eiland – 1st Age of SOF. 1964-1974 – SOF HQ never existed, no SOF
doctrine or anything like that existed. All was tactical. SE Asia, Vietnam,
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia.
Question: What inspired you to come into Special Operations? Answer: His first year as a lieutenant, he met
a SOF operator, and noticed his professionalism and was inspired by his stories. SOF was a career killer and had a bad
reputation of attracting rogues and misfits. But he did well in it anyway and also went to
Vietnam.
Question: Discuss some lessons
learned that have been applied. Answer: 1) recruiting has gotten better in order to weed out bad
personalities, 2) communications
capability has improved exponentially (but this can be a disadvantage as well), 3) principal of war that we violate the most is –
simplicity. We have many layers of command, and large staffs, which diminishes
our agility, 4) language capability is better now than it was, and could get
even better still, 5) old SOF had too many ethical pitfalls – we do
better today, but we have much room for improvement.
Panelist 2: CW4
(Ret) Mike Rutledge -- 2nd
Age of SOF. Enlisted Navy and Warrant
Officer Army – 1990 – helicopter pilot, then SEAL Team 1.
Lessons
Learned: Desert Storm was the first true
JOINT environment, but SOF didn’t seem too JOINT at the time, in some ways. The
new generation is every bit as tenacious and physically and mentally able to do
the job as well or better than we did. As a community, we have overestimated
our ability to handle everything mentally. We need to look out for each other,
there is no way to do this job for 20-30 years without feeling any effects
mentally and physically.
Panelist 3: 1LT
Shawna Moore: 4th Age of
SOF, graduated from West Point.
Artillery Officer, Fort Campbell, JSOC, Cultural Support Officer. 4
years so far.
Lessons: What do we do well? 1)
Selection and reselection. This is unique and getting better all the
time – longer selection, more mentally strong, AND intellectual tasks – SOF is
getting smarter. This selection applies also to supporters, which makes the
whole force better. Reselection is important because it means you have to
repeatedly prove yourself, you are not “tenured”. Keeps SOF professional. 2)
Another distinguishing factor is INNOVATION. We encourage innovation, which is
not what general forces do. Doctrinally, GPF and SOF are not much different
from each other, but they do work different, and this is because SOF is allowed
and expected to be innovative, eg: warm
blood transfusions. 3) Unwavering
mastery of doctrine – we are good at quick institutional learning. What we
asked of 2nd age of SOF and 3rd age of SOF were very
different, and it adapted. We are able to innovate and learn and scale to
capacity. 4) Ops-tempo we need to
achieve, we have to improve. Figuring out where we fit in the future fight will
help us achieve this and get the tempo correct, so that we can sustain forces.
Question: What’s the
greatest challenge from your Age of SOF, and from what you hear and know about
the state of the force today, is it still an issue?
Eiland – North Vietnamese Army, is no longer a challenge.
Lack of communications was another challenge, and we have gotten better at
that. Also, problem of Jointness, which was lacking more then and we have improved
upon.
Rutledge – the biggest challenge in sustained combat ops, is
finding motivation to a mission that is ongoing. After a year or two, we lose
sight of mission and focus more on safety of ourselves and become adverse to
risk.
Moore -- focus on what the next fight looks like.
There is a lot of things going on, and not knowing what is going to be most
important, we train on various things, but will we be ready for the big fight?
What will the next big fight be?
Melkon -- What are
you most excited about for the future, regarding technology? For Moore.
Moore -- We possess a
lot of technology and a lot of combat experience within our force. We have been
at a technological overmatch for many years with the forces we have been
fighting (ISIS), but going forward, it will be interesting to see how we
combine our combat experience with our technological experience to address a
new (more technologically competent) enemy and new threats.
Eiland (same question)
-- values are timeless, selfless service
among them. As far as technology goes, what concerns me is how we use the
technology. We do not have to exercise a capability just because it is there,
and we must stay true to our values when we employ technology in the future. We
have to balance all this with a tendency to micromanage, and how we recruit and
give our best soldiers the ability to solve problems.
Moore – Question: Discuss human factors and psychological
factors in the fourth age – we need to establish left and right limits very
clearly. Young soldiers are asked to walk the line of what is human dignity and
achieving tasks and mission. It is imperative for their psychological health
that we set left and right limits and that we keep lines of communication open
in order to support them. We ask a lot of them.
Melkon reminds us that allies and partners are crucial to
the next fight. And relationships with our allies and partners are not only the
responsibility of our government, but of each individual as well.
Panel 2: Session: The Fourth Age of SOF
Panel 2: The Fourth Age of SOF
How do the past three “ages of SOF” impact the preparation for, and success in, the Fourth Age of Special Operations?
Moderator: COL Mike Harris
Panel: Dr. Isaiah “Ike” Wilson Mr. Chris FussellBG (UK) Rob Stephenson MAJ Alex Deep
Day 1, 29 March 2022.
Opinions in this forum are those of the presenters and may not necessarily be the views of U.S. Government, Department of Defense, United States Special Operations Command, and the Joint Special Operations University.
Keynote: General Richard Clarke
JSOU SOF Q2 Forum - Keynote Speaker (recorded) GEN Richard Clarke, CDR USSOCOM .
Day 1, 29 March 2022.
Source: https://www.aspeninstitute.org
Opinions in this forum are those of the presenters and may not necessarily be the views of U.S. Government, Department of Defense, United States Special Operations Command, and the Joint Special Operations University.
Panel 3: Session 1: Creating Complexity for Current and Potential Rivals
Panel 3: Creating Complexity for Current and Potential Rivals
How can Special Operations Forces best create complexity for current and potential rivals during both competition and conflict?
Moderator: COL (Ret.) Liam Collins
Panel: Mr. Andy Maher, LTC Meghan Cumpston, Dr. David Kilcullin and Mr. Peter Cloutier.
Day 1, 29 March 2022.
Opinions in this forum are those of the presenters and may not necessarily be the views of U.S. Government, Department of Defense, United States Special Operations Command, and the Joint Special Operations University.
Panel 4: Understanding and Countering Irregular Adversaries
Panel 4: Understanding and Countering Irregular Adversaries
What is ‘irregular warfare,’ and how can SOF conduct, and prevent against, IW in the future?
Moderator: MAJ Kyle Atwell
Panel: Dr. Jake Shapiro, Dr. Seth Jones, LTC Katie Crombe, and LTG Ken Tovo
Day 1, 29 March 2022.
Opinions in this forum are those of the presenters and may not necessarily be the views of U.S. Government, Department of Defense, United States Special Operations Command, and the Joint Special Operations University.
Panel 5: What is a SOF "Professional"?
May 17, 2022 Panel 5: What is a “SOF Professional”? What makes a “profession,” and how are SOF professionals unique and distinct?
Moderator: LTC Mike Kelvington
Panel:LTC Ken Segelhorst, Mayor James Gagliano, Dr. Kari Thyne, and SGM Timo Braese (German SOF)
Day 2, 30 March 2022.
Opinions in this forum are those of the presenters and may not necessarily be the views of U.S. Government, Department of Defense, United States Special Operations Command, and the Joint Special Operations University.
Panel 6: SOF Education, Authorities, Doctrine, Special Challenges
May 18, 2022 Panel 6: SOF Education, Authorities, Doctrine, Special Challenges
What adjustments to education, authorities, and doctrine need to be made to help SOF overcome the special challenges of the future?
Moderator: COL Patrick Howell LTC Keith Carter
Panel: Lt. Col. Timothy Heck, LTC (Ret) Cris Simon, and CPT Moriamo Sulaiman
Day 2, 30 March 2022.
Opinions in this forum are those of the presenters and may not necessarily be the views of U.S. Government, Department of Defense, United States Special Operations Command, and the Joint Special Operations University.