Advancing the SOF Warrior Mind: Essays from the Academic Year 2025 JSOU Call for Special Operations Papers

“This edited volume contains winning and high-scoring submissions from JSOU’s Academic Year 2025 Call for Special Operations program, an inaugural effort with modest expectations. Proving that the SOF enterprise remains engaged in public dialogue and invested in academic scholarship, papers were submitted from operators, enablers, educators, students, and scholars representing a true cross-section of the SOF community.

Topics align with USSOCOM’s priorities of PEOPLE, WIN, and TRANSFORM and provide thoughtful research, innovative insights, and creative solutions.

The AY2026 Call for Special Operations Papers efforts is underway. Submissions are due by February 23, 2026. Learn more.

Additional authors: John F. Cabra, Jordan Alexander, Michael Clark, Brian Gould, and Anthony Lawson; Major Christopher Higgins; Dr. Jaime “Jay” Macias; Joseph A. Pastorek; Major William A. Carpenter; John A. Kirbow; Major Ronald J. Lienhardt; Dr. Virginia Massignan, Dr. Carol Kay Winkler, Dr. Ayse D. Lokmanoglu, and Sonny S. Patel; Captain Agung Dwi Pratama; Lieutenant Commander Jordan A. Spector; Commander Karlie Blake, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Zannis, and Major Shawn Gutierrez; and J. Brian Pruitt.”

Foreword

The journey to the Academic Year (AY) 2025 Call for Special Operations Papers began in the summer of 2024, when a Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) working group met to review topics in the 2024 Special Operations Research Topics (SORT) booklet, refine research questions, and develop a program to solicit innovative written ideas from—and for—the SOF enterprise.

Topics focused on USSOCOM’s PEOPLE, WIN, TRANSFORM lines of effort, and were intended to encourage scholarly work to address USSOCOM’s most pressing challenges.

JSOU had no idea what to expect when it launched its inaugural Call for Special Operations Papers in September 2024. We set our bar of success at 15 submissions, but as it turned out, we received triple that amount, proving the SOF enterprise remains engaged in public dialogue and has something to say.

Submissions came from operators, enablers, educators, students, and scholars—representing a true cross-section of the SOF enterprise. Their papers provided innovative insights and solutions, some of which are already being put into action.

As we send this AY2025 edited volume to print, the AY2026 Call for Papers is underway. This year’s focus is “technology in Special Operations,” and we’ve added a new submission category—fiction.

Get all the details at https://www.jsou.edu/Press/CallforPapers.

We value your expertise, insights, and experience and hope you’ll consider submitting.

In the meantime, enjoy this edited volume of last year’s winning and high-scoring submissions.

Garric Banfield, JSOU CSEL

Paul Brister, PhD, JSOU President