SOF and Strategic Competition Archives

ALLFARE: CHINA’S WHOLE-OF-NATION STRATEGY

by Joey Middleton | Jan 23, 2026 | SOF and Strategic Competition

By Michael Margolius To analyze how states exert their influence, scholars often compartmentalize actions into rigid analytical frameworks, which obscures the holistic scope of the challenge. Current paradigms of understanding the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC)...

Own the Night or Die

by Joey Middleton | Jan 19, 2026 | SOF and Strategic Competition

By John Spencer One of the most striking patterns I have observed across recent wars has little to do with drones, artificial intelligence, or precision fires. It has to do with darkness. In three major conflicts involving forces that range from professional to...

Beyond Lethality: The Primacy of Influence in Cognitive Warfare

by Joey Middleton | Jan 19, 2026 | SOF and Strategic Competition

By Dr. Joseph Long “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 Lethality of Relationships: Understanding Culture is a Necessary Skill

by Joey Middleton | Jan 19, 2026 | SOF and Strategic Competition

The Lethality of Relationships: Understanding Culture is a Necessary Skill By Mark Koopman, Command Sergeant Major (ret.) and Emily Stranger, PhD Special Warfare Journal Picture this: China launches a bold amphibious invasion against a small Indo-Pacific island that...