The freedoms Americans enjoy are protected by men and women willing to do extraordinarily hard things in extraordinarily dangerous places. SOAA met with Members of Congress to discuss key issues facing the Special Operations community so lawmakers understand the realities behind the decisions they make. Thank you to reps @PatHarriganNC, @EliCrane_CEO, @RepMcCaul, @MLuttrellTX, @JimmyPanetta, and @repdarrellissa soaa.org/members-of-congress…

Supporting service members means staying invested in their lives while they serve, through transition, and beyond. That commitment is what makes a partnership meaningful. The CEO of HOP Munitions explains why the company partnered with SOAA: a shared belief that taking care of the military community requires sustained support across every stage of service and veteran life.

A team’s strength comes from recognizing what each person brings to the mission. SOAA's Director of Strategic Partnerships Ryan Ziegler, reflects on a female combat camera operator who became an integral part of his team, strengthening morale and documenting moments that would become part of its history.

Former CIA Chief Operating Officer Maura Burns is bringing her experience and commitment to national security to SOAA’s Board of Advisors. Her 37 years at CIA spanned weapons analysis, leadership, and recruiting national security talent. soaa.org/maura-burns-cia/

A drive to do something difficult becomes more meaningful when it serves a purpose beyond yourself. Jack Barry, former U.S. Army Special Operations aviator, reflects on how special operations gave him a place to channel that drive through challenge, structure, and service. The experiences pushed him, but the friendships and shared memories became irreplaceable. The challenge may draw people in. The people beside them are often what they carry with them long after.

A rescue mission is only as strong as the network behind it. The aircraft, crews, and recovery specialists must be able to adapt as the situation changes and connect their capabilities without losing time. Here, Air Force Pararescuemen move from an HH-60G Pave Hawk to an HC-130J Combat King II before jumping. The sequence points to a larger lesson for special operations: readiness depends on having multiple ways to reach, support, and recover people in difficult conditions. That flexibility is built through training and investment across the whole force, including the crews and platforms that make recovery possible. U.S. Air Force photos by Tech. Sgt. Daniel Asselta

Experience gives you a foundation to build on. Staying willing to learn is what keeps you effective as the challenges change. SOAA’s team member, Nate, shares a reminder to keep asking questions, seek out different perspectives, and stay open to a better way of doing things. No matter how much you know, there is always more to learn.

Following the money can expose the networks that keep our adversaries operating. Alex Zerden explains why counter-threat finance matters to irregular warfare and protecting U.S. forces and partners. soaa.org/counter-threat-fina…

Many of the skills associated with special operations are also practiced across conventional forces. Fast-rope insertion is one example, giving teams a way to get on the ground when an aircraft cannot land. Here, Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct Fast Rope Masters Sustainment Training in Okinawa, maintaining insertion proficiency and the expertise needed to supervise it. A technique alone does not define special operations. How teams combine their skills, apply them to a mission, and work alongside the broader force is what gives those capabilities their value. U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Diego Garcia.

“Grit” can sound like simply pushing harder. In special operations, it also means staying with a problem long enough to understand what has changed and find a workable answer. SOAA team member Austin Higgins reflects on a community where experience matters, but no two problems, environments, or teams are exactly alike. The first solution may not hold. The ability to adapt, reassess, and keep working toward the objective is what carries the team forward.

Physical strength matters in Special Operations and what you do when strength alone isn’t enough matters even more. Rep. Crane breaks down the qualities that help people succeed.

Maritime security depends on more than ships and aircraft. It also requires teams that can move from the sea to a vessel, secure the space, and understand what is happening aboard it. Recon Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit train in visit, board, search, and seizure operations aboard USS Miguel Keith in the Philippine Sea. These small-unit skills contribute to a larger maritime picture, where access, information, and coordination all shape how forces respond. U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Angel Diaz Montes De Oca.

Advanced capability starts with mastering the fundamentals. Before adding darkness and limited visibility, teams need to build consistency in conditions where they can identify mistakes and refine their technique. Green Berets from 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) train alongside NATO special operations forces during the International Special Training Centre’s night sniper course in Grafenwoehr, Germany. This daytime footage captures part of the work behind that capability. Crawl, walk, run applies even at the highest levels. The point of progressively harder training is to make sure the fundamentals hold when the conditions stop being forgiving. U.S. Army National Guard video by Sgt. David Thomson.

27 years of service and 19 deployments later, Green Beret Rob Kinard makes mead on a North Carolina mountain and gives back to the groups that helped save his life. soaa.org/rob-kinard-good-tim…

The conditions leading up to selection are rarely ideal. Rep. Harrigan describes arriving after a deployment to Afghanistan and preparing in Fairbanks, Alaska, where temperatures around forty below made outdoor training difficult for months. By his own account, he showed up short of his best physical condition. Selection was brutal, and his commitment to keep going carried him through.

Arctic readiness has to be built in the conditions where it will be tested. Green Berets from 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) train alongside Danish SIRIUS personnel in Greenland during Operation Apex Indigo, putting that principle into practice. The work covers survival, search and rescue, cold-weather mobility, and communications. These are the fundamentals that determine whether a team can reach its objective, stay connected, and bring its people home when the environment leaves little room for error. For SOF, readiness requires sustained investment in demanding training and the allied relationships that make operating together possible. Those capabilities need to be in place before a crisis makes them necessary. U.S. Army photos by Staff Sgt. Ashley Low.

Nonprofits provide critical support for PTSD, TBI, education, and Gold Star families. Jax Scott who supported Special Forces combat operations as a Cultural Support Team leader explains how SOAA brings another piece to that effort: delivering ground truth directly to Congress so lawmakers understand the challenges facing the community from those who know them firsthand.

For 251 years, the U.S. Navy has given America the ability to reach beyond its shores, stand alongside its allies, and respond when the nation calls. This Navy birthday, we honor generations of Sailors whose skill, sacrifice, and commitment make American sea power possible. Happy 251st Birthday, U.S. Navy. Fair winds and following seas.

Maritime dominance starts long before the boats hit operational waters. Former SWCC operator Andrew Bice tells us a deployment cycle is built around a year and a half of continuous preparation for six months downrange.

Depression scores improved for 100% of INVICTA Project participants. Retired Recon Marine Chris May went through it, then helped grow it from 9 participants to 36 in a year. soaa.org/invicta-project-chr…

We asked what it was actually like being a Green Beret in South America. Ryan Garay's answer covers the full mission set: training, advising, and assisting local special forces units, then helping them plan and execute their own operations.