31
October 2023
Past Event
Preparing the Department of Defense for Irregular and Special Warfare

Event will also air live on this page.

 

Inquiries: [email protected]

Preparing the Department of Defense for Irregular and Special Warfare

Past Event
Hudson Institute
October 31, 2023
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict
Caption
Sailors assigned to various naval special warfare commands operate a diver propulsion device during high-altitude dive training. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alex Perlman/Released)
31
October 2023
Past Event

Event will also air live on this page.

 

Inquiries: [email protected]

Speakers:
Ezra Cohen

Adjunct Fellow

Chris Miller
Chris Miller

Former Acting Secretary of Defense

Mark Mitchell
Mark Mitchell

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict

Listen to Event Audio

Over the past 22 years, the United States Department of Defense has optimized the American Special Operations Forces (SOF) for the Global War on Terror. While terrorist threats remain—especially from Iranian proxies—the DoD is now calling upon SOF to return to its irregular warfare roots to counter nation-states. Civilian control and leadership of special operations is key to expediting this transformation, and Congress has elevated the role of assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict (ASD SO/LIC) to include acting as the service secretary for special operations.

Hudson Adjunct Fellow Ezra Cohen, who served as ASD SO/LIC, will be joined by two other previous ASD SO/LICs, Mark Mitchell and former Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, to discuss civil-military relations within the special operations community, the transition from counterterrorism to irregular warfare, and how to optimize intelligence forces and SOF for the next generation of challenges.

Related Events
28
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Domestic Politics, the US-Japan Alliance, and Tokyo’s Global Role: Bipartisan Views from the Diet
Featured Speakers:
Koichiro Gemba
Itsunori Onodera
Shinjiro Koizumi
Kimi Onoda
Moderator:
Kenneth R. Weinstein
Getty Images
28
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Domestic Politics, the US-Japan Alliance, and Tokyo’s Global Role: Bipartisan Views from the Diet

A panel of experts will discuss how the Japanese government should approach domestic political questions, its partnership with America, and Japan’s role in the world.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Koichiro Gemba
Itsunori Onodera
Shinjiro Koizumi
Kimi Onoda
Moderator:
Kenneth R. Weinstein
30
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Rebuilding America’s Maritime Industrial Base with Senators Mark Kelly and Todd Young
Featured Speakers:
Senator Todd Young
Senator Mark Kelly
Michael Roberts
Bryan Clark
Fast-attack submarine USS North Carolina (SSN 777) enters Dry Dock 1 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Hawaii, on September 4, 2024. (US Navy photo by Justice Vannatta)
30
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Rebuilding America’s Maritime Industrial Base with Senators Mark Kelly and Todd Young

Hudson will welcome Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Todd Young (R-IN) to discuss their proposal to restore America’s shipping and shipbuilding industries to help deter Chinese aggression.

Fast-attack submarine USS North Carolina (SSN 777) enters Dry Dock 1 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Hawaii, on September 4, 2024. (US Navy photo by Justice Vannatta)
Featured Speakers:
Senator Todd Young
Senator Mark Kelly
Michael Roberts
Bryan Clark
25
April 2025
Past Event
Ambassador François Zimeray on the Arbitrary Detention of Boualem Sansal
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador François Zimeray
Zineb Riboua
Getty Images
25
April 2025
Past Event
Ambassador François Zimeray on the Arbitrary Detention of Boualem Sansal

With Research Fellow Zineb Riboua, Ambassador Zimeray will examine the legal, political, and strategic implications of Sansal’s detention and what it reveals about freedom of expression under authoritarian regimes.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador François Zimeray
Zineb Riboua
25
April 2025
Past Event
Building a Force that Wins: A Conversation with Major General Mark Mitchum
Featured Speakers:
Major General Mark Mitchum
Timothy A. Walton
An F-35 AF-01 executes a flight science mission over the Mojave Desert on November 26, 2024. (DVIDS)
25
April 2025
Past Event
Building a Force that Wins: A Conversation with Major General Mark Mitchum

Major General Mark Mitchum will discuss the Air Force’s nascent Integrated Capabilities Command.

An F-35 AF-01 executes a flight science mission over the Mojave Desert on November 26, 2024. (DVIDS)
Featured Speakers:
Major General Mark Mitchum
Timothy A. Walton