The Warrior’s Renaissance
By Chad Williamson
May 07, 2025
U.S. Army
Day 2 at SOF Week and the Quiet Battle Within
Day 2 of SOF Week 2025 began with fire and ended with reflection.
The morning keynote from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was delivered with steel-spined clarity, reinforcing three imperatives…
Restore the warrior ethos
Rebuild the military
Reestablish deterrence
“Humans are more important than hardware,” Hegseth declared, echoing the foundational SOF truth that people—not platforms—determine the outcome of war. But beneath the applause and patriotic cadence, the day’s true heartbeat pulsed elsewhere, in the invisible battles many warfighters fight alone.
Following the keynote, General Bryan Fenton and Command Sergeant Major Shane Shorter took the stage to “All I Do Is Win”—a message both confident and complex. Although there were plenty of industry exhibitions to witness, it seemed the human element needed deep attention. The SOF community may win the visible fight, but the afternoon reminded us of the internal war that often follows.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2025/05/07/the_warriors_renaissance_1108684.html
