SOF Week — Where Trust Becomes Decision Advantage
By Chad Williamson
April 30, 2025
3rd Special Forces Group
USSOCOM
On May 5th, more than 20,000 people will converge in downtown Tampa for the annual Special Operations Forces Week—known simply as SOF Week. The “human terrain” has long been the SOF community’s greatest asset. And this year, that formula is operating at an unprecedented scale.
1,940 applications for 260 one-on-one meetings with SOCOM acquisition leaders
820 unique companies exhibiting, with over 40% new to the event
66 countries officially attending
1,101 meeting requests from industry to partner nations
13 countries funded by the Global SOF Foundation (GSOF) to ensure international participation
But General Bryan P. Fenton doesn’t define power through numbers. He defines it through partnerships, “In our DNA is partnering. SOF is known as a premier partner force.”
As Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Fenton oversees a global force built not just on capabilities, but on relationships—small teams operating in over 80 countries, leading coalition efforts, shaping terrain, and deterring escalation through trusted partnerships, not aggressive posturing.
As he told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month, “Once you get trust, you can do everything—build partner capacity, develop capabilities, and bring together folks who otherwise may not be together.”
This is exactly why SOF Week exists. Where warfighters, industry leaders, policy makers, tech innovators and international allies do more than discuss the future—they build the relationships that will shape it.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2025/04/30/sof_week__where_trust_becomes_decision_advantage_1107115.html
