SOWF News & Stories

Skies over Kosovo
AFSOC’s Role in the Kosovo Conflict When the humanitarian crisis in Kosovo escalated in early 1999, NATO launched Operation Allied Force, a 78-day air campaign

Student Spotlight: Stella Phelan
Estelle Phelan is the surviving daughter of Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Nicole Phelan who lost her life in 2024 while serving under USSOCOM. SOWF has

Heart Mountain Challenge 2025
Battlefield Precision at 7,000 Feet This past weekend, the rugged terrain north of Cody, Wyoming, played host to the sixth annual Heart Mountain Challenge—a precision

Join Forces—Texas Style 2025
Saturday, October 25, 2025 | Omni Dallas Hotel www.specialops.org/texasstyle Join us in Dallas for the fifth annual Join Forces: Texas Style—a spirited evening of camaraderie,

Leadership Story: Alton Ward
My Passion for SOWF: A Personal Reflection As a member of the Board of Directors and legal counsel for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF),

Honoring the Legacy: 20 Years Since Operation Red Wings
June 28, 2025, marks the 20th anniversary of Operation Red Wings—one of the most harrowing and heroic missions in the history of U.S. Special Operations.

Student Spotlight: Adam Leary
My name is Adam Leary, and I recently graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University. I am proud to be

Leadership Story: Kevin Hermening
On November 4, 1979, 52 Americans were taken hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Among them was a young Marine named Kevin Hermening, just

Student Spotlight: Tommy C
My father tragically passed away during a training exercise in 1989. Nearly a decade later, in 1998, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation expanded its mission