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Combatant Commands Research Guide

Unified Geographic and Functional Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense

SOCOM Overview & Strategy

Welcome to your essential guide to U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM).

This page provides a comprehensive overview of SOCOM’s mission, organizational structure, strategic role, and affiliated research institutions within the U.S. Department of Defense.

Use this guide to explore:

  • SOCOM’s structure and global reach

  • Key documents, including posture statements and strategy papers

  • Scholarly and government research

  • Books, journals, and specialized databases

  • Trusted websites and keyword strategies for deeper research

About US Special Operations Command: SOCOM is one of eleven Unified Combatant Commands—and one of only four with a functional, rather than geographic, mission. Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, it oversees all special operations forces (SOF) across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Its missions span counterterrorism, unconventional warfare, cyber operations, and strategic competition.

Key Topics: SOCOM Mission and Vision | Core Activities | SOF Truths | Posture Statement

 

Key DoD Research Institution

 Joint Special Operations University logo Joint Special Operations University (JSOU)

Premier academic institution for special operations education and research.

Command Library | JSOU Press Publications | Forum

 

Background Research

đź”—Overviews & Official Reports

 

đź”—Research Databases & Resources

Books

Enter your search terms and click Search to find an e-book:

Use the Library Online Catalog to search for printed book titles, which may also be available electronically.

Reports & Studies

Security Studies on JSTOR is an excellent resource to find research reports from different policy institutes in the field of security studies.  Keyword is the default search in JSTOR with the option to refine results by publication year, content type and subject.  Advanced Search allows more precise searching. 

Below are some reports from this collection:

A variety of quality, open access reports are also available from government and private research organizations.  Important sources include:

Below is a selected list of reports from different research and government institutions:

Articles & Journals

Enter a journal title to check full-text availability and coverage in all library collections:

Selected journal articles for deeper analysis and exploration

Journals to Explore

Keyword Index

Use this list to keyword list to refine your searches in databases.

  • Armed conflict
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Border threats
  • Civil conflict / war
  • Civil resistance
  • Clandestine operations
  • Counterinsurgency
  • Counternarcotics
  • Counterproliferation
  • Counterterrorism
  • Cyber warfare
  • Ethno-Religious conflict
  • External support
  • Force protection
  • Gray Zone activities
  • Great power competition
  • Illegal narcotics
  • Information warfare
  • Insurgency
  • Internally Displaced Persons
  • Irregular threat networks
  • Irregular warfare
  • Islamic extremism
  • Low-intensity conflict
  • Maritime security
  • Migration
  • Militancy
  • Multi-domain operations
  • Narcotics trafficking/trade
  • Organized crime
  • Partnerships
  • Political oppression
  • Political violence
  • Proxies / Proxy warfare
  • Psychological operations
  • Radicalism
  • Refugees
  • Regional cooperation
  • Resistance movements
  • Resource competition
  • Resource security
  • Rogue actors / states
  • Sabotage
  • Situational awareness
  • Special reconnaissance
  • Stability operations
  • Strategic competition
  • Tactical intelligence
  • Terrorism
  • Transnational threats
  • Unconventional warfare
  • Underground networks
  • Urban warfare
  • Violent extremism
  • Violent Extremist Org (VEO)
  • WMD