January 30, 2025

Bridging SOF and Conventional Forces with Outlaw 01: Training, Integration, and Warfighting (Ep. 27)

35 minutes

This episode is focused on Special Operation Forces and

Conventional Forces Integration, Interoperability, and Interdependence (SOF-CF I3). As defined by FM 6-05: integration is the ability to synchronize capabilities and actions. Interoperability is the ability to act coherently to exchange information and services. Interdependence is reliance on one another. Army SOF and Conventional Forces depend on one another to accomplish strategic, operational, and tactical objectives. Here at the National Training Center (NTC), ARSOF and Conventional Forces work together and train together to prepare for real world operations and the future of warfare.

About the Guest:

COL Ethan Diven: Ethan Diven is the current Commander of

Operations Group at the National Training Center. Ethan Diven is a husband and father and warrior. He graduated the New Mexico Military Institute and Texas Tech prior to entering active duty. As an Armor Officer, COL Diven has served in multiple formation types including Armor, Infantry, Airborne, and Special Operations with 75th Ranger Regiment. Multiple deployments to CENTCOM and EUCOM.

About the Host:

CPT Weston Rich is a member of SOF Plans at the NTC and

former member of Burro Team, the Special Operations Training Detachment OC/T Team at NTC. Prior to his time at NTC, Weston served as a Detachment Commander with 1st SFG (A) and as an Infantry Officer with 3-509th IN (ABN)/4/25 ID (now part of 2/11 ABN DIV). Following his time at NTC, Weston will attend Carnegie Mellon University with a follow-on assignment to Army Futures Command.

This episode covers:

- Special Operations Forces and Conventional Forces

Integration, Interoperability, and Interdependence

- NTC in 1998 conducting air land battle and similarities to

multiple domain operations in large scale combat

- Comparing deployments with Ranger Regiment (as a staff

officer) to conventional deployments as a Company commander

- Conducting a Division level rotation at NTC as a Brigade

Commander prior to conducting a EUCOM rotation; describing SOF-CF I3 during the rotation; conducting Leader Training Program to begin that integration

- Advising in integrating with NATO partners in EUCOM to

conduct training exercises and at the Joint Multi-national Readiness Center

- Outlaw 01; as the Commander of Operations Group; responsible for integrating all the branches within the Army, all the war fighting functions, across all domains from the individual soldier level up to the Division level

- Leadership factor: Observers Coaches / Trainers are professionals that improve the Army

- SOF-CF I3 is imperative, enables the joint force through creation of mass and leveraging effects across all domains

- Brigades expectations of SOF, understanding

that SOF and CF need to work together and bring value to one another

- Brigade’s perspective of SOF actions deep or extended deep; related to how effective the SOF Liaisons to the BDE or DIV are

- REDSOF from the COG’s perspective; REDSOF gets great training from the experience including SF, CA, and PSYOP

- Operations outside of the NTC Box that SOF executes

Please like, subscribe, and share these episodes with ARSOF any conventional Soldiers and Leaders to spread the knowledge of ARSOF in LSCO.

To provide feedback please email the host, CPT Rich, at [email protected].

Produced, edited, and sound engineering by Micah Popp of

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