The Silent Crisis in Special Forces: A Call for Leaders

Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of The Havok Journal, its staff, or its contributors.

Many of The Havok Journal’s writers have spent time in various Special Operations units and had a different set of experiences, as well as a different (and far more positive) view of leadership in the SOF community than that presented in this article. However, we are committed to providing a platform to serve the Veteran Community and sometimes that means confronting uncomfortable truths, or at least uncomfortable perspectives. The Havok Journal welcomes responses to this piece, positive or negative, at havokjournal@havokmedia.com.

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The Insider’s Perspective 

As the spouse of a Special Operations officer who has served across multiple operational groups and  deployed numerous times over nearly two decades, I’ve had a unique vantage point into the Special  Forces community. What I’ve witnessed is a disturbing trend that can no longer be ignored: The Special  Operations community is facing a leadership crisis that is costing lives, decimating retention rates,  and directly impacting operational effectiveness. 

My perspective is not that of an outsider looking in, but of someone who has lived alongside this  community, watching its triumphs and tragedies unfold in real time. I’ve seen the toll that combat takes on  these warriors, including my own husband, but more disturbingly, I’ve observed how leadership failures  across all levels of the regiment compound these challenges rather than alleviating them. 

The Reality on the Ground 

While senior leaders form committees and conduct studies on how to improve retention, the answer is  painfully obvious to those of us who live this reality: leadership culture itself is failing our operators. I will cite USASOC’s Lessons Learned study in this piece and it’s clear: our leaders don’t seem to have  learned any lessons at all.  

Both active duty and retired operators consistently cite toxic leadership as one of the primary  reasons they choose to leave the Special Operations community. What begins as a sacred calling to  serve transforms into an unbearable burden when those at the top betray their fundamental responsibility to care for those they lead. Data confirms leadership failures are resulting in lower retention. USASOC’s retention study reveals that the community is losing approximately 94 Special Forces operators annually to ETS – equating to one-third of the annual SF production at SWCS. When asked why they’re leaving,  9% directly cited leadership issues. Even more telling, when asked what would keep them in, 16%  specifically cited “better leadership” and another 9% wanted “improvements to command climate,” making leadership the second most important retention factor after compensation. 

This is further confirmed by the study, which bluntly states: “This is a weak generation of enlisted leadership. You have careerists in charge who aren’t for the men.” While financial incentives matter,  “changes to Army culture is more important” for retention. When soldiers themselves were asked what  would keep them in the Army, the top response was telling: “…You need a complete review of the force.”  And yet the top brass continues to act confused about why we are losing operators at this alarming rate, despite this damning evidence.  

The operators’ frustrations with leadership run deep – in one scathing comment: “Money is not an incentive. Fix the Evaluation Process. Stop promoting the wrong guys.” These sentiments apply  equally to officer leadership, particularly mid-level and senior leaders, where many become dangerously  disconnected from the realities faced by their operators. In the words of our own operators: “Hold Officers accountable for their terrible leadership.” Too often, these senior officers prioritize their own career progression over advocating for those under their command. 

This failure extends beyond the operators themselves to devastate families. The SOF community suffers from divorce rates significantly higher than the general military population. Marriages that withstand  multiple deployments, endless training cycles, and persistent danger often crumble under the  compounding weight of untreated trauma, addiction, and mental health struggles that are ignored by  leadership. When operators suffer in silence, families become collateral damage in leadership’s failure to intervene. 

Some version of this scenario plays out repeatedly: when subordinates face career repercussions and  backlash from senior leaders for seeking mental health support, time to focus on family issues, or  addressing substance misuse – mid-level leaders who could intervene or advocate instead remain silent, offering empty platitudes while refusing to challenge superiors. This cowardly, self-serving leadership culture cascades downward, creating an environment where moral courage is punished rather than rewarded. Imagine, for a moment, charging toward the enemy in combat…but being too afraid to tell a  superior they are wrong – shocking, blatant weakness among those we consider to be the bravest.  

Some operators have lost faith entirely, with one stating: “I believe that the SF regiment is beyond repair. It would take more than a few strong senior Officers and NCOs to stand up for what’s right  instead of what’s right for their career.” These aren’t isolated complaints—they represent a systemic  failure in how the Special Operations community selects, develops, and rewards its leaders. 

The Disturbing Pattern and Human Cost 

The consequences are devastating. A single veteran operator I know personally receives multiple calls each week from current and former operators in crisis. These soldiers are bypassing their chain of  command and unit resources, instead reaching out to someone they trust – often someone they’ve never  even met personally, but whose reputation as a resource for struggling operators has spread through  informal networks. They seek out this individual because he has been through the same challenges they  have and sought treatment himself, despite facing career repercussions for doing so. 

These aren’t weak individuals; these are America’s most elite soldiers who have been pushed beyond human limits and then abandoned by the leadership structure that demanded their sacrifice. The fact that they feel safer calling a stranger rather than using official channels when in true crisis speaks volumes about the breakdown of trust in the current leadership environment. 

Data confirms this isn’t isolated. Statistics show suicide rates among SOF are approximately 30% higher than the general U.S. military and exceed those of the general U.S. population. In 2023, suicides in the  U.S. military (active duty) increased to 523, up from 493 in 2022. These aren’t just statistics – they represent lost warriors, devastated families, and compromised operational capabilities. 

Recognizing (Rare) Exemplary Leadership 

It’s important to acknowledge that not all leadership is failing. There are commanders who actively  engage with their soldiers, demonstrate genuine concern by understanding their challenges, provide real support, and implement measures to safeguard their careers. These leaders recognize that taking care of their people IS the mission. They understand that a Special Operator is a human weapon system that  requires proper maintenance and calibration – not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

However, we must be clear: these exemplary leaders are the exception, not the rule. The alarming trends in suicide rates, mental health crises, and declining retention make this undeniably evident. While these  exceptional leaders demonstrate what’s possible, their presence only highlights how far the overall  leadership culture has strayed from what the regiment requires. 

What distinguishes these exemplary leaders? They make themselves accessible, checking in regularly with their soldiers and truly listening to their concerns. They create environments where seeking help is normalized, often by sharing their own challenges. They advocate fiercely for their people, placing themselves between struggling operators and bureaucratic systems that might harm them. They recognize warning signs early because they know their people as individuals, not just as tactical assets. Most importantly, they follow up, ensuring that operators who seek help receive ongoing support, not just a  referral to an overwhelmed system. 

The Leadership Solution 

True leadership in Special Forces must return to its roots and be reinforced by concrete policies: 

1. Know your people. Understand the backgrounds and experiences of your soldiers. Be aware of how many deployments they’ve had, what they’ve witnessed, and what personal challenges they’re facing. 

2. Notice changes. When performance declines, don’t immediately resort to punitive measures. Real leaders take time to review an operator’s history and previous evaluations, where they’ll likely spot unusual performance drops that should raise immediate alarms. Ask questions. Investigate the causes. Show genuine concern. A sudden change in a previously stellar performer isn’t laziness – it’s a warning sign. As one former Team Sergeant shared: “My best operator suddenly started showing up late. Instead of hitting him with paperwork, I asked what was going on. He’d been having nightmares and couldn’t sleep. We got him help, and six months later, he was back to  being my strongest team member.” 

3. De-stigmatize treatment. Create a culture where seeking help for PTS, addiction, or other  mental health challenges is viewed as a sign of strength and self-awareness, not weakness. The  most effective leaders in SF will be those who have had the courage to face their own demons,  not those hiding their drinking habits or suffering in silence with PTS, anxiety, or depression. We  should be actively promoting those who take initiative to better themselves through treatment and  personal growth – their experiences and resilience will have immeasurably positive impacts  throughout the regiment. Mental health support shouldn’t be treated as an optional “nice to have”  but as a critical component of operational readiness, just as important as physical fitness or  tactical training. 

4. Protect careers through policy. The regiment needs formal procedures and policies to support operators returning from treatment – not just good intentions that can be undermined by a single unsupportive leader. This means implementing concrete measures: delaying performance evaluations for a reasonable adjustment period, scheduling mandatory check-ins with behavioral health professionals, creating protected transition periods before returning to full operational status, and establishing oversight mechanisms to prevent retaliatory evaluations. These shouldn’t  be optional best practices but codified policies that ensure one biased leader can’t derail an operator’s entire career for having the courage to seek help. 

5. Lead by example or step aside. Senior leaders should be open about their own challenges and the importance of maintaining mental health. Let’s be absolutely clear: leaders who refuse to  acknowledge the profound mental and physical toll of Special Operations have no business  in leadership roles. Those who perpetuate outdated notions that psychological wounds aren’t real or that seeking help is weakness should retire immediately. The regiment cannot improve while being led by individuals who deny the very reality their operators face. The next generation of Special Forces deserves leaders who understand the full spectrum of combat’s  impact, not those clinging to dangerously outdated paradigms of what makes a warrior. 

Beyond Retention: Combat Effectiveness and Lethality 

Addressing these issues isn’t just about retention or morale – it’s about combat effectiveness, lethality, and mission readiness. Elite warriors are human weapons systems. Just like any weapon, vehicle, or aircraft,  they require maintenance and calibration. 

Chronic sleep deprivation, untreated PTSD, and substance abuse erode cognitive function, decision making, and reaction time, leading to tactical mistakes and operational failures. The loss of seasoned operators due to untreated mental health struggles directly affects unit capability. It takes years and millions of dollars to produce a Green Beret—losing them to preventable causes is a strategic failure. 

Concrete Implementation Strategies 

To move beyond discussion to action, the regiment should adopt and scale successful practices already  working in parts of the community: 

1. Implement regular “Health of the Battalion” reviews where leaders, clinicians, chaplains, and  medical providers collaboratively assess each soldier’s physical and mental health. This isn’t theoretical – 3rd and 5th groups have already implemented this approach with measurable success. Their model should be standardized and made mandatory across all Special Forces  Groups, including SWCS, where many operators face significant pressure during training. 

2. Establish dedicated resource representatives within each unit responsible for consolidating and  disseminating information on available resources from DoD, USASOC Care Coalition, and other  benevolent organizations. The successful resiliency seminars hosted by SWCS and 1st SFC that  connected soldiers with resources demonstrate the value of making support systems visible and  accessible. 

3. Institute mandatory leadership onboarding training for all new company-level and higher  leaders, covering available resources, education on challenges specific to SF operators, and  strategies for effective support. 

4. Recognize recovery efforts both publicly and privately. Institute awards or commendations that honor the courage and resilience demonstrated in recovery, akin to those given for valor in combat. Operators who recover out loud not only save lives by de-stigmatizing treatment but  directly strengthen our forces and enhance their lethality by demonstrating that healing is possible  and by preserving hard-earned combat experience within the ranks. 

5. Promote science-based support strategies, including: 

◦ Encouraging adequate sleep, as lack of quality sleep is a leading risk factor for suicide ◦ Fostering unit cohesion and social support to combat isolation 

◦ Addressing alcohol misuse through prevention programs and leadership example

6. Shift from reactive to proactive mental health strategies by implementing stress management  training before crises occur and integrating mental fitness drills alongside physical training.

7. Encourage peer-led support models recognizing that warriors often trust their brothers-in-arms more than medical professionals. 4th BN in 3rd SFG exemplifies this approach, with battalion  leadership actively encouraging and supporting the development of peer support groups within  the unit. This enables soldiers to reach out to fellow Green Berets in a judgment-free environment where they’re met with compassion and support. These connections allow warriors to engage with  others who have faced similar struggles, helping normalize their challenges while providing  access to additional information and resources that might not be available through formal DoD channels (PCMs, EBH, Care Coalition, Chaplains, unit docs, etc.). 

8. Enhance confidential mental health access by establishing anonymous consultation pathways  where soldiers can seek guidance without triggering official reports unless they request  intervention. 

9. Incentivize participation in resiliency programs through meaningful benefits like compensatory  time off, late reporting the day following sessions, priority for desirable training slots, or  recognition awards. 

Making Leadership Accountable 

For these strategies to have a lasting impact, we must fundamentally change how leadership is evaluated  and rewarded: 

1. Expand leader evaluations to include holistic soldier welfare. A commander’s effectiveness should not only be measured by operational success but also by how well they maintain the health and readiness of their formation. Soldier well-being metrics should be integrated into command climate surveys and performance evaluations. Leaders should be assessed on their ability to  identify at-risk operators before crises occur and their effectiveness in connecting soldiers with appropriate resources. 

2. Incentivize leaders who proactively address mental readiness. The regiment should formally reward leaders who create cultures of trust and resilience through awards, promotions, and public acknowledgment. Units that demonstrate improved retention, lower incidents of mental health  crises, and higher operational effectiveness should be recognized at the Battalion and Group level  as models for SOF-wide implementation. 

3. Hold toxic leadership accountable. When patterns of neglect or stigmatization emerge under certain leaders, there must be consequences. Leaders who consistently lose operators to suicide,  substance abuse, or premature separation should face career implications just as they would for  tactical failures. The regiment needs a protected, anonymous reporting system where soldiers can report toxic leadership behaviors without fear of retaliation. This system must bypass the  immediate chain of command when necessary and include oversight from outside the direct  reporting structure to ensure objectivity and actual accountability. 

These accountability measures wouldn’t just improve mental health support – they would directly address  the 25% of operators who cite “Work Life Balance” and the 19% who cite “Culture Shift” as their reasons  for leaving, according to the USASOC retention study. By addressing leadership failures directly, we tackle multiple retention factors simultaneously. 

The Path Forward 

Special Forces lethality is built on disciplined warriors who are physically, mentally, and emotionally  resilient. Leaders who fail to address these issues are not just failing their people—they are actively  degrading the combat effectiveness of their units. 

The ARSOF core attributes of integrity, courage, perseverance, personal responsibility, and professionalism are not just combat qualities—they’re essential for overcoming mental health challenges 

as well. When we recognize and support warriors who embody these attributes in their personal battles,  we strengthen the entire regiment. 

The Call To Action Is Simple: Please Do Better 

The plea from the force to leadership at all levels in the Special Operations community is simple: Do better. The solutions are outlined.  The costs of inaction are clear and devastating. The resources exist. What’s missing is not information or capability, but the will to change. 

No more committees. No more studies. No more lip service while operators continue to suffer in silence. You have the information – now do something meaningful or risk losing even more operators and degrading your force. 

Implement the changes outlined here. Hold each other accountable. Recognize that taking care of your people IS the mission. 

But this call to action isn’t just for those in formal leadership positions. Every member of the Special  Operations community has a role to play in creating culture change: 

• For senior leaders: Establish the policies and accountabilities that protect rather than punish those seeking help. Have empathy for your soldiers. 

• For direct leaders: Know your people. Notice changes. Intervene early. Follow through. Stand up for your operators when senior leaders fail. 

• For operators: Look out for your brothers and sisters. Normalize conversations about mental health. When you’re ready, consider recovering out loud – your journey may save someone else’s life. 

• For medical and support staff: Advocate fiercely for the warriors in your care. Build bridges between clinical settings and operational environments. 

• For families: Continue to be the frontline support system. Know the resources. Raise the alarm when you see concerning changes. 

This is simple: Take better care of your people, and you’ll have better results – both in retention and  in combat effectiveness. 

America’s elite warriors deserve elite leadership – leadership that understands that strength isn’t the  absence of wounds, but the courage to acknowledge and heal them. 

Written with love and deep concern for our community,

A guilty conscience needs no accuser.

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Though the study was conducted to uncover the root causes of the crisis, and is not classified or controlled, it has never been publicly released, leaving those most affected without answers. The author is the spouse of a Special Operations officer. She has chosen to remain anonymous to protect her husband’s career. To connect with the anonymous author, please email deoppressoliber_athome@proton.me