U.S. Army Gen. Bryan P. Fenton, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, joined congressional leaders March 26, 2025, to underscore the indispensable role of special operations forces and rally bipartisan support for their growing mission at the Congressional SOF Caucus event on Capitol Hill.
Fenton highlighted the unprecedented demand on SOF, driven by escalating threats from state and non-state actors alike, during his remarks to the caucus co-chaired by Representatives Richard Hudson, Kathy Castor and Scott Peters.
“The demand from your SOF is higher than it’s ever been,” Fenton said. “Crisis response missions are up 170% in three years, and deterrence taskings have risen 35% in two.”
Hudson, representing North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District, home to Fort Bragg, opened the event by detailing SOF’s vital footprint nationwide — from his state to Naval Base Coronado in California. He emphasized the strain on operators and their families amid the relentless operational tempo.
“We give you a broom handle and some bailing wire, and you go do it, and you’re excellent,” he said.
Hudson’s focus on resources echoed a recurring theme of the evening. Castor, a co-chair from Tampa, Florida — home to Socom headquarters — pointed to the disparity between SOF’s outsized contributions and its modest share of the Defense Department’s resources.
“You carry the load on the most sophisticated missions out there with just 2% of the defense budget,” she said.
Castor pressed for modernizing the command’s aging facilities at MacDill Air Force Base, contrasting those with U.S. Central Command’s state-of-the-art headquarters nearby.
“It’s time for that headquarters to live up to what we ask of the men and women who serve,” she urged, calling for bipartisan backing to ensure SOF’s infrastructure matches its mission.
The critical value of SOF emerged as a cornerstone of the discussion. Peters, representing San Diego’s Naval Special Warfare community, cited a recent bipartisan win — securing $310 million to address sewage flows impacting SEAL training waters — as proof of the caucus’ impact. He stressed SOF’s role in deterrence and crisis response amid threats from China, Russia, Iran and terrorist groups.
Fenton elaborated on SOF’s unique adaptability, describing the current era as “a SOF renaissance” tailor-made for converging challenges like unmanned systems and artificial intelligence. He cited recent successes, including eliminating hundreds of terrorists and rescuing Americans abroad.
“We’ve been called out 14 times in three years on short notice to be somewhere in the world,” he said.
He urged sustained investment in scalable capabilities to keep pace with adversaries exploiting new technologies.
Colby Jenkins, a former Geen Beret and combat veteran, who is currently performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, emphasized SOF’s relational edge. He praised the caucus for supporting families and empowering Socom as a service-like entity.
“That’s where we bring value — with relationships of trust that span decades,” Jenkins said.
Fenton also called for deeper ties between Socom and Congress to address installation needs and family support. He lauded the caucus’ role in bridging gaps for members without SOF bases in their districts, ensuring broad awareness of the community’s challenges.
“You watch over our families — we couldn’t do what we do without them,” he noted.
Fenton expressed confidence in SOF’s readiness, bolstered by the caucus’ commitment, highlighting the need for bipartisan resolve to equip operators for an uncertain future.
“SOF readiness is important now more than ever. “[Our] job [is] to … make sure that you’re getting the resources you need, the training you need and support you need,” Hudson said.
By Army MAJ Wes Shinego, DOD News
