Called to serve. Proven to perform.
The Challenge
How do our SOF service members translate their skills into a value proposition that resonates with private-sector hiring managers? We help connect SOF veterans and private enterprises to see the value of collaboration and what each offers the other.
Challenge Accepted
The Opportunity
Companies are looking for candidates who are results-oriented and know how to win. SOF veterans are looking for their next successful career – not just a job. The leadership and management skills they honed in the military are critically important in the business world.
Opportunity Knocks, We’ve Answered.
The Solution
After completing a SOTF Fellowship, our Fellows are ready, willing, and able to help sustain and scale any business or organization. Special Operations veterans add tremendous value to any team they’re on; smart companies recognize this. As a result, they’ll want to hire more of these extraordinary individuals who go through SOTF.
We’ve Got the Solution
Why SOTF?
Since 2013, SOTF has transitioned over 1,000 Special Operators into over 450 of our Nation’s highest-performing companies across American communities.
Our Program
Our program is focused on service members who have been through an assessment and selection process for the units of the Special Operations Command or operational personnel from select intelligence agencies.
Application
Verification of Service
SOTF Review Board Nomination
Fellowship conferred
Assessment
Psychometric Testing
Behavioral Testing
Profile & Value Proposition
Exploration
Executive Coaching
Resume Tailoring
Regional Workshops
Networking Events
Execution
Connections
Interview Preparation
Comparative Analysis
Offer Negotiation
Integration
First 100 Day Support
Alumni Network Induction
Latest Reviews
This program has been crucial in my transition from military life after 25 years on active duty. I was feeling a bit lost on how to proceed once I made up my mind to retire, and SOTF has provided me with the framework to guide me through this transition. The workshop I attended is a perfect example of a first-rate event that aggregates and presents valuable tools and insights to add to our toolkit as we navigate the waters of transitioning to our next chapter.
If you are a military member looking to re-invent, transition, change careers, super-charge your network, confront your fears, understand your own value, and capitalize on opportunities, there are none better than the passionate members of the Special Operators Transition Foundation. Thanks for the personal help when I needed it most.
Transition out of the Air Force Special Operations community was bittersweet, exciting, and scary all at the same time! After nearly 25 years of pouring my heart and soul into a military profession I loved, it was great to have the SOTF team and program behind me as I figured out how to navigate a path forward into the civilian sector. SOTF provided a reliable, safe, and attuned teammate to work through and succeed in the transition challenge. SOTF mentors provided me with a valuable “sounding board” to talk transition tactics and strategy. It was great knowing they had my back!
Trained. Tested. Trusted.
SOTF Fellows know they have received the most curated transition experience possible. Hiring Partners know they have a curated leader who can deliver unparalleled, ethical, and innovative results.
The ultimate winning proposition!
A career in Special Operations builds leaders who thrive in complexity, solve impossible problems, and inspire teams under pressure. The challenge isn`t gaining new skills—it`s learning how to communicate the ones you already have.
Hear one Fellow share how SOTF helps him transform years of military experience into civilian career skills as he transitions out of the service.
If you`re ready for what`s next, apply to become a SOTF Fellow: www.sotf.org/apply.
#SOTF #LeadershipMadeInAmerica #SpecialOperations #MilitaryTransition #VeteranLeadership #SOF #CareerTransition
The SOTF team is excited to announce that Jeff Cobb has successfully transitioned into an Air Vehicle Operator role, piloting unmanned aircraft systems for @aevex_aerospace.
Jeff is a seasoned Special Operations leader who recently retired as a Civil Affairs Operations Sergeant from the 91st Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne). He served in both the @USNavy and the @USArmy, combining 21 years of dedicated service before retiring at the rank of Master Sergeant.
A snapshot of some of Jeff`s accomplishments includes:
🇺🇸 He has served in various leadership roles, including Special Operations Forces Liaison to Vietnam under Joint Task Force Indo-Pacific, Civil Affairs Team Sergeant with the 83rd Civil Affairs Battalion, Infantry Platoon Sergeant for 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, and Bomb Assembly Team Chief for Weapons Division, aboard the USS Kitty Hawk, CV-63.
🇺🇸 His new career with Aevex Aerospace will give him an opportunity to give back to the military, supporting U.S. national interests by training America’s warfighters to operate combat-proven drone platforms. This capability provides a tactical advantage in modern warfare and combat capability in a rapidly evolving battlespace.
🇺🇸 Jeff resides in Tampa, FL, with his wife, Brittany, and daughter, Ava, spending his free time shooting drone photography and providing aerial imaging solutions to clients.
“From Day 1, SOTF has helped me flip on all the right switches to prepare for my transition. The support, mentorship, and coaching helped me understand that knowing what I “want to do” next is the most important question to answer. Through the process, I gained the confidence I needed and realized what drives me. Because of that, I was able to focus my energy on the profession I wanted and go after it. I am eternally grateful to the SOTF team for what they do, and I recommend SOTF to all transitioning special operators.”
To learn more about Jeff’s incredible leadership journey, connect with him on LinkedIn.
#TransitionTuesday #SOTF #usarmy #SOFOperators #sof #specialoperators
As we look ahead to our upcoming Nashville Transition Workshop, we`re proud to partner with the companies that said, "Ask Me." They have stepped up to support our SOTF Fellows by serving as panelists, sharing their insights, experiences, and opportunities to help service members prepare for their next chapter. Thank you for answering the call and investing in those who have served.
Jayson Rivas, IMPACT Consulting
Cliff Van Rickley, @b9golfclarksville
Gary Khara, Rockwood Homes LLC
Nick Copenhaver, CFP®, @alliancebernstein
SaraBeth Beeton, @alliancebernstein
Tony Schweiss, @guntergroupconsulting
Clay Hart, @firstbankonline
Randy Risher, @bankofamerica
Lee Kaiser, @highspring_global
Nick Ridings, @lifeatclarishealth
Tate McDaniel, @lifeatclarishealth
Jeff McNeese, @lifeatclarishealth
Kyle Allen, @vaco_global
Jared Means, @apexservicepartners
Kai Hsu, @hotsaucetechnologies_
Make the ask and be the answer.
People want to be asked. They want the opportunity to help others. Without asking, you deny people the chance to help you in a way that`s meaningful and impactful. But when you ask, you give others two opportunities:
1. A means to provide value. To become part of your experience. To use their talents and resources in a way that`s nearly guaranteed to make a difference.
2. Permission to ask when they need help. And inevitably, they will. Everyone does.
During SOF Week in May. The SOTF team was there to do two things: make the ask and be the answer.
Ask: We were there to model what "the ask" looks like, to provide people and organizations with a tangible opportunity to serve. Most people, in my experience, want to help but simply don`t know where to start. Our "ask" gives them a way to use their talents, resources, and influence to change lives. We know we can`t do it alone.
Answer: We were also there to answer the ask from our Special Operations community. The Operators who are looking for guidance, exploring what help even looks like as they begin what is arguably the most challenging transition of their lives. Answering the call for the Operators who need someone to walk alongside them as they transition into civilian life.
The individuals in this photo represent two organizations that embody both the ask and the answer: the SOTF and the COMMIT Foundation. We serve the same community. We run parallel missions. We are committed to ensuring America`s military leaders continue to thrive after service. Collaboration is how this mission is accomplished. Ask either of us for help, and you`ll get a resounding "Yes."
So what does that mean for you?
Service members: Make the ask. There are countless Americans who wake up every day wanting to make a difference. They may not know where to begin, but they`re waiting for the opportunity to say, "Ask me."
Patriots: Answer the call. For decades, our nation`s Special Operations Forces have said: "Send me." Now it`s our turn to return the favor.
When one side is willing to ask and the other is willing to answer, extraordinary things happen.
- Sarah Vanderleest, Director of Ops
Connect with America’s Next Generation of Leaders
SOTF Corporate Partners play a critical role in the successful transition of Special Operations veterans. Through hiring, mentorship, and program support, our hiring partners help ensure these proven leaders have the opportunity to continue making an impact beyond their military careers.
Organizations partner with SOTF to:
• Hire exceptional Special Operations talent
• Engage with Fellows through mentorship and transition opportunities
• Support leadership development and veteran transition initiatives
Special Operations veterans bring experience leading teams, making decisions under pressure, and navigating complex challenges. SOTF helps connect organizations with leaders who are ready for their next mission.
Interested in meeting a Special Operations Fellow or exploring partnership opportunities?
Click this link to learn more or copy and paste it into your browser: https://sotf.org/hire-an-operator/
We`re honored to recognize Austin Moore as a Destin SOTF Task Force Member.
A proud SOTF alumnus and former SOTF CEO, Austin continues to serve our community with the same mission-first leadership that has defined his career. As a U.S. Air Force Special Operations veteran and Co-Founder & CEO of Elias Collective, he brings more than 25 years of operational excellence, strategic insight, and an unwavering commitment to service.
Austin`s experience, leadership, and dedication make him an invaluable member of our Task Force. Thank you for your continued support of the SOTF mission. We`re honored to have you as part of the team.
The SOTF Team is excited to announce that Brendan Crane has successfully transitioned into a Teaching and Coaching role with @StJohnsCHS in Washington, D.C. Brendan is a seasoned Special Operations leader who recently retired from the @USArmy as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years of selfless service.
A snapshot of some of Brendan`s accomplishments includes:
🇺🇸 Brendan retired as a Strategic Advisor in the Office of the Under-Secretary of War for Special Operations / Low-Intensity Conflict (OASW SOLIC). Before, he served on the Joint Staff and in the 7th Special Forces Group as an Operations Officer and commanded at the Company and Detachment levels.
🇺🇸 Brendan delivers principled collaboration to build a winning team by enhancing the organizational “north star” of culture, focusing on development and internal training that ensures staff, students, and players have the right habits, standards, and connection from strategy to ground-level implementation.
🇺🇸 Brendan holds a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in Legal Studies. He also completed the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans at Saint Joseph`s University.
🇺🇸 Brendan is passionate about development, teaching, coaching, and athletic oversight. He demonstrates this by serving as a year-round volunteer coach, league president, and board member across multiple non-profit sports organizations.
"The SOTF Team provided me with unparalleled support during my transition. SOTF personalized every aspect of the program, working diligently to help me establish myself in a new industry while helping me learn about myself to depths not previously discovered. Throughout this entire process, I felt accompanied by great teammates who feel more like friends than coaches/advisors. I`m blessed to have been part of this program for the past year and would recommend participation to all transitioning SOF servicemembers."
To learn more about Brendan`s incredible leadership journey, connect with him on LinkedIn.
#TransitionTuesday #SOTF #usarmy #SOFOperators #sof
Nashville, it`s time to change up your routine.
If you`re looking for a unique way to connect, network, and give back, join us for the 2026 Freedom & Fairways Reboot benefiting the Special Operators Transition Foundation.
Build your foursome and experience two unforgettable days alongside our nation`s Special Operations veterans.
⛳ August 17: Charity Golf Tournament at Old Natchez Country Club in Franklin, TN. Build your foursome and spend the day on the course alongside Special Operators while supporting their transition to meaningful careers.
Whether you`re bringing clients, coworkers, or friends, it`s an opportunity to network, give back, and enjoy two incredible days with an even greater purpose.
Register today by visiting our website or copy and paste this link into your browser. https://sotf.org/nashville/
Gather your team, take business to the green, and join us in Franklin this August.
