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!
The SOTF Team is excited to announce that Clark Chen has successfully transitioned to the International Deployment Lead role at @Anduril.
Clark is a seasoned Special Operations leader who recently completed 11 years of selfless service in the @USArmy, leaving Active Duty as a Major with the 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade.
A snapshot of some of Clark’s accomplishments includes:
🇺🇸 Clark began his Army career in Okinawa as an Ordnance Officer before completing his team time with the 97th Civil Affairs Battalion. While transitioning from Active Duty, his service continues as a member of the California National Guard with Special Operations Detachment–Korea.
🇺🇸 Clark holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Economics with a minor in Japanese. He is also a graduate of the Korean Special Operations Basic Language Course and maintains a high level of proficiency in Mandarin Chinese.
🇺🇸 Clark’s commitment to serving others extends well beyond his military career. He has dedicated more than 200 hours as an online Crisis Counselor, supporting individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts and self-harm. He has also volunteered with Scouting America throughout his career and was recognized as Scoutmaster of the Year in Okinawa in 2018.
Reflecting on his experience with SOTF, Clark shared:
“I watched firsthand as my peers were given incredible guidance and networking opportunities, and immediately signed up! I’m so glad I did. SOTF truly individualized my journey to my unique circumstances, and I cannot stress enough how much they elevated my transition experience. I am forever indebted to the hard work and selfless service of the SOTF Team!”
Congratulations, Clark, on this exciting next chapter. We are proud to welcome you to the SOTF alumni community and look forward to seeing the impact you will continue to make.
To learn more about Clark’s incredible leadership journey, connect with him on LinkedIn.
#TransitionTuesday #SOTF #specialoperators #usarmy #SOFOperators #sof
From serving our country to building our future.
This Labor Day, we honor the veterans who continue to serve through their work.
Veterans aren`t leaving the workforce behind; they`re bringing their military experience into it. The leadership, discipline, and resilience they developed in service continue to make an impact long after their time in uniform.
SOTF is proud to support special operators as they take on their next mission.
#transition #transitionfoundation #SOFOperators #SOTF
The SOTF Team is excited to announce that Alec Rashidi has successfully transitioned into a Strategic Communications Coordinator role with Two Six Technologies.
Alec is a seasoned Special Operations leader who recently completed service from the United States Army as a Staff Sergeant after six years of selfless service.
A snapshot of some of Alec’s accomplishments includes:
🇺🇸 Alec wrapped up his military career as a Psychological Operations Team Leader with the 8th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne). Throughout his tenure, he served as a PSYOP Team Leader, PSYOP Sergeant, and the lead PSYOP advisor to a host nation’s Ministry of Defense.
🇺🇸 A skilled communicator and strategic thinker, Alec excels at streamlining complex communication and applying rigorous analysis to achieve desired outcomes. He brings a proactive, methodical approach to challenging problem sets and is always looking for innovative ways to advance the mission.
🇺🇸 Alec is incredibly curious and committed to continued learning. He holds both a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts and will begin an evening Juris Doctor program in Fall 2026.
🇺🇸 Outside of his professional pursuits, Alec is passionate about spending time with family and investing in those around him. He enjoys watching soccer and Formula 1, studying perfumery and horology, and traveling the world with his girlfriend.
"I am endlessly appreciative of the support, resources, and mentorship SOTF provided throughout my transition. I look forward to being part of the SOTF alumni community and to supporting current and future Fellows in any way I can."
#TransitionTuesday #SOTF #specialoperators #usarmy #SOFOperators #sof
Being afforded the opportunity to coach special operators through transition is one of the greatest honors of my professional career. These men and women have dedicated themselves to serving something larger than themselves, often operating in the most demanding and complex environments imaginable. To walk alongside them as they navigate the next phase of their journey is a small way for me to give back to those who have given so much to our nation.
Military transition is about far more than finding a job. It is about translating a lifetime of leadership, service, sacrifice, and accomplishment into a new sense of purpose and impact while pivoting away from an identity that has been earned through hard work and sacrifice. My goal as a coach is to help operators recognize the immense value they bring, build confidence in their future, and connect their unique experiences to opportunities where they can continue to lead and make a difference.
I believe SOTF plays a critical role in helping operators bridge the gap between who they have been and who they will become. As an executive coach, my responsibility is to help them see possibilities they may not yet see for themselves, articulate the strengths they have spent years developing, and position them for meaningful and fulfilling success after service. When these exceptional leaders thrive in their next chapter, their impact extends far beyond themselves - their successful transition strengthens organizations, communities, and our nation as a whole.
This work is not just professionally rewarding - it is deeply personal, and I am grateful to play even a small part in supporting our nation`s best as they continue their journey of service and leadership.
Brian Partridge
SOTF Executive Coach
Founder & President | Jetty Enterprises, LLC
You`re Not Hiring a Manager. You`re Selecting a Leader.
One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is interviewing leadership candidates the same way they interview managers.
They`re not the same.
Managers execute systems. Leaders shape culture. Managers focus on today`s objectives. Leaders prepare organizations for tomorrow`s challenges.
Yet too many executive interviews focus on résumés and technical qualifications instead of the question that matters most:
Can this person lead our organization when the path forward isn`t clear?
Leadership is revealed through judgment, influence, humility, and the ability to inspire others, not simply through titles on a résumé.
Here are five ways to identify true leaders:
1. Interview for Judgment, Not Just Experience
Ask about decisions made with incomplete information, changing course, and taking accountability for difficult outcomes. Leadership means making sound decisions when certainty doesn`t exist.
2. Build an Executive Interview Team
Have executives, peers, HR, and key stakeholders evaluate different dimensions of leadership, from strategy and collaboration to culture and communication.
3. Spend More Time Discussing Failure
Success shows capability. Failure reveals character. Look for candidates who own setbacks, learn from them, and grow.
4. Watch How They Lead During the Interview
Pay attention to how they listen, ask questions, engage others, and communicate. Great leaders create confidence in the room before they`re ever hired.
5. Know When It`s Time to Decide
Once your team has enough information and independently reaches the same conclusion, trust the process. Exceptional candidates rarely stay available for long.
At the Special Operators Transition Foundation, we prepare military leaders for success long before they sit down with a hiring team. Through coaching, executive interview preparation, leadership translation, and mentorship, we help organizations see the leader behind the résumé.
What interview question has consistently helped you identify exceptional leaders, not just qualified managers?
Kerry Black
SOTF Director of Corporate Engagement
Our Fellows, Our Way.
Thank you, Kevin, for sharing your experience so far in the program. We’re grateful for the opportunity to support you in your transition and be part of your journey.
We’re excited to see all that’s ahead for you.
Learn more about our program at sotf.org
A week and a half later, and we’re still talking about this night in Nashville.
Some of America’s most dedicated patriots came together for an unforgettable evening of heroic stories, incredible music, and a shared commitment to supporting our nation’s special operators.
Because of those who stepped up, our Fellows, their families, and their communities will feel the impact long after the night ended.
One night. One mission. An impact that lasts.
If you weren’t there this year, make sure you’re in the room next year.
Until then, check out our events page and find your next opportunity to be part of the mission. 🇺🇸
sotf.org/events/
@droplightofficial
JDC Power
@tnfarmbureau
@banccardofamerica
@optum
@gafroofing
@alliancebernstein
Greek Development Heritage Distribution
@highspring_global
@b9golfclarksville
@lifeatclarishealth
@fourbranchesbourbon
The SOTF Team is excited to announce that Michelle Gottschalk has successfully transitioned into a Lead Planner in the G2 under Intelligence Security & Cooperation at Marine Forces Europe Africa (MARFOREUR/AF).
Michelle is a seasoned Special Operations intelligence officer and DoD civilian who recently completed five years of active service in the United States Army as a CW4 after 24 years of selfless service.
A snapshot of some of Michelle’s accomplishments includes:
🇺🇸 Michelle is the senior HUMINT officer at Special Operations Command Europe. During her tenure, she served as the HUMINT Operations Chief and covered down as the J2X at both Theater Special Operations Commands Europe and Africa. Michelle is also a certified Foreign Disclosure Officer and was the command FDO at Special Operations Command Africa. She is a dual-persona Department of Defense civilian transitioning back to federal service after five years of Contingency Active-Duty Operational Support and Active-Duty Operational Support supporting two TSOCs.
🇺🇸 Michelle has two master’s degrees (Diplomacy & Sports Management).
🇺🇸 Michelle is prioritizing her free time to raise her son and doing as much as she can while he is still small, including seeing more of Europe. She will remain involved as a U-16 tackle football coach and continue to impart her wisdom from years of playing with the young kids participating in the Stuttgart Scorpions.
"The SOTF Team brings so much drive and determination to fellows. They welcomed me with open arms and provided me with tremendous opportunities to network with fellows and alumni. Whatever I needed, the team was there to provide me with the path and runway to explore and be successful. I appreciate the responsiveness of the core team and the coaches, as I was not just going through one life-changing transition, but also expecting our firstborn at the same time. I know I have allies in my corner, even after I am done with this next chapter."
To learn more about Michelle’s incredible leadership journey, connect with her on LinkedIn.
#TransitionTuesday #SOTF #specialoperators #usarmy #SOFOperators
