About - SOAA

Special Operations Association of America – “A Voice for Special Operations”

We advocate for all past, present, and future members of the Special Operations community and their families. Fighting for those who fight for us to ensure the mission success and lethality of those that bear the greater burden. SOAA is a 501c19 Veterans Non-Profit organization, registered with the IRS. Learn more about our team.

Policy We are the only organization that engages in policy and legislation advocacy on behalf of the men and women in the Special Operations community. We’re committed to identifying solutions and making recommendations that best serve Special Operation Forces on and off the battlefield.

Membership – Join us! We are a member-driven organization that believes members of the SOF community have already paid enough. We host events, elevate members’ voices, and honor the fallen, all at zero cost to our members. We’re committed to raising awareness on SOF issues and connecting SOF members with their global community.

Story Telling We engage stakeholders at every level of government in order to advance the interests of the SOF community. By highlighting the humanity of SOF members, their deeds, and their struggles, we elevate their needs on Capitol Hill and raise national awareness.

Resources We support the members and families of our community with the resources they need as they transition away from the battlefield in order to ensure that the warfighter will never be forgotten, even when they are no longer fighting a war.

Partners We forge collaborative opportunities between operators and industry leaders within the military to advance the interests of the warfighter on and off the battlefield, and introduce members of the SOF community to life saving tools and resources.

Who We Are

Our team is made up of accomplished professionals who are passionate about advocating for, defending, and protecting the benefits of those in the Special Operations community and their families. Interested in joining our team? Contact us.

Lt. General John F. Mulholland, Jr. (Ret)

LTG Mulholland (Ret) is a career Army Special Forces officer who graduated from Furman University in 1978 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry from the Furman ROTC program. Since joining the 1st Special …

Dr. Newton Howard

Dr. Newton Howard is the founder of ni2o, Inc.–a start-up developing novel, AI-driven, brain-computer interfaces to treat a wide range of debilitating neurological disorders. ni2o’s eventual aim is to improve cognitive and athletic performance for all people affected …

Jaclyn Scott

Jaclyn “Jax” is a tenured Special Operations Warrant Officer, with over 17 years’ experience. She is an expert in military cyber policy and has led global development operations in cyber countermeasures to mitigate near-peer attacks. …

Morgan Luttrell

Morgan is a retired United States Navy SEAL officer, a current member of Congress, a former Senior Advisor and Director at the Department of Energy, and an environmentally-focused entrepreneur. He brings his 14 years of …

David Cook

David served in the US Army for a decade, beginning in the 82nd Airborne Division and later 4th Psychological Operations Group. Most recently, David served as the National Security Advisor for a Member of Congress. …

Sarah Verardo

Starting as a volunteer with The Independence Fund, Sarah’s steadfast devotion, experience, and drive led to her eventual selection as the organization’s first Chief Executive Officer. Based on personal experience from her husband’s military unit, Sarah …

Daniel Elkins

Daniel is a founding member of SOAA and is a proud member of the military community.

Andrew Marr

Andrew is a Retired Special Forces Green Beret, entrepreneur, and best-selling co-author of TALES FROM THE BLAST FACTORY: A Brain Injured Special Forces Green Beret’s Journey Back from the Brink. His book has been turned …

Keith Pellegrini

Keith is a retired Special Forces Officer with nearly three decades of diverse National Security experience. His unique career as a Special Mission Unit Operator included immersion within both the Intelligence Community and State Department. This background, …

Doug Livermore

Doug is a Special Forces officer in the Army National Guard and Director of Special Programs for the Dept. of the Navy. In addition to his work with SOAA, Doug is National Director of External …

Brigadier General Harrison “HB” Gilliam

Brigadier General Harrison “HB” Gilliam was commissioned in OCS and served as an Infantry Officer and Platoon Leader later graduating Q Course and earning his Green Beret joining 19th Special Forces Group. After a decorated career …

Conwey Casillas

Conwey Casillas has more than 25 years experience working on public policy and legislative matters involving higher education. In his role as vice president for federal and public affairs, he advocates for higher education institutions …

Chris Miller

Chris brings the experience and accolades to help us in our mission to support Operators and their families. Chris most recently served as the Acting Secretary of Defense of the United States, and prior to …

Ryan Ziegler

Ryan is a Physician Assistant and a Green Beret. He has led US and foreign troops in combat in addition to having run successful start-up businesses. His leadership experience in both the military and civilian …

Junaid Lughmani

Junaid is a veteran of the US Army, and former civilian Pashto interpreter for the US military in Afghanistan. Having the rare distinction of serving as both Infantry Rifle Platoon Leader and interpreter in Afghanistan, …

Evanna Hu

Evanna is the CEO of Omelas, an AI company that detects digital influence operations. She is also the Senior Advisor for Cyber and Info Ops at the International Republican Institute, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the …

David Maxwell

David is a retired US Army Special Forces Colonel with command and staff assignments in Korea, Japan, Germany, the Philippines, and The U.S. He served as a member of the military faculty teaching national security …

Alex Plitsas

Alex Plitsas is a nonresident senior fellow with the Forward Defense practice at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Additionally, he is currently a principal and industry director for aerospace and defense and high-tech …