Every year, SOFCON brings together academics, government officials, military leaders, and industry professionals to discuss emerging challenges and opportunities within the broader Special Operations Forces community. Since the conference was launched in 2018, it has become the premier forum for the civilian-military exchange of ideas on special operations. Previous speakers and attendees have included General Stan McChrystal, General Scott Miller, Vice Admiral Mitch Bradley, Lieutenant General Michael Nagata, Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, National Security Council Legal Advisor Joshua Geltzer, Assistant Secretary of Defense Chris Maier, Assistant Secretary of Defense Owen West, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Erin Logan, and others.

The conference is organized by current active-duty special operations members/students and is sponsored by the Blue Center for Strategic Assessment. The Yale Jackson School student body includes Petraeus-Recanati-Kaplan (PRK) Fellows and General Wayne A. Downing Scholars. The PRK Fellowship enables experienced, carefully selected military special operators to gain a deeper understanding of global affairs. PRK Fellows at the Jackson School earn a one-year Master of Advanced Study degree. The General Wayne A. Downing Scholarship program offers select Army Officers the opportunity to attend a fully funded graduate education program at top-tier universities around the globe. Downing Scholars at the Jackson School earn a two-year Master of Public Policy degree.