Designing at the Cutting Edge of Battle: The 75th Ranger Regiment’s Project Galahad

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article addresses the formal introduction of military design into the 75th Ranger Regimental organizational form and function over the last few years by leaders and design facilitators through creative destruction and willingness to experiment in paradoxical and potentially radical ways for emergent Special Operations Forces (SOF) needs. This article presents the core concepts behind Project Galahad, including the need for its formation, the context in which it exercises thought and action, and its structure and form as a disruptive engine of designing for novelty in warfare. This effort demonstrates military design “success” within lofty conceptual goals such as “fostering innovation” or “disrupting legacy systems to provide novel opportunities.” Furthermore, this article shows how a broader design movement is simultaneously appearing in various incarnations and similar applications across the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and international special operations community.