Community of Practice

Honorary Members

Ben Zweibelson

Ben Zweibelson is the Director for the U.S. Space Command’s (USSPACECOM) Strategic Initiatives Group (SIG) located at Colorado Springs, Colorado as of February 2022.

Previously, Ben was the lead design educator/facilitator for U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) through the Joint Special Operations University as a full-time contractor from January 2015 through February 2022 (7 years). During that period, Ben provided design education and real-world facilitation across USSOCOM, the Department of Defense and the U.S. Government, academia and industry as well as internationally and at numerous war colleges and military programs/units.

A retired U.S. Army Infantry officer and veteran of multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ben has an undergraduate degree (BA in Fine Arts) in Graphic Design from the University of Connecticut, three different master’s degrees (Louisiana State University, Air Command and Staff College, US Army School of Advanced Military Studies) and a doctorate in Philosophy from Lancaster University (UK).

While in the Army, he earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge, and the Ranger Tab. He was awarded four Bronze Star Medals during combat deployments in addition to numerous other awards and citations.

On Mao, Marxism, Revolution, and the Return of the Islamic State (Again, Again)…[Recommended Innovation Articles (and Commentary) 19]

Original post can be found here: https://benzweibelson.medium.com/on-mao-marxism-revolution-and-the-return-of-the-islamic-state-again-again-recommended-489148dd7db1 This week’s article is a fascinating read (and…

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An Inquiry into Why Militaries are Terrible at Innovation: “Innovation begins not in the pragmatic and known, but the fantastic and weird” (Part 2 of 5)

Original post can be found here: https://benzweibelson.medium.com/an-inquiry-into-why-militaries-are-terrible-at-innovation-innovation-begins-not-in-the-pragmatic-96df4eb21395 Military forces call for innovation more now than…

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An Inquiry into Why Militaries are Terrible at Innovation (Part 1 of 5)

Original post can be found here: https://benzweibelson.medium.com/an-inquiry-into-why-militaries-are-terrible-at-innovation-part-1-of-5-c6f04b35fce8 Militaries perpetually call for innovation, creativity in warfare,…

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On ChatBots, Machine Learning, the Future of War, and Dogs Versus Ants

Original post can be found here: https://benzweibelson.medium.com/on-chatbots-machine-learning-the-future-of-war-and-dogs-versus-ants-f4d871dbff8d I have two articles coming out in April-May…

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Recommended Innovation Articles (and Commentary) 18: ‘Toward a Theory of Space Power: Selected Essays’ by the National Defense University Press [no paywall]

Original post can be found here: https://benzweibelson.medium.com/recommended-innovation-articles-and-commentary-18-toward-a-theory-of-space-power-selected-7f43a104228b First, the good news- this collection of essays…

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Recommended Innovation Articles (and Commentary) 17: ‘Cyberneticizing the American War Machine: Science and Computers in the Cold War’ by Antoine Bousquet

Original post can be found here: https://benzweibelson.medium.com/recommended-innovation-articles-and-commentary-17-cyberneticizing-the-american-war-machine-8407ac7c4d29 Today’s article is again in our continued focus…

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