Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Charles T. Cleveland is one of the U.S. Army’s foremost architects of modern Special Warfare and a nationally recognized thought leader on gray zone conflict. With over 30 years of service in Special Operations, his career includes commanding roles at every echelon—from 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) to Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH), Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), and ultimately U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). Throughout his leadership in Iraq, Latin America, and CENTCOM’s most complex operational environments, General Cleveland pioneered approaches that emphasized interagency integration, unconventional problem-solving, and long-term partner development—hallmarks of 21st-century irregular warfare.

At EDC Inc., General Cleveland contributes strategic guidance focused on the gray zone: where competition unfolds below the threshold of conventional war. His deep understanding of the interdependence between SOF, policymakers, interagency actors, and civil society informs EDC’s approach to building meaningful capabilities that influence, enable, and disrupt. Grounded in decades of Special Warfare leadership, General Cleveland ensures EDC’s solutions are not only tactically relevant but strategically coherent—aligned with the layered challenges that define modern conflict and national defense transformation.