Norwich to host 2025 Military Writers' Symposium, "The Shadow Front: Unconventional Approaches to Warfare"

Norwich University will host the 2025 Military Writers’ Symposium, titled “The Shadow Front: Unconventional Approaches to Warfare,” Oct. 27–28, 2025, on its Northfield campus.

This year’s theme explores the murky, often hidden dimensions of conflict where traditional rules of engagement are abandoned in favor of subversion, innovation, and psychological manipulation. "The Shadow Front" delves into the evolving landscape of warfare where espionage, cyberattacks, guerrilla tactics, disinformation campaigns, proxy wars, and asymmetric strategies redefine the battlefield.

Rather than focusing on brute strength or conventional military might, "The Shadow Front" highlights the power of intelligence, influence, and disruption. It examines how state and non-state actors alike exploit shadows — political ambiguity, technological gaps, cultural divides, and societal unrest — to undermine adversaries from within and without.

The theme invites discussion and analysis of historical precedents, present-day conflicts, and speculative futures where unconventional warfare is not the exception but the norm. Whether through silent sabotage, digital battlefields, or ideological insurgency, "The Shadow Front" reveals a world where victory belongs not always to the strongest, but to the most adaptable and unseen.

Keynote Speaker: LtGen Michael S. Groen, USMC (Ret.)

The symposium will open with a keynote address by LtGen Michael S. Groen, whose distinguished 36-year military career culminated in his service as the director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC). In that role, he directed the efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into joint warfighting operations, advancing the modernization of U.S. defense capabilities. 

Before leading the JAIC, LtGen Groen served in multiple senior intelligence assignments across the U.S. Intelligence Community, including at the National Security Agency where he oversaw computer network operations. As the director of Joint Staff Intelligence (JS J2), he worked closely with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, secretary of defense, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and senior Department of Defense leaders.

2025 William E. Colby Award Recipient

The symposium will also feature the presentation of the 2025 William E. Colby Award to Simon Shuster, senior correspondent at TIME. Shuster provides an unparalleled view behind the political curtain in his critically acclaimed book, "The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky."

Lauded by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian as both an enthralling narrative and an incisive political portrait, The Showman captures the leadership, media presence, and defiance that have shaped Ukraine’s wartime transformation. Shuster will accept the Colby Award during the symposium.

About the Military Writers’ Symposium

The Norwich University Military Writers’ Symposium is the signature program of the John and Mary Frances Patton Peace and War Center and remains the only program of its kind at an American university. The symposium convenes leading authors, scholars, thought leaders, and military thinkers to explore the evolving face of global conflict.

This year’s discussions will focus on irregular, hybrid, lawfare, and other unconventional approaches to warfare, offering students, faculty, and the public a deeper understanding of the complex strategies shaping modern security.

More information, including the full schedule of events, is available online. The symposium is open to the public.