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Drug Trafficking, Violence, and Instability
"'Drug Trafficking, Violence, and Instability,' will serve to: (1) introduce the series by providing general conceptions of the global security challenges posed by violent armed groups; (2) identify the issues of greatest import to scholars studying the phenomenon; and, (3) emphasize the need for the U.S. Government to understand variations in the challenges it faces from a wide range of potential enemies."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Williams, Phil, 1948-; Felbab-Brown, Vanda
2012-04
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Armed Robotic Systems Emergence: Weapons Systems Life Cycles Analysis and New Strategic Realities
"The fielding of armed robotic systems--droids and drones that are teleoperated, semi-autonomous, and even autonomous--has been slowly but surely transitioning from pure science fiction into military reality on the battlefields of the early 21st century. These systems currently have no artificial intelligence (AI) whatsoever and, in most cases, are simply operated by soldiers (and on occasion terrorists and insurgents) utilizing hardline cables and laptop-like controllers, although wireless and satellite systems exist for the more sophisticated national armed drone programs. Near-term future prototypes are likely to have, at best, independent response capabilities similar to a trained animal, due to the incorporation of expert system programming. Projections out even further, however, have raised concerns that these emergent weapons systems, possessing semi-autonomous and autonomous capabilities, could ultimately have the potential to evolve beyond the machine stimulus and response level, eventually incorporating varying degrees of weak AI, and one day possibly even achieving a basic form of self-awareness. [...] In summation, the strategic implications of the robotics revolution upon us cannot be overstated. The robots are not only coming--they are here--and for future U.S. national security requirements, we will need to have a military mastery over them. Hence, our present and future decisions related to armed robotic systems emergence on the battlefield--and the command and control (C2) methodologies directing them--will result in near-term and future force structure end states that will have a fundamental impact on the U.S. conduct of war in the coming decades. These decisions will be a major determinant concerning the ability of the United States to retain dominance as the primary global military power well into the mid-21st century."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Bunker, Robert J.
2017-11
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U.S. Army War College Guide to National Security Issues, Volume I: Theory of War and Strategy, 3rd Edition
This is volume I of the U.S. Army War College's latest Guide to National Security Policy and Strategy. "This edition of the Guide is in two volumes that correspond roughly to the two core courses that the Department of National Security and Strategy (DNSS) teaches: 'Theory of War and Strategy' and 'National Security Policy and Strategy.' Like its predecessors, this edition is largely an expansion of the existing materials, although over 40 percent is new, and the previously published chapters have been updated as necessary. The authors, with one exception all current or former members of the faculty, represent each of the four primary teaching departments of the college. The exception is the inclusion this year of a chapter on space power by a recent graduate-the chapter was his research project while a student. The appendix on the USAWC strategy formulation model in the second volume reflects the alterations in that fundamental document made for the 2008 academic year (2007-08). Although DNSS uses several of the chapters in this volume as readings for its core courses, and at least one other department uses chapters in its core instruction, this is not a textbook. It does reflect, however, both the method and manner we use to teach the theory of war and the formulation of national security strategy to America's future senior leaders. As we continue to refine and update the Guide, we intend to increase course-oriented essays, and several of the new chapters were written specifically to support instruction. The book is also not a comprehensive or exhaustive treatment of either the theory of war, strategy, or the policymaking process. The Guide is organized in broad clusters of chapters addressing general subject areas."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Bartholomees, J. Boone, 1947-
2008-06
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Wars of Ideas and the War of Ideas
"Despite widespread emphasis on the importance of winning the war of ideas in recent strategic literature, we find few analytical studies of wars of ideas as such. With that in mind, this monograph offers a brief examination of four common types of wars of ideas, and uses that as a basis for analyzing how the United States and its allies and strategic partners might proceed in the current war of ideas. Simply put, a war of ideas is a clash of visions, concepts, and images, and-especially-the interpretation of them. They are, indeed, genuine wars, even though the physical violence might be minimal, because they serve a political, socio-cultural, or economic purpose, and they involve hostile intentions or hostile acts. Wars of ideas can assume many forms, but they tend to fall into four general categories (though these are not necessarily exhaustive): intellectual debates, ideological wars, wars over religious dogma, and advertising campaigns. All of them are essentially about power and influence, just as with wars over territory and material resources, and their stakes, can run very high indeed."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Echevarria, Antulio Joseph, 1959-
2008-06
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U.S. Army War College: Key Strategic Issues List [July 2007]
The report is designed "to give researchers, whether military professionals or civilian scholars, a ready reference of those issues of particular interest to the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense. The focus of the KSIL is strategic, rather than operational or tactical." 28-pages of Key Issues are divided into three sections: Global and Functional Strategic Issues, Regional Strategic Issues, and War and Society. Issues include Global War on Terror, Homeland Security/Homeland Defense/Civil Support, Military Change, and National Security Strategy/National Military Strategy. The 100-page Expanded Topic List is divided by organizational units, including Dept of the Army, Deputy Chief of Staff, United States Central Command, Joint Forces Command, Army Corps of Engineers, and National Guard.
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
2007-07
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Chinese Perceptions of Traditional and Nontraditional Security Threats
"To understand the motivations and decisions of China's leadership and to behave in a manner so that we can influence them, we must try to understand the world as China does. This research is an attempt to do so by examining the writings and opinions of China's scholars, journalists and leaders--its 'influential elite.' China has a comprehensive concept of national security that includes not only defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity, but continuing its economic and social development and maintaining its international stature. The two main types of threats to China's national security are traditional and nontraditional. The United States, Japan, and India are traditional threats, considered willing and able to endanger all three components of China's national security. While military containment is a concern, the possibility for economic and diplomatic containment from any or all of these countries is more worrisome. Even more troublesome are nontraditional threats. Military deterrence and diplomatic skill have successfully managed traditional threats to date, but these are insufficient for overcoming nontraditional threats. An examination of China's social and economic disparities, environmental degradation, and energy insecurity demonstrates that to overcome nontraditional threats, China's leadership must not only look outward in efforts to foster cooperation, they must also look inward and make serious internal reforms."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Craig, Susan L.
2007-03
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Biodefense Research Supporting the DoD: A New Strategic Vision
"The author examines the productivity of the Department of Defense's biodefense research program over the course of more than 35 years, coupled with changes in the global research environment since the events of September 11, 2001. Where the deployment of a biologic agent of mass destruction is largely an unpredictable risk, the outcome certainly could be catastrophic for an unprotected population. An urgent moral imperative is cast upon the federal government, then, to objectively assess the application and management of its biodefense research resources."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Martinez, Colleen K.
2007-04-11
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Colloquium Brief: Roots of Terror
"Many of the traditional processes used to identify and prosecute terrorists operate at a pace too slow to keep up with terrorists' ability to change and reorganize. Terrorists have adopted structurally independent modes of organization in diverse environments; counterterrorism policies must adopt methods to track terrorists within independent cells. More effort is needed in the area of border controls, such as shipping container security and identification of false documents. Terrorists now actively seek weapons of mass destruction; counterterrorism policies must safeguard nuclear materials. In short, counterterrorism policymakers must actively anticipate new threats."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Johnson, Corina
2007-05-30
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Reserve Policies of Nations: A Comparative Analysis
"Throughout the world, military reserves are changing. National governments are transforming the relationships between their active and reserve components; the allocation of roles and responsibilities among reserve forces; and the way they train, equip, and employ reservists. One central precept is driving these changes: Nations no longer consider their reservists as strategic assets suitable primarily for mobilization during major wars. Whereas previously they managed reservists as supplementary forces for use mainly during national emergencies, major governments now increasingly treat reservists as complementary and integral components of their 'total' military forces. This increased reliance on reserve components presents national defense planners with many challenges. Recruiting and retaining reservists has become more difficult as many individuals have concluded they cannot meet the additional demands of reserve service. Defense planners must also continue to refine the optimal distribution of skills and assets between regular and reserve forces. Finally, national governments need to find the resources to sustain the increased use of reservists without bankrupting their defense budgets or undermining essential employer support for the overall concept of part-time soldiers with full-time civilian jobs."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Weitz, Richard
2007-09
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Global War on Terrorism: A Religious War?
"The United States has been actively engaged in prosecuting the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) since September 2001. However, after 5 years of national effort that has included the loss of over 3,000 service members in combat operations, many question whether the U.S. strategy is working, and whether the United States understands how to combat an enemy motivated by a radical revolutionary religious ideology. The author reviews the pertinent cultural history and background of Islam and then posits three root causes of this conflict: the lack of wealth-sharing in Islamic countries, resentment of Western exploitation of Islamic countries, and a U.S. credibility gap within the Islamic community. Following this discussion of root causes, this analysis compares the Ends, Ways and Means of the U.S. Strategy for Combating Terrorism with that of terrorist organizations such as al-Qai'da. The author concludes that the United States is not achieving its long-term strategic objectives in the GWOT. He then recommends that U.S. strategy focus on the root causes of Islamic hostility. Accordingly, the United States should combat radical Islam from within the Islamic community by consistently supporting the efforts of moderate Islamic nations to build democratic institutions that are acceptable in Islamic terms."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Dobrot, Laurence Andrew
2007-11
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Reassessing the Barriers to Islamic Radicalization in Kazakhstan
"Kazakhstan, being the most stable and safe country in the region, witnessed a series of alleged extremist terrorist acts since 2011. The number of Islamic activists has grown, particularly in rural areas. As an official response to that, Kazakhstan continues to improve its legislation on combating terrorism and extremism. However, since this experience of domestic 'political violence' in 2011-12, the country has suffered no major incidents. This analysis begins by providing an overview of historic roots and identity of 'Kazakh Islam,' while attempting to explain how it emerged. Then it describes the nature of connection and influence reaching Kazakhstan from neighboring North Caucasus and Afghanistan and how it affects radicalization of the youth. Then main reasons for misleading assumptions are closely examined to identify how Kazakhstan is viewed from the outside world. Separate sections explore the state structures and the role of the state overseeing the issues regarding Islam and its practices. Special attention is drawn upon banned extremist groups, their specifics, and the country's experience of political violence in 2011-12, as well as the state's response to the acts of violence."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Baizakova, Zhulduz; McDermott, Roger N.
2015-07
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First Things First for Future Defense Strategy
"The Department of Defense (DoD) will face a dramatic and sustained transition period over the next decade. At no other time in recent memory have American defense strategists faced such a dizzying and complex array of challenges like those which they will be required to direct their attention, energy, and resources toward in the coming years. It is frankly impossible to overstate the scale and complexity of the decisions that they will be required to make. This degree of uncertainty and complexity makes the task of deliberately charting a responsible way ahead that much more difficult and urgent. In the wake of 15 years of persistent combat operations, senior defense leaders will need to repurpose institutions and capabilities for use against a wider range of 21st century threats and challenges. They will have to do so with fewer aggregate forces and resources, more top-down constraints on their use, less clarity of overall purpose, and no bipartisan consensus on either the most compelling threats or the most appropriate responses to those threats. These factors support calls for top to bottom adaptation within DoD."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Freier, Nathan; McAleer, Laura
2015-05-27
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Approaching Implosion of Venezuela and Strategic Implications for the United States
"The U.S. response to the ever deepening political and economic crisis in Venezuela, and the regime's increasingly aggressive behavior toward its neighbors and the international community, is compelling evidence that the Barack Obama administration is sincere in respecting the sovereignty of nations of Latin America and the Caribbean, and allowing the region to address its own governance issues. While analysts in Washington, DC, and Latin America have long decried the involvement of Venezuelan officials in narcotrafficking, if assertions made by the highly credible 'Wall Street Journal' prove true regarding investigations by U.S. authorities into criminal activity by Venezuelan Parliamentary Speaker Diosdado Cabello, and other top Venezuelan political and military leaders, the scope of the problem that Venezuela represents for the region has reached a new low point. Although a very different situation in a very different time, it was the 1988 indictment of Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega on drug charges by grand juries in Miami and Tampa, FL, that paved the way for the U.S. invasion of Panama the following year. In the current era of U.S. respect for the sovereignty of the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean, with a very different set of considerations and strategic context, Venezuela's leadership will not come to the same end as that of Panama, holed up in a foreign diplomatic compound in Caracas while the 4th Psychological Operations Group blares rock music into their place of refuge and U.S. Special Envoy Tom Shannon negotiates their surrender. Yet, the situation is no less grave."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Ellis, Robert Evan
2015-07-10
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Bridging the Planning Gap: Incorporating Cyberspace Into Operational Planning
"Cyberspace operations have a far-reaching, permanent impact on military operations. At the conceptual level, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) now recognizes five warfighting domains: land, maritime, air, space, and cyber. While there are examples of how cyberspace support to military operations have advanced over the past decade, one gap has not been addressed in detail--operational planning. […] Despite this critical requirement, incorporating cyberspace operations into operational-level planning at the Army Service Component Command (ASCC), Joint Task Force (JTF), and Combatant Command (CCMD) levels has proven much more difficult than anticipated. For this reason, Joint and Army senior leaders have identified operational-level cyberspace planners to be a critical shortage. However, although a number of operational-level planners have been sent to cyberspace training courses and a number of cyberspace experts have been sent to operational-level headquarters to support planning, relatively little progress has been made overall. This is because not just one, but several major systemic obstacles hinder the incorporation of cyberspace into operational planning."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
VanDriel, Martha S. H.
2015-05-04
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What is Next for Yemen?
"The large and strategically located country of Yemen is again in crisis. The moderate government of President Abed Rabbu Hadi has been driven from several key cities, including the capital of Sanaa, by the military offensives of Shi'ite Houthi rebels and their allies from the former regime of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Hadi has been forced to flee Yemen to Saudi Arabia, while his remaining stronghold of Aden has been under Houthi siege. To help the beleaguered president, a Saudi Arabianled military coalition initiated a bombing campaign on March 26, 2015. The intervention has been aimed at supporting Hadi, a fundamentally decent and pro-American politician, who has nevertheless been a weak leader, often outmaneuvered by his many domestic enemies."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Terrill, W. Andrew
2015-04-24
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Limits of Military Officers' Duty to Obey Civilian Orders: A Neo-Classical Perspective
From the Summary: "Several post-September 11, 2001, events--the invasion of Afghanistan and the second invasion of Iraq, the use of 'enhanced interrogation,' the detentions at Guantanamo, the 'air-only' attacks on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria--have raised a perennially perplexing issue of civilian/military relations: principled limitations on military officers' duty to obey civilian orders. Not surprisingly, contemporary answers have split along a familiar fault line. Those on one side emphasize, more or less rigorously, officers' general professional duty to obey; those on the other emphasize, more or less expansively, familiar exceptions for irrational, illegal, or immoral orders. Paradoxically, both sides find support in the classic statement of modern military professionalism, Samuel P. Huntington's 'The Soldier and the State.' More paradoxically, flaws in Huntington's original analysis compound the problem, even as the correction of those flaws offers a common ground. This reexamination of Huntington's original position can thus narrow, if not wholly bridge, the gap between opponents in the current debate over military obedience. Part I situates the general obligation of officers to obey the orders of civilian authorities in Huntington's basic theory of civilian/military relations. Part II examines two logical limitations that Huntington's theory implies for the duty of military officers to obey civilian orders: when civilian authorities usurp military officers' tactical expertise and when civilian authorities lapse in the exercise of their own expertise as 'statesmen.' Part III maps this latter exception onto the two general exceptions to military obedience, illegal orders and immoral orders, and then ties all three exceptions back into the common ground of military professionalism, the common defense, which rests on the deeper foundation of both American constitutional law and neo-classical political theory: the common good."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Atkinson, Rob, 1957-
2015-07
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Shared Burden: The Military and Civilian Consequences of Army Pain Management Since 2001
"The Army has an opioid drug problem that is not going away under current personnel policies and medical practices. The survey results recorded here indicate that senior officers attending the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) recognize that the opioid problem is distinct in nature and origin from those of recreational drug abuse. Yet, these officers are saddled with a legacy drug enforcement structure and outdated procedures that do not track opioid usage across the force and do not address the root cause of the issue. They are commanding units under a regulatory structure that belatedly responds to opioid-related misuse with the same misconduct-focused disciplinary policies as those for recreational drug use, rather than with a proactive medical and personnel approach crafted for this unique problem set that emphasizes prevention and rehabilitation. The USAWC officer survey responses reflect the fact that the majority of these future Army leaders see misuse originating out of prescribing practices, a lack of medical monitoring, and a lack of soldier training and education on the dangers of opioids, rather than from undisciplined soldiers."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Trebilcock, Craig T.
2015-08
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U.S. Army War College Key Strategic Issues List [2015-2016]
"Now more than ever, we need to focus the efforts of the Army's educational institutions on addressing these unique challenges. The Key Strategic Issues List (KSIL), developed by the U.S. Army War College, in coordination with Headquarters Department of the Army (HQDA) and Major Commands throughout the Army, includes issues that must be addressed to ensure the Army of 2025 and beyond will continue to meet the needs of the nation. I strongly encourage those conducting research through our Senior Service Colleges and Fellows experiences, and other researchers, to consider the issues listed in the KSIL. As we build a new future to deal with this growing complexity, the Army will require evolutionary change, and this change begins by changing mindsets. This necessary change must be based on rigorous research and the development of ideas that are invaluable to the Army and to the Nation."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
2015-07-17
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Do Fewer Resources Mean Less Influence? A Comparative Historical Case Study of Military Influence in a Time of Austerity
"At the end of every recent war, whether the United States has achieved a decisive victory or not, the ensuing drawdown and demobilization has resulted in a smaller, more fiscally constrained military. Post-war cutbacks have affected all services--impacting the overall size of the force, the money available for training, military research and development, and normal activities such as infrastructure and equipment maintenance. Here, the United States is not alone. Rather, retrenchment after a conflict is a political phenomenon noted in many states, both those that are democratic and those that are not. Indeed, it is often identified as part of a cycle. […] This report offers several lessons that are relevant to military planners as they consider policymaking in the current climate of austerity: 1) Do not be tempted to search for or rely on cheaper substitutes for U.S. military expertise; 2) Consider the extreme long-term; 3) Strive for a position of leadership in the development of new technologies--not only in technological terms, but also in terms of being the leading voice for the responsible and safe use of these technologies; 4) Do not undertake new missions at the expense of traditional missions--even though this temptation may be great."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Manjikian, Mary
2015-01
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Senior Conference 50, The Army We Need: The Role of Landpower in an Uncertain Strategic Environment
From the Executive Summary: "The United States Military Academy (USMA) Senior Conference is run annually by the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy on behalf of the Superintendent. This event allows distinguished representatives from the private sector, government, academia, the think-tank community, and the joint military services to discuss important national security topics. Senior Conference 2014, the 50th iteration of this event, explored emerging trends and their implications for the Army's strategic contribution to national security. As policymakers strive to rebalance U.S. national security investments in a fiscally constrained environment, debates about the future roles and missions of the armed services have intensified. Though many questions related to the future role of military power remain unsettled, the Army will undoubtedly play an important role in answering them. Several key themes emerged from the conference. First, the nation currently struggles to achieve a strategic consensus on the source and severity of future threats. This struggle impedes the Army's ability to prioritize and prepare its forces. In the absence of strategic consensus, the Army is less able to help develop and shape its future forces. […] Second, internal debates over the definition of readiness and the best way to achieve it--along with a disagreement as to the Army's mission-- impedes the Army's ability to manage its portfolio of capabilities as it downsizes. Disagreement as to the Army's mission makes it difficult to craft a cohesive and coherent narrative of its utility to outside constituencies, including policymakers. […] Finally, conference participants found that this lack of consistent messaging creates fundamental disconnects resulting in planning challenges."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Lewis, Charlie D.; Sondheimer, Rachel M.; Peterson, Jeffrey D.
2015-02
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USAWC Key Strategic Issues List 2014-2015
USAWC is the U.S. Army War College. "For over a decade, SSI [Strategic Studies Institute] has published the annual Key Strategic Issues List (KSIL) to inform students, faculty, and external research associates of strategic topics requiring research and analysis. Part I of the Academic Year (AY) 2014-15 KSIL, referred to as the Army Priorities for Strategic Analysis (APSA), has been developed by SSI in coordination with Headquarters Department of the Army (HQDA). The APSA will help prioritize strategic research and analysis conducted by USAWC students and faculty, USAWC Fellows, and external researchers, to link their research efforts and results more effectively to the Army's highest priority topics."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
2014-06-17
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Russia and the Caspian Sea: Projecting Power or Competing for Influence?
From the Summary: "This monograph examines Russia's policy toward the Caspian Sea region as Moscow attempts to counterbalance growing American involvement within what it perceives to be its zone of privileged interest, focusing on the recent expansion of the Caspian Flotilla and the rationale behind it. Moscow has sought to counterbalance the growing involvement of other actors in the region, which has led to rising tension between Russia and its southern neighbors. The primary objectives of the research are to examine Russian perceptions of threat and security in the Caspian region and assess the implications for other actors. This monograph analyzes the drivers of the increasing competition for influence, focusing on developments within the energy sector, and assess the implications of Russia's consolidation of its dominance for security and stability in the region. This issue is important because a clear understanding of Russian strategic thinking and threat perception in the Caspian Sea is vital in order to facilitate effective U.S. policy in the wider Caucasus and Central Asian region."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
German, Tracey C., 1971-
2014-08
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Visual Propaganda and Extremism in the Online Environment
This is a collection of essays from the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College. From the Brief Synopsis on the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute website: "Visual images have been a central component of propaganda for as long as propaganda has been produced. But recent developments in communication and information technologies have given terrorist and extremist groups options and abilities they never would have been able to come close to even 5 or 10 years ago. There are terrorist groups who, with very little initial investment, are making videos that are coming so close to the quality of BBC [British Broadcasting Corporation] or CNN [Cable News Network] broadcasts that the difference is meaningless, and with access to the web they have instantaneous access to a global audience. Given the broad social science consensus on the power of visual images relative to that of words, the strategic implications of these groups' sophistication in the use of images in the online environment is carefully considered in a variety of contexts by the authors in this collection."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Winkler, Carol; Dauber, Cori Elizabeth; Stenersen, Anne . . .
2014-07
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Distinguishing Acts of War in Cyberspace: Assessment Criteria, Policy Considerations, and Response Implications
Taken from the forward: "Currently, there is no internationally accepted definition of when hostile actions in cyberspace are recognized as attacks, let alone acts of war. The goal of this monograph is to provide senior policymakers, decisionmakers, military leaders, and their respective staffs with essential background on this topic as well as to introduce an analytical framework for them to utilize according to their needs. The examination canvasses existing decisionmaking policies, structures, and influences to provide a holistic context for the assessment that extends beyond limits of the legal and technical communities. Its approach focuses on the synthesis and integration of material from existing experts, deferring the detailed analysis to the many published studies. Such broad coverage of many complex issues necessarily requires simplification that may negate certain nuances expected by experienced professionals in those fields; but it is hoped that readers understand these limitations. The purpose is not to prescribe or dictate a specific methodology of assessment; rather, it is to introduce decisionmakers and their staffs to a portfolio of options built around the concepts of characterization, assessment criteria, policy considerations, and courses of action consequences."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Caton, Jeffrey L.
2014-10-16
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Memorandum for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Secure Balance and Flexibility in Future Joint Forces. Insights from the 25th Annual Strategy Conference: Balancing the Joint Force to Meet Future Security Challenges Held on April 8th-10th, 2014
From the Abstract: "This Memorandum for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is open analysis of the major outcomes and implications emerging from the United States Army War College's 25th Annual Strategy Conference Balancing the Joint Force to Meet Future Security Challenges. This public event was organized by SSI [Strategic Studies Institute], in close partnership with the Joint Staff J-7 Future Joint Force Development Branch, and occurred April 8th-10th, 2014 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This year s conference proceeded from acknowledgement that the use of military forces will change as a consequence of 13 years of continuous operations, fewer material resources, changing threat perceptions, and new levels of discrimination in the conduct of foreign and security policy. The various conference events featured a range of experts from the policymaking, military, research and analysis, academic, and the private sectors. They were asked to attack two foundational questions from their regional or functional perspective. First, what are the most important military demands for U.S. and partner military forces over the next decade and, second, how should they prepare to meet them?"
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
2014-06
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U.S. Grand Strategy for the Future
"In today's changing international environment, U.S. military power remains unparalleled. But, if the United States makes 'going it alone' a predominate foreign policy; we may suffer a consequence with an aggressive adversary trying to shift the balance of power. The right approach to grand strategy is vital to winning the War on Terror. In defending against aggressors targeting the United States, a question is raised as to how can we best mix hard and soft power within a coherent strategic framework? U.S. grand strategy should retain unilateral intervention and preemption as options. Preemption is in question because of disagreement about the resolve of states that could participate in or use dangerous weapons of mass destruction (WMD). On the other hand, dissuading rogue states or non-state actors early may be the best approach. Soft power alone offers little certainty for protecting and defending against national security threats. This paper analyzes the limits and benefits of using soft power and hard power in crafting an effective multilateral or unilateral intervention against terrorism within a coherent strategic framework."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Edmonds, Brenda
2009-02-23
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Stand Up and Fight! The Creation of U.S. Security Organizations, 1942-2005
"By 2014, the United States entered the second de¬cade of the 'Global War on Terror'--also called 'The Long War,' or, as Army Chief of Staff from 2007-11 General George Casey named it, 'the era of persistent conflict.' Facing significant challenges to U.S. secu¬rity posed by violent extremist organizations, rapidly-changing technologies, and a complex strategic envi¬ronment, Congress routinely has passed legislation creating or reforming security organizations, assum¬ing, apparently, that better systems and organizations will provide one key to victory. Since World War II, the United States has seen a huge and steady expan¬sion of defense and security organizations tasked to protect the American people from 'all enemies for¬eign and domestic,' but this is almost entirely a 20th-century phenomenon. A historical perspective re¬minds us that the United States went for more than a century without a major reform to the nation's organi¬zational structure for security."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Seidule, Ty; Whitt, Jacqueline E.
2015-04
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Growling Bear or 'Why The Army Owes Mr. Putin a Favor'
"The Army owes Mr. Vladimir Putin a 'thank-you.' So does the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)--because his reckless aggression is providing both institutions a resurgent identity. Russia's current actions provide the United States a unique opportunity, as well as foreshadowing the future. This is because Russia appears likely to be an adversary to the West for some time. If the United States wants to influence Russia's behavior and actions, it must recognize that it has to act from a position of both real and perceived strength. One of the most concrete demonstrations of strength to both Russia and to our European allies is a robust ground force presence in Europe. Such a robust force will likely keep Putin from acting too aggressively in Europe. Putin's position has been unambiguous, to return Russia to its former glory during the Soviet era. Time and again, his bombastic rhetoric emphasizes the theme that Russia is a great power that cannot be ignored. This is not new, nor is it necessarily unique to Putin. As Strobe Talbot outlined in, 'The Making of Vladimir Putin,' the forces now at play in Russia were in place from the 1980s. Mikhail Gorbachev's ascension to power, according to Talbot, began the struggle between reformers and reactionaries fighting for the future path of the Soviet Union, later Russia. Reactionaries viewed Gorbachev's actions as an existential threat to the Communist system; and when they attempted to overthrow Gorbachev, the result ironically led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the re-emergence of an independent Russia under Boris Yeltsin."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Adelberg, Michael A.
2015-03-02
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Always Strategic: Jointly Essential Landpower
Taken from the summary: "American Landpower is a strategic instrument of state policy and needs to be considered as such. This monograph explores and explains the nature of Landpower, both in general terms and also with particular regard to the American case. The monograph argues that: (1) Landpower is unique in the character of the quality it brings to the American joint team for national security; (2) the U.S. has a permanent need for the human quality in Landpower that this element provides inherently; (3) Landpower is always and, indeed, necessarily strategic in its meaning and implications-it is a quintessentially strategic instrument of state policy and politics; (4) strategic Landpower is unavoidably and beneficially joint in its functioning, this simply is so much the contemporary character of American strategic Landpower that we should consider jointness integral to its permanent nature; and, (5) notwithstanding the nuclear context since 1945, Landpower retained, indeed retains, most of the strategic utility it has possessed through all of history: this is a prudent judgment resting empirically on the evidence of 70 years' experience. In short, the strategic Landpower maintained today safely can be assumed to be necessary for security long into the future. No matter how familiar the concept of strategic Landpower is when identified and expressed thus, it is a physical and psychological reality that has persisted to strategic effect through all of the strategic history to which we have access."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Gray, Colin S.
2015-02
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Army Support of Military Cyberspace Operations: Joint Contexts and Global Escalation Implications
From the Summary, "Military cyberspace operations have been ongoing since before the advent of the Internet. Such operations have evolved significantly over the past 2 decades and are now emerging into the realm of military operations in the traditional domains of land, sea, and air. The goal of this monograph is to provide senior policymakers, decision makers, military leaders, and their respective staffs with a better understanding of Army cyberspace operations within the context of overall U.S. military cyberspace operations. It first looks at the evolution of Department of Defense (DoD) cyberspace operations over the past decade. Next, it examines the evolution of the Army implementation of cyberspace operations. Finally, it explores the role of cyberspace operations in the escalation of international conflict. The scope of discussion is at the survey level of detail to provide an overall appreciation for the complex and dynamic nature of evolving cyberspace operations. It is limited to unclassified and open source information; any classified discussion must occur at an appropriate venue. Although the details contained herein are largely focused on military applications, the reader must realize that whole-of-government efforts are essential for the successful implementation of national security efforts in cyberspace."
Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Caton, Jeffrey L.
2015-01
