Recent Articles

Maintaining Information Dominance in Complex Environments Dr John A S. Ardis, Dr Shima D Keene Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The U.S. Army is committed to a high state of resilience and readiness. The problem is that for complex environments, the U.S. Army cannot afford simply to be very effective in a known set of circumstances and unprepared for others, and neither can it afford to be no more than moderately capable in the broadest possible range of circumstances. The U.S. Army has to be effective across the board, and that places extraordinary demands on its Soldiers during all phases of preparation for and engagement in conflict."

The Relevance of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for the United States in the 21st Century Dr Joel R Hillison Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Both European and U.S. foreign policy since World War II have been built upon a strong, transatlantic relationship. The European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have provided solid institutional bases for this relationship. Yet, contemporary challenges could disrupt this structure and call into question the very viability of the EU and NATO. In addition, the “America First” foreign policy approach views relations with other countries, and by extension organizations like NATO and the EU, as a zero-sum game, where equitable burden sharing seems to be more important than political solidarity and mutual gains from cooperation. These trends portend significant challenges to U.S. relations with both NATO and the EU. Overcoming these challenges will require continued cooperation and trust between the United States and its allies and partners."

Strategic Insights: ISIS in Libya: A Threat or a Dead-End? Dr Azeem Ibrahim Article by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Prior to 1912, Libya was a province within the Ottoman Empire and subdivided into two regions (Tripolitania in the west and Cyrenaica in the east) reflecting a long-standing ethnic and geographic division in the country. Although not administered separately, the large region reaching south into the Sahara had a different ethnic make-up compared to the rest of the country and was more connected to sub-Saharan Africa than to the Mediterranean. Ottoman control in the south was limited to a few towns, which gave them some oversight of the trade routes; but by the start of the 20th century, Ottoman authority was notional rather than effective in this region."

Strategic Insights: ISIS in Libya: A Threat or a Dead-End? Azeem Ibrahim Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Prior to 1912, Libya was a province within the Ottoman Empire and subdivided into two regions (Tripolitania in the west and Cyrenaica in the east) reflecting a long-standing ethnic and geographic division in the country. Although not administered separately, the large region reaching south into the Sahara had a different ethnic make-up compared to the rest of the country and was more connected to sub-Saharan Africa than to the Mediterranean. Ottoman control in the south was limited to a few towns, which gave them some oversight of the trade routes; but by the start of the 20th century, Ottoman authority was notional rather than effective in this region."

Exit Strategy: Rule of Law and the U.S. Army Dr Shima D Keene Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Establishing the rule of law is a key goal and end state in counterinsurgency (COIN) operations and is a critical aspect of securing peace and preventing future conflict in a fragile state. To that end, the development of rule of law institutions, such as an effective police force and a judicial system capable of protecting human rights and promoting justice, is essential. As such, the establishment of effective and sustainable rule of law institutions and practices as part of overall rule of law interventions is critical to stability operations, and should form a key part of military exit strategies for countries operating in post-conflict states..."

The Dual-System Problem in Complex Conflicts Ms. Melissa Gregg, Dr. Robert D. Lamb Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Despite decades of research and experience in foreign conflicts and fragile environments, institutions in the United States and beyond are often unable to position themselves for success when called upon to intervene. This monograph contributes to the growing recognition that today’s conflicts are best understood as complex systems, characterized by greater levels of fragility, uncertainty, and intractability than conflicts of previous decades."

Leading Change in Military Organizations: Primer for Senior Leaders Dr Thomas P. Galvin Publication by the US Army War College, Department of Command, Leadership, and Management, School of Strategic Landpower, US Army War College Press, Strategic Studies Institute "Making change happen is a popular topic among U.S. Army War College students and with good reason. There are endless problems to fix, procedures to improve, new ideas to introduce, and an ever-growing and evolving array of state and non-state actors chomping at the bit to challenge the U.S. Furthermore, systems and processes in use by the military rarely seem to bring about change at the desired speed."

A Security Role for the United States in a Post-ISIS Syria? Mr Gregory Aftandilian Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "SYRIA has become one of the most vexing and complex problems for U.S. strategic planners in recent times. Currently, the United States has about 2,000 troops in the northeastern part of the country whose primary mission has been to aid the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), made up primarily of Kurds and some Arab tribesmen, to fight ISIS..."

Impacts of Anti-Access/Area Denial Measures on Space Systems: Issues and Implications for Army and Joint Forces Mr Jeffrey L Caton Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "In January 2012, former President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta published new strategic guidance for 21st century defense. Third among the document’s 10 primary missions of U.S. Armed Forces is the call to “project power despite anti-access/area denial [A2/AD] challenges,” which included the charge to continue “efforts to enhance the resiliency and effectiveness of critical space-based capabilities.” Further, the fifth mission is to “operate effectively in cyberspace and space” potentially against “a range of threats that may degrade, disrupt, or destroy assets.” The 2018 National Defense Strategy and National Space Strategy both reaffirm the vital interests that the United States has in the domain of space."