Recent Articles

Security Sector Reform: A Case Study Approach to Transition and Capacity Building Ms Aleisha Arnusch, Ms Sarah Meharg PKSOI Paper US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "In this paper, the authors explore the definition of SSR as it has emerged in the international community, including the United States, its bilateral partners, and various intergovernmental organizations. It examines the makeup of the security sector, identifies emergent principles for implementing SSR in the community of practice, and specifies the outcomes that SSR is designed to produce."

Something Brewing in Venezuela COL Phillip R Cuccia Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Addressing a regional diplomatic-military problem is made all the more complicated when the region is not at the forefront of U.S. global strategic interests. Such a region simply does not get the attention that it deserves. I fear that may be what is happening now with South America in general and Venezuela in particular."

Security and Stability in Africa: A Development Approach LTC Clarence J Bouchat (USAF, Ret) Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "For a topic long overlooked by American policymakers and strategists, the security and stability of Africa has recently become an important national issue. This nascent importance is readily seen in the increased time, effort, and resources now devoted to the continent by such new organizations as the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM). However, to be effective this growing interest must be rooted in the desire to overcome centuries of ignorance and misunderstanding about the conditions and people of Africa"

Security and Stability in Africa: A Development Approach LTC Clarence J Bouchat (USAF, Ret) Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "For a topic long overlooked by American policymakers and strategists, the security and stability of Africa has recently become an important national issue. This nascent importance is readily seen in the increased time, effort, and resources now devoted to the continent by such new organizations as the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM). However, to be effective this growing interest must be rooted in the desire to overcome centuries of ignorance and misunderstanding about the conditions and people of Africa."

Drug Trafficking, Violence, and Instability in Mexico, Colombia, and the Caribbean: Implications for U.S. National Security Mr Evan Brown, Dr Dallas D Owens Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies "The relationships between powerful criminal groups and states are complex and create transnational issues of corruption and the production, transportation, marketing, and consumption of illegal products and services that have national security implications for most states in the Western Hemisphere."

The Effects of Multiple Deployments on Army Adolescents Dr Stephen J Gerras, Dr Leonard Wong Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph examines the effects of multiple deployments through the perspectives of U.S. Army soldiers, spouses, and children. We sought to identify factors that predict the level of stress experienced by Army adolescents during a deployment and also to determine the key indicators of the overall ability of Army adolescents to cope with a life of repeated deployments. Our analysis shows that the factors that best predict lower levels of stress in adolescents during a deployment are: (1) high participation levels in activities—especially sports, (2) a strong family, and (3) the adolescent’s belief that America supports the war. Interestingly, the cumulative number of previous deployments is not significantly related with adolescent levels of deployment stress."

Towards a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy for Success: Retaining Talent LTC Michael J Colarusso, COL David S Lyle, COL Casey Wardynski Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The U.S. Army has made significant investments in its future, especially in its leadership. In particular, the Army has devoted billions of dollars to officer undergraduate-level education, world class training, and developmental experiences. Since the late 1980s, however, prospects for the Officer Corps’ future have been darkened by an ever-diminishing return on this investment, as evidenced by plummeting company-grade officer retention rates. Significantly, this leakage includes a large share of high-performing officers, many of them developed via a fully-funded undergraduate education."

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Mr Daniel Alderman Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, The National Bureau of Asian Research, and Bush School of Government and Public Service "Signs are emerging that the PLA is becoming more confident about its position vis-à-vis Taiwan. At the same time, China believes that a changing international environment requires the Chinese armed forces to have more diversified capabilities. It is therefore placing relatively more emphasis on developing operational capabilities for missions other than against Taiwan (e.g., humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping operations, disaster relief, antipiracy, etc.)."

Democratic Governance and the Rule of Law: Lessons From Colombia Gabriel Marcella PKSOI Paper by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, US Army War College Press "Colombia has experienced conflict for decades. In the 1990s it was a paradigm of the failing state, beset with all manner of troubles: terrorism, kidnapping, murder, drug trafficking, corruption, an economic downturn of major scope, general lawlessness, and brain drain. Today the country is much safer, and the agents of violence are clearly on the defensive. Nonetheless, much work lies ahead to secure the democratic system. Security and the rule of law are fundamental to the task."