Recent Articles

Somalia: Line in the Sand--Identification of MYM Vulnerabilities LTC Eloy E Cuevas, Ms Madeleine Wells Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Continuing instability in Somalia has increased concern that terrorists who seek to establish a foothold in Africa may use such insecure places as a safe haven and launching pad. Several attempts have been made to establish lawful governments in Somalia; however, warlord and clan interests have managed to take center stage among the population. The Somali-based al-Shabaab (also known as the Mujahidin Youth Movement [MYM]) is a militant organization born out of both successive regional turmoil and international salafi-jihadi ideology, which continues to actively undermine the United Nations (UN)-supported African Union (AU) peacekeeping force, the fledging Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG), and all UN efforts to support Somalis in creating a stable state. "

An Army Transformed: The U.S. Army's Post-Vietnam Recovery and the Dynamics of Change in Military Organizations LTC Suzanne C Nielsen Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "It is common to hear the argument that military organizations are incapable of reforming themselves. In this paper, Lieutenant Colonel Suzanne Nielsen takes the opposite position. It is not only possible for senior military leaders to change their organizations, it is also necessary since only these leaders are likely to be able to do it."

A New Chapter in Trans-American Engagement Ms Eva Silkwood Baker, Dr Max G Manwaring Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University "General Fraser and the conference dialogue stressed the critical need to develop a serious hemispheric partnership for opening “A new Chapter in Trans-American Engagement.” In that connection, over 20 major issues and recommendations were put forward (some of which were redundant) at the 2010 Western Hemisphere Security Colloquium, held on May 25-26, 2010, in Miami, Florida. In one way or another, virtually every issue and recommendation stresses that building a viable regional security partnership in the Hemisphere is not a strictly short-term, or unilateral, or even bilateral defense effort. Regional security will result only from long-term, multilateral, civil-military partnering efforts. Thus, the generalized results of the colloquium emphasize three highly interrelated needs and an associated recommendation."

Preparing for One War and Getting Another? Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "When Edward Luttwak’s Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace was published in 1987, it drew the attention of the defense intellectual community almost immediately, and became required reading in many strategy courses. The idea that war or strategy was driven by a paradoxical logic was attractive. However, a number of questions remain unanswered. If war has its own logic, rather than its own grammar, where does the logic of policy fit in? If the logic of strategy is, in fact, paradoxical, how can it be taught? What are paradoxes, and can they be useful in guiding our strategic choices? All of these questions and more are touched upon in this monograph by Dr. Antulio J. Echevarria II. He takes a closer look at the seemingly paradoxical logic that is driving aspects of defense thinking today. While the need for certain capabilities may indeed be genuine, the manner in which the arguments for them are made can actually undermine the overall rationale for change."

The International Conference of Military Engineers and the Environment Arthur L Bradshaw, Ms Marcela Ramirez Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Building trust and cooperation between the military and civilian sectors in the nations of South America is an essential step in their continuing evaluation as democracies. To that end, the United States Army Southern Command Engineers and the Chilean Army Engineers co-sponsored an event entitled “The International Conference of Military Engineers and the Environment,” 3-7 August 2009, in Santiago, Chile. The conference was opened by General Oscar Izurieta Ferrer, Commander in Chief of the Army, Chile, and Mr. Thomas Schoenbeck, Director, Enterprise Support, United States Army Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). It was hosted by Brigadier General Sergio Varela Solar, Commander of Army Engineers, Chile, and Colonel Norberto Cintron, Command Engineer, USSOUTHCOM. "

U.S. Military Forces and Police Assistance in Stability Operations: The Least-Worst Option to Fill the U.S. Capacity Gap Mister Dennis E Keller PKSOI paper by US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "Establishing an effective local police force is one of the most critical elements of successful counterinsurgency (COIN) and stability operations, but it is a task for which the U.S. Government is the least prepared and capable. The establishment of an effective police force is critical to security sector reform, justice sector reform, and the successful transition to the host nation’s security forces. But the United States lacks the institutional capacity to provide an immediate and coordinated civilian police training and advisory effort, particularly in a failed or fragile state."

America's Flawed Afghanistan Strategy Dr Steven Metz Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Despite the lavish time and attention that the Obama administration devoted to reviewing its Afghanistan strategy, the result was more continuity than change. The administration adjusted U.S. troops levels and shifted some operational methods but accepted the most basic—and questionable—assumptions of the Bush strategy. Unfortunately, these do not hold up under close scrutiny. The new strategy, like the old one, totters on a dangerously flawed foundation."

David Galula: His Life and Intellectual Context Ms Ann Marlowe Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph attempts to place David Galula’s intellectual achievement in relation to both his life experiences and his time. It is not an assessment of the worth of his ideas, though it may be useful for those who wish to make such an evaluation."

Defense Energy Resilience: Lessons from Ecology Mr David Kerner, Dr Scott Thomas Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Energy security is a fundamental requirement for national security, and global energy competition threatens to make Department of Defense (DoD) missions increasingly vulnerable to the vagaries of energy supply. Dr. Scott Thomas and Mr. David Kerner argue that DoD’s approach to energy security must accommodate a highly uncertain outlook for energy resource availability. The authors argue that while U.S. energy security needs are currently met, the shrinking gap between global supply and demand draws the world closer to a tipping point at which competition disrupts social and geopolitical normalizing forces, and conflict becomes likely. This analysis offers key insights into what a shifting energy security environment is and provides a novel theoretical framework for how the United States can best respond to it."