Recent Articles

Strategic Insights: Making Good on the NSS and NDS: Competing with Russia in Europe and Beyond Dr John R Deni Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

2017-2018 Civil Affairs Issue Papers: Civil Affairs: A Force for Consolidating Gains Colonel Christopher J Holshek PKSOI Paper by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, The Civil Affairs Association In coordination with the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School/Special Operations Center of Excellence, International Peace & Security Institute, Alliance for Peacebuilding and the Foreign Area Officer Association " 'The problems we face are much too complex for one organization to take on,' concluded 2017 Civil Affairs Symposium keynote speaker Maj. Gen. Kurt L. Sonntag, Commander of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School/Special Operations Center of Excellence, or USAKJFKSWCS/SOCoE – the “schoolhouse” for Army Special Forces, Civil Affairs, and Psychological Operations. 'We need everyone’s help in this room to safeguard our future and consolidate our own Civil Affairs gains that have been hard fought and won for so long.' "

Strategic Insights: The Strategic Relevance of Latin America in the U.S. National Security Strategy Dr. Jose de Arimateia da Cruz Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

Will War's Nature Change in the Seventh Military Revolution? Dr. F G. Hoffman Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press This article examines the potential implications of the combinations of robotics, artificial intelligence, and deep learning systems on the character and nature of war. The author employs Carl von Clausewitz’s trinity concept to discuss how autonomous weapons will impact the essential elements of war. The essay argues war’s essence, as politically directed violence fraught with friction, will remain its most enduring aspect, even if more intelligent machines are involved at every level.

Campaign Planning Handbook AY18 DMSPO Publication from the US Army War College, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, School of Strategic Landpower "The purpose of this document is to assist United States Army War College students during the Theater Strategy and Campaigning (TSC) course. It also serves to assist commanders, planners, and other staff officers in combatant commands (CCMD), joint task forces (JTF), and service component commands. It supplements joint doctrine and contains elements of emerging doctrine as practiced globally by joint force commanders (JFCs). It portrays a way to apply doctrine and emerging doctrine at the higher levels of joint command, with a primary emphasis at the combatant command level."

Strategic Insights: Nuclear Posture Review: Three Reasons the Army Should Care Dr Michael Fitzsimmons Article by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Debate over the Trump administration’s new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) is now in full and predictable bloom. While many of its conclusions demonstrate continuity with the Obama administration’s modernization plans, controversy has centered on two of the review’s recommendations: to deploy new low-yield weapons on sea-launched ballistic and cruise missiles; and to signal the potential for nuclear retaliation against an adversary’s non-nuclear strikes on certain critical targets. Critics accuse the new policy of lowering the threshold for nuclear use. The policy’s authors and their defenders argue to the contrary that Russia’s tactical nuclear arsenal and strategies have lowered the threshold for nuclear use, and buttressing U.S. deterrence capabilities is the safest response."

Strategic Insights: Nuclear Posture Review: Three Reasons the Army Should Care Michael Fitzsimmons Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Debate over the Trump administration’s new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) is now in full and predictable bloom. While many of its conclusions demonstrate continuity with the Obama administration’s modernization plans, controversy has centered on two of the review’s recommendations: to deploy new low-yield weapons on sea-launched ballistic and cruise missiles; and to signal the potential for nuclear retaliation against an adversary’s non-nuclear strikes on certain critical targets. Critics accuse the new policy of lowering the threshold for nuclear use. The policy’s authors and their defenders argue to the contrary that Russia’s tactical nuclear arsenal and strategies have lowered the threshold for nuclear use, and buttressing U.S. deterrence capabilities is the safest response."

Avoiding the Trap: U.S. Strategy and Policy for Competing in the Asia-Pacific Beyond the Rebalance COL (R) Frederick J. Gellert, Dr David Lai, Prof John F Troxell Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "This book explores the validity of the U.S. rebalance to the Asia Pacific; analyzes the ends, ways, and means of the strategy to meet U.S. and regional partner security objectives; and considers the effectiveness of the U.S. Government effort. This book focuses on the impact of China’s increasing national power on U.S. objectives and those of Asia-Pacific nations"

Strategic Insights: Challenges in Using Scenario Planning for Defense Strategy Dr Michael Fitzsimmons Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press