Recent Articles

21st-Century Challenges of Command: A View from the Field Dr Anna Simons Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Among lessons said to have been learned over the past decade and a half is that the United States should never again use force absent a coherent strategy. Yet, no matter how necessary a coherent strategy is, it will prove insufficient unless the problem of too many competing hierarchies is likewise addressed. A second complicating challenge for those in 21st-century command is churn: churn of personnel, of units, and of responsibility. Without there being a commanding general, a supreme commander, or some “one” individual placed in charge for the duration, decisive results will remain elusive."

Can Egypt Lead the Arab World Again? Assessing Opportunities and Challenges for U.S. Policy Mr Gregory Aftandilian Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "This monograph’s research, completed in August 2016, analyzes the potential for Egypt to resume an Arab leadership role that has been in abeyance for several years because of its turbulent domestic scene. The monograph also assesses whether or not such a role would be beneficial for U.S. policy. Although there has been a change in U.S. leadership since then, the situation in Egypt has remained the same."

The Turning Point for Russian Foreign Policy Mr Keir Giles Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "This Letort Paper examines the background to Russia’s use of military force in Ukraine in 2014 and Syria in 2015, and investigates the roots of Russia’s new assertiveness and willingness to resort to direct military action to resolve foreign policy challenges. This Letort Paper identifies two long-standing trends that led to this increased willingness: first, a greater and more urgent perception of threat, whether real or imagined, to Russia’s own security; and second, a recognition that Russia itself had regained sufficient strength, military and otherwise, to assert itself and counter this threat."

Social Media—The Vital Ground: Can We Hold It? Dr Steve Tatham, Mr. Ian Tunnicliffe Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "In this timely and realistic examination of social media, two world-class British experts examine exactly, in the defense context, what social media is and what it should and should not be used for in the future..."

Strategic Insights: Strategic Questions Loom Large for President Trump in the Middle East LTC Anthony Abbott, Mr Kenneth Michael Absher, COL Gregory A Adams, Dr Christopher J Bolan Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

Strategic Insights: Getting Comfortable with Conflicting Ideas Prof William G Braun III Article by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

Antiquities Destruction and Illicit Sales as Sources of ISIS Funding and Propaganda Dr W Andrew Terrill Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The United States is currently a leading player in the military coalition waging war against the Islamic State Organization (often called by its older name of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham or ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. The purpose of this coalition was initially to rollback and degrade ISIS capabilities and then ultimately to destroy the organization. This effort has been made in coordination with the Iraqi government, regional allies, allies from outside of the region, and local anti-ISIS groups including various Kurdish organizations."

Stability Operations in Haiti 2010: A Case Study Emma Vialpando PKSOI Paper by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "The stability operation in Haiti from January 14 to June 1, 2010 demonstrated how over a dozen U.S. Government departments and agencies worked together effectively in an unprecedented large-scale foreign humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (FHA/DR) effort. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, precipitated the operation. The Haiti action, known within the U.S. military as Operation UNIFIED RESPONSE, was not only a whole-of-government, but also a whole-of-nation and global undertaking..."

Project 1721: A U.S. Army War College Assessment on Russian Strategy in Eastern Europe and Recommendations on How to Leverage Landpower to Maintain the Peace COL Douglas Mastriano 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 "In early 2015, the U.S. Army War College (USAWC), at the request of the former Army Chief of Staff, General Raymond Odierno, published Project 1704, a study that discussed the changing strategic environment in Europe spawned by Russian aggression against Ukraine. The chief questions addressed by Project 1704 included: (1) What is the Russian strategy in the region? (2) What is the appropriate North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and U.S. response? (3) What are the implications for NATO and U.S. Landpower?"