Recent Articles

Strategic Insights: The Dragon in the Tropics: China's Military Expansion into the Western Hemisphere José de Arimatéia da Cruz Article by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Despite the fact that Latin America has been an area of U.S. influence since 1823 with the establishment of the Monroe Doctrine, the region has been always relegated to an afterthought by U.S. foreign policymakers. Latin America, as J. D. Gordon stated, “has largely remained a policy backwater for the United States, with America manifesting little by way of strategy toward the region, when it in fact noticed it at all.” This benign neglect posture by U.S. foreign policymakers has tremendous geopolitical and national security implications for the homeland in the 21st century."

Strategic Insights: America's Strategic Debate – And Why It Matters To The Army Dr Steven Metz Article by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Since becoming a global superpower, the United States often adjusted its national strategy. Over time, the effectiveness of any given strategy erodes. This sparks debate about America’s appropriate role in the world, and about where, when, and why national power should be used. From the debate, a revised approach takes shape and lasts until its effectiveness fades. Then the cycle starts again."

Collins Center Update, Volume 16, Issue 3 (Summer 2014) Colonel John Valledor, John A. Bonin, Ph.D, Professor Bill Waddell, Colonel John Mauk, Mr. Sam White, Jr., CDR Ed “Cliffy” Zukowski, Professors Bernard F. Griffard, Bert B. Tussing Collins Center Update by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership

Strategic Insights: The Ukraine Crises and the Emerging Sino-Russian Political Alliance Bin Yu Article by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The first half of 2014 witnessed a notable enhancement of Russian-Chinese relations. Signs of this visible geostrategic shift include high-profile summit meetings, breakthroughs in energy/gas deals, renewed interest in military technology cooperation, more integrated military exercises, and closer diplomatic coordination on regional issues (Syria, Iran, Korea, etc.) and multilateral forums (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia [CICA]; Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa [BRICS]; G20; United Nations [UN]; etc.). In early May, a Chinese government think tank went as far as to propose to form a “political alliance” (政治联盟) with Russia as was sought by Russian President Vladimir Putin."

Tackling Africa's First Narco-State: Guinea-Bissau in West Africa Colonel Stephen K Van Riper PKSOI Paper by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, US Army War College Press "The United Nations coined the term ‘transnational crime’ in the 1970s to call attention to criminal acts which transcended national jurisdictions, such as money laundering, terrorist activities, illicit arms trafficking, illicit drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, and corruption. These types of activities inherently undermine progress in the peace and stability operations environment and deter foreign assistance in affected areas."

Political and Socio-Economic Change: Revolutions and Their Implications for the U.S. Military Dr John R Deni Books by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Significant political, economic, and social change can dramatically impact the international security environment and hence U.S. security. For example, the revolutions that have unfolded across the Middle East and North Africa over the last several years have impacted American interests such as the security of Israel and the spread of democracy. Likewise, the less “revolutionary” but equally impactful changes that have unfolded across Latin America over the last 15 years have affected American interests such as free and open trade and access to reliable energy sources. In response to these changes, American leaders will wield diplomacy, development, and defense tools to safeguard U.S. interests and to fulfill broader policy objectives. Whether and how those leaders choose to wield Landpower—a critically important element of the defense toolbox—is subject to significant debate these days in light of sequestration’s continuing impact and the post-war drawdown impacting the U.S. Army in particular."

A History of the U.S. Army Officer Corps, 1900-1990 Dr Arthur T Coumbe Books by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "With the assistance of the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College, the Army’s Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis published a series of monographs that were intended to provide a theoretical and conceptual framework for the development of an Army Officer Corps Strategy. These monographs consider the creation and maintenance of a highly skilled Officer Corps in the context of the nation’s continuing commitment to an all-volunteer military, its far flung international interests, and ongoing changes in its domestic labor market. The authors of the various monographs believe that the confluence of these factors demands a comprehensive Officer Corps strategy that recognizes the interdependency of accessing, developing, retaining, and employing talent. In their view, building a talent-focused strategy around this four-activity human capital model would best enable the Army to match individual officer competencies to specific competency requirement."

Turkey's New Regional Security Role: Implications for the United States Dr Richard Weitz Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Since the Cold War era, when the United States began heavily investing in Turkey’s military and defense operations, the United States and Turkey have enjoyed a fruitful and mutually beneficial relationship. Because of Turkey’s geographic location, political stability, and recent economic success, the country has served as a strategic ally in U.S. foreign policy. The Arab uprisings in particular have challenged the Turkish-U.S. partnership. For a country that was already struggling to balance its position as a regional power with the imperative of maintaining good relations with its Western allies, the increasing instability in the region has forced Ankara to rely more on the United States than it would prefer. Although the Syrian conflict has underscored to Turkey the value of its security ties with the United States, the war has also exposed deep differences between the two countries on fundamental issues. While presently partially buried, these differences could easily rise to the surface in coming years."

A New Type of Great Power Relationship between the United States and China: The Military Dimension Prof Geoffrey Till Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The relative rise of China is likely to lead a major shift in the world’s strategic architecture, which the United States will need to accommodate. For the outcome to be generally beneficial, China needs to be dissuaded from hegemonic aspirations and retained as a cooperative partner in the world system. This will require a range of potentially conflicting thrusts in U.S. policy. Since the Asia-Pacific Region is primarily a maritime theater, the U.S. Navy, Marines, and Air Force will need to play a leading role. The U.S. Army, nonetheless, will have a substantial supporting and facilitating role."