Issue Papers

The Republic of Moldova Military Institute's Lecture Series: Leadership and Ethics Dr Craig Bullis, LTC Vince Lindenmeyer Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "As part of the Republic of Moldova’s defense transformation efforts, the Moldovan Military Institute (MMI) is in its second year of a three year action plan to completely revise its professional military education (PME) curriculum. In September 2011, the MMI will begin its new curriculum for its incoming cadets where they will complete the four-year program finishing with a bachelor’s degree in public administration. To prepare the faculty members in developing the curriculum, the MMI is hosting a series of subject matter expert lectures through Mar 2011 when their curriculum is due to the Moldova Ministry of Education."

Crisis and Contingency Response Planning in the Serbian Armed Forces COL Michael S Chesney, Prof Bernard F Griffard, Lt Col Gregory D Hillebrand Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "By the very nature of their missions, the world’s militaries spend much of their time developing plans that address identified risks, only to find themselves reacting to security threats from an unanticipated sector, or to manmade and natural disasters. The ability to “turn on a dime” is based in a creditable crisis action planning (CAP) process designed to support the military commander’s efforts to develop, analyze, select and implement a course of action (COA) within a constrained timeframe. Although most militaries have a CAP capability, the United States has institutionalized the process, and demonstrated its capabilities to address issues from the strategic to the local."

Integrating Civil-Military Relations into the Professional Military Education Curriculum within the Republic of Moldova's Military Institute LTC Vince Lindenmeyer, Dr Marybeth P Ulrich Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The Republic of Moldova’s Military Institute (MMI) has a bold vision to become the premier military training and academic institute for all levels of development for the Moldovan Armed Forces (MAF). The MMI currently conducts all professional development for MAF officers and non-commissioned officers. In February, 2010, United States Army War College (USAWC) conducted an assistance visit to help facilitate the development of MMI’s model for a professional development curriculum. A key aim of this visit was to provide the MMI with assistance on the development of a Professional Military Education (PME) curriculum as well as subject matter expertise in the area of civil-military relations."

War Is War? -- The utility of cyberspace operations in the contemporary operational environment Dennis M Murphy Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) defines cyberspace operations as “the employment of cyber capabilities where the primary purpose is to achieve military objectives or effects in or through cyberspace.” Cyberspace emerged as a national-level concern through several recent events of geo-strategic significance. Estonian infrastructure was attacked in the spring of 2007, allegedly by Russian hackers. In August 2008, Russia again allegedly conducted cyber attacks, this time in a coordinated and synchronized kinetic and non-kinetic campaign against Georgia. It is plausible that such complex excursions may become the norm in future warfare among nation-states having the capabilities to conduct them."

Migration and Border Security: The Military's Role Prof Bernard F Griffard, Prof Bert B Tussing Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "With the world’s population in constant motion, migration is an everyday reality. Much of this movement is voluntary, such as the surges at the end of World War II and following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Major natural disasters or fluctuations in the world’s economies also greatly influence human movement. In most circumstances, migration is initiated in search of a better life, perceived or real. This type of movement was recognized as a basic human right in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

Toward Making Practice More Perfect in Stability Operations COL George P McDonnell Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The U.S. Army’s history is replete with an aversion to stability operations regardless of the name, e.g., “operations other than war,” “peacekeeping,” or “small wars.” However, the publication of Army Field Manual 3-07, Stability Operations, in October 2008 signaled that a large category of missions – those characterized as neither strictly offensive or defensive operations – are not only part of the Army’s charter to engage in, but to win decisively and efficiently. In particular, Appendix F, Provincial Reconstruction Teams, in FM 3-07 is a significant step forward to codify an initiative from Operation ENDURING FREEDOM that the military now considers a best practice in stability operations..."

Should Military Governance Guidance Return to its Roots COL Hugh C Van Roosen II Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "A comparison of the 1943 United States Army and Navy Manual of Military Government and Civil Affairs with the most recent (2006) United States Army Civil Affairs Field Manual reveals major changes in doctrine in the intervening sixty three years. While to some degree changing national and international conditions make many of those changes understandable, after reading the two manuals one can argue a need to recapture the ‘military government’ essentials found in the 1943 document."

Preparing for NATO Missions: Integrated Force Planning in the Albanian Armed Forces Prof Bernard F Griffard, Dr R Craig Nation, Prof James W Shufelt Jr Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Albania’s reintegration into the European community began immediately after the fall of the communist dictatorship in 1990. Following the 1992 elections, which marked the emergence of a multi-party political system, the government’s long-term goals were membership in the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). To this end, on January 26, 1994, the Albanian Parliament approved the country’s participation in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. Subsequently, Albania participated in NATO and EU peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia-Herzegovina and supported allied efforts to respond to Serbian action in Kosovo and resolve Kosovo’s political status. Following the attacks on the United States in September 2001, Albania joined the “Coalition of the Willing,” providing military forces for coalition and NATO operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Albania’s demonstrated commitment to the alliance was rewarded on April 1, 2009, with full NATO membership"

Enhancing Professional Military Education in the Horn of Africa Prof Bernard F Griffard, Prof John F Troxell Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Strategic planning is a way of thinking. It is a process of defining a national strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating resources (capital and people) to pursue this strategy. In today’s challenging economic environment, employing the strategic planning process is critical for a nation to fully evaluate the impacts of its identified strategic ends, ways and means."