Studies

Leadership in the Era of the Human Singularity: New Demands, New Skills, New Response, The Proteus Monograph Series, Volume 2, Issue 4 Barton Kunstler Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership, Proteus Monograph Series Fellows Program "The “human singularity” refers to the integration of technology into the human body so that levels of mental acuity and physical ability eclipse all previous known levels. Because of the unique character of these enhanced human specimens, they will represent a singularity in human history, something unique and to which a new set of laws may well apply. A broad front of converging core technologies, such as nanotechnology, bioengineering, supercomputing, materials development, and robotics, may make such individuals commonplace by 2030; indeed, significant steps have already been taken to achieve this goal, and the singularity could arrive earlier."

Counterfactual Reasoning: A Basic Guide for Analysts, Strategists, and Decision Makers, The Proteus Monograph Series, Volume 2, Issue 5 Noel Hendrickson Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership Proteus Monograph Series Fellows Program "Counterfactual reasoning is the process of evaluating conditional claims about alternate possibilities and their consequences (i.e., “What If” statements). These alternatives can be either past possibilities (e.g., “If the United States had not abolished the Iraqi army in 2003, then the Iraqi insurgency would have been significantly smaller in 2005”) or future possibilities (e.g., “If Iran had nuclear weapons, then it would provide this technology to Hezbollah”). Counterfactuals are essential to intelligence analysis because they are implicit in all strategic assessments. For, any proposal about the appropriate response to a particular situation (past or future) assumes that certain things would or might occur if that response were made."

Network Centric Warfare Case Study Volume I: Operations U.S. V Corps and 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) during Operation Iraqi Freedom (March-April 2003) Mr David W Cammons, Douglas Lindsay, LTC Alan Seise, John B Tisserand III, Duane E Williams Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "This report highlights the results of a study of Network Centric Operations (NCO) as executed by V Corps and the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized), (3 ID (M)), during the major offensive combat operations of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) from March 2003 through April 2003. The U.S. V Corps was the senior U.S. Army tactical headquarters responsible for operations conducted primarily along and to the west of the Euphrates River, to include the seizure of Baghdad. At the onset of the campaign (crossing the Kuwait-Iraq border) 3 ID (M) was the only ground maneuver force available to V Corps and continued as the corps’ main effort through the seizure of Baghdad."

Network Centric Warfare Case Study Volume II: A View of Command, Control, Communications and Computer Architectures at the Dawn of Network Centric Warfare Mr David W Cammons, Mr Kevin J Cogan, CPT Raymond G Delucio Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "...The study hypothesis postulates that “improved sensors, connectivity systems, and networked information technologies enhanced the combat effectiveness of U.S. V Corps and its subordinate units during OIF major offensive combat operations.” The results largely validated the study hypothesis. This study argues that the introduction of extended reach communications and networked information technologies significantly enhanced the ability of U.S. Army commanders to make faster decisions, more easily exploit tactical opportunities, conduct coordinated maneuver while advancing further and faster than at any previous time and more fully integrate and synchronize joint fires; all of which resulted in the rapid defeat of Iraqi military forces and the fall of the Ba’athist Regime in Baghdad..."

Network Centric Warfare Case Study Volume III: Network Centric Warfare Insights John B Tisserand III, David Cammons Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "During the past decade, U.S. Armed Forces have been in the process of transforming from an industrial age to an information age military. This transformation is still ongoing; however, Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom demonstrate the emerging power and potential of transformation, at least in part, through the power of information-networked forces."

Shifting Fire: Information Effects in Counterinsurgency and Stability Operations – A Workshop Report Diedre Collings, Rafal Rohozinski Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "The “Information Operations and Winning the Peace” workshop, held at the U.S. Army War College (USAWC), Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, was a collaboration between the War College’s Center for Strategic Leadership (CSL) and the Advanced Network Research Group, University of Cambridge (U.K.). It brought together, over a three-day period (29 November to 1 December), an audience of some 60 leaders and practitioners representing the military, national security, intelligence and interagency communities, as well as academia."

The Struggle Against Extremist Ideology: Addressing the Conditions That Foster Terrorism Dr Kent H Butts, COL Jeffrey C Reynolds Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Since the end of the Cold War, the primary threat to United States’ national security interests has been regional instability. In the absence of superpower influence and guidance, long suppressed religious, ethnic, socioeconomic, and territorial issues began to surface and threatened the continued governance and stability of regional states. At the same time, economic and military support from the superpowers was greatly reduced, as was the capacity of regional states to build and maintain legitimacy in the eyes of their people."

Planning Considerations for International Involvement in an Israeli Withdrawal from Palestinian Territory Amjad Atallah, Jarat Chorpa, Yaser Dajani, Orit Gal, PROF Joel Peters, Mark R Walsh Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "On 6-7 May 2004—in the wake of Likud’s rejection of Sharon’s disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank—a group of Israelis, Palestinians and international officials and experts convened to address operational aspects of third party involvement in a withdrawal process. Chaired by Jarat Chopra and Mark Walsh, the meeting was hosted in Noordwijk aan Zee by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sponsored by the Programme for Security in International Society at the University of Cambridge Centre of International Studies and organized with Strategic Assessments Initiative. The aim of the discussions was to consider what can and cannot work from a functional perspective, within the context of social and political realities"

The U.S. Army's Initial Impressions of Operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle Dr Conrad C Crane Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "From 26 to 29 August 2002, the Army assembled representatives from its worldwide commands at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania to assess Army operations to date in the global war on terrorism. The initial impressions offered by the participants highlighted rapid and successful responses at home and in distant theaters from Afghanistan to the Philippines. They also revealed some shortcomings in current operations and insights for future operations. "