Military Change & Transformation

The Changing Character of War 1775-2016 Dr Conrad C Crane, Dr Michael E Lynch, Dr James D. Scudieri Historical Research Review by US Army War College, Army Heritage and Education Center "The potential changes in the operating environment (OE) and the character of war in the next 15-20 years are unknowable and history cannot provide a predictive model or “cookbook” to anticipate future events. The last 250 years, however, have provided many examples of shifts in the character of war caused by emerging technology, political shifts, economic changes and diplomatic crises. This context may prove very useful for senior leaders. There will doubtless be technological advances in the future, and some may be “game changers.” Intellectual development is just as important as technological development..."

2015-16 Key Strategic Issues List Professor John F. Troxell Document by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "The global security environment remains volatile, uncertain and complex and the velocity of instability around the world has increased dramatically. The recently published National Military Strategy highlights the growing global disorder and increasing unpredictability. The complexity of this dynamic security environment is captured in the Army’s new operating concept, “Win in a Complex World.” The challenge that we face is clearly articulated in the Army Vision..."

Confidence Building in Cyberspace: A Comparison of Territorial and Weapons-Based Regimes Dr Mary Manjikian Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "This monograph examines two historic examples of the development of confidence-building measures (CBMs) so as to make recommendations regarding the development of CBMs for cyberspace. The first study looks at CBMs aimed at preventing the escalation of conflict in contested territories such as the Indo-Pakistan border. The second study looks at the development of a chemical weapons ban following World War I and the establishment of reporting and monitoring procedures to stem the proliferation of chemical weapons. Both cases offer lessons for cyber-based CBMs: One can borrow from territorial CBMs to establish a secure environment, or one can borrow from weapons-based CBMs to shape the development of new cyber technologies and prevent their proliferation."

Strategic Insights: The Landpower Robot Revolution Is Coming Steven Metz Article by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "Military technical revolutions have a distinct pattern. When new technology becomes available, it initially is used to augment existing operational methods and tactics. In Europe, for instance, the first firearms were used to give formations of pikemen more punch. On the battlefields of World War I, tanks were moveable pill boxes supporting slogging infantry attacks. Airplanes were used like old-fashioned cavalry, scouting for the infantry and artillery. Later, they supplemented infantry and artillery by strafing and bombing. Even the first atomic weapons were simply a very effective way to do the work of traditional 500 pound bombs and incendiaries..."

Futures Seminar: The United States Army in 2025 and Beyond Mr Samuel R White Jr Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Academic Year 2014 (AY14) marks the inaugural year for the Futures Seminar – an elective course offered to resident students during the Term II elective period (Feb-Mar 2014) at the U.S. Army War College (USAWC). Created through a shared vision between the USAWC and the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC), the Futures Seminar is loosely modeled on the Army After Next Project (AANP), conducted at the USAWC in the late 1990s. Through the AANP, the USAWC hoped to leverage research and writing on strategic trends, the security environment, technology and other factors which would impact the Army in 10 to 25 years."

Op-Ed: Changing the Army's Culture of Cultural Change Leonard Wong Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "In a profession as large as the U.S. Army, trying to influence the way organizational members think about specific issues can be a vexing proposition. Certainly new systems, policies, and procedures can force changes in behavior, but often what senior decisionmakers truly desire is a shift in attitudes—a culture change across the entire Army. Recent calls for Army culture change have emerged in areas as diverse as cyber security, resilience, sexual assault, leader development, language proficiency, and even energy conservation. Interestingly, the varied attempts at changing the Army’s culture over the past years seem to follow an amazingly similar template."

Changing Minds In The Army: Why It Is So Difficult and What To Do About It Dr Stephen J Gerras, Dr Leonard Wong Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press "While changing one’s mind is not something we normally associate with strategic leadership, Stephen Gerras and Leonard Wong point out that it is not only a valuable skill at the strategic level, but also a necessary capability in the current security environment of complexity and change. Unfortunately, as the authors describe, changing one’s mind does not come easy for Army senior leaders. Individual and organizational factors emerge that make the ability to change one’s mind difficult and elusive. Nevertheless, this monograph introduces a concept that all Army senior leaders should evaluate both in themselves and the Army profession."

SOLLIMS Sampler - Lessons on Stability Operations from U.S. Army War College Students Mister David A Mosinski PKSOI SOLLIMS Sampler by the US Army War College, Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute "In Academic Year 2013, U.S. Army War College students in PKSOI elective courses were given the opportunity to enter a Lesson Learned (gained from operational experience) into the SOLLIMS database. Over 80 Lessons Learned were captured, covering topics such as Governance, Security Sector Reform, Economic Stabilization, and Comprehensive Approach. The vast majority have Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational (JIIM) applications."

Lead Me, Follow Me, Or Get Out of My Way: Rethinking and Refining the Civil-Military Relationship Dr Mark R Shulman Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This monograph explains why robust civil-military relations matter and discusses how they are evolving. Without meaningful and reliable civilian control of the military, governments lose some measure of control over the destiny of their nations. In extreme circumstances, a lack of civilian control can even lead to a coup d’état. Part I discusses A More Perfect Military: How the Constitution Can Make Our Military Stronger by Diane Mazur, a book that examines the jurisprudence that has reshaped civil-military relations. Mazur maintains that since the Vietnam era, the U.S. Supreme Court has in effect distanced the Armed Forces from general society in order to create a separate—and more socially conservative—sphere..."