Military Change & Transformation

Building Capability from the Technical Revolution that Has Happened Dr John Deutch, Dr John White Colloquium Report by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and the Eisenhower National Security Series "The fundamental idea of transformation is that changes in the geopolitical environment and in technology require the United States to change dramatically its defense enterprise to meet the range of new national security threats. This transformation requirement affects both the Department of Defense (DoD) and all other agencies involved in national security."

Fighting Insurgents--No Shortcuts to Success Dr James S Corum Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "For the last 3 decades, the Army, the Defense Department, and the CIA have emphasized the high tech aspects of intelligence, sophisticated electronic collection equipment, and multibillion dollar space surveillance programs. Even at the tactical level, Army intelligence personnel are trained primarily to employ a variety of high tech collection means including UAVs, sensors and ground radars. This approach to intelligence collection was appropriate when the intelligence priorities were geared to counting Soviet missile systems or defending the Fulda Gap against a massive Soviet tank attack."

This is Not Your Father's, or Mother's Army! Dr Douglas V Johnson II Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "It would probably strike the average observer as odd or even irrational for the Army to reorganize just as it engages in war, but that seems to be normal for the American Army. In at least three wars, that is exactly what has happened and it is happening again. Had you been an infantry company commander on April 1, 1917, you would have commanded a company of about 58 soldiers armed with 1903 Springfield rifles. By July of that year the company would be 250 strong and equipped with Springfield or possibly British Enfield rifles, heavy and light machineguns, mortars, hand and rifle grenades, and a host of other devices of war new or previously unknown to the U.S. Army."

Paths Diverging? The Next Decade in the U.S.-Japan Security Alliance LTC William E Rapp Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Currently, optimism reigns among managers on both sides of the U.S.-Japan alliance for many reasons, not least of which is the Japanese support for the global war on terror. The Japanese are emerging from 5 decades of military minimalism and dependency and beginning to have serious debates about their role in the world and the efficacy of military power. This internal debate, however, has significant external ramifications for Northeast Asia and the United States. A decade ago, Henry Kissinger wrote that 'the new world order, with its multiplicity of challenges, will almost certainly oblige a country [Japan] with so proud of a past to reexamine its reliance on a single ally.' "

The Trajectory of Security Transformation Dr Steven Metz Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "For a decade now, a historic revolution in military affairs has unfolded, driven largely by technological developments. Within the U. S. military, immense effort has been expended to understand this revolution and harness it into security transformation. A network of organizations, institutions, and individual experts emerged to shape and energize this process. The result has been the most rigorous and sustained security transformation in human history."

Army Professional Expertise and Jurisdictions COL Richard A Lacquement Jr Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Changes in the international security environment and in technology challenge leaders to defi ne the Army’s role for the future. Effective strategic leadership of the Army profession will be an essential component of successful transformation. To serve American society effectively, strategic leaders of the profession must define, prioritize, and limit the expert knowledge of the profession, clarify the jurisdictions within which this knowledge applies, and then develop professionals to apply this knowledge."

Transatlantic Defense Cooperation: The New Environment Prof Bernard F Griffard Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Congress established the Army industrial base on April 2, 1794 when it appropriated funds for the building of arsenals. Over the succeeding 209 years the relationship between industry and the Army has undergone many evolutions. Today, after a decade of change and consolidation, the defense industry and the Army, for better or worse, are partners in Transformation."

Security Transformation: Report of the Belfer Center Conference on Military Transformation Dr John Deutch, Dr John White Colloquium Report by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and the Dwight D. Eisenhower National Security Series "The attacks of September 11, 2001, represented the beginning of what President Bush has called “a new kind of war.” While terrorism itself has long been on our spectrum of real and immediate threats, the magnitude of the attacks and the administration’s aggressive and expansive response have changed the definition of national security. Homeland security, the new first priority, needs to be integrated with more traditional national security concerns. The role of the Intelligence Community must strike a new balance in terms of foreign intelligence and domestic security. The military mission should be redefined. Meeting all of these challenges demands a fundamental transformation of American strategy, armed forces, and national security organization."

Future War/Future Battlespace: The Strategic Role of American Landpower Dr Steven Metz, LTC Raymond A Millen Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The great difficulty in forecasting the future strategic environment and the force structure needed in response is the plethora of variables that change the calculus. Only hindsight reveals the failure of a Maginot Line or the brilliant success of a mechanized Blitzkrieg doctrine. In the final analysis, the reader must judge the line of reasoning. In this monograph, Dr. Steven Metz and Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Millen examine the trends in the strategic environment in their development of the Future War/Future Battlespace. One fact is clear. Traditional warfighting has changed in the post 9-11 era. The U.S. military must adapt or fail. There is no other recourse."