Strategic Issues

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."

Foreign Policy Continuity: War Finds Us Mr Lawrence Kaplan Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In recent months, a chorus has emerged to blame (or credit) President Barack Obama for sustaining many of the signature national security policies of his predecessor, President George W. Bush. Yet anyone puzzled by the similarities between the foreign and defense polices of Presidents Bush and Obama would do well to cast a glance backward, for this is hardly the first time we have heard such complaints."

Collins Center Update, Volume 12, Issue 1 (Winter 2010) Major Lisa Livingood, Dennis M. Murphy, LTC Vince Lindenmeyer, Bert B. Tussing Collins Center Update by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership

Collins Center Update Volume 11, Issue 4 (Fall 2009) Professor Bernard F. Griffard, Professor John F. Troxell, Professor Bert B. Tussing Collins Center Update by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership

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."

Bullets and Blogs: New Media and the Warfighter Diedre Collings, Rafal Rohozinski Study by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "War is nothing if not a constant process of adaptation. Today, anyone armed with a digital camera and access to the Internet can become an information warrior, potentially reaching global audiences. Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and blogs have become as important to the strategic outcome of military operations as bullets, troops and air power. Appreciating the game-changing properties of new media are as important for today’s warfighters as are the skills, training and tradecraft required to maneuver conventional forces. "

The Army's Professional Military Ethic in an Era of Persistent Conflict Major Paul Oh, Dr Don M Snider, Major Kevin Toner Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In the series forward, General Casey challenges us to deeply study the richness of the Army professional Ethic formed over our 234 year history, the last 35 years of which comprised as an all-volunteer professional force. Dr. Snider and his fellow authors take on General Casey’s challenge and engage in vibrant and thoughtful dialog about our profession and our PME. They call us toward a deeper understanding of what it means to be a professional, to be part of a professional body, and our responsibilities to that body and to the nation it serves in continuing to advance our Ethic."

Food Security Mr Brent C Bankus, Jason Delosua Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "For a majority of Americans and western Europeans, sufficient food is readily accessible and its cost is a relatively small percentage of their annual income. This, however, is not the case for almost a billion people around the world, including large numbers in the strategically important states of Egypt, India, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Pakistan and Ethiopia. In these countries, and in others, food insecurity has been or is a contributor to regional or domestic instability, "

Congressional Gridlock, Town Hall Vitriol...and the Information Dennis M Murphy Op-Ed by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Speed, access to news, connectivity…. The information age, as Thomas Friedman likes to remind us, has made the world flat. From many perspectives, that’s good news. You can access news from anywhere, at any time with a click of a mouse. You have the capability to watch literally hundreds of television channels, in multiple languages from the comfort of your couch. You can listen to rock, jazz, metal or classical music without interruption driving from coast to coast…or you can listen to talk radio a mind-numbing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And the future will only bring more capability, more options, and more information."