Archive

Reforming Military Command Arrangements: The Case of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force Mr Henrik Bliddal Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "After the Shah of Iran was deposed and the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the United States began to craft a new Persian Gulf Security Framework (PGSF). Consisting of military, diplomatic, economic, and covert steps, it signified a historic strategic reorientation towards the Persian Gulf. This paper examines an integral part of the PGSF: the creation of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF). As the first real tool for U.S. power projection in the area, and the immediate precursor to today’s Central Command (CENTCOM), the RDJTF has indeed left an important mark on the U.S. approach to the Persian Gulf. This paper is the fullest account of its creation thus far."

Brazil's Security Strategy and Defense Doctrine Mr Andrew Fishman, Dr Max G Manwaring Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, with The Center for Latin American Issues, The George Washington University "In September 2007, Brazil’s President Lula mandated the establishment of a national defense strategy. In December 2008, the Minister of Defense, Nelson Jobim, sent that strategy to the President. In 2010, President Lula signed executive orders to implement the new strategy (the Projecto Nacional) ..."

Security and Governance: Foundations for International Stability Mr Dru Lauzon, Mr Andrew Vine Colloquium Brief by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, Queen’s Centre for International Relations, Queen’s University Defence Management Studies, Land Force Doctrine and Training System of the Canadian Forces "Stability operations in fragile states are likely to remain an important focus of the foreign policy of Western countries for the foreseeable future. The central question to consider when launching these operations is whether a particular type of intervention is more effective than others, and to determine what insights can be drawn from previous deployments in failed and fragile states."

Predictions, Observations, and the Free Lunch COL Louis H Jordan Jr Op-ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "My first prediction for the New Year was going to be that Don’t Ask; Don’t Tell (DADT) would be repealed, but in a surprise move the outgoing Congress beat me to it by making that a reality. Now comes the time for the certification process and implementation. The public is tired of the continued debate, the readiness argument is long suspected of being a red herring, and policies viewed as exclusionary usually have a very limited shelf life. The date on the toe-tag will be 2011."

Strangely Silent: The Missing Strategic Debate in the 2010 Mid-Term Elections Dr Robert H Dorff Op-ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "As dust settles on the November 2, 2010, elections—and the dust storm leading to the November 6, 2012, elections begins—there is no dearth of analysis and explanation of what these mid-term elections meant. Traditional Republican victories combined with some untraditional Tea Party victories yielded an historic shift in power in the House of Representatives, and echoed across state legislatures and governorships throughout the country. Those results suggest that “lower taxes, less government spending, and smaller government” will prevail in the policymaking that begins in earnest in January."

America's Most Committed Muslim Ally Dr W Andrew Terrill Op-ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Somehow in the rage over the New York Mosque and Cultural Center, many of America’s Muslim allies have been forgotten. Jordan is an especially important case. This country is both a victim of terrorism and one of America’s most committed allies in the struggle against al Qaeda. As with the United States, al Qaeda has struck Jordanian targets without mercy..."

Deciding to Buy: Civil-Military Relations and Major Weapons Programs Mr Quentin E Hodgson Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this timely monograph, Mr. Quentin Hodgson explores how the civilian and military leadership of the Pentagon have debated and argued decisions on major weapons programs. Drawing on interviews with participants and archival research, he has demonstrated the enduring nature of these debates, despite efforts to improve, transform, and overhaul the defense planning and programming system..."

The Coming of Chinese Hawks Dr David Lai Op-ed by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "A new feature in U.S.-China relations is taking shape these days—it is the Chinese hawkish take on controversial issues between the two nations. The most recent Chinese objections stem from U.S. joint military exercises with South Korea and Vietnam in the East and South China Seas. The joint U.S.-South Korea military exercise was unmistakably intended to put North Korea on notice for its putative sinking of a South Korean warship in March 2010; the U.S.-Vietnam joint naval exercise was to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the normalization of relationships between the two countries. However, the Chinese interpreted both military exercises as a U.S. show of force directed toward China."

Some of the Best Weapons for Counterinsurgents Do Not Shoot Retrieving data. Wait a few seconds and try to cut or copy again. Letort Paper by US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "If the U.S. Army’s current experience in ongoing overseas operations like those in Iraq and Afghanistan are any indication, reconstruction has become an integral part of the American way of war. And judging from the disappointing results of reconstruction efforts in these operations, measured mostly in terms of the effect that such efforts have had on the course of these wars, there is much lacking in the Army’s understanding of reconstruction itself and the role that it will likely play in all future operations, especially in counterinsurgencies (COIN)."