Monographs

The Political-Military Rivalry for Operational Control in U.S. Military Actions: A Soldier's Perspective COL Lloyd J Matthews Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The following monograph by retired Colonel Lloyd J. Matthews, U.S. Army, presents a soldier’s perspective of the operational implications of instant access to the battlefield by civilian leaders in Washington. It also suggests steps that might be taken to assure constructive collaboration between military and civil authorities, leaving each group to make its own essential contribution to success in the nation’s military undertakings around the world."

Nonlethality and American Land Power: Strategic Context and Operational Concepts Prof Douglas C Lovelace Jr, Dr Steven Metz Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Within the U.S. Army, this is a time of both excitement and challenge. As immense change takes place in the global security environment, American land power must be adapted to assure it can continue to protect and promote national interests into the 21st century. This requires the development and integration of a range of new technologies, concepts, and organizations. Among these, nonlethality—using armed force in a way that minimizes casualties—shows promise for specialized applications."

On Diversity LTC Andre H Sayles Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Colonel Sayles’ thesis, “the same, but different,” gives us honest and heartfelt insights into the feelings of soldiers from a minority perspective. Part of the challenge of leading a culturally, racially and ethnically diverse Army is to forge a cohesive, fully integrated military organization while keeping sight of the basic human desire to spend some time with folks who “are the same.” Colonel Sayles’ essay is imbued in the basic values of our country and our Army, which is why it delivers such a powerful message. By developing the Army’s Consideration of Others Program, he has also touched on not only physical, but social and gender related differences in people."

The Case for Army XXI Mr John Gordon IV, Mr Peter A Wilson Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The authors contend that today’s Army is essentially a “barbell” shaped organization: very light or very heavy forces with little in the form of “middleweight” units. One of the fundamental decisions that the Army must make in the coming decade is whether it intends to continue this organizational structure or modify it modestly or radically. If major modification is appropriate, what are the options? Fortunately, the Army has several years to consider such issues."

The Creeping Irrelevance of U.S. Force Planning Dr Jeffrey Record Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, Jeffrey Record examines what he believes is a half-century-old and continuing recession of large-interstate warfare and, since the World War’s demise, the unexpected and often violent disintegration of established states. He then addresses the Department of Defense’s persistent planning focus on multiple conventional war scenarios, concluding that this focus on the familiar and comfortable is becoming increasingly irrelevant to a world of small wars and MOOTW. The author’s critical analysis leads him to propose significant and controversial changes in planning standards, force structure, and defense spending. His thought-provoking analyses, conclusions, and recommendations should fuel further discussion of how America’s military can best tackle the strategic uncertainties of the post-Cold War world."

Redefining Land Power for the 21st Century Dr William T Johnsen Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Whether the United States is entering an era marked by a “revolution in military affairs” or continues in the strategic interregnum of “the post-Cold War,” a new theory of war will have to be developed to fit “the limiting conditions” and “peculiar preconceptions” that are emerging. To develop this new theory will first require defining land power and understanding its context within military power in the 21st century. That a definition of land power might be needed at this point in the evolution of warfare may seem odd. Readers outside the military, for example, may be surprised to learn that such a definition does not exist.2 To many military practitioners, especially soldiers, the concept of land power is so ingrained that it is largely transparent. It has existed since our first ancestors used their fists, rocks, and sticks to defend themselves from attacks by predatory neighbors."

Conflict and Conflict Resolution in the Sahel: The Tuareg Insurgency in Mali LTC Kalifa Keita Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Extreme ethnic violence has been a sordid feature of the post-Cold War world. The discontent underlying the violence sometimes flares into insurgency, threatening the cohesion of the state. Typically, primordial hatreds embedded in ethnic history erode a society’s commitment to democracy and human rights. However, recent history offers examples of some states which resolved severe ethnic conflict without a bloodbath and without a halt to ongoing processes of political reform. The West African nation of Mali is one such state."

New Century, Old Thinking: The Dangers of the Perceptual Gap in U.S.-China Relations COL Susan M Puska Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "American angst over “China” and how to deal with it has spurred a seemingly endless cycle of U.S. policy debates. Each disagreement or new revelation, such as the recent allegation that the Chinese tried to buy influence through illegal funding to U.S. elections,1 feeds another round of charges that U.S. leaders are either too “soft” or too “hard” on China. These charges are usually punctuated by warnings that these actions could lead to dire consequences for the United States in the future."

The Role of the Armed Forces in the Americas: Civil-Military Relations for the 21st Century Dr Donald E Schulz Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In November 1997, the United States Army War College joined with the U.S. Southern Command, the Inter-American Defense Board, the National Guard Bureau, and the Latin American Consortium of the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University to cosponsor a conference entitled “The Role of the Armed Forces in the Americas: Civil-Military Relations for the 21st Century.” The meeting was held from 3 to 6 November in Santa Fé, New Mexico, and was hosted by the New Mexico National Guard."