What kind of policy can the United States and the international community pursue that increases the likelihood that stability emerges in failed and failing states? I develop a theory of state-building to guide decision makers. The theory states...
In spite of experience that shows post-conflict stability operations are inevitable, the U.S. military places more emphasis on winning the fighting and less on the decisive post-combat phase. This has resulted in increased risk to the mission and...
War is the outward expression of competition between complex adaptive political and military systems. In war, competing systems introduce new technological means to gain comparative advantage over other systems and the environment. Greater...
Since the end of World War II the Army has been involved in numerous operations that dealt directly or indirectly with Nation Building as a focus or subsequent mission following major combat operations. There have been varying levels of success and...
With continuing emphasis on building partner capacity to deal with internal and external security threats, the United States (US) Department of State and Department of Defense continue to increase partner nation security force capacity within...
Some decision makers and analysts believe that increased networking and technological advances have increased a commander 's span of control, thus allowing for an elimination of the US Army 's corps echelon of command. Aside from span of control...
In the aftermath of the air campaign that began Operation Desert Storm, the US Air Force sought to measure US success in the military-technical and organizational innovation that occurred during the Gulf War and its impact on the future evolution...
Complexity theory has attracted considerable interest from operational artists in recent times. However, because it is still an emerging field, there are few -- if any -- historical case studies that show how complexity applies to military...
Throughout its military history, the United States has demonstrated poor institutional memory resulting in a tendency to reinvent the wheel. The development of counterinsurgency doctrine in Vietnam, for instance, yielded valuable knowledge about...
This thesis builds on research into the second and third order effects of unmanned warfare on the modern battlefield and provides a single source document outlining the major effects seen throughout the Afghan operational environment between 2001...
This paper examines the blockade, as both a current concept and a tool suitable to Information Age Warfare. It addresses doctrine's twin demands for precise terminology, to aid shared understanding, and intellectual flexibility, required to win...
Wargames have long been used to educate soldiers in the art of war. Today, diminishing resources and expanding technologies have made the games an indispensable feature of the US Army's formal training and education system. Much has been written...
Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, and his Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Mrs. Victoria Clarke, initiated the embedded news media program. The intent was for the public to see directly through the media what happened at the...
In October 2007, the combined maritime services of the United States released "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower," defining how they will operate to support strategic considerations. One concept looking to support this strategy is...
This study explores the role of the military as an instrument of national power in the transformation of Republics to Empires. It concentrates on two case studies. The first is the Athenian transformation from Radical Democracy to an Informal...
Military practitioners are often asked to make plans that could have enormous strategic effects without having a good understanding of their operational environment. It is exactly this relationship between the plan, the environment, and the end...
The United States government and the US military are struggling with strategic communications. To succeed the USG must improve its ability to understand the social context and cultural characteristics of the population, identify target audiences...
This monograph examines the possible roles of air power in peacemaking operations. While the end of the Cold War has brought increased hope for peace and stability in the world, a rise in ethnic tensions and nationalist uprisings prevents...
The United States' military power and capabilities are singularly enabled by unequaled sustainment capability and reach of our transportation and logistics systems. The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are highlighting an emerging trend in...
As a result of technological maturation, Congressional mandate, and battlefield use, the U.S. Army is currently involved in a tremendous amount of activity surrounding the development of unmanned systems (UMS). While current systems require near...