Recent Publications

Decisionmaking in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM: Removing Saddam Hussein by Force
February 1, 2010 — Authors: Prof John R Martin, Dr Steven Metz In 1946, General Walter Bedell Smith wrote a series of articles describing six great decisions made in World War II by General Dwight David Eisenhower Writing so soon after the war, General Smith could not hope to produce a definitive history, but felt that writing then would document an important... MORE

Accessing Talent: The Foundation of a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy
February 1, 2010 — Authors: LTC Michael J Colarusso, COL David S Lyle, COL Casey Wardynski Accessing Talent: The Foundation of a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy, is the fourth of six monographs focused upon officer talent management in the U.S. Army. In it, the authors continue their examination of how the U.S. Army accesses, develops, retains, and employs officer... MORE

Do Oil Exports Fuel Defense Spending?
February 1, 2010 — Author: Dr Clayton K S Chun This monograph explores the impact that oil revenue had on the national defense spending of five oil-exporting countries. Despite periods of falling oil revenues, these countries typically did not lower defense spending. In some cases, defense spending increased sharply, or the rate of decrease was much lower than the... MORE

Security and Stability in Africa: A Development Approach
January 1, 2010 — Author: LTC Clarence J Bouchat (USAF, Ret) The security and stability of Africa has recently become an important national issue readily seen in the increased time, effort, and resources now devoted to the continent by such new organizations as the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM). This paper seeks to overcome centuries of ignorance and... MORE

Drug Trafficking, Violence, and Instability in Mexico, Colombia, and the Caribbean: Implications for U.S. National Security
January 1, 2010 — Authors: Mr Evan Brown, Dr Dallas D Owens Key Insights from the conference included:(1) The relationships between powerful criminal groups and states are complex and create transnational issues of corruption and the production, transportation, marketing, and consumption of illegal products and services that have national security implications for... MORE

Something Brewing in Venezuela
January 1, 2010 — Author: COL Phillip R Cuccia Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the January 2010 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Towards a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy for Success: Retaining Talent
January 1, 2010 — Authors: LTC Michael J Colarusso, COL David S Lyle, COL Casey Wardynski Over the last 3 decades, dramatic labor market changes and well-intentioned but uninformed policies have created significant officer talent flight. Poor retention engenders substantial risk for the Army as it directly affects accessions, development, and employment of talent... MORE

The Army Officers’ Professional Ethic–Past, Present, and Future
January 1, 2010 — Author: COL Matthew Moten Colonel Matthew Moten of the West Point History Department has asked why so many other professions have clear statements of professional responsibility, but the Army officer corps does not. This essay briefly surveys the history of the Army’s professional ethic, focusing primarily on the officer corps. It assesses today’s... MORE

Medvedev’s Plan: Giving Russia a Voice but not a Veto in a New European Security System
January 1, 2010 — Author: Dr Richard J Krickus The author addresses the question of how to give Russia a voice but not a veto in a new European security system and provides some provocative recommendations. Most specifically, he proposes that the time has come to provide Russia with a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) and agrees that those who argue against it... MORE

The Effects of Multiple Deployments on Army Adolescents
January 1, 2010 — Authors: Dr Stephen J Gerras, Dr Leonard Wong Multiple deployments have become a way of life for our Soldiers. In Army families, these frequent deployments increase the burden on children who must face the stress and strain of separation and anxiety. The authors take a much-needed, detailed look at the effects of multiple deployments on Army... MORE

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)
December 31, 2009 — Author: Mr Daniel Alderman Participants considered the PLA’s relationship with the Chinese Communist Party; trends in the PLA’s ongoing reforms to informationalize, mechanize, and adapt to China’s evolving defense needs; and the PLA’s role in tackling internal security challenges. PLA operations abroad were discussed, with participants assessing... MORE

Resetting the Reset Button: Realism About Russia
December 1, 2009 — Author: Dr Stephen J Blank Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the December 2009 newsletter.Read Now MORE