Recent Publications

Military Contingencies in Megacities and Sub-Megacities
December 1, 2016 — Authors: Mr Werner Selle, Dr Phil WilliamsUrbanization is one of the most important mega-trends of the 21st century. Consequently, the possibility of U.S. military involvement in a megacity or sub-megacity is an eventuality that cannot be ignored. After elucidating the nature of urbanization and developing a typology in terms of smart, fragile, and... MORE

The COIN Conundrum: The Future of Counterinsurgency and U.S. Land Power
December 1, 2016 — Author: Dr Thomas R MockaitisCounterinsurgency (COIN) continues to be a controversial subject among military leaders. Critics argue that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made the U.S. military, particularly the Army, "COIN-centric." They maintain that equipping U.S. forces to combat insurgency has eroded their conventional war fighting... MORE

Parameters VOL. 46 NO. 4 WINTER 2016-17
December 1, 2016 — Editor: Dr Antulio J Echevarria IISpecial Commentary: The Army's Identity Crisis by Gates Brown. Toward Strategic Solvency Ensuring Effective Military Voice, by William E. Rapp. The Crisis of American Military Primacy and the Search for Strategic Solvency, by Hal Brands and Eric Edelman. Are Our Strategic Models Flawed? Faith in War: The American... MORE

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Colloquium Brief: U.S. Army War College 25th Annual Strategy Conference Carlisle, Pennsylvania, April 8-10, 2014 — Balancing the Joint Force to Meet Future Security Challenges
November 15, 2016 — Dr. Richard Weitz Key Insights: The international security environment will remain cluttered, confusing, and uncertain; many of these problems are unavoidable; at best, we can mitigate them. More than a decade of continuous military operations, fewer materiel resources, changing threat perceptions, and novel technologies are affecting how the U.S... MORE

Strategic Insights: An EU Military Headquarters: A Cure in Search of an Illness?
November 14, 2016 — Dr. John R. Deni In mid-September, European Union (EU) Commission President Jean Claude Juncker delivered the Commision's annual State of the Union address.1 Coming on the heels of the British vote to leave the EU, the address provided a roadmap for overcoming the challenges brought about by what Juncker termed an “existential crisis.”Among the key... MORE

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Strategic Insights: Bridging the Civil-Military Gap
November 10, 2016 — Dr. Tami Davis Biddle The American soldiers who returned home from the war in 1945 were greeted with joy and open arms. They were feted in parades, and celebrated in books, films, and songs. They were the heroes of the war that created modern America—wealthy, technologically-advanced, and sitting astride the world. Later they would come to be known... MORE

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Should We Let the Bomb Spread?
November 1, 2016 — Author: Mr Henry D SokolskiNuclear deterrence and nonproliferation no longer enjoy the broad support they once did during the Cold War. Academics and security experts now question the ability of either to cope or check nuclear rogue states or terrorists. On the one hand, America’s closest allies—e.g., Japan and South Korea—believe American nuclear... MORE

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Alternative Governance Structures in Megacities: Threats or Opportunities?
November 1, 2016 — Author: Ms Diane E ChidoThe U.S. military recognizes that it will be required to engage in dense urban areas in the near future, whether under combat, stabilization, or disaster response conditions. The military also recognizes that it is not prepared to effectively operate within such complex terrain and populations. Alternative governance... MORE

U.S.-China Competition: Asia-Pacific Land Force Implications
November 1, 2016 — A U.S. Army War College Integrated Research Project in Support of U.S. Army Pacific Command and Headquarters, Department of the Army, Directorate of Strategy and Policy (HQDA G-35)Author: Prof William G Braun III, Dr David LaiThe context of the Asia-Pacific rivalry between the United States and China has evolved over the last 5 or 6 decades. Issues... MORE

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Strategic Insights: The Great Purge and the Future of the Turkish Military
October 30, 2016 — Dr. W. Andrew Terrill The full story of the July 15-16, 2016, Turkish coup attempt may not be known for some time, but it is clear that a limited number of officers attempted to overthrow the government and either capture or kill elected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The government has accused these officers of belonging to the Fethullah Gulen... MORE

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Strategic Insights: The "U.S. Factor" in China's Problems
October 25, 2016 — Dr. David LaiThere is a widely-shared view in China that the United States has ill will toward China and is always looking for opportunities to make trouble for China. The Chinese believe that this was the case when China was a poor developing nation; and they particularly believe it to be the case today as China is rapidly becoming a great power... MORE

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The Quest for Military Cooperation in North Africa: Prospects and Challenges
October 1, 2016 — Author: Dr Mohammed El-KatiriNorth Africa's security landscape has worsened in the aftermath of the political events of the Arab Spring. Libya's dire state of affairs has had significant repercussions not only on its internal security and stability, but also on that of its neighboring countries, particularly the ones with long and exposed land... MORE

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