Recent Publications

Paid to Perform: Aligning Total Military Compensation with Talent Management, Vol. 8
June 30, 2015 — Authors: LTC Michael J Colarusso, COL Andrew O Hall, COL David S Lyle, Major Michael S Walker, Mr Roy A WallaceView the Executive Summary Transforming the U.S. military’s personnel management system is critical to long-run American national security interests, particularly as increasingly capable peer adversaries emerge. Talent management is... MORE

First Things First for Future Defense Strategy
May 27, 2015 — Mr. Nathan P. Freier, Ms. Laura McAleer The Department of Defense (DoD) will face a dramatic and sustained transition period over the next decade. At no other time in recent memory have American defense strategists faced such a dizzying and complex array of challenges like those which they will be required to direct their attention, energy, and... MORE

The Gulf Moment: Arab Relations Since 2011
May 4, 2015 — Author: Dr Florence Gaub View the Executive SummaryThis monograph examines the impact that the “Arab Spring” has had on how Arab states relate to each other post-regime change and post-Islamist electoral victory. It shows that the region is undergoing a profound change as some traditional regional policy actors are paralyzed by internal turmoil... MORE

Strategic Insights: A New Year’s Resolution For Army Leaders
January 26, 2015 — Prof. William G. Braun, IIIAmericans love winners and deplore losers. The U.S. military’s greatest challenge to proving its relevance stems from a general perception that it cannot deliver results when confronted by the nation’s most pressing foreign policy problems. Barry Posen advocates that the United States abandon the post-Cold War strategy of... MORE

Political and Socio-Economic Change: Revolutions and Their Implications for the U.S. Military
September 1, 2014 — Author: Dr John R Deni View the Executive SummaryDramatic political, economic, and social changes across both the Greater Middle East and Latin America over the last several years—in some instances revolutionary, in others evolutionary—have had profound implications for global security generally and U.S. security specifically. Policymakers in... MORE

Cover for Political and Socio-Economic Change: Revolutions and Their Implications for the U.S. Military

Op-Ed: Changing the Army’s Culture of Cultural Change
May 16, 2014 — Dr. Leonard Wong Click here for PDF of this article.In a profession as large as the U.S. Army, trying to influence the way organizational members think about specific issues can be a vexing proposition. Certainly new systems, policies, and procedures can force changes in behavior, but often what senior decisionmakers truly desire is a shift in... MORE

Cover for Op-Ed: Changing the Army's Culture of Cultural Change

Changing Minds In The Army: Why It Is So Difficult and What To Do About It
October 28, 2013 — Authors: Dr Stephen J Gerras, Dr Leonard Wong View the Executive SummaryHistory and organizational studies both demonstrate that changing one’s mind is quite difficult, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that this change needs to occur. This monograph explains how smart, professional, and incredibly performance-oriented Army senior leaders... MORE

An Assessment of the DoD Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace
September 23, 2013 — Author: Dr Thomas M Chen View the Executive SummaryIn July 2011, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) issued the DoD Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace, which outlines five strategic initiatives: 1) Treat cyberspace as another operational domain; 2) Employ new defense operating concepts to protect DoD networks; 3) Partner with other U.S... MORE

AFRICOM at 5 Years: The Maturation of a New U.S. Combatant Command
August 8, 2013 — Author: Mr David E Brown View the Executive SummaryThe U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), newest of the six U.S. Department of Defense geographic combatant commands (CCMDs), was created in 2007 amid great controversy in both Africa and the United States over its location and mission. Over the last 5 years, AFRICOM has matured greatly, overcoming much... MORE

A Framework for Restructuring the Military Retirement System
July 24, 2013 — Authors: COL David S Lyle, Dr John Z Smith, Mr Roy A Wallace View the Executive SummaryThe current military retirement system has been integral to sustaining the All Volunteer Force (AVF). Mounting federal budget challenges, however, have raised concern that the program may become fiscally unsustainable. While several restructuring proposals have... MORE

Joint Strategic Planning System Insights: Chairmen Joint Chiefs of Staff 1990 to 2012
June 24, 2013 — Author: Dr Richard M Meinhart View the Executive SummaryMilitary leaders at many levels have used strategic planning in various ways to position their organizations to respond to the demands of the current situation while simultaneously preparing to meet future challenges. This Paper will first describe the Chairman’s statutory responsibilities and... MORE

Op-Ed: Downsizing the Army Profession
May 8, 2013 — Dr. Leonard Wong John Carpenter, film director of horror movies such as Halloween, was once asked what he thought it was that scared theater audiences the most. His answer was simple: “Uncertainty.” Carpenter understood that not knowing what will happen next often produces more anxiety and angst than actual traumatic events. As anyone who has sat... MORE