Recent Publications

Veteran Disability Compensation and the Army Profession: Good Intentions Gone Awry
February 2, 2021 — Authors: Dr. Leonard Wong, Dr. Stephen J. Gerras Previous studies analyzing disability compensation have decried its $76 billion annual budget or warned of its perverse ability to incentivize veterans not to work. This study focuses on the impact of this moral hazard on the US Army profession. If soldiers continue to capitalize on an extremely... MORE

Cover for Veteran Disability Compensation and the Army Profession: Good Intentions Gone Awry

Strengthening Statehood Capabilities for Successful Transitions in the Middle East / North Africa Region
April 2, 2015 — Author: Dr Mohammed El-KatiriView the Executive SummaryIn this monograph, Dr. Mohammed El-Katiri focuses on the variety of challenges that face reform attempts in the post-revolution Arab countries. He examines underlying factors that have prevented new political elites and post-revolution institutions from successfully implementing essential... MORE

The Effective Use of Reserve Personnel in the U.S. Military: Lessons from the United Kingdom Reserve Model
January 2, 2015 — Author: Dr Shima D Keene View the Executive SummaryThis monograph identifies areas where the U.S. Army and other services can potentially benefit from examining the United Kingdom's comparable program of reserve reform. Key areas where aspects of this reform have been entirely counterproductive are identified, as well as specific and expensive... MORE

After the Spring: Reforming Arab Armies
September 1, 2014 — Author: Dr Florence Gaub View the Executive SummaryAs the Arab Spring has renewed Western interest in the political, as well as military, role of Arab armed forces, reform—rather than mere assistance—is crucial. In this monograph, the author focuses on the structural aspects of reform from which the Arab Spring forces would benefit. Seven features... MORE

Reforming the Police in Post-Soviet States: Georgia and Kyrgyzstan
November 6, 2013 — Author: Dr Erica Marat View the Executive SummaryThis report identifies and explains the determinants of police reform in former Soviet states by examining the cases of Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. The two cases were chosen to show two drastically different approaches to reform played out in countries facing arguably similar problems with state-crime... MORE

The Struggle for Yemen and the Challenge of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
June 21, 2013 — Author: Dr W Andrew Terrill View the Executive SummaryIn recent years, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has been widely recognized as a more dangerous regional and international terrorist organization than the original al-Qaeda led by Osama bin Laden until his death in 2011. In 2010-11, AQAP was able to present a strong challenge to Yemen's... MORE

Organizational Change in the Russian Airborne Forces: The Lessons of the Georgian Conflict
December 1, 2011 — Author: Dr Rod Thornton This monograph considers the recent history of organizational change in the Russian Airborne Forces (VDV). In particular, it looks at how the VDV has changed since the end of Russia’s conflict with Georgia in 2008. The VDV, a force much admired in Russian media and society has, in fact, escaped fairly lightly during the... MORE

Reforming Military Command Arrangements: The Case of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force
March 1, 2011 — Author: Mr Henrik Bliddal Our national security system turns our overall capabilities into active assets, protects us against the threats of an anarchic international system and makes it possible to exploit its opportunities. Today, however, the system is arguably in dire need of reform. Much remains in the dark about how the organizations that... MORE

Leadership and National Security Reform Conference
November 1, 2009 — Authors: Dr Joseph R Cerami, Dr Jeffrey A Engel, Ms Lindsey K Pavelka In Washington, DC, on June 24, 2009, the Bush School of Government and Public Service, the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at Texas A&M University, and the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute conducted a conference on Leadership and Government Reform... MORE

Kiss the Embargo Goodbye
February 1, 2009 — Author: Dr Alex Crowther Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the February 2009 newsletter.Read Now MORE

The Interagency and Counterinsurgency Warfare: Aligning and Integrating Military and Civilian Roles in Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction Operations
December 1, 2007 — Author: Mr Jay W Boggs, Dr Joseph R Cerami For decades since the formation of the defense establishment under the 1947 National Security Act, all U.S. cabinet departments, national security agencies, and military services involved in providing for the common defense have struggled to overcome differences in policy and strategy formulation,... MORE

Ukraine’s Military Between East and West
May 1, 2007 — Author: Prof Marybeth Peterson Ulrich America’s new allies in Central and Eastern Europe have been struggling with defense reform since the end of the Cold War. Only recently since the Orange Revolution has Ukraine’s national political and military leadership seriously engaged the process of radical and comprehensive defense reform. This monograph... MORE