Recent Publications

A Soldier’s Morality, Religion, and Our Professional Ethic: Does the Army’s Culture Facilitate Integration, Character Development, and Trust in the Profession?
April 1, 2014 — Authors: COL Alexander P Shine, Dr Don M Snider The authors argue that an urgent leadership issue has arisen which is strongly, but not favorably, influencing our professional culture—a hostility toward religion and its correct expressions within the military. Setting aside the role of Chaplains as a separate issue, the focus here is on the role... MORE

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Once Again, the Challenge to the U.S. Army During a Defense Reduction: To Remain a Military Profession
February 1, 2012 — Author: Dr Don M Snider As with the post-Cold War downsizing during the Clinton administration in the late 1990s, one critical challenge for the U.S. Army centers on the qualitative, institutional character of the Army after the reductions—will the U.S. Army manifest the essential characteristics and behavior of a military profession with Soldiers... MORE

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The Army’s Professional Military Ethic in an Era of Persistent Conflict
October 1, 2009 — Authors: Major Paul Oh, Dr Don M Snider, Major Kevin Toner As the character of conflict in the 21st century evolves, the Army’s strength will continue to rest on our values, our ethos, and our people. Our Soldiers and leaders must remain true to these values as they operate in increasingly complex environments where moral-ethical failures can have... MORE

The Army’s Ethic Suffers under its Retired Generals
January 1, 2009 — Author: Dr Don M Snider Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the January 2009 newsletter.Read Now MORE

Dissent and Strategic Leadership of the Military Professions
February 1, 2008 — Author: Dr Don M Snider One of the central difficulties to a right understanding of American civil-military relations is the nature of the U.S. military. Are our armed forces just obedient bureaucracies like most of the Executive branch, or are they vocational professions granted significant autonomy and a unique role in these relationships because... MORE

Intrepidity . . . And Character Development within the Army Profession
January 1, 2008 — Author: Dr Don M Snider How many Army soldiers, particularly Leaders, who just read the title of this opinion piece, knew the meaning of the first word; how many brought to their reading an accurate understanding of the term? More importantly, how many Army Leaders could place a true meaning of the word into the context of the Army as a unique... MORE

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Army Professionalism, the Military Ethic, and Officership in the 21st Century
December 1, 1999 — Authors: Major John A Nagl, COL Tony Pfaff, Dr Don M Snider The authors address what they—and many others—perceived to be a decline in military professionalism in the Army officer corps. The authors first describe the ethical, technical, and political components of military professionalism and then address the causes for the decline. They conclude... MORE

The National Security Strategy: Documenting Strategic Vision Second Edition
March 1, 1995 — Author: Dr Don M Snider The Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act requires the President to submit an annual report on the National Security Strategy. In theory, a formal presentation of grand strategy was intended to lend coherence to the budgeting process; a clear statement of interests, objectives, and concepts for achieving them gave... MORE

Strategy, Forces and Budgets: Dominant Influences in Executive Decision Making, Post-Cold War, 1989-91
February 1, 1993 — Author: Dr Don M Snider The successful application of national military strategy depends upon the existence of a balanced, flexible military establishment; a national force structured, manned, equipped, and trained to execute the broad range of potential missions that exist in the post-cold war world. With this in mind, the national leaders of the... MORE