Recent Publications

Op-Ed: Rethinking the American Way of War and the Role of Landpower
September 10, 2012 — Dr. Antulio J. Echevarria, II Understanding the American way of war has never been easy. The distinguished historian Russell Weigley took more than 500 pages to come to terms with it in his classic, The American Way of War (1973). Even so, there was much he left out, as well as much he got wrong. For one thing, the actual origins of the American... MORE

Irregular Enemies and the Essence of Strategy: Can the American Way of War Adapt?
March 1, 2006 — Author: Dr Colin S Gray The author offers a detailed comparison between the character of irregular warfare, insurgency in particular, and the principal enduring features of "the American way." He concludes that there is a serious mismatch between that "way" and the kind of behavior that is most effective in countering irregular foes. The author... MORE

Toward an American Way of War
March 1, 2004 — Author: Dr Antulio J Echevarria II The author examines the principal characteristics and ideas associated with the American way of war, past and present. He argues that Americans do not have a way of war, but rather a way of battle. LTC Echevarria contends that moving from a way of battle to a way of war will require some fundamental thinking about... MORE

An American Way of War or a Way of Battle?
January 1, 2004 — Author: Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Each month a member of the SSI faculty writes an editorial for our monthly newsletter. This is the Op-Ed for the January 2004 newsletter.Read Now MORE

The “New” American Way of War
June 2, 2003 — Author: LTC Raymond A Millen This year’s topic, "The 'New' American Way of War," was particularly relevant because it occurred during the height of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF). Over 130 national security strategists, including ten flag officers, from the Department of Defense, civilian universities, and other policy-related institutions... MORE