Recent Publications

Building Better Armies: An Insider’s Account of Liberia
November 12, 2013 — Author: Dr Sean McFate View the Executive SummaryRecent events in Mali, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere demonstrate that building professional indigenous forces is imperative to regional stability, yet few success stories exist. Liberia is a qualified “success,” and this study explores how it was achieved by the program’s chief... MORE

Known Unknowns: Unconventional “Strategic Shocks” in Defense Strategy Development
November 1, 2008 — Author: Mr Nathan P Freier The author provides the defense policy team a clear warning against excessive adherence to past defense and national security convention. Including the insights of a number of noted scholars on the subjects of “wild cards” and “strategic surprise,” he argues that future disruptive, unconventional shocks are inevitable... MORE

The American Military Advisor: Dealing with Senior Foreign Officials in the Islamic World
August 1, 2008 — Author: Mr Michael J Metrinko Although the role of the military advisor to senior foreign officials is honored in political history, it became almost a forgotten art when it was needed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Whatever the past, the American military services are now fully engaged in nation-building in the Iraqi and Afghan conflict zones, and the... MORE