Recent Publications

Resolving Ethical Challenges in an Era of Persistent Conflict
April 1, 2011 — Author: COL Tony Pfaff The character of irregular warfare has challenged the American “way of war” in a number of ways. Not only does it challenge how U.S. forces fight, it also brings into question the ethical norms that they employ to govern the fighting. The resulting confusion is especially evident in the public debate over the use of force in... MORE

Development and Reform of the Iraqi Police Forces
January 1, 2008 — Author: COL Tony Pfaff Despite 4 years of millions of dollars in aid, equipment, education, and advisors, Iraqi police force development lags far behind the military. Numerous reasons are offered to account for this gap: corrupt practices left over from the previous regime, infiltration by militias, weak leadership, competition by better armed and... MORE

Peacekeeping and the Just War Tradition
September 1, 2000 — Author: COL Tony Pfaff Major Tony Pfaff, a former Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the United States Military Academy, addresses an important source of much of the confusion that currently surrounds many of the Operations Other Than War (OOTW) that the military finds itself participating in with increasing frequency. The author points out that,... MORE

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