Recent Publications

A Shared Burden: The Military and Civilian Consequences of Army Pain Management Since 2001
August 4, 2015 — Author: COL Craig TrebilcockView the Executive Summary The Army has an opioid drug problem that is not going away under current personnel policies and medical practices. The survey results recorded here indicate that senior officers attending the U.S. Army War College recognize that the opioid problem is distinct in nature and origin from those of... MORE

Strategy Education Across the Professional Military Education Enterprise
May 18, 2015 — Colonel John C. Valledor We can find plenty to read and study on the subject of leadership; in fact, there is a veritable mountain of studies, essays, and books explaining how to build leaders. Not so if one wants to build (or become) a strategist.General John Galvin1Emerging Realities and the Education of Strategists. Since the horrific... MORE

Getting to the Left of SHARP: Lessons Learned from West Point’s Efforts to Combat Sexual Harassment and Assault
January 13, 2015 — Authors: LTG Robert L Caslen Jr, LTC Daniel Gade, COL Cindy R Jebb, Cadet Hope C Landsem View the Executive SummaryOn July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, ending the practice of segregating the military services by race. That same year, the Army allowed women to join the services on an equal basis with men. Both of... MORE

Op-Ed: Thinking Inside A New Box: The Coming of the New Age of Mutualism; The End of Another
February 11, 2013 — COL Louis H. Jordan, JrThe recent announcement by the President on the transfer of responsibility for Afghan society back to the Afghan government, and the new role of U.S. forces as a trainers and advisors in the support of this objective, elicited many reactions from opposing points of view here at home. However, what is missing in the dialog is... MORE

Towards a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy for Success: Developing Talent
March 1, 2010 — Authors: LTC Michael J Colarusso, COL David S Lyle, COL Casey Wardynski Developing leaders through experience, formal training, and education is a long-standing hallmark of the U.S. Army. Maintaining its excellence as a developmental organization requires vigilance, however. Authorized strength and inventory mismatches, an inverse relationship... MORE

Schools for Strategy: Teaching Strategy for 21st Century Conflict
November 1, 2009 — Author: Dr Colin S Gray All would-be strategists would benefit by some formal education. However, for education in strategy to be well-directed, it needs to rest upon sound assumptions concerning the eternal nature yet ever shifting character, meaning, and function of strategy, as well as the range of behaviors required for effective strategic... MORE

U.S. Counterterrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa: Understanding Costs, Cultures, and Conflicts
September 1, 2008 — Author: Dr Donovan C Chau Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has never been the centerpiece of U.S. foreign and defense policy. Yet the current struggle between the United States and its allies against terrorist groups and individuals motivated by Islamic extremism thrusts SSA forward as a front in the global conflict. The author asks, centrally, what is the... MORE

The “People” in the PLA: Recruitment, Training, and Education in China’s 80-Year-Old Military
November 1, 2007 — Author: Mr Justin B Liang, Dr Sarah K Snyder Three conclusions were reached: (1) China’s ideal “new type” of military officer is university educated and possesses the technical competence and physical ability to handle actual combat against a modern, high-tech adversary. (2) Driven by the understanding of the critical and integral role of soldiers... MORE

Educating International Security Practitioners: Preparing to Face the Demands of the 21st Century International Security Environment
July 1, 2001 — Authors: Dr Linda P Brady, Dr Robert H Dorff, BG Daniel J Kaufman, Dr James M Smith The authors examine the challenges of the 21st century international security environment to which future strategic leaders and policy practitioners will need to respond. More specifically, they offer the reader insights into security studies and leadership... MORE

Making Do with Less, or Coping with Upton’s Ghost
May 26, 1995 — Author: Dr Eliot A Cohen Each April the Strategic Studies Institute hosts a conference that addresses key strategic issues facing the Armed Forces and the Nation. This year's theme, "Strategy During the Lean Years: Learning from the Past and the Present," brought together scholars, serving and retired military officers, and civilian defense... MORE