Recent Publications

Parameters VOL. 48 NO. 2 SUMMER 2018
October 4, 2018 — Editor: Dr Antulio J Echevarria IIFEATURES: Special Commentary. “The Military as Social Experiment: Challenging a Trope” by Jacqueline E. Whitt and Elizabeth A. Perazzo. Teaching Strategy. “Stuff Happens: Understanding Causation in Policy and Strategy” by Andrew A. Hill and Stephen J. Gerras. “Comparative Strategy in Professional Military... MORE

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The Dual-System Problem in Complex Conflicts
September 20, 2018 — Author: Ms. Melissa Gregg, Dr. Robert D. LambConflict and fragile environments are increasingly complex and unpredictable, but the U.S. policy system itself is much more complex and unpredictable than most leaders appreciate. In this monograph, the authors argue that until we get a grasp on this “dual-system problem,” the United States will fall... MORE

2018 - 2020 Key Strategic Issues List
August 17, 2018 — Editor: LTC Charles A. Carlton, USAWC Strategic Studies InstituteFor over a decade, the USAWC has published the Key Strategic Issues List (KSIL) to inform students, faculty, and external research associates of strategic topics requiring research and analysis. A subset of these topics, designated as Chief of Staff of the Army special interest... MORE

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Avoiding the Trap: U.S. Strategy and Policy for Competing in the Asia-Pacific Beyond the Rebalance
February 6, 2018 — Editor: COL (R) Frederick J. Gellert, Dr David Lai, Prof John F TroxellThe Trump administration has recently called for a free and open Indo-Pacific, essentially replacing the Obama-era “Rebalance.” This U.S. Army War College report provides prescient analysis and policy recommendations on how to proceed down the path to this call while... MORE

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Strategic Insights: Challenges in Using Scenario Planning for Defense Strategy
January 30, 2018 — Dr. Michael FitzsimmonsLawrence Freedman and Colin Gray are two of the most famous contemporary scholars of military strategy. Within the past few years, each published a book addressing different aspects of the same practical problem of strategy: defense planning.1 Considered to be strategy’s mundane cousin, defense planning revolves around how a... MORE

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Closer Than You Think: The Implications of the Third Offset Strategy for the U.S. Army
October 26, 2017 — Editor: Mr Samuel R White JrView the Executive Summary The Defense Innovation Initiative (DII), begun in November 2014 by former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, is intended to ensure U.S. military superiority throughout the 21st century. The DII seeks broad-based innovation across the spectrum of concepts, research and development, capabilities,... MORE

A Typology of Arguments about Drone Ethics
October 10, 2017 — Author: Dr Mary ManjikianView the Executive Summary Many different actors oppose the use of unmanned autonomous weapons (UAV’s) from adversary states, to international governmental organizations to policymakers and academics. However, the basis for their opposition varies, as do the assumptions behind their arguments. This Letort Paper lays out... MORE

Strategic Landscape, 2050: Preparing the U.S. Military for New Era Dynamics
September 14, 2017 — Author: Mr Roman MuzalevskyView the Executive Summary A series of megatrends will present a major challenge to the United States in the coming decades, exposing it to crises and opportunities on the battlefield and in the market. The U.S. military should stand ready to harness these dynamics to retain its edge in an operational environment marked... MORE

What Should the U.S. Army Learn From History? Recovery From a Strategy Deficit
July 26, 2017 — Author: Dr Colin S GrayView the Executive Summary Does history repeat itself? This monograph clearly answers “no,” firmly. However, it does not argue that an absence of repetition in the sense of analogy means that history can have no utility for the soldier today. This monograph argues for a “historical parallelism,” in place of shaky or false... MORE

Ends, Means, Ideology, and Pride: Why the Axis Lost and What We Can Learn from Its Defeat
July 13, 2017 — Author: Dr Jeffrey RecordView the Executive Summary The author examines the Axis defeat in World War II and concludes that the two main causes were resource inferiority (after 1941) and strategic incompetence—i.e., pursuit of imperial ambitions beyond the reach of its actual power. Until 1941 Axis military fortunes thrived, but the addition in that... MORE

Parameters VOL. 47 NO. 1 SPRING 2017
May 1, 2017 — Editor: Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Mission Command: Strategic Implications – Anthony C. King, Russell W. Glenn, and Thomas-Durell Young.After 15 Years of Conflict – Charlotte F. Blatt, Stanley J. Wiechnik, Ellen "Elle" Klein, Douglas A. Sims II, and Amy B. Adler.Modernization Among US Partners – Ian Langford, and Rémy Hémez.Review Essay – Larry D... MORE

Strategic Insights: Strategic Questions Loom Large for President Trump in the Middle East
April 11, 2017 — Dr. Christopher J. Bolan“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” Sun TzuThe primary shortcoming of U.S. policymakers since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, has been a consistent inability to translate tactical and operational military successes into sustainable... MORE