Small Wars Journal

Journal

Journal Articles are typically longer works with more more analysis than the news and short commentary in the SWJ Blog.

We accept contributed content from serious voices across the small wars community, then publish it here as quickly as we can, per our Editorial Policy, to help fuel timely, thoughtful, and unvarnished discussion of the diverse and complex issues inherent in small wars.

by Robert Bunker, by John P. Sullivan | Thu, 05/11/2017 - 8:22am | 0 comments

This appears to be the first known incident in the Mexican criminal insurgency in which the TTP of utilizing women and children as human shields has taken place.

by Oren Hammerquist | Thu, 05/11/2017 - 8:12am | 0 comments

One of the top 8 submissions from the first-ever U.S. Army TRADOC Science Fiction Writing Contest.

by Darren Carter | Tue, 05/09/2017 - 5:24am | 0 comments

One of the top 8 submissions from the first-ever U.S. Army TRADOC Science Fiction Writing Contest.

by Diane DiEuliis, by Peter A. Emanuel | Tue, 05/09/2017 - 3:01am | 1 comment

Today’s emerging biotechnology is simultaneously the most exciting and concerning evolution of biology in the modern era.

by Karl Klicker | Mon, 05/08/2017 - 9:19am | 0 comments

One of the top 8 submissions from the first-ever U.S. Army TRADOC Science Fiction Writing Contest.

by W. R. Baker | Mon, 05/08/2017 - 9:12am | 2 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Robert R. Greene Sands | Sun, 05/07/2017 - 2:32pm | 0 comments

Why a label and its use obfuscates the most critical variable of social and cultural reality necessary for mission success.

by Nathan W. Toronto | Sun, 05/07/2017 - 9:42am | 0 comments

One of the top 8 submissions from the first-ever U.S. Army TRADOC Science Fiction Writing Contest.

by Mike Barretta | Sat, 05/06/2017 - 3:36pm | 0 comments

One of the top 8 submissions from the first-ever U.S. Army TRADOC Science Fiction Writing Contest.

by Keith Nightingale | Sat, 05/06/2017 - 9:16am | 0 comments

Flexibility exercised with good judgment is a pearl without price if it resides within the mind of the man on the spot.

by Michael Martineck | Fri, 05/05/2017 - 9:41am | 0 comments

One of the top 8 submissions from the first-ever U.S. Army TRADOC Science Fiction Writing Contest.

by Nicholas Fedyk | Thu, 05/04/2017 - 7:45am | 40 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Hal Wilson | Thu, 05/04/2017 - 7:10am | 3 comments

One of the top 8 submissions from the first-ever U.S. Army TRADOC Science Fiction Writing Contest.

by Rémy Hémez | Wed, 05/03/2017 - 1:45am | 2 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Ethan Skarstedt | Wed, 05/03/2017 - 1:30am | 0 comments

One of the top 8 submissions from the first-ever U.S. Army TRADOC Science Fiction Writing Contest.

by James King | Tue, 05/02/2017 - 1:40am | 2 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Christopher Solomon, by Roland Bartetzko | Tue, 05/02/2017 - 1:20am | 3 comments

The Syrian civil war has to be understood as a conflict that is surpassing national borders and which can’t be solved by military and diplomatic concentrated on only one small region.

by Devin M. Henry | Mon, 05/01/2017 - 10:39am | 0 comments

The U.S. Southern Command has a tremendous bearing on the U.S. National and domestic security efforts based on proximity and the nature of threats to the U.S. borders.

by Jessica Malekos Smith | Mon, 05/01/2017 - 6:52am | 0 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Patrick Duggan | Sun, 04/30/2017 - 5:34am | 0 comments

Modern warfare is founded on networks and tactical cyber and electromagnetic activities (CEMA) provide critical keyholes to unlocking their cognitive spaces.

by David S. Maxwell | Fri, 04/28/2017 - 1:32am | 0 comments

"Danger Close" a Film by Alex Quade - SWJ Review by Dave Maxwell

by Russell Worth Parker | Thu, 04/27/2017 - 7:49am | 3 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Marisa Mendoza, by Roger J. Chin, by Robert Bunker | Wed, 04/26/2017 - 3:00am | 0 comments

Conference report on a half-day event entitled Homeland and Security at the Local Level - A Public Policy Conference held at Claremont McKenna College.

by Robert Muggah | Tue, 04/25/2017 - 4:05pm | 0 comments

There is a sinking feeling that Rio de Janeiro’s tipped into war. Many of the city’s politicians, police officers and civic leaders are saying so publicly.

by John Zambri | Tue, 04/25/2017 - 10:10am | 0 comments

Intelligence drives operations.  This is an age old axiom that is no less true in modern military operations than it was during the Mongol reign of Central Asia.

by Steph Schmitt | Tue, 04/25/2017 - 8:06am | 2 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Ronald W. Sprang | Mon, 04/24/2017 - 6:57am | 0 comments

The Concert-Balance Strategy needlessly cedes terrain signaling weakness and undermining U.S. status as a global leader.

by James G. Lake | Mon, 04/24/2017 - 4:08am | 0 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Hardy P. Merrill | Sun, 04/23/2017 - 6:20am | 8 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Brandon Whitehead | Sat, 04/22/2017 - 8:26pm | 2 comments

This paper attempts to provide insight into a topic most have not yet thoroughly considered - what happens after ISIL is gone?

by Randy Brown | Sat, 04/22/2017 - 1:21am | 0 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Christopher M. Rance | Fri, 04/21/2017 - 1:42pm | 0 comments

Like all soldiers talking of war, there is no end or beginning in the stories, just the vocalization of the memories that can never leave him.

by Buddhika B. Jayamaha, by Kevin Petit, by Will Reno | Fri, 04/21/2017 - 6:52am | 1 comment

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Lawrence E. Cline | Thu, 04/20/2017 - 3:45am | 0 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Alexander Schade | Thu, 04/20/2017 - 2:10am | 1 comment

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Jaimie Ogilvie | Wed, 04/19/2017 - 1:54pm | 0 comments

Detailed study of foreign fighters and of their return to home countries has only emerged in the last 10 – 15 years, with even less written about it in relation to the Caribbean region.

by Jon Herrmann | Wed, 04/19/2017 - 5:28am | 0 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Robert Bunker, by Marisa Mendoza | Wed, 04/19/2017 - 4:56am | 0 comments

Although a number of cartels may be utilizing ultralight aircraft, seizure locations and authority reports most often attribute the use of this technology to the Sinaloa Cartel.

by Casey T. McNicholas, by Christopher J. Heatherly | Tue, 04/18/2017 - 1:21am | 0 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Patrick J. Christian, by Aleksandra Nesic, by David Sniffen, by Tasneem Aljehani, by Khaled Al Sumairi, by Narayan B. Khadka, by Basimah Hallawy, by Binamin Konlan | Tue, 04/18/2017 - 1:08am | 19 comments

The challenge of young-adult and refugee vulnerability to the spread of violent extremist ideology, subsequent radicalization, and devolution into violence related behavior.

by Darren E. Tromblay | Mon, 04/17/2017 - 6:10am | 6 comments

Iran and Saudi Arabia are both exporters of extremism that fuels kinetic terrorist attacks. These countries are uniquely dangerous.

by Jahara W. Matisek | Mon, 04/17/2017 - 2:04am | 0 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Ryan Basford | Sun, 04/16/2017 - 1:22am | 0 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Jens Flinch Jørgensen | Sun, 04/16/2017 - 1:10am | 1 comment

Despite force protection measures, captivity remains an integrated part of the threat to deployed NATO forces.

by Peter Kouretsos | Sat, 04/15/2017 - 6:15am | 0 comments

As China continues deepening commercial ties with LatAm, it is possible the increased flow of goods and people could present more opportunities for Chinese triads to expand their operations.

by Michael T. Lippert | Sat, 04/15/2017 - 3:47am | 4 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Gabriel White | Fri, 04/14/2017 - 11:41am | 13 comments

The human terrain of Syria is shifting. Buried below last week’s headlines was the news of what might amount to the largest proposed population swap in recent history.

by Grant M. Martin | Fri, 04/14/2017 - 1:09am | 14 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Zachary Griffiths | Thu, 04/13/2017 - 12:11am | 1 comment

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article

by Matthew Mullarky | Wed, 04/12/2017 - 12:50am | 11 comments

A Small Wars Journal and Military Writers Guild Writing Contest Finalist Article