Journal

This is a follow-up companion piece to the Small War Journal article ‘Give Carl von Clausewitz and the Center of Gravity a Divorce’ July 2, 2013.

The Royal Road: A Mission-Oriented Service for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict

One More Thought on Unconventional Approaches to Dealing with al Qaeda: If the Afghans Kick Us Out, Let’s Hire the Haqqanis

Thrilla in Minnesota: Al-Shabaab vs. The Somali Diaspora

People do not live in history, they live in the narrative. Nowhere is this truth more evident than between three countries in East Asia.

Most aviators and intelligence professionals agree that something about tactical aviation intelligence just isn’t working.

Radical Islamic Terrorism: An Evolving and Enduring Threat

Mexican Cartel Op-Ed No. 8: Will Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera be tried in Mexico or the United States?

Water Tensions in Africa: Assisting our African Partners in Developing a Riverine Operations Capability

Reforming Property Laws in Post-Conflict Societies - Case Study: Afghanistan

Colombian Cartel Tactical Note #1: The Evolution of ‘Narco-Submarines’ Engineering

As many analysts searched for what our Army must do for America, they envisioned their answer as finding the Holy Grail or a golden nugget. Instead they should have been looking for a fabric.

In the struggle against the Jihadists of Al Qaeda and affiliated groups, we need to stop believing that we are dealing with terrorists.

Intelligence and Policy Making for the 21st Century: A Case-study of the Benghazi Attacks and the Relationship Between Policy Makers and the Intelligence Community

Cultural Intelligence has once again become a much sought after commodity in the wake of the September 11th attacks and its ensuing wars.

An Uncomfortable War in the Graveyard of Empires: Applying the Manwaring Paradigm to the Soviet-Afghan War

Although categorized differently, ISAF’s counterinsurgency campaign and MONUSCO’s robust peacekeeping have much in common.

The definition of cross-border violence fuels current debate and influences the level of cross-border violence within jurisdictions.

Our stability efforts implemented on a national scale, in someone else’s nation, invariably - sometimes sooner, sometimes later - have been a spectacular failure.

Common questions in the minds of policymakers include “How far can fundamentalist Islam be practiced without interfering with the daily lives and cultures of our countries?” and “Is there a politically correct way to implement laws that address the radicalization of Islam?”

This article discusses the issues and challenges with targeting for an advising Battalion and how the Battalion’s leadership, staff, ANSF advisors, and Company Commanders developed an effective solution to targeting as advisors.

The Army continues to debate the use of the term Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance. This debate was triggered when ISR became a synonym for Unmanned Arial Surveillance.

His views and observations are personal, simple and quite visceral.  They may be skewed, wrong, right or something in between.

Village Stability Operations and the Future of the American Way of War. SWJ Book Discussion with Linda Robinson on “One Hundred Victories. Special Ops and the Future of American Warfare”.

The Collective-Action Frame and Emergence: A Better Understanding of the Operational Environment

Pakistani Unconventional Warfare Against Afghanistan: A Case Study of the Taliban as an Unconventional Warfare Proxy Force

Speaking of the Long War: CNO Speech Transcripts from 2001 to 2011, and the Contemporary Myth of U.S. Sea Power

Connecting Air Support Acquisitions and National Strategy: The Case for Again Fielding a Light Air Support Aircraft

The Art of Restraining the Knife: Understanding the Limits of Drone Strikes in Pakistan

The post-Iraq and Afghanistan US national security environment is predictably yearning for a renewed era of engagement.

Aid Dependence In Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy by Sophal Ear. SWJ book review by John Wilcox.

A Partnership Forged in Hell: A Non-traditional Approach to Assured Mobility and Security Force Assistance in the Devil’s Elbow

Using lessons learned from the PRU and PRT teams, how does an interagency organization improve its collaboration and cooperation in future engagements?

In 2012, the U.S. Border Patrol transitioned from a resource-based to a new, risk-based approach for measuring border security and informing planning efforts along U.S. borders.

This essay argues that General George S. Patton Jr. was a proficient practitioner of small wars in three different contexts.

If the US allows Afghanistan to slip from its grasp, it opens the door in classic Great Game theory to other powers.

Saving the Kiowa: A Case for Augmenting the Reconnaissance and Security Brigade with the Aviation it Needs

NATO’s Post ISAF Challenges and the Danger of a Hollow Alliance: SWJ Interview with Dr. Andrew A. Michta

Mega cities will complicate and greatly challenge Army urban combat missions in the 2030-2040 timeframe.

The words,”put up or shut up” come to mind when talking about the advisor mission.

America’s recent counterinsurgency campaigns have caused a disconnect between strategic and foreign policy objectives.

Continuing the Fight: How New Joint Doctrine Advances the Counterinsurgency Debate

Lessons From Previous Competitive Strategies: SWJ Interview with Thomas G. Mahnken

More than Weather: The Strategic Importance of Remote Environmental Monitoring Capabilities to DOD.

U.S.-Iran Rapprochement: A Counterintuitive Alternative to Thirty-five Years of Distrust

Mexican Cartel Strategic Note No. 16: Recent Santa Muerte Spiritual Conflict Trends

How much Army is enough and too much? The essence of the argument, the size of the active Army, puts the cart before the horse.

Part 7 of a series that provides a retrospective look at the first year of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s Sexenio with comments on the prospects for 2014.

Part 6 of a series that provides a retrospective look at the first year of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s Sexenio with comments on the prospects for 2014.

Part 5 of a series that provides a retrospective look at the first year of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s Sexenio with comments on the prospects for 2014.