The New Balance: Limited Armed Stabilization and the Future of U.S. Landpower

This monograph The New Balance: Limited Armed Stabilization and the Future of U.S. Landpower describes one among many potential points of departure for upcoming QDR deliberations on landpower force planning. In opening up decision space for the new defense team, it concludes that DoD should initiate an unconventional revolution when fashioning U.S. land forces so as to optimize them for employment against less traditional but still violent—and often nonmilitary—threats to core U.S. interests.

Known Unknowns: Unconventional “Strategic Shocks” in Defense Strategy Development

This monograph Known Unknowns: Unconventional “Strategic Shocks” in Defense Strategy Development argues that thoughtful evaluation of the most plausible defense-relevant shocks and their deliberate integration into DoD strategy and planning provides senior defense officials with key checks on excessive convention. Further, the institutionalization of deliberate net and risk assessment of defense-relevant shocks, reasoned judgments about their origins, and preliminary analysis of the most appropriate responses to them promises to routinize prudent hedging in DoD strategy and planning.

The American Military Advisor: Dealing with Senior Foreign Officials in the Islamic World

This introductory paper The American Military Advisor: Dealing with Senior Foreign Officials in the Islamic World concerns the role of the American military advisor. Military officers have frequently been called upon to serve as advisors to foreign officials and to play seminal roles in the political and development realms overseas.