Book Review: Thanks for Your Service: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the US Military

Author: Christian Nikolaus Braun Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel James “Andy” Nichols, US Army War College class of 2023 Lieutenant Colonel James “Andy” Nichols provides a thoughtful review of Duke University professor Peter D. Feaver’s book on the reasons for—and proposed ways to maintain—the “high public confidence” that the US military has experienced since 2001. Nichols overviews Feaver’s research methodology and policy recommendations, providing potential readers useful praise of the book’s merits—particularly Feaver’s “discussions surrounding politicization (party) and public pressure”—and some critiques, namely that the policy recommendations are “underdeveloped.” Nichols concludes that “[t]he text advances policy discussions on public confidence in US government institutions, includes valuable quantitative analysis, and points to future research opportunities.”https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters_bookshelf/1048/thumbnail.jp

International Competition in the High North: Kingston Conference on International Security 2022

The 16th annual Kingston Consortium on International Security conference, “International Competition in the High North,” took place on October 11–13, 2022, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The conference examined the Arctic region in the context of ongoing climate change and against the backdrop of war in Ukraine. Over the past several years, the United States has acknowledged the growing importance of the Arctic as a strategic region, and the Department of Defense and each of the US military services have published Arctic policies or strategies. In addition, the Department of Defense has created a new regional study center, the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies in Alaska. Canada and the other Arctic Council nations have also acknowledged the growing importance of the Arctic region and revised strategic frameworks and changed institutional approaches to ensure Arctic security challenges arising from great-power competition and other threats, like those to the environment, are addressed. This volume captures these ideas for the United States and its allies so all can benefit from this experience. Contributors Janeen L. Birckhead, Andrea Charron, J.P. Clark, Joseph L. Corriveau, Michele Devlin, Wayne Eyre, Kathryn Bryk Friedman, James Fergusson, Wilfrid Greaves, Thomas Hughes, Ryan E. Jurkowski, Devin Kirkwood, Rauna J. Kuokkanen, Lori L. Leffler, W. Barrett Martin, James R. Morton Jr., Roch Pelletier, Camilla T. N. Sørensen, Wendy R. Tokach, Michael K. Tovohttps://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1961/thumbnail.jp

Book Review: The New Makers of Modern Strategy: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age

Editor: Hal Brands Reviewed by John C. Erickson, senior engineer, Axiom Technologies, and John A. Nagl, professor of war-fighting studies, US Army War College John Erickson and John Nagl provide a useful overview of the latest (third) edition of Princeton University Press’s anthologies on modern strategy, directing readers to the most salient chapters of the book and giving insight into why “this third edition is the most interesting yet” and “are of immeasurable importance for students, practitioners, and scholars alike.” Erickson and Nagl write that “[the] essays provide excellent starting points for research on almost any topic relevant to practitioners, and many of them will endure as the best summaries of thinking on their respective subjects until the next edition is published.”https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters_bookshelf/1060/thumbnail.jp

Rethinking the Relevance of Self-Deterrence

Self-deterrence is critically understudied in deterrence theory. Similarly, deterrence practitioners prefer to focus on adversaries’ threats rather than seeking to account for the full scope of fears influencing the decision calculus of policymakers. Through historical case studies, this article identifies where self-deterrence has occurred, highlights the benefits of incorporating the concept in future strategic planning and intelligence assessments, and recommends that policymakers, strategists, and analysts acknowledge self-deterrence as an important factor when preparing for future wars

Emerging Technologies and Terrorism: An American Perspective

In a world where technology is rapidly advancing and available to the masses, companies and policymakers face a daunting reality—non-state actors are using innovation for sinister purposes. While artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems promise enhanced threat detection, terrorist groups are exploiting these tools for recruitment and attacks. The future is concerning as AI becomes more widespread and autonomous systems and augmented reality redefine society. A groundbreaking report is born from a collaboration between NATO COE-DAT and the US Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. This book unveils a grim forecast that terrorists are poised to exploit advances in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, augmented reality, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. The line between reality and fiction blurs in the age of rapid technological evolution, urging governments, industries, and academia to unite in crafting ethical frameworks and regulations. As geopolitical tides shift, NATO stresses national responsibility in combating terrorism and advocating for collective strength against the looming specter of technology-driven threats. However, questions linger. Can regulatory frameworks keep pace with technological innovation? Will industry prioritize ethical considerations over profit margins? Contributors Darrin L. Frye, Sarah Lohmann, Paul J. Milas, Michael W. Parrott, Susan Sim, Steve S. Sin, Kristan J. Wheaton Chapter 1: ©2024 Susan Sim. All rights reserved. Chapter 2: ©2024 Sarah Lohmann. All rights reserved. Chapter 5: ©2024 Steve S. Sin. All rights reserved.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1963/thumbnail.jp

SRAD Director\u27s Corner: Emerging Technologies and Terrorism: A Report from NATO\u27s COE Defence Against Terrorism

The Strategic Studies Institute and the NATO Centre of Excellence for the Defense Against Terrorism have solicited expert researchers’ knowledge on emerging threats and technologies to prepare a (forthcoming) report on emerging technologies in terrorism. The information presented here previews this report, including an overview of key factors inhibiting counterterrorism, examples of potential threat scenarios, and recommendations of ways in which the policy and defense communities can keep apace with the challenges that emerging technologies present

Book Review: The Ballad of Roy Benavidez: The Life and Times of America’s Most Famous Hispanic War Hero

Author: William Sturkey Reviewed by Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, chaplain, colonel (US Army, retired), US Army War College Class of 2010 As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Dr. Wylie W. Johnson presents a review of a recent publication on one of the most celebrated Hispanic war heroes in US history—Medal of Honor recipient Roy Benavidez. Johnson overviews author William Sturkey’s biography of Benavidez, which discusses Benavidez’s “perseverance against racial prejudice, poverty, substandard education, bureaucratic inertia, popular bias against patriotism, anti-military sentiment, and physical disabilities” and also his heroism in the Vietnam War and his lifetime of service afterward. Johnson recommends the book as “military leaders need to be reminded about our heroes and honor the examples they set.”https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters_bookshelf/1065/thumbnail.jp

Resources Designed to Promote Professional Discourse

The Army provides its servicemembers with Army regulation, doctrinal, and organizational publications to accomplish essential tasks—from training and leading units to conducting military operations. Professional discourse is no exception. The US Army War College and Army University Press recently published resources to help the force prioritize professional discourse. These documents provide a starting point for aspiring researchers and a reference guide for individuals and organizations. Combined, these new publications will help the force to take up Chief of Staff of the Army Randy A. George’s charge to revitalize professional discourse in the Army

Book Review: The Islamic State in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strategic Alliances and Rivalries

Authors: Amira Jadoon with Andrew Mines Reviewed by Thomas F. Lynch III, PhD, Distinguished Research Fellow, Institute of National Strategic Studies, National Defense University Dr. Thomas F. Lynch III offers his expertise in a thoughtful review of this essential primer on the Islamic-State Khorasan Province (ISK). While finding the book\u27s idea that the ISK is currently a latent, global terrorist threat to be less persuasive, Lynch highlights the value of author Amira Jadoon\u27s unique ability to write with an appropriate level of depth about the complexity of tribal groups, subgroups, fragments, and splinters and notes that There is no other published work today with such a high level of insight into this enduring regional terrorist group.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters_bookshelf/1038/thumbnail.jp

Book Review: The War in Nicaragua

Review essay by Colonel Joerg Stenzel, instructor, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, US Army War College Colonel Joerg Stenzel (German Army), an instructor at the US Army War College, lends his expertise in strategy to this review of the most famous and successful filibuster featured in William Walker\u27s 1860 work, The War in Nicaragua. As Stenzel notes, the book is Walker\u27s personal description of his own war in Nicaragua that it is arguably biased and written in the third person in a style that differs greatly from his earlier editorials. Stenzel provides an overview of Walker\u27s life and contextualizes his actions in relationship to slavery, North-South rivalries, the Gold Rush, and Manifest Destiny, noting that A closer look at Walker and his actions shows that Central America, with its instabilities and turmoil, had and still has significant geopolitical relevance for the US government.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters_bookshelf/1041/thumbnail.jp