December 12, 2024

The summer of 2017 saw WAR ROOM growing with the additions of Special Series and an increased number of podcasts.  The first Special Series covered Great Strategists includes four podcasts dedicated to presenting the ideas, background, and legacies of seminal theorists in military strategy. More podcasts may appear in future as other Great Strategists are explored. We also concluded this quarter with a special series commemorating the 10th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command.

This index is also available in PDF form

Volume 2 (Summer Qtr 2017) INDEX of Articles and Features
WEEK OF 3 July 2017
LOOKING BACK AT THE 1988 NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? — A WAR ROOM PODCAST

by Don Snider with Matt Scalia, released 5 July

This War Room podcast explores lessons relevant to today from the development of the 1988 National Security Strategy.

COUNTERING PROPAGANDA AND DISINFORMATION: BRING BACK THE ACTIVE MEASURES WORKING GROUP?

by Mike Dhunjishah, released 7 July

Using the historical case of Soviet propaganda during the Cold War, this piece shows why the U.S. needs a robust capability to counter disinformation.

WEEK OF 10 JULY 2017
PROMISE AND PERIL: THE BIOTECH SECURITY DILEMMA

by Sweta Chakraborty, released 11 July

Public concerns about emerging biotechnologies and their consequences are creating an overly cautious regulatory system, risking U.S. competitive edge.

LEADER OF THE FAR NORTH: PUTIN FORGING A NEW RUSSIAN COALITION IN EURASIA

by Ridvan Bari Urcosta and Doug Mastriano, released 14 July

Explore the threat posed by artificial intelligence: should it become a permanent part of national security and military strategy?

WEEK OF 17 JULY 2017
THE PROBLEM WITH RULES FOR MILITARY INTERVENTION

by Mark Kappelmann, released 18 July

A critique of the dangerous pursuit of simple ‘rules’ regarding military intervention
as presenting false dilemmas about employing armed forces

SEA LEVEL RISE: SINK OR SWIM

by Aubrey Paris, released 21 July

Presents the national security implications of sea level rise, including reduced global water security, damage to national infrastructure, and others.

WEEK OF 24 JULY 2017
STRATEGIC ENDS, NOT TACTICAL MEANS: BETTER WAYS TO BUILD PARTNER CAPACITY

by Tom Sheperd, released 25 July

Addresses structural and systemic problems in the U.S. defense enterprise that inhibits its ability to build institutional capacity of partner militaries.

WHY WAR COLLEGES? — A PODCAST

by Bill Rapp with Andrew A. Hill, released 27 July (duration 19:23)

Outgoing Commandant of the U.S. Army War College MG Bill Rapp discusses the history, roles, and responsibilities of War Colleges to develop both leaders and ideas necessary for national security.

THE MERITOCRACY MYTH: CHALLENGES TO ARMY OFFICER CORPS DIVERSITY

by Michael Hosie and Kaytlynn Griswold, released 28 July

This article challenges the belief that expanding combat arms opportunities to racial and gender minorities improves latent diversity of senior officers.

WEEK OF 31 JULY 2017
COMFORTABLY CONVERSATIONAL: PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR PROS

by Robert Mihara, released 1 August

Offers criticism and advise for military leaders as public speakers, showing their presentations should persuade, be responsive, and be purposeful.

CHINA’S CARRIER FLEET SAILS INTO ITS OWN

by Hugh Harsono, released 4 August

Questions a common assumption in the U.S. that China’s naval development is for military purposes, arguing instead that they carry mainly symbolic weight.

WEEK OF 7 AUGUST 2017
WHAT TO DO ABOUT RECURRING SENIOR LEADER BEHAVIOR ISSUES?

by Jim Shufelt, released 8 August

Any instance of senior officer misconduct is unacceptable, but current oversight is not showing success in reducing incidents. This piece explores why.

CHRONOS, KAIROS, AND THE USE OF TIME IN STRATEGY — A PODCAST

by Joe Brooks and Doug Douds, released 10 August (duration 21:46)

This War Room Podcast explores the complexities of time, timing, and cultural perceptions of time for strategists and senior leaders.

WRONG AND USEFUL: MODELS AND METAPHORS FOR STRATEGY

by Jacqueline E. Whitt, released 11 August

What good is a “model” of strategy when every model possible is wrong? Leaders must deal with complexity directly, not default to deceptively simple models.

WEEK OF 21 AUGUST 2017 (No Releases During week of 14 august)
ON CARL VON CLAUSEWITZ – GREAT STRATEGISTS (EPISODE 1)

by Vanya Eftimova Bellinger with Jacqueline E. Whitt, released 22 August (during 20:31)

This War Room podcast features the writings and legacy of Carl von Clausewitz,
whose book On War is a staple of professional military education.

TOXIC LEADERSHIP OR TOUGH LOVE: DOES THE U.S. MILITARY KNOW THE DIFFERENCE?

by Michael Piellusch, released 25 August

Is the U.S. military confusing toxic leadership with tough love? Does it know the difference between abusive versus firm — but effective — leadership?

WEEK OF 28 August 2017
SUN TZU AND THE ART OF WAR — GREAT STRATEGISTS (EPISODE 2)

by Paul Kan with Jacqueline E. Whitt, released 29 August (duration 11:42)

Sun Tzu may be unknown as a person, but his Art of War is well-known and has been applied to many contexts, as this podcast explains.

THE MANY TRAPS OF THUCYDIDES & THE VIRTUE OF COMPLEXITY

by Richard Lacquement, released 30 August

Six important traps derived from Thucydides’s account of the Peloponnesian War should command the attention of national security professionals.

KAUTILYA, THE ARTHASHASTRA, AND ANCIENT REALISM — GREAT STRATEGISTS (EPISODE 3)

by Larry Goodson with Jacqueline E. Whitt, released 1 September (duration 26:38)

War Room podcast examines another Great Strategist, Kautilya, and his 4th century compilation comprising the earliest writings on realism, the Arthashastra.

WEEK OF 4 September 2017
MILITARY OPTIONS FOR NORTH KOREA: A CASE FOR PREVENTATIVE WAR

by John Mauk, released 6 September

The U.S. is now facing a choice of accepting the North Korean nuclear threat or doing something dramatic to remove it. What are the implications?

THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT CRITICAL THINKING — A PODCAST

by Stephen Gerras with Andrew A. Hill, released 8 September (duration 31:49)

This War Room podcast explores the idea of critical thinking, how it can be developed, and its importance at the strategic level.

WEEK OF 11 September 2017
MAHAN AND SEA POWER — GREAT STRATEGISTS (EPISODE 4)

by Patrick Bratton with Jacqueline E. Whitt, released 15 September (duration 16:14)

In this 4th episode of War Room’s special series on Great Strategists, Patrick Bratton explores Alfred Mahan’s “The Influence of Seapower” upon History.

WEEK OF 18 SEPTEMBER 2017
THE BEST BAD OPTION: NUCLEAR DETERRENCE & NORTH KOREA

by Chris Bolan, released 19 September

Commentary on a recent War Room article explains a contrary view to those advocating preventative war against North Korea and instead call for deterrence.

HOW IGNORING SOCIAL COHESION WEAKENS THE FIGHT AGAINST EXTREMISTS

by Dan Cormier, released 22 September

US efforts to defeat violent extremism must better understand how local, regional, and global dynamics both create and sustain instability.

WEEK OF 25 SEPTEMBER 2017
FORMING U.S. AFRICA COMMAND: A STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION SUCCESS — AFRICOM AT 10 YEARS (PART 1)

by Tom Galvin, released 26 September

How did AFRICOM change the communication environment from open hostility to general favorability in only two years? This War Room article tells the story.

ON BEING A ‘DIFFERENT’ KIND OF COMMAND — AFRICOM AT 10 YEARS (PART 2)

by Alexander Leskaris with Ryan McCannell, released 28 September (duration 29:02)

The civilian deputy to the commander of AFRICOM reflects on the uniqueness of the command and growing importance of interagency cooperation.

AT THE NEXUS OF DIPLOMACY, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEFENSE — AFRICOM AT 10 YEARS (PART 3)

by Ryan McCannell, released 29 September

War Room article describes how the AFRICOM experience of collaboration among defense, diplomacy and development has been successful.

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