Themes and Suggested Topics for Future Editions

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Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group conduct Zodiac maritime operations training 1 November 2016 at Torii Station, Okinawa, Japan. Nearly twenty special operations support soldiers, many new to the Special Forces unit, completed the fourteen-day, biannual Special Forces Basic Combat Course-Support. Per regulation, the soldiers—from cooks to drivers, intelligence to signal—are required to complete the uncompromising course prior to deployment or every two years.

During the two-week trial, soldiers revisited basic tasks like marksmanship, communications, and troop-leading procedures while tackling more advanced concepts like the Zodiac training shown here, all-terrain vehicle driver training, and tactical combat casualty care. (Photo by Richard L Rzepka, U.S. Army Garrison Okinawa)

Global Challenges

  • What nations consider themselves to be at war or in conflict with the United States? How are they conducting war, and what does this mean for the Army?
  • What are the ramifications of increased Russian military presence in the Middle East?
  • What are the military implications of China’s economic penetration into Latin America, Africa, and broader Asia?
  • What must the U.S. military do to prepare for possible contingency operations in the South China Sea?
  • What are the security implications of the growing Islamic presence in Europe? Elsewhere in the world?
  • What must the Army do to prepare to fight in urban terrain or megacities? What are the ethical challenges to operating in this type of environment?
  • What operational and logistical challenges arise from domestic and foreign infrastructure limitations and how can we mitigate them?
  • How can we better prepare soldiers to operate against atypical combatants (i.e., nonuniformed or child warriors) and under conditions where noncombatants are difficult to distinguish?

The Changing U.S. Army

  • Are U.S. Army rotational units as effective as permanently assigned, forward-deployed units?
  • Does the Army need designated security force assistance brigades? How should they be organized?
  • Is there a role for the Army in homeland security operations? What must the Army be prepared for?
  • How is gender integration changing the Army and how it operates?
  • How does Army doctrine need to change to incorporate the cyberspace domain?
  • Have associated units helped or hindered readiness

July-August 2017