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2021 General William E. DePuy Special Topics Writing Competition
Contest closes soon! Send in your entry by 12 July 2021!
Suggested Themes and Topics
Project Athena: Enabling Leader Self-Development
Brig. Gen. Charles Masaracchia, U.S. Army
Col. Samuel Saine, U.S. Army
Dr. Jon Fallesen
The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and the Combined Arms Center have implemented a new program of self-development that seeks to reenergize the identification of leader basic strengths and developmental needs. The Army calls this webbased program Project Athena.
Understanding the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force: Strategy, Armament, and Disposition
Maj. Christopher J. Mihal, PMP
The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force is perhaps China’s most valuable current military asset as it provides China both offensive and defensive capabilities against a wide range of opponents as well as the inherent value of deterrence that nuclear weapons provide any nation.
The Impact of Base Politics on Long-Range Precision Fires: A Closer Look at Japan
Maj. Richard M. Pazdzierski, U.S. Army
Japan’s political culture surrounding military bases and exercises have affected the security aspects of the U.S.-Japan alliance for many decades and will likely have a significant impact on the Army’s ability to train, fight, and win with long-range precision strike capabilities intended to deploy to Japan.
The Evolution of Economic Compellence
Christopher Sims, PhD
The author describes how the economic aspect of national power has long been used to protect national interests, influence the behavior of other actors, and achieve objectives in the international arena.
Winning the Deep Fight: Planning, Preparing, and Executing Aviation Attacks Out of Friendly Contact
Lt. Col. Steve P. Sevigny, U.S. Army
Maj. James Bean, U.S. Army
Maj. Tamar Wilson, U.S. Army
For the U.S. Army to be successful and win in large-scale combat operations (LSCO), divisions must win the deep fight, and Army aviation plays a critical role in achieving success in the division deep area. The division headquarters must work closely with that of the combat aviation brigade to develop a planning construct that will allow them to achieve victory in LSCO.
Chasing the Army Award for Maintenance Excellence: A Cavalry Squadron’s Business School Approach to Fixing Maintenance
Capt. Tyler D. Stankye, U.S. Army
A cavalry officer lays out how his unit adopted organizational change models to upgrade its maintenance program and ultimately win the 2020 Army Award for Maintenance Excellence.
The Army’s Training Problem: The Missing Correlation between Home Station Training and Combat Readiness
Col. Shawn P. Creamer, U.S. Army
The author espouses modernizing and improving home-station training as a means to overcome training shortfalls related to the multidomain operations warfighting concept.
“We Have Come a Long Ways … We Have a Ways to Go”
Col. Dwayne Wagner, U.S. Army, Retired
A retired soldier examines how Army race relations have changed from the 1950s to the present by recounting his experiences as the son of a soldier, an Army officer, and an Army civilian.
U.S. Army, Toxic Followership, and the Balance of Responsibility
Maj. Ben Martinez Jr., U.S. Army
There are elements outside of what a leader does or does not do that can contribute to toxicity in Army organizations. According to the author, Army leadership doctrine must expand beyond toxicity or counterproductive behaviors in leaders to include followers and environmental factors.
Whose Rights Are They, Anyway?
Courtney F. Chenette, Esq.
Edward A. Lynch, PhD
The authors discuss sovereignty and the history behind a nation’s prerogative to intercede in the affairs of other nations to protect human rights.
Survival in the Russian Occupied Zone: Command and Organization in Resistance Underground Operations
Col. Kevin D. Stringer, PhD, U.S. Army Reserve
The author explores the history of stay-behind resistance networks and discusses considerations regarding their possible role in countering potential Russian aggression in Europe.
Future Mobility: The Cardinal Principle in Northern Operations
Maj. Jari J. Karttunen, U.S. Army Reserve, Retired
U.S. and Canadian armies must develop more mobile and less detectable ground forces, posits the author. To control the vast and remote terrain of northern America, the armies will need fast forces with greater endurance and independence from petroleum supply lines.
Admiral John S. McCain and the Triumph of Naval Air Power
Lt. Col. John H. Modinger, PhD, U.S. Air Force, Retired
The author critiques a book by William F. Trimble that relates the story of Adm. John McCain and his role in the development of naval aviation during the Second World War.
Colonel Ralph Puckett Jr. — Medal of Honor Recipient
President Joseph R. Biden awarded the Medal of Honor to retired Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. in a 21 May 2021 White House ceremony for Puckett’s actions during the November 1950 Battle of Hill 205 in Korea.
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