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2019 General William E. DePuy Special Topics Writing Competition
Contest opened 1 January 2019 and closes 15 July 2019.
Suggested Themes and Topics for Future Editions
Zimbabwe’s Coup: Net Gain or No Gain?
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Retired
Ambassador D. Bruce Wharton, Retired
Two retired members of the Senior Foreign Service of the United States provide an insightful look at the recent coup in Zimbabwe and then discuss that country’s future specifically and the efficacy of coups in general
Love Ballads, Carnations, and Coups
Ozan Varol
A chapter from the author’s The Democratic Coup d’État analyzes instances of military coups conducted by establishment military forces that had the intended result of producing democracy in the nations in which the coups occurred, with some success
Time, Power, and Principal-Agent Problems: Why the U.S. Army is Ill-Suited for Proxy Warfare Hotspots
Maj. Amos C. Fox, U.S. Army
Proxy wars are arguably the most common operating environments in modern war, according to this DePuy Writing Contest honorable mention recipient, but the United States has a poor understanding of how to achieve success in these environments.
Leveraging the Force: Rapid Transformation for a Combined Support Area Command Post
Brig. Gen. Thomas R. Drew, U.S. Army
Maj. Charles G. Fyffe, U.S. Army
The 2nd Infantry Division/Republic of Korea (ROK)-U.S. Combined Division (2ID/RUCD) established a support area command post and executed a proof of principle to demonstrate its feasibility along with verifying the combined requirements that are inherent to 2ID/RUCD as the only combined division in the U.S. Army. The authors summarize their experiences and lessons learned during this endeavor.
Thriving in Uncertainty: From Predictive- to Probability-Based Assessment
Lt. Col. Michael J. Adamski, U.S. Army
Lt. Col. Scott Pence, U.S. Army
The authors review current doctrine to highlight the clear mandate for mission and operational environment analysis that incorporates chance and uncertainty, and assert that this mandate is not observed in the operational force. They then introduce assessment formats that embrace uncertainty and probability.
Recruiting, Vetting, and Training Police Forces in Postconflict Environments
Brig. Gen. John F. Hussey, U.S. Army Reserve
An experienced military police officer contends that successful stability operations in postconflict environments begin with security provided by a democratically trained and functional police force.
The Development and Creation of the Afghanistan National Army Territorial Forces
Maj. Brad Townsend, U.S. Army
The lead planner for the creation of the Afghanistan National Army Territorial Forces discusses how its development is a significant demonstration of the growing ability of the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense to develop and execute complex logistical and structural change.
We’re Confused, Too A Historical Perspective for Discussion of “Land Ahead”
Col. Eran Ortal, Israel Defense Forces
An Israeli officer summarizes the progression of military revolutions throughout history, assesses the development of the Israel Defense Forces in a historical context, and discusses how his think tank used design theory to create the “Land Ahead” transformation framework for the Israeli ground forces.
Integrating Information Warfare: Lessons Learned from Warfighter Exercise 18-2
Lt. Col. Jonathan Rittenberg, U.S. Army
Maj. Mike Barry, U.S. Army
Maj. Daniel Hickey, U.S. Army
Maj. Bryan Rhee, U.S. Army
Capt. Holly Cross, U.S. Army
Five I Corps staff officers share their lessons learned during a recent Warfighter exercise regarding information operations and provide a model for the U.S. Army to integrate information-related capabilities for use against near-peer adversaries in future conflicts.
Where Field Grade Officers Get Their Power
Col. Robert T. Ault, U.S. Army
Jack D. Kem, PhD
The authors discuss how field grade officers draw their “organizational power,” or influence, in order to successfully solve problems, build teams, and develop leaders.
Social Cybersecurity: An Emerging National Security Requirement
Lt. Col. David M. Beskow, U.S. Army
Kathleen M. Carley, PhD
Our military leaders must understand social cybersecurity and how it impacts our force, nation, and values. The authors define this emerging discipline, discuss its history, and describe current and emerging social cybersecurity trends and how the military must respond to them.
The Return of the Bear? Russian Military Engagement in Latin America: The Case of Brazil
Augusto César Dall’Agnol
Boris Perius Zabolotsky
Fabiano Mielniczuk, PhD
The authors analyze the history of interactions between Brazil and Russia, painting a clear picture of the nature of their relationship. This article was previously published by Military Review as an online exclusive in July 2018.
The End of Grand Strategy: U.S. Maritime Operations in the Twenty-First Century
The author critiques a book by Simon Reich and Peter Dombrowski that uses maritime operations as the backdrop for discussing its major theme, specifically that there are multiple U.S. grand strategies instead of the traditional single strategy guiding U.S. policy.
Contours of the New “Cold War”?
The ongoing popular uprising in Venezuela may prove a unique touchstone for discerning the contours of the emerging world order competition in which the United States must operate into the foreseeable future.