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Letter from the Editor
Themes for Future Editions
Table of Contents
Lawfare 101: A Primer
Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap Jr., U.S. Air Force, Retired
A former deputy judge advocate general discusses the concept of lawfare—using law as a form of asymmetrical warfare—and provides some considerations for how to combat this phenomenon.
The Heart of the Matter: The Security of Women, The Security of States
Valerie M. Hudson, PhD; Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill, PhD; Mary Caprioli, PhD; and Chad F. Emmett, PhD
A revision of a chapter by the authors of Sex and World Peace (Columbia University Press, 2012), this article provides a compelling argument that there is a significant linkage between the treatment of women and state-level economic variables and state security.
Coping with Noncombatant Women in the Battlespace: Incorporating United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 into the Operational Environment
Master Sgt. Vince Lowery, U.S. Army
In a companion piece to “The Heart of the Matter,” the author examines the considerable positive effect caring for vulnerable populations, specifically women, can have on mission success during stability operations. He argues for an increased emphasis on women, peace, and security during planning and training for combat operations. (Second Place, NCO Journal writing contest)
Stability Operations in Syria: The Need for a Revolution in Civil-Military Affairs
Anthony H. Cordesman
Using the situation in Syria as an example, the author explains how the United States needs a revolution in civil-military affairs to be successful in fighting failed-state wars that involve major counterinsurgency campaigns and reliance on host-country forces.
The State of Afghanistan’s Intelligence Enterprise
Maj. Gen. Robert P. Walters Jr., U.S. Army and Col. Loren G. Traugutt, U.S. Army
Two senior intelligence officers describe the growth of the Afghan intelligence structure through the use of more advanced collection assets, a more refined targeting process, and a strong partnership between U.S. advisors and Afghan intelligence operators.
Pros and Cons of Autonomous Weapons Systems
Amitai Etzioni, PhD and Oren Etzioni, PhD
The authors review the arguments for and against autonomous weapons systems, discuss challenges to limiting and defining those systems, specify strategic-level policy recommendations, and espouse international accord on autonomous weapons systems use.
New Logistics Ideas for a Complex World
Col. James Kennedy, U.S. Army, Retired and Lt. Col. Kris Hughes, U.S. Army
Logistics experts provide several recommendations to help the sustainment force be more agile and responsive for soldiers and leaders operating in an uncertain, complex environment.
An Underutilized Counterinsurgency Asset: The U.S. Coast Guard
Daniel E. Ward
A former U.S. Coast Guard officer makes a strong case for a greater Coast Guard role in U.S. counterinsurgency operations. He argues that the Coast Guard has unique training and experience in both military operations and law enforcement, but it is seriously underappreciated and underutilized in that capacity.
Strategic Scholars: Educating Army Leaders at Foreign Staff Colleges
Maj. Christopher Gin, U.S. Army
The Army derives significant benefits from sending officers abroad to be educated in regions where they can then be assigned to serve. The author opines that graduate-level education at foreign staff colleges provides officers with an intimate understanding of partner states’ military organizations and capabilities. (Honorable Mention , 2016 DePuy Writing Contest)
How to Build an Armadillo: Lessons Learned from the First Forward-Deployed THAAD Battery
Lt. Col. Jonathan C. Stafford, U.S. Army
In response to North Korean threats, the military deployed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to the island of Guam in 2013. The author provides lessons learned from that deployment to help the Army better plan for future THAAD deployments.
Playing to the Edge: American Intelligence in the Age of Terror
Maj. Charles J. Scheck, U.S. Army
The author critiques a book by Michael V. Hayden, a retired four-star general who became director of the National Security Agency and, later, of the Central Intelligence Agency. The book provides a candid narrative on the intelligence community and Hayden’s thoughts on those two organizations.
Spc. Hilda I. Clayton—May 21, 1991 to July 2, 2013
Spc. Hilda I. Clayton, a visual information specialist assigned to the 55th Signal Company (Combat Camera), was killed while photographing a live-fire training exercise 2 July 2013 in Laghman Province, Afghanistan. Clayton and four Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers died when a mortar tube accidentally exploded during an ANA mortar validation exercise being supported by U.S. Army trainers. She was attached to the 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Forward Operating Base Gamberi in eastern Afghanistan.