Table of Contents
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2018 General William E. DePuy Writing Competition
Contest closes 16 July 2018
Suggested Themes and Topics for Future Editions
Design to Execution: Into the Suwalki Gap
Col. Charles Kemper, Minnesota Army National Guard
Maj. Jacob Helgestad, Minnesota Army National Guard
Maj. Nathan Colvin, U.S. Army
Maj. Simon Cox, British Royal Marines
Officers who participated in Saber Strike 2017 describe the coordinated efforts across partner nations and territories to successfully conduct a multinational air assault, attack on an objective, and a forward passage of lines with a multinational task-organized team.
Are We There Yet? Implementing Best Practices in Assessments
Col. Lynette M. B. Arnhart, PhD, U.S. Army, Retired
Lt. Col. Marvin L. King, PhD, U.S. Army
Two authors discuss common Department of Defense assessment methods, explain why they are inadequate, and identify the best ways to conduct strategic-level assessments.
Russia’s Forms and Methods of Military Operations: The Implementers of Concepts
Lt. Col. Timothy Thomas, U.S. Army, Retired
An expert on Soviet/Russian studies defines and explains the Russian terms “forms” and “methods”; understanding how Russians use these terms can help Western analysts better understand how Russia intends to organize and employ its forces.
U.S. Drones: Smaller, Less Capable Drones for the Near Future
Maj. Zachary Morris, U.S. Army
The United States should pursue the option of fielding many smaller, less expensive, and less capable drones. This course of action will allow the Department of Defense to operate within current budgetary limits, maintain flexible capabilities, and develop conceptual capabilities for future expansion.
Cognitive Therapy for Soldiers Suffering From Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury
2nd Lt. Noelle Walker, Illinois Army National Guard
A medical professional opines that the Army must implement mandatory, preventative, cognitive therapy for all soldiers in order to increase spiritual fitness, strengthen resilience, and prevent soldier suicides. (Honorable Mention, 2017 General William E. DePuy Writing Competition)
Setting the Theater: A Definition, Framework, and Rationale for Effective Resourcing at the Theater Army Level
Lt. Col. Joseph John Shimerdla, U.S. Army
Maj. Ryan Kort, U.S. Army
Setting the theater is essential to the success of joint and combined operations around the globe. The authors propose a common definition and a systems approach to facilitate the creation of a framework that will enable the theater army to effectively analyze, plan, and resource future requirements.
Taking A Bite of the APPLE(W): Understanding the Defense Enterprise
Col. Charles Allen, U.S. Army, Retired
Col. Robert D. Bradford, U.S. Army
The authors propose a new framework for assessing the enterprise-level environment using the mnemonic APPLE(W) to represent authority, players, processes, leverage points, evaluation criteria, and work-arounds.
Basic Infantry Building Block
Maj. Viktor Potočnik, Slovenian Armed Forces
A Slovenian infantry officer analyses the capabilities, survivability, combat power, and employment on the battlefield of infantry squads and proposes alternative approaches to squad organization, equipping, and
tactics in light of new technology.
Overcoming the Challenges in Implementing Emerging Maneuver Concepts
Col. James E. Zanol, U.S. Army, Retired
Brian M. Pierce, PhD
The authors discuss the convergence between new concepts on maneuver (such as multi-domain battle concept and cognitive maneuver) and maneuver in N-dimensional terrain (synchronized maneuver across multidimensional terrain that is not limited to only the dimensions of space and time), challenges in their implementation, and the information technology needed to operationalize these concepts.
Guadalcanal: A Case Study for Multi-Domain Battle
Chris Rein, PhD
A historian with the Combat Studies Institute uses the World War II battle for the Pacific island of Guadalcanal to demonstrate the concept and benefits of fighting a battle simultaneously in multiple domains. This is a reprinted chapter of a recently published monograph, “Multi-Domain Battle in the Southwest Pacific Theater of World War II.”
Letter to the Editor
A reader comments on a previous article
Review of The Democratic Coup d’État
Robert F. Baumann, PhD
A historian and educator reviews The Democratic Coup d’État by Ozan Varol, which describes how military coups can sometimes help establish democratic governments.
Military Review Remembers Parkland ROTC
Martin Duque, Alaina Petty, and Peter Wang, three Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) cadets who were killed with fourteen of their classmates and teachers during the 14 February school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.