Strategic Thinking: Providing the Competitive Edge by Dan McCauley

Editor's Note: In this essay, Dan McCauley states, "Given today’s dynamic and information-laden strategic environment, senior leaders cannot possibly possess the depth and breadth of information essential for informed decision making. Leaders depend upon their staffs to provide analysis, assessments, and insights into the operating environment." When considering his discussion of strategic thinking, ask yourself, …

U.S. Sees Few Good Options In Syria Officials fear violence on ground could go on for months

Washington Post February 11, 2012 Pg. 1 U.S. Sees Few Good Options In Syria Officials fear violence on ground could go on for months By Karen DeYoung and Liz Sly The Obama administration and its allies see few, if any, viable options to end the carnage in Syria as President Bashar al-Assad's forces continue their …

Talent Shortage or Talent Failure? by C. William Guy

Doom and gloom population predictions have pervaded the press for several decades. Following the Baby Boomer generation (approx. 76 million births from 1946 to 1964), in the 1970’s the U.S. government enacted a host of laws and bureaucracy to encourage population control. Population problems were regularly highlighted on the front pages of newspapers, on TV …

A new principle of war ‘Understanding’ must take its rightful place atop the pantheon

BY FRANK HOFFMAN Reflecting revered assumptions and long-standing paradigms, The Principles of War are a list of tenets enshrined since 1949 in the Army’s Field Manual 3-0 “Operations” and more recently in other service and joint doctrines. These foundations — Mass, Maneuver, Unity of Command, and the rest — have stood largely pat for a …

The Truth Behind Competing Claims About The Defense Budget By Kate Brannen

Defense News February 6, 2012 Pg. 6 The Truth Behind Competing Claims About The Defense Budget By Kate Brannen Depending on who you're listening to in Washington, you could think the defense cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act are going to cause the sky to fall or they're no big deal. Participants on each …