For more than 40 years, U.S. defense policy and the design of military capabilities were driven by the threat to national security posed by the Soviet Union and its allies. As the Soviet Union collapsed, analysts wondered what effect this dramatic change would have upon defense policy and the military capabilities designed to support it. Strangely enough, this development would ultimately have little effect on our defense policy. Over a decade later, American forces are a smaller, but similar version of their Cold War predecessors. The author argues that, despite many suggestions for significant change, the bureaucratic inertia of comfortable military elites has dominated the defense policy debate and preserved the status quo with only minor exceptions.

This inertia raises the danger that American military capabilities will be inadequate for future warfare in the information age. In addition, such legacy forces are inefficient and inappropriately designed for the demands of frequent and important antiterrorist and peace operations. Lacquement offers extensive analysis concerning the defense policymaking process from 1989 to 2001, including in particular the 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review. This important study also provides a set of targeted policy recommendations that can help solve the identified problems in preparing for future wars and in better training for peace operations.

The march to Baghdad, Iraq in 2003 was a military operation like no other. High tech weapons and old fashioned Marine infantry combined to lead coalition forces to victory in twenty-one days. Returning Son is the story of Private Sean Cassedy, a cyberspace generation warrior, coming from a tiny Kentucky town with the unlikely name of Bagdad. Son is war from the eyes of a grunt as well as the emotional war for loved ones back home. Sean left for Marine boot camp one week to the day after the tragedy of September 11th. He survived boot camp's ultimate test--the Crucible--only to be tested in the crucible of his own court-martial. During Operation Iraqi Freedom both of Sean's legs were crushed in a fog of war accident within a hundred miles of Baghdad. As one of Kentucky's first injured veterans, Sean's homecoming was as inspirational as his father's homecoming from Vietnam was depressing.

This book examines the myriad ways in which war is culturally reassembled, appropriated, and commodified as it manifests itself in our culture and invades our public imagination and becomes an indelible part of our landscape through fashion, movies, graphic novels, television etc.

An examination of the Nien rebellion in China, including a survey of the background and analysis of the causes of the Nien movement, as well as the history of their guerrilla tactics.

This work determines the processes that strengthen hostility between opposing groups and identifies those who are willing to act in order to change these situations. The backdrop of the Arab-Israeli conflict is used to demonstrate how collective identities are shaped by membership in ethnic and religious groups, and how these identities influence attitudes and behavior. It examines political attitudes, hatred of "others," and willingness to assume responsibility for the various social issues of this conflict. This book takes a fresh approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict by relating it to three distinct societies: Jews, Arabs, and Palestinians. Though it deals with conflict, this assessment is optimistic in the sense that it shows that bridges can be built and maintained among these groups. These bridges are still small and fragile, but may be the structures upon which more elaborate relationships may be developed.

This study examines how the Iranian revolution, the war in Afghanistan, the Iran-Iraq war and Iraq's invasion of Kuwait affected American security in the Persian Gulf. It shows how regional conflicts in the Middle East made the US better able to protect its own security interests in the area.

This work is a doctrinal examination of war termination strategy and conflict resolution as a dependent pair, requiring a plan to achieve both in unison in advance of a fight. The necessity of a plan for conflict resolution should be intuitively obvious for policymakers, yet a survey of recent conflicts, including Afghanistan and Iraq, shows that not to be the case. Beyond Guns and Steel: A War Termination Strategy provides a practical approach to establishing a plan for war termination and conflict resolution before the bullets fly. In explaining the difference between strategy and policy, Colonel Dominic J. Caraccilo clarifies the most important, and often the most constraining, element of a nation's power-its resources. He posits that termination strategy and conflict resolution are interdependent and need to be included in conflict plans from the outset. Caraccilo's book fills a void in current strategy for the development of long-term plans that bring conflicts to timely and acceptable conclusions, providing a methodology that allows interagency requirements and resources for war termination to be defined, allocated, and employed effectively. Examples taken from the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with models of war termination successes and failures to enhance the understanding of scenarios for possible resolution A full array of definitions offering clarity for the reader seeking to grasp the book's methodology for war termination Primary source documentation related to the author's seven combat deployments to the Middle East and over five years of personal involvement in combat and its aftermath. Vignettes from history dating from the Revolutionary War to the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq Sidebars offering relevant charts, graphs, and newspaper articles Examples of conflict resolution to enhance an understanding of war termination outcomes Firsthand accounts from various military officers in the form of Staff College manuscripts A robust listing of books, interviews, documents, and articles on war termination and conflict resolution theories

This concise text presents a focused, well-rounded, and clear-eyed introduction to the concept of human security. Questioning the utility of traditional national-security frameworks in the post Cold War era, Paul Battersby and Joseph M. Siracusa argue that we must urgently reconsider the principle of state sovereignty in a global world where threats to humanity are beyond the capacity of any one nation to address through unilateral action. The authors highlight circumstances, actors, and influences beyond the traditional focus on state security, especially the role of international organizations and nongovernmental organizations. They also emphasize the importance of human rights, arguing for the development of an effective intervention capacity to protect individuals from state action as well as other security threats arising from conflict, poverty, disease, and environmental degradation. A welcome alternative to state-centric approaches to security, this balanced book will be a valuable supplement for courses in international and national security."

The information in this history of the 7th Bombardment Group, United States Air Force, is based on official records and on the diaries and memories of former members of the Group who submitted accounts of their experiences to the author for inclusion in the book. Generally unknown and unrecognized is the fact that the 7th Bombardment Group has a rich history which is closely related to the Air Service of World War I and to the powerful United States Air Force into which the Air Service evolved. The history of a military unit is composed of the activities and accomplishments of the people and the subordinate components that, at one time or another, are assigned to it. The history of the 7th Bombardment Group dates back to World War I. Many of the men assigned to or associated with the Group were air pioneers whose activities contributed to the formation of an organization which one day would become the world''s strongest and most modern air force. While "Four Decades of Courage" focuses primarily on the history of the Seventh Bombardment Group from the beginning of World War I until 1945, the author recognizes that the history of the Group closely parallels and has played an important part, not just in the history of the United States Air Force, but also in the development of flight itself. For that reason, wherever it is practical to do so, the author has included a history of flight from its very beginning.

This edited volume explores the larger maritime and security environment during and beyond the time of Chinese military general Qi Jiguang's enterprise. While serving as a historiography and biography of Qi Jiguang, the book also elaborates on the doctrinal applications of his ideas. Essays in this volume contribute to the field of China studies in light of the increased frequency of news relating to the maritime and military affairs in the region in the post-2000 period. It provides a specialist perspective to the uneven study of Qi Jiguang and maritime/military studies, while also satisfying the desire of the layman to understand the current political security situation in East Asia in the context of the longer term historical developments.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is more than a local or regional dispute. Its ongoing and escalating nature increases the risk that the violence will spill over its present borders and contribute to both extremism and terrorism. While the Intifada from 1987 to 1993 was largely a popular uprising and a political struggle, the recent clash is a war with a steady escalation between conventional and unconventional forces. It is in the interest of all major powers, the international community, and the United Nations to press both sides to accept a realistic peace plan. Noted Middle East expert Anthony Cordesman details this continuing struggle by explaining the issues at stake for each side; the various combatants (both directly and indirectly engaged); as well as the course of the war in its various incarnations. The situation on the ground is complex and the quest for peace is ever more uncertain. If the Intifada was a struggle for recognition that a peace had to be reached that was just for both sides, the Israeli-Palestinian War has polarized both sides away from peace, convincing them of the justice of their own cause and tactics and the fundamental injustice of the other side's tactics and goals. Each side has used human rights, international law, and civilian casualties as political weapons. The history of a near century of conflict is used to justify war rather than a search for peace.

Combat Medic shares Corporal Vernon L. Parker's first-person account of World War II. Parker, like many other young men drafted in WWII, was transported from a simple, hard-working life in rural America in 1942 to a complex, stressful environment that would forever change his life. Nothing could have prepared him for the experiences he encountered as a combat medic and ambulance driver with the Third Army, led by "Blood and Guts" General George S. Patton, Jr. Parker was part of the D-Day invasion. After landing at Normandy, he spent more than ten months on the front lines, supporting the armored divisions through five major campaigns in France, Luxembourg, and Germany. A gifted storyteller, Parker presents a self-deprecating narrative filled with keen insights and colorful descriptions of day-to-day life with fellow infantrymen, officers, civilians, and enemy soldiers. As his saga unfolds, it describes the transformation of a naive and cocky country boy into a battle-weary survivor struggling to maintain his dignity, compassion, and humanity. In Combat Medic, Parker demonstrates a startling recall of events from decades ago, including detailed descriptions of people, places, and even conversations-indicating just how much of an impact those war years had on him.

This book is a critical study of the concept of sovereignty and its relationship to responsibility. It establishes a clear distinction between empirical and normative definitions of sovereignty and examines the implications of these concepts in relation to intervention, international law, and the world state.

The war in Afghanistan is considered by most to be America's longest and least talked about war to date. After terrorists attacked the United States on 9/11, less than one percent of America's population answered our nation's call to serve in the Armed Forces. Even fewer Americans made the life choice to become United States Marines.

During this war, two Marine Corps platoon's were selected by their Battalion to fully integrate with two platoons of Afghanistan National Army Soldier's in order to create a Combined Action Company (CAC) capable of conducting sustained Counterinsurgency (COIN) operations throughout their Area of Operation's (AO) and adjacent battlespaces. Inside of this book, you will learn about one of those platoons and how they fought the Taliban during their deployment to the Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

In this memoir, Bodrog recalls how his platoon of Marines, Sailors and Afghan Soldiers lived, operated and fought in the Helmand Province, Afghanistan as part of the Combined Action Company. In doing so and translucently through the men under his command, the author attempts to immortalize every Marine, servicemen and civilian who sacrificed everything they had to ensure the survival of our great nation, while asking for nothing in return. The missions and stories mentioned in this memoir must never be forgotten or become a lost chapter in our nation's history.Discover what it's like to be one of the bold few who still fight for freedom and gain a deeper appreciation of the Marines and Sailors who served this great nation with Second Platoon: Call Sign Hades.