Articles

Army Must Regain Initiative in Social Cyberwar

Lt. Col. David BeskowKathleen M. Carley
Sun Tzu said, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” Today, this supreme art is taking on unprecedented forms in the cyber environment. Wars are fought and the hearts and minds of populations captured in a landscape with...

Getting Back to the Basics of Leadership

Command Sgt. Maj. George Horvath, U.S. Army retired
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael A. Grinston, who is to be sworn in on Aug. 16 as the next sergeant major of the Army, has said we need to get “back to the basics.” In my 30-plus years of service, I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard that remark...

Cadets Take on Assault, Harassment: Events, Training Stepped Up at West Point

Cadet J. Alex AlbrightCadet Eden-Elizabeth Phillips
In 2018, service academy cadets across the country participated in a Service Academy Gender Relations Survey conducted by DoD’s Office of People Analytics. The results of the survey, released this past spring, showed that 48% of women and 17% of men...

An Easy Way to Staff Reserve Command Teams

Maj. Jamie SchwandtMaster Sgt. Anthony Livernois
Why do so many command team and leadership vacancies exist in the U.S. Army Reserve, and why do its leaders allow units to struggle through such obstacles? The Reserve suffers from a severe shortage of battalion commanders and, to a lesser degree,...
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August 2019 Book Reviews

AUSA Staff
War Game Narrative Holds Real-World Truths The Senkaku Paradox: Risking Great Power War Over Small Stakes. Michael O’Hanlon. Brookings Institution Press. 272 pages. $27.99 By Maj. Nathan K. Finney What are the chances the United States would go to...

Poisonings Prompt Chemical Attack Questions

Col. Liam Collins
On March 4, 2018, British authorities say Russian agents poisoned Sergei Skripal—a former Russian military intelligence officer and U.K. double agent—and his daughter using a Novichok nerve agent. The attack took place in Salisbury, England, a town...

To Fill Civil-Military Gap, Close Base Housing

Paul Yingling
When Gen. James C. McConville testified at his Senate confirmation hearing to become chief of staff of the Army, his three children sat behind him: all captains in the U.S. Army. While the U.S. is fortunate to have families such as the McConvilles,...

Protect, Defend, Exploit: Air and Missile Defense Evolves for Multidomain Operations

Lt. Gen. James H. Dickinson
In response to increasingly complex threats from our near-peer adversaries, the Army must chart a clear path to provide flexible, agile and integrated air and missile defense forces capable of deploying, fighting and winning against any adversary...

How to Nudge the Army Onto a Different Course

Maj. Joe ByerlyMaj. Casey Dean
For many young leaders, the Army can be a frustrating experience. They see areas that can be improved upon, but quickly become frustrated with conservative leadership, bloated bureaucracies and navigating a system that can favor time in service and...

New Retirement System: A Good Deal Missed?

Col. Mark Troutman, U.S. Army retired
Some soldiers may be sorry down the road for not signing up for the Blended Retirement System during the opt-in period that ended Dec. 31. The results of the opt-in, which required a complex decision with difficult choices, will have researchers...

Unparalleled Partnership: Continued U.S., British Military Cooperation Is Crucial

Brigadier James Carr-Smith
For over 100 years, the United Kingdom and the United States have fought alongside one another as we, together with our allies, have sought to protect our way of life and help shape a bright and prosperous future for our children and grandchildren...

New AUSA book highlights controversial Cold War leader

Joseph Craig, Director AUSA Book Program
Gen. Maxwell Taylor was one of the most influential military leaders of the Cold War. Among his many roles, he served as the U.S. Army chief of staff, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as the U.S. ambassador in Saigon during the early years...

Remembering World War II on historic D-Day anniversary

Joseph Craig, Director AUSA Book Program
June 6 is always a special day in the history of American armed forces. It is the anniversary, of course, of D-Day — the beginning of the Allied invasion of northern France in 1944, when more than 150,000 troops landed on the beaches at Normandy...

Life After Abrams: If it doesn’t look or act like a tank, it still may be the tank of the future

Scott R. Gourley, Contributing Writer
The almost 40-year-old Abrams tank has a significant role in the Army’s vision for 2028 because of a major facelift that upgrades the engine, sensors and sights, along with advanced armor and an active protection system aimed at fighting, surviving...

A Junior Leader’s Take on Military Life

Capt. Derrick M. Davis
When someone leaves home for the first time at the age of 17 or 18 to join the military, they never foresee what they are about to face. After 23 years and traveling around the world, I have seen it all. I want to highlight the three most important...