Download the full issue of Parameters | Summer 2024
From the editor-in-chief
Antulio J. Echevarria II
Welcome to the Summer 2024 issue of Parameters. This issue begins with a special “Memoriam” by General Charles A. Flynn, Commander, Army Pacific, celebrating the life and work of Carol V. Evans, the hon. This issue is dedicated to her. General Flynn’s memorial is followed by a remarkable commentary on China’s Belt and Road Initiative. We will then feature three forums covering the Russia-Ukraine war, the Middle East, and professional development. The issue also includes a special essay on the role of professional writing, the U.S. Army War College’s Center for Civil-Military Relations, and a reflection on the evolution of military and society research from the journal’s military and society editor-in-chief. 50th anniversary.
keyword: China, Belt and Road, geopolitics, fragmented authoritarianism, debriefing, resilience, combat stress, psychology, recovery, Russia, Ukraine, information operations, disinformation, information literacy, retrenchment, decline, Middle East, grand strategy, US foreign policy, Iraq, Department of the Interior, institutional reform, SSR, NATO, artificial intelligence, Afghanistan, military intelligence, innovation, culture, STEM+M, education, technology, human capital, higher education, bureaucracy , Fundamentals, Policy, Politics, Strategy, Harding Project, Professional Discourse, General Randy A. George, Michael R. Weimer, Civil-Military Relations, General Charles Q. Brown Jr., General Randy A. George, Christie Warmath, National Security Strategy, Military and Society, Asymmetric Warfare, Afghanistan War, Small Wars, All-Volunteer Forces, Morris Janowitz, Postmodern Military
memorial
Dr. Carol V. Evans
General Charles A. Flynn
in focus
What U.S. policymakers misunderstand about the Belt and Road Initiative
Zenel Garcia and Phillip Guerreiro
The US narrative of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) argues that it is a coherent grand strategy that reflects Beijing’s geopolitical ambitions. These explanations ignore the fragmented nature of the Belt and Road, in which China’s provinces have played a central role in its development and implementation. Moreover, these explanations ignore the agency of participating countries and their ability to shape the Belt and Road. This article explains this fragmentation and subjectivity by studying Yunnan province and its domestic and international neighbors. They argue that these dynamics show that the BRI lacks coherence and that Beijing’s ability to extract geopolitical benefits remains limited.
Keywords: China, One Belt, One Road, fragmented authoritarianism, geopolitics
Russia-Ukraine war
The path of combat: maintaining the mental readiness of Ukrainian soldiers
Ole Fukowski, James C. West, Joshua C. Morganstein, Eugene F. Augustafer, David M. Benedek, Oleg Boyko, Robert J. Ursano, Amy B. Adler
The psychological resilience of soldiers is a top priority in Ukraine. Therefore, the Ukrainian military has developed a new intervention, Combat Path Debriefing, aimed at addressing combat stress and facilitating the readiness of soldiers’ units to return to combat. This article outlines the components of a combat path debriefing, how it is rooted in combat and operational stress management principles, and the unique features of Ukrainian military life. This perspective provides U.S. and allied leaders with real-world experience that will inform future efforts to support the mental health and combat performance of soldiers.
Keywords: debriefing, resilience, combat stress, psychology, recovery
Understanding Russian disinformation and how joint forces can respond to it
michael j kelly
Unless the United States makes disinformation a central part of Russia’s strategy, Russia will dominate the information war. This article departs from previous research by examining the important role that disinformation has played in Russia’s post-Cold War strategy, including its strategy in the current Russia-Ukraine war. have observed that they are aware of Russian disinformation but are failing. To assess its influence or fully deny Russian influence. The article also reviews current US efforts and suggests proactive ways to counter Russia’s disinformation strategy.
Keywords: Russia, Ukraine, information operations, disinformation, information literacy
middle east
Dynamics of US retrenchment in the Middle East
Paul K. McDonald and Joseph M. Parent
This article argues that the situation is such that the United States can shift the burden to capable countries in the Middle East region, that there are few areas in which U.S. commitments are interdependent, and that the calculus of local conquest favors defense. It is argued that it is advantageous for the United States to withdraw from the Middle East. Forward military deployments will not have a positive impact on potential threats in the Middle East, and maintaining deployments there will be a hindrance to countering the challenge from China. This article examines the gradual decline of the United States from a historical perspective by comparing it with past examples of decline in the hierarchy of great powers, and makes clear that the downsizing policy will probably have positive consequences.
Keywords: contraction, decline, Middle East, grand strategy, US foreign policy
Iraq Ministry of Interior: NATO, capacity building, reform
andrea malouf
The ongoing two-decade effort to reform Iraq’s Ministry of Interior through capacity building is an underreported but important aspect of NATO’s mission. This article identifies 10 strategic errors or “lessons learned” from this mission related to objectives, methods, means, and assumptions. NATO’s involvement was flawed from planning to implementation, including a short-sighted focus on training, systematic neglect of politics, marginalization of civilian expertise, and inadequate measurement of its effectiveness. This could undermine the legitimacy of the police in Iraq and further exacerbate instability. Capacity building is becoming increasingly attractive as a non-dynamic tool. The success of future NATO missions in Iraq and elsewhere will therefore depend on avoiding similar mistakes.
Keywords: Iraq, Ministry of the Interior, institutional reform, SSR, NATO
Raven Sentry: Using AI for signs and warnings in Afghanistan
Thomas W. Spahr
This article examines Raven Sentry, a project that leverages artificial intelligence to provide advance warning of insurgent attacks in Afghanistan. From 2019 to 2020, Resolute Support’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (J2) built on a command culture that embraces innovation, the urgency created by U.S. funding cuts, and support from commercial sector experts. benefited from a uniquely talented group of people. AI systems that help predict attacks. Although Raven Sentry’s operations ceased with the end of the war, the experience provided important lessons about the conditions necessary for successful AI and innovation.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, Afghanistan, military intelligence, innovation, culture
professional development
Bridging the Gap: Executive Advanced Education STEM+M (Management)
Leon L. Robert Jr. and Carl J. Wojtaszek
The Army has not made sufficient progress in providing science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and management (STEM+M) knowledge to its officers. The modern battlefield is fast-paced, technology-enabled, and data-driven, requiring more skills, knowledge, and experience from officers. We examine the history of STEM education in the Army and show that, from an educational perspective, the current Army officer corps lags behind the requirements of a technology-enabled military and modern society. We conclude with recommendations for how the Army can close the STEM+M education gap through higher education advancements and talent management practices.
Keywords: STEM+M, education, technology, human capital, higher education
Successful Operations within the Proposed Bureaucracy Warfare Domain: Part 1
Jeff McManus
Policymakers in the defense community should approach bureaucracy as the sixth domain of warfare. This is because it allows them to better navigate bureaucratic processes and procedures. In the first part of this two-part article, these experts will help you navigate the bureaucratic terrain and address and balance the complexities of the policy-making process in the overall interest of U.S. national security. Let’s discuss the first three fundamentals (out of 10) that must be developed.
Keywords: bureaucracy, basics, policy, politics, strategy
Major’s perspective
Professional discourse shapes power.
brennan devereaux
The Army is changing. While today’s senior leaders are moving services on a path to modernization, the problems of the future belong to the next generation, and we must solve them ourselves. Professional writing is a means to that end, a tool that enables leaders at all ranks to influence change at the macro level by contributing meaningfully to the Department of Defense (DoD) conversation. Those embarking on this difficult adventure are not alone. Writing is a team sport. The journey is as important as the destination, and most people in this role find it very rewarding to participate in professional conversations.
Keywords: Harding Project, Professional Discourse, General Randy A. George, Michael R. Weimer
Military-civil relations corner
Introduction to the U.S. Army War College Center for Civil and Military Relations
Carrie A. Lee
The United States is experiencing a period marked by civil-military tension and conflict. From the increasing politicization of the military, to declining public trust in the military and the draft crisis, to the erosion of norms that protect civilian control, to the lack of accountability within the profession. Healthy civil-military relations in America today are under attack. In response, the U.S. Army War College established the Civil-Military Relations Center (CMRC) in summer 2022 to “develop healthy and sustainable relationships between the U.S. military, society, and political leaders through education, research, and education.” “We will support and promote this.” Outreach.
Keywords: Civil-military relations, General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., General Randy A. George, Christine Wormuth, National Security Strategy
review essay
Exploring the ties between the military and society at the 50th anniversary
Patricia M. Shields
Dependency and tension continue between the military and the society it protects. This article examines the relatively new field of Military and Society, focusing on the 50th anniversary of the magazine Military and Society. This dynamic field is influenced by world events, cultural trends, and politics. Civil-military relations are at the center of the debate. An international and interdisciplinary journal, Armed Forces & Society reflects the changes in the field over the past 50 years. I have been editing this magazine since 2001 and bring this experience to bear on the discussion.
Keywords: civil-military relations, Morris Janowitz, war in Afghanistan, all-volunteer force, postmodern military
