Adrian R. Lewis: How Universities Can Help in Our Wars
[Adrian R. Lewis, a former Army enlisted soldier and officer, is a professor of history at the University of Kansas and director of its Office of Professional Military Graduate Education. He wrote this article in a guest post for Thomas Ricks's blog.]
America's universities are being grossly under-utilized by the Armed Forces of the United States in the persistent irregular war we are currently fighting in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world.
In this persistent, prolonged irregular war (IW), it is now well understood that traditional approaches to generating combat power are not enough. The combat power needed in irregular warfare cannot be generated by military forces alone. As a consequence we now talk about the "Whole of Government Approach." The services understand that a more holistic approach on the part of all government agencies is necessary. Agencies such as the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, Defense Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Agriculture, and other such agencies have to be integrated into strategic and operational plans and into the execution of those plans to achieve IW objectives and improve operational effectiveness. These agencies have the education, talent, skills, and abilities that are not found in our Armed Forces, but are greatly needed in many developing regions....
Read entire article at Foreign Policy
America's universities are being grossly under-utilized by the Armed Forces of the United States in the persistent irregular war we are currently fighting in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world.
In this persistent, prolonged irregular war (IW), it is now well understood that traditional approaches to generating combat power are not enough. The combat power needed in irregular warfare cannot be generated by military forces alone. As a consequence we now talk about the "Whole of Government Approach." The services understand that a more holistic approach on the part of all government agencies is necessary. Agencies such as the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, Defense Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Agriculture, and other such agencies have to be integrated into strategic and operational plans and into the execution of those plans to achieve IW objectives and improve operational effectiveness. These agencies have the education, talent, skills, and abilities that are not found in our Armed Forces, but are greatly needed in many developing regions....