Program on National Security

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The end of the Cold War ushered in neither a period of peace nor prolonged rest for the United States military and other elements of the national security community. The 1990s saw the U.S. engaged in Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and numerous other locations. The first decade of the 21st century likewise has witnessed the reemergence of a state of war with the attacks on 9/11 and military responses (in both combat and non-combat roles) globally. While the United States remains engaged against foes such as al-Qa`ida and its affiliated movements, other threats, challengers, and opportunities remain on the horizon.

The FPRI’s Program on National Security examines contemporary and emergent threats and opportunities to American security through a wide aperture. In particular the program focuses on:

American grand strategy
The contemporary and future global geostrategic environment that effect the U.S. and its interests
The ends (strategies), ways (organization and methods of force employment), and means (force structures and capabilities) that impact the use of military force
Counterterrorism and homeland security
Development, diplomacy, and informational issues that contribute to the holistic implementation of strategy.

Program Activities

Building on several conferences convened by FPRI’s Defense Task Force starting in 1996, which culminated in the publication of a book in 2002 entitled America the Vulnerable: Our Military Problems and How to Fix Them, FPRI’s Program on National Security is designed to address the questions posed above through a focus on research, publication, and education.

Research. The program holds annual conferences that have resulted in major policy prescriptive reports. Conferences thus far have dealt with the role of the reserves and National Guard in the 21st Century; the American military strategy and force structure writ large; civil-military relations in the U.S. after the Iraq War; national security challenges for the Obama Administration; and “The Foreign Fighter Problem.” Other research projects have dealt with American and British approaches to stability operations and Afghan police reform.
Publication. In addition to the reports mentioned above, program materials are published as monographs, FPRI E-Notes (distributed to over 25,000 individuals in over 85 countries) and through other publication outlets (journals, newspapers, etc.). Recent articles includ Iraq, Afghanistan and British Strategy by David Betz and Anthony Cormack (18 pages, 149K ), published in the Spring 2009 issue of Orbis.
Education. The program contributes to FPRI’s education program through the hosting of occasional lectures and by offering internship opportunities to college students. Additionally, the program has developed History Institutes for secondary school educators on the teaching of American and world military history, held at the First Division Museum at Cantigny in Wheaton, Illinois. Future such events are being planned. (You can see more about the previous teaching military history institutes www.fpri.org/education/militaryhistory.)

Personnel

The Hon. John F. Lehman, Jr., Chairman
The Hon. John Hillen, CEO Global Defense Technology & Systems, Inc., and former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs.
Michael P. Noonan, Managing Director
Dr. David Betz, Senior Lecturer in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, where he heads the Insurgency Research Group and is Academic Director of the on-line master’s degree, War in the Modern World.
David Danelo, Marine Corps veteran and author.
Andrew Garfield, an expert on terrorist threats; likely adversary asymmetric warfare strategies; and the development of U.S. strategic influence operations and cultural intelligence.
Dr. Michael Horowitz, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, holds expertise in military diffusion, future warfare, and religion and war.
Garrett Jones, a former CIA case officer with experience in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
Dr. John Maurer, Chairman of the Strategy and Policy Department at the U.S. Naval War College, and an expert on naval and military strategy.
Dr. Jacqueline Newmyer, President and CEO of the Long Term Strategy Group, an expert on Chinese military and security matters.
Dr. Mackubin Thomas Owens, Professor of Strategy at the Naval War College and a retired, decorated Marine Corps officer and an expert on geostrategy and defense policy. He also serves as the Editor of the Institute’s journal Orbis.
Dr. Chris Seiple, President of the Institute for Global Engagement, a former Marine infantry officer and an expert on non-traditional threats.
Dr. Dominic Tierney, assistant professor of political science at Swarthmore College.

Contact Information

For further details, contact Michael Noonan at mn@fpri.org or (215) 732-3774, ext. 203.