Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Polybian Warfare: The First Punic War As A Case Study In Strategic Competition And Joint Warfighting, Casey B. Baker

Joint Force Quarterly

The First Punic War (264–241 BCE) between Rome and Carthage offers timeless lessons on strategic competition and joint warfare, particularly relevant for modern military strategy. This 23-year conflict highlights the challenges of long-term rivalries, where adaptability, alliances, and mastery of new domains like maritime power were critical to success. Rome’s transformation from a land power to a dominant naval force demonstrates the importance of technological innovation, such as the corvus boarding device, and the ability to sustain costly investments in new capabilities. Carthage’s reliance on mercenaries like Spartan general Xanthippus showcases both the advantages and risks of external support, while …

It’S The Chain That Broke It: The Strategic Supply Chains Underpinning National Security, Gregory M. Tomlin

Joint Force Quarterly

Strategic supply chain vulnerabilities threaten the Department of Defense’s (DOD) ability to maintain readiness and protect national security. Global supply chains, often dependent on multiple subcontractor tiers, are highly prone to disruptions from geopolitical events, foreign interference, cybersecurity risks, and shortages of critical materials, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and in delays like those affecting F-35 production. To address these challenges, the DOD must adopt "strategic supply chains" as a core concept in its doctrine, emphasizing continuous risk assessment and safeguards like multisourcing, supply chain nerve centers, and contingency planning. Updating key policies and doctrines, such as Joint Publications …

Bullets, Bandages, And Fairy Dust: Improving Dmo Health Services Support With Wargaming, Debra D. Buckland-Coffey, Robert P. Gerbracht, Kengo Nishida, William R. Gureck

Joint Force Quarterly

Health services support is a critical yet often overlooked component of distributed maritime operations (DMO) and expeditionary advanced base operations (EABO). In exercises and wargames, medical logistics are frequently “fairy dusted”—assumed to function without realistic planning—despite the immense challenges of managing high casualty rates, complex supply chains, and limited evacuation timelines in contested environments like the Indo-Pacific. This article highlights the need for better integration of health services into wargames and exercises, emphasizing the importance of realistic scenarios, multilateral cooperation, and investment in modeling tools. By addressing these gaps, military planners can improve readiness, reduce risks, and better prepare for …

Updating The Tacs/Aags For Large-Scale Combat Operations, Matthew Neuenswander

Joint Force Quarterly

The Theater Air Control System (TACS) and Army Air-Ground System (AAGS) have been critical frameworks for coordinating air and ground operations between the U.S. Army and Air Force since the Vietnam War. Designed to synchronize air support, airspace control, and joint fires, the system has evolved to meet changing military strategies, including today’s shift from counterinsurgency to large-scale combat operations. However, challenges persist, such as gaps in airspace management, fires integration, and resource allocation, particularly with the Air Force’s downsizing of Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) personnel. Conflicting priorities, coalition partner limitations, and new Army structures like the Multi-Domain Task …

Determining Political Objectives, Milan Vego

Joint Force Quarterly

Political objectives are the backbone of national and coalition security strategies, shaping the direction and outcomes of conflicts. Defined by political leaders with input from military advisors, these objectives must strike a balance between goals, resources, and methods to be achievable. However, the process is often complicated by competing priorities, biases, and the need to adapt to changing conditions. History has shown the dangers of mismatched resources, flawed intelligence, and unrealistic ambitions, as seen in conflicts like the Russo-Japanese War, Gulf War, and the Russia-Ukraine war. Clear and well-defined objectives—whether focused on defense, conquest, or diplomacy—are essential for success. Achieving …

Is The Pla Overestimating The Potential Of Artificial Intelligence?, Koichiro Takagi

Joint Force Quarterly

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into its military modernization strategy, or "intelligentization," aiming to develop a world-class military capable of designing future warfare. This article reviews over 370 PLA Daily articles to assess how the PLA envisions AI transforming key areas of warfare, including situational awareness, decisionmaking, unmanned weapons, and cognitive domain operations. While the PLA anticipates significant advantages, it also acknowledges the risks of system malfunctions, biased data, ethical dilemmas, and adversarial manipulation. Despite these limitations, the PLA remains committed to leveraging AI to create new forms of warfare, emphasizing the importance of proactive …

Celtic Security In The Atlantic: How Does Ireland Secure Europe’S Western Flank?, Patrick J. Smith

Joint Force Quarterly

Ireland plays a crucial role in protecting Europe’s western flank, but growing Russian aggression has exposed serious gaps in its security. With a small, outdated naval fleet, limited air capabilities, and inadequate radar systems, Ireland struggles to defend its airspace, waters, and critical undersea cables—vital infrastructure that carries 97% of transatlantic data and underpins global communication and security. These vulnerabilities have made Ireland a target for Russian sabotage and incursions, posing risks to Europe and the transatlantic alliance.

The article explores two paths for Ireland to address these security challenges: joining NATO or seeking Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with …

The Urgency Of Warfighting Renewal: Five Principles For Today’S Professional Military Education, Christopher M. Marcell, Gaylon L. Mcalpine, Reagan E. Schaupp, Joseph L. Varuolo

Joint Force Quarterly

This article highlights the urgent need to reform Professional Military Education (PME) to prioritize warfighting skills and strategic thinking, as called for in the 2018 National Defense Strategy. Despite recent updates to include China and Russia-focused content, PME programs remain misaligned with their core mission of developing leaders proficient in the art and science of war.

A key challenge is the growing number of external requirements unrelated to warfighting—such as climate security and diversity initiatives—that dilute PME’s focus and weaken instructional quality. The authors recommend establishing a central authority to vet these requirements and ensure they align with warfighting priorities. …

Being Believed: Persuasion And The Narrative In Military Operations, Brent A. Lawniczak

Joint Force Quarterly

This article examines the vital role of persuasive narratives in modern military operations, highlighting their power to shape perceptions, influence behavior, and achieve strategic objectives across the competition continuum. Narratives are described as unifying stories that provide context, coherence, and clarity to military actions, ensuring alignment between words and deeds while promoting credibility and unity of effort.

The article also explores the key elements of effective narratives—setting, characters, plot, and moral—and identifies factors that enhance their persuasiveness. These include emotional appeal, simplicity, consistency with audience values, relatable characters, trust in the narrator, and resonance with cultural and historical contexts.

Military …

The Art Of Campaigning: Joint Planners Working At The Intersections Of Everything, Mary Bell, Edgar M. Hollandsworth, Thomas J. Snukis, Jeffrey Turner, Luke P. Bellocchi, Nicholas Anthony, Steve Tribble, Chris Botterbusch, Justin D. Harper

Joint Force Quarterly

This article examines the evolution of military campaigning from traditional large-scale combat operations to ongoing efforts that shape the global environment and achieve long-term strategic goals. It highlights the role of Combatant Command Campaign Plans (CCPs) in aligning national strategies with operational objectives and addressing modern challenges like cyber, cognitive, and information warfare.

Key topics include the importance of a Combatant Commander’s (CCDR) vision, the integration of global and regional plans, and the use of strategic wargaming to refine approaches. The article also addresses challenges such as delays in guidance, fragmented planning structures, and adapting to dynamic environments.

Finally, it …

Adopting A Data-Centric Mindset For Operational Planning, Jeremiah Hurley, Morgan Greene

Joint Force Quarterly

The Department of Defense (DOD) is investing heavily in advanced technologies, but its true advantage lies in adopting a data-centric mindset that prioritizes the collection, integration, and use of data to drive faster, smarter decision-making. To modernize its outdated operational planning processes, the DOD must replace static tools like PowerPoint and spreadsheets with real-time data visualizations, automated systems, and standardized data collection templates. By formalizing a "data-first" culture, operational planning can identify and address critical information gaps, improve battlefield awareness, and accelerate mission execution. This approach enables commanders to make more informed decisions while unlocking the full potential of artificial …

Preparing For Adversary Employment Of Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons: Tactical Effects, Operational Impacts, Strategic Implications, James H. Gifford

Joint Force Quarterly

For over 30 years after the Cold War, the U.S. largely dismissed the threat of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield. However, recent nuclear threats from adversaries like Russia have highlighted the need to revisit U.S. strategies. Tactical nuclear weapons differ from strategic ones by their delivery systems, not their destructive power. On the battlefield, they could cause casualties, disrupt missions, and overwhelm medical resources. Operationally, they could create logistical challenges, civilian panic, and delays in military responses. Strategically, even a limited nuclear strike could escalate quickly, requiring leaders to carefully balance deterrence, messaging, and responses to avoid all-out nuclear …

Risk: A Weak Element In U.S. Strategy Formulation, Frank Hoffman

Joint Force Quarterly

This article explores the critical but often overlooked role of risk analysis in U.S. national security decision-making, emphasizing its importance in strategy formulation and execution. Risk, defined as the potential for adverse outcomes tied to uncertainties, is frequently misunderstood or ignored, leading to flawed assumptions, bias-driven decisions, and costly strategic failures. Using examples from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the operation to capture Osama bin Laden, the article illustrates how inadequate risk management has hampered strategic outcomes. It highlights the need for a consistent framework for assessing risk, broader than current military doctrine, to address political, economic, and diplomatic risks. Recommendations include …

Executive Summary, William T. Eliason

Joint Force Quarterly

This issue of Joint Force Quarterly explores the fall of Bashar al-Asad’s regime in Syria, marking a major geopolitical shift with significant implications for the Middle East and beyond. It examines the role of U.S. and NATO strategies in this outcome and raises critical questions about post-conflict support and the future military posture in the region.

Key topics include managing risk in U.S. national security decisions, the strategic implications of Russia’s vast nonstrategic nuclear arsenal, and the rising role of artificial intelligence in military planning. Insights are provided on enhancing joint warfighting capabilities, improving military education, and modernizing command systems …

Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 116, 1st Quarter 2025, National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly

Joint Force Quarterly 116 explores key challenges and innovations in military strategy, operations, and global security. The Forum section examines how the U.S. approaches risk in its strategy, the impact of nonstrategic nuclear weapons, and the importance of using data-driven methods in planning military operations.

In JPME Today, articles focus on how joint military campaigns succeed, the role of storytelling and persuasion in operations, and the urgent need to modernize professional military education.

The Commentary section highlights Ireland's strategic role in securing Europe’s western flank and evaluates whether China’s military overestimates the potential of artificial intelligence.

The Features section dives …

Holy Day Surveys And Political Attitudes In Israel, Hannah M. Ridge

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

Researchers regularly use large survey studies to examine public political opinion. Surveys running over days and months will necessarily incorporate religious occasions that can introduce variation in public opinion. Using recent survey data from Israel, this study demonstrates that giving surveys on religious occasions (e.g., the Sabbath, Hannukah, Sukkot) can elicit different opinion responses. These effects are found among both religious and non-religious respondents. While incorporating these fluctuations is realistic in longer-term surveys, surveys fielded in a short window inadvertently drawing heavily on a holiday or holy day sample may bias their findings. This study thus urges researchers to be …

Playing The Digital Dialectic Game: Writing Pedagogy With Generative Ai, Rebekah Shultz Colby

University Writing Program: Faculty Scholarship

This article explores teaching writing with generative AI as critical play where students and teachers engage in an ethically dialectical and aleatory game with generative AI. I qualitatively surveyed 24 writing teachers about how they teach writing with generative AI as well as its advantages and disadvantages. I discovered that teachers used generative AI to teach about the ethics of generative AI's design and rhetorical use to avoid plagiarism. Teachers also critically played with generative AI to teach the writing process of invention, drafting, revision, and editing. Specifically, the critical, dialectical interplay of human and machine invents in aleatory and …

Volume Cxliv, Number 10, January 24, 2025, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

2024-2025 Performance Forum - January 24, 2025, Caroline Dratnal, Jenna Salliman, Dj Combs, Pablo Camacho

Performance Forum

No abstract provided.

The Gift Of Life, Nicole Gunawansa

Eastern Virginia Medical Journal

This article does not have an Abstract

A Translation Of John Gower's Cronica Tripertita, Robert J. Meindl, Mark T. Riley

Accessus

John Gower's account of the last years of Richard II presents an uncompromised condemnation of the king's reign.

Miscellaneous, Bruce R Johnson

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

No abstract provided.

Film Review Of Freud’S Last Session, G. Connor Salter

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

A review of Freud’s Last Session, by Matthew Brown and Mark St. Germain, directed by Matthew Brown, starring Anthony Hopkins and Matthew Goode. Los Angeles: Sony Picture Classic, 2023. 1 hr., 48 min.

Donald Williams, Answers From Aslan: The Enduring Apologetics Of C. S. Lewis, Josiah Peterson

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

A review of Donald Williams, Answers from Aslan: The Enduring Apologetics of C. S. Lewis, (Tampa, FL: DeWard, 2023), 208 pages, $14.99. ISBN: 9781947929289

Charlie W. Starr, King Lesserlight’S Crown, Judith Mcquoid

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

A review of Charlie W. Starr, King Lesserlight’s Crown (Wilmore, KY: GlossaHouse, 2023). 103 pages. $9.99. ISBN 9781636630588.

K. Alan Snyder And Jamin Metcalf, Many Times And Many Places: C. S. Lewis And The Value Of History, Matthew Nash

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

K. Alan Snyder and Jamin Metcalf, Many Times and Many Places: C. S. Lewis and the Value of History (Hamden, CT: Winged Lion Press, 2023). 191 pages. $18.99. ISBN: 9781935688525.

Holly Ordway, Tolkien’S Faith: A Spiritual Biography, Crystal Hurd

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

A review of Holly Ordway, Tolkien’s Faith: A Spiritual Biography (Elk Grove Village, IL: Word on Fire Academic, 2023). 480 pages, including Appendices, Glossary, Endnotes, Bibliography, Biblical Index, and General Index. $34.95. ISBN: 9781685789916.

C. S. Lewis: On Writing (And Writers): A Miscellany Of Advice And Opinions, Ed. By David C. Downing., Crystal Hurd

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

A review of C. S. Lewis: On Writing (and Writers): A Miscellany of Advice and Opinions, ed. by David C. Downing. (New York: HarperOne, 2022). 208 pages. $23.99. ISBN: 9780063276444.

Thomas P. Hillman, Pity, Power, And Tolkien’S Ring: To Rule The Fate Of Many, Sørina Higgins

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

A review of Thomas P. Hillman, Pity, Power, and Tolkien’s Ring: To Rule the Fate of Many (Kent, OH: Kent State UP, 2023). 306 pages. $40.00. ISBN 9781606354711.

Daniel Gabelman And Amanda B. Vernon, Eds., Unsaying The Commonplace: George Macdonald And The Critique Of Victorian Convention, Carol Propst

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

A review of Daniel Gabelman and Amanda B. Vernon, eds., Unsaying the Commonplace: George MacDonald and the Critique of Victorian Convention (Hamden, CT: Winged Lion Press, 2024). 283 pages. $20.00. ISBN 9781935688440.