Public Policy Commons^™

Human, Machine, War: How The Mind-Tech Nexus Will Win Future Wars, Frank Hoffman

Joint Force Quarterly

In his review of Human, Machine, War, Frank Hoffman explores a timely and thought-provoking anthology that examines how the fusion of human cognition and advanced technologies will define success in future warfare. Edited by Nicholas Wright, Michael Miklaucic, and Todd Veazie, the book argues that winning tomorrow’s conflicts hinges not just on technological superiority, but on mastering the interplay between human factors and emerging capabilities like AI, neuroscience, and cognitive enhancement. Featuring insights from leading defense thinkers, including retired Lieutenant General Jack Shanahan and defense neuroscientist James Giordano, the volume delves into the ethical, operational, and strategic dimensions of …

The Long Pivot: The Development Of The Joint Warfighting Concept, Wilson C. Blythe Jr.

Joint Force Quarterly

Military strategy evolves in response to global threats and technological advancements. This article examines the development of the Joint Warfighting Concept, a pivotal shift in U.S. military thinking towards confronting peer adversaries. The concept emerged from a process of reorienting the Department of Defense away from counterinsurgency operations and towards potential conflicts with modernized Russian and Chinese forces. Initially hindered by a lack of urgency, efforts to address this strategic shift gained momentum through initiatives like the Third Offset Strategy and subsequent national security documents. The Joint Warfighting Concept provides a unified vision for future warfare, guiding force modernization and …

A Conditions-Based Look At A Cyber Force, Shiraz Khan

Joint Force Quarterly

As global competition in the cybersphere increases, questions about the United States’ capability in the cybersphere also increase. This paper examines the current conditions surrounding the discussion of U.S. cyber capability and determines if the conditions surrounding the discussion that led to the creation of The United States Air Force and The United States Space Force exist for the cyber conditions today.

Using the process model used in Bruno Dyck and Frederick Starke’s “The Formation of Breakaway Organizations: Observations and a Process Model” this paper analyzes the stages and triggers that led to new organizations breaking away from their parent …

Revive: Getting Medical Supplies And Expertise Right In Distributed Maritime Operations, Seth Reini, Jonathan J. Haase

Joint Force Quarterly

In recent conflicts, military medical providers have set impressive records for battlefield care, setting a “golden hour” precedent. In a conflict with the People's Republic of China, however, the “golden hour” aspiration will be severely challenged if not untenable. Here, the paradigm will be Distributed Maritime Operations, air superiority will be challenged, and vast distances exist between treatment locations. With patients potentially being held for hours or days, updated medical treatment strategies, logistics methodologies, and transport capabilities will be necessary. This paper focuses on leveraging Military Sealift Command platforms for multi-mission usage by transporting medical supplies to Navy ships in …

Increasing Operational Access: A Strategy For The Western Pacific, Shaun F. Callahan

Joint Force Quarterly

This article presents a comprehensive argument for why the United States must enhance its military and strategic mobility in the Western Pacific to counter the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) growing regional assertiveness. The article contends that maintaining a Free and Open Indo-Pacific requires a whole-of-government approach to operational access, blending diplomatic outreach, economic engagement, strategic communication, and military posture. Current U.S. basing and access agreements, rooted in Cold War dynamics, no longer suffice for effective power projection in today’s contested environment. To enable integrated deterrence and flexible crisis response, the United States must expand distributed access points, deepen partnerships, …

T-Birrd: Transforming The Future Of Military And Humanitarian Logistics, Jacob R. Bright

Joint Force Quarterly

Terrestrial Based Inserted Rocket Resource Delivery (T-BIRRD), Also Known as “Rocket Cargo” or “Point to Point Delivery”, represents a significant leap in the field of logistics, leveraging the capabilities of large commercial rockets to enhance the responsiveness and effectiveness of military operations and humanitarian efforts. This paper delves into the strategic advantages, operational controls, and legal implications associated with the use of T-BIRRD, framing it as a critical evolution in logistical practices.

This paper refers to the capability of rocket cargo delivery as T-BIRRD, a name chosen for its specificity, and clear differentiation from existing systems using rockets to deliver …

Finding Deepfakes: A Tabletop Exercise About Ai, Decisionmaking, And Algorithmic Performance, Andrea Brennan, Gwyneth Sutherlin, Lisa Pagano-Wallace, Hermie Mendoza

Joint Force Quarterly

This article explores a first-of-its-kind tabletop exercise designed to expose U.S. military and national security professionals to the real-world challenges of using AI tools like deepfake detectors in high-stakes decisionmaking. Set in a fictional scenario involving a flawed AI system, participants confronted algorithmic bias, technical uncertainty, and ethical dilemmas, revealing how AI limitations can erode trust in intelligence products. Drawing from student and faculty reflections, the article highlights the importance of preparing future leaders to scrutinize and manage AI performance failures not only as technical bugs but as complex, systemic issues with social and operational consequences. The exercise underscored the …

The Philosophical Foundations Of The Civil-Military Relationship, John Mark Mattox

Joint Force Quarterly

This article reexamines civil-military relations through a philosophical lens, arguing that they are far more complex than simple military subordination to civilian authority. Drawing on foundational models from Hobbes, Plato, medieval Christendom, and Clausewitz, it reveals a recurring tripartite structure of society: rulers, warriors, and citizens bound together by mutual responsibility and moral obligation. From Plato’s emphasis on virtue and justice to Clausewitz’s "paradoxical trinity" of people, military, and government, the article shows that the strength of any state depends on trust and collaboration among all three. True civil-military relations, it concludes, must be understood as a dynamic moral partnership …

Building Strategic Lethality: Special Operations Models For Joint Force Learning And Leader Development, Spencer B. Meredith Iii

Joint Force Quarterly

This article examines how U.S. Joint Special Operations Forces (SOF), particularly through SAG-U and CJSOTF-10, have rapidly adapted to support Ukraine amid Russia’s full-scale invasion, offering a model for future joint force innovation. SAG-U emerged as a key logistics and coordination hub, integrating NATO and interagency partners to manage complex, high-stakes supply chains. Meanwhile, CJSOTF-10 and its subordinate SOTF-10.1 shifted from traditional training and advising roles to rapid tactical adaptation, virtual assistance, and technological integration to meet evolving battlefield demands. The creation of the Remote Advise and Assist Cell (RAAC) illustrates how remote support and real-time data can bridge operational …

From High Seas To Highlands: Framing U.S. Defense Strategy With Southeast Asia’S Geography, Caitlin P. Irby

Joint Force Quarterly

The 2022 United States National Security Strategy prioritized competing with China and this focus seems likely to continue with the new administration.[i] Southeast Asia’s growing economic relevance and proximity to China mean that the US can secure significant gains on numerous goals by focusing on this region. To support developing an appropriate strategy, this paper identifies what features make Southeast Asia relevant to the US, potential flashpoints for conflict, and outlines the characteristics of a potential conflict. With this information the author then proposes specific steps to ensure that the United States military maintains the capability to protect US …

Rightsizing The Pla Air Force: Revisiting An Analytic Framework, Lauren Edson, Phillip C. Saunders

Joint Force Quarterly

This article evaluates the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) from 2007 to 2025 using the Saunders-Quam framework, which identifies four core trade-offs: changes in roles and missions, domestic versus foreign procurement, high-tech versus low-tech systems, and combat versus support aircraft. While the framework remains a useful analytical tool, it underestimated the Chinese Communist Party’s willingness to fund expensive modernization efforts and the rapid advancements in China’s defense industrial base. The article identifies key factors missing from the original framework such as doctrinal shifts, increased emphasis on counterintervention, maritime expansion, and the rise of unmanned systems. It …

Is Mobilization A Major Question?, Evan J. Ward

Joint Force Quarterly

The combination of the Supreme Court’s new Major Questions doctrine and its decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo threatens to hobble the Executive Branch’s ability to effect a major mobilization under the Defense Production Act. The Defense Production Act followed the War Powers Acts of WWII to consolidate and update the presidential powers that were so famously marshaled to mobilize the arsenal of democracy. The Department of Defense has long planned to rely on Defense Production Act authority to mobilize should the need arise, but the risk of litigation brought about by new legal developments means that the authorities the …

Executive Summary, William T. Eliason

Joint Force Quarterly

In this issue, JFQ Editor in Chief William T. Eliason reflects on the enduring value of joint professional military education (JPME) and the journal’s role in shaping informed national security leaders. He emphasizes the importance of history, critical thinking, and learning from past conflicts, principles rooted in Clausewitzian theory, as essential to preparing for future challenges. The issue’s Forum section tackles readiness for great power competition, especially with China, examining mobilization, PLA airpower, and Southeast Asia’s strategic geography. Additional features explore leadership development in special operations, civil-military relations, AI and deepfake threats, space-based logistics, Western Pacific access strategies, distributed medical …

Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 118, 3rd Quarter 2025, National Defense University Press

Joint Force Quarterly

This issue of Joint Force Quarterly addresses key strategic, operational, and doctrinal questions shaping the future of the joint force. Articles examine mobilization as a strategic imperative, PLA Air Force modernization, Southeast Asia’s geographic role in U.S. defense strategy, and leader development for strategic lethality. Contributions also explore AI’s role in detecting deepfakes, the civil-military relationship, and innovations in military logistics and cyber force design. A retrospective on the Joint Warfighting Concept and critical reviews of recent defense literature provide context and continuity. Collectively, these pieces offer insight into how the joint force must evolve to meet emerging challenges.

The Healthcare Workforce In Nevada, 2024, Olivia K. Cheche, William E. Brown Jr., Caitlin J. Saladino

Health

This fact sheet presents data on the healthcare workforce in Nevada. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Query System provides data on the amount of employment in all job sectors at the state and metropolitan statistical area (MSA) levels. This fact sheet focuses on employment and wage data for the State of Nevada, the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV MSA, and the Reno, NV MSA as of May 2024.

District Impact On State-Wide Charter School Policy: Has Normandy Schools Collaborative Punctuated The Equilibrium? Charter School Policy Analysis Of The Missouri Department Of Elementary And Secondary Education, Tracey L. Cannon

Dissertations

Abstract

Punctuated Equilibrium Theory, as applied by Niles Eldredge and Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002) to the study of species evolution, examined the infrequency of morphological change or stasis discontinuity.1 While groundbreaking in the field of Paleontology and the study of fossil change, the theory has been well-fitting to the decision sciences as introduced by Baumgartner and Jones2, in their 1993 and 2010 publications. Recognizing typical, incremental policy change, its use in this research looks at how stasis, stagnant policy can be punctuated by changes in political or societal views. This study examines the impact of heightened problem discussion for agenda …

The Criminal Record As A Death Sentence: Unmasking The Ignored Realities Of Formerly Incarcerated University Graduates On Professional Licencing Challenges, Mbongiseni Mdakane, Bongani Innocent Nkambule, Sindile Amina Ngubane

Journal of Prison Education Research

Recently it is increasingly common practice for universities and professional registration councils to probe into applicants’ criminal records as a precondition for admission. Using social constructionism, this qualitative study explored the experiences of six formerly incarcerated individuals previously sentenced to life imprisonment, who hold professional university degrees in Law, Education, Psychology and Social Work and investigated whether having a criminal record had any bearing when applying for professional registration. The results indicate that due to the perceived stigma of, and discrimination against a criminal record, there exist varying degrees of criminal record disclosure ranging from partial, to full and non-disclosure. …

Strategic Development Plan – San Pedro Dr. Main Street Corridor, Adrian N. Carver

Student Publications

The San Pedro MainStreet Strategic Development Plan is a place-based, community-driven roadmap for revitalizing the San Pedro Drive corridor in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The corridor sits at the intersection of historical significance and present-day opportunity—bridging the old and new alignments of Route 66 while serving a diverse, working-class population. Drawing from urban planning theory, spatial analysis, and community input, this plan identifies challenges and assets related to land use, infrastructure, business development, housing, and cultural identity. Special attention is given to past and ongoing patterns of racialized disinvestment and displacement, with strategies proposed to ensure equitable reinvestment and climate resilience. …

The K-12 Education Workforce In Nevada, 2024, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet presents data on the share of workers in the K-12 education workforce in Nevada. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Query System provides data on the amount of employment in all job sectors at the state and metropolitan statistical area (MSA) levels. This fact sheet focuses on employment and wage data for the State of Nevada, the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV MSA, and the Reno, NV MSA as of May 2024.

The Chemistry Workforce In The Mountain West, 2022, Sean Curry, Otoniel Ramos, Mohit Pande, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet presents 2022 data on the industrial chemistry workforce in five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The American Chemistry Council’s (ACC’s) report, “2023 Guide to the Business of Chemistry,” offers insights into the chemistry industry’s role in the U.S. economy. This fact sheet focuses on 2022 state-level data related to the number of chemistry establishments, the number of individuals employed in the industry, and the average wages and salaries of industry workers in the Mountain West.