This War Studies Advanced Program will explore the U.S. Army’s transition from conscription to an all-volunteer force after Vietnam. The course aims to demonstrate the visionary nature of the all-volunteer force and the complex, systemic requirements for changing a large institution.

War Studies Advanced Programs are open only to alumni of the basic War Studies course. These sessions are offered in the winter and summer, and focus either on a national security challenge or on a historical conflict. Learn more about the War Studies Program.

Image courtesy U.S. Army

Fred Kagan on how the Army learns

Faculty

James M. Dubik

LTG James M. Dubik (U.S. Army, Ret.) is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for the Study of War and a Professor at Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program. General Dubik has extensive operational experience in Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Bosnia, Haiti, Panama, Honduras, and in many NATO countries.

Frederick W. Kagan

Frederick W. Kagan is a Senior Instructor with the Hertog War Studies Program at the Institute for the Study of War. The author of the 2007 report “Choosing Victory: A Plan for Success in Iraq,” he is one of the intellectual architects of the successful “surge” strategy in Iraq. He is the director of AEI’s Critical Threats Project.

Kimberly Kagan

Kimberly Kagan is a Senior Instructor with the Hertog War Studies Program and founder and president of the Institute for the Study of War. She is a military historian who has taught at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Yale, Georgetown, and American University.

Preview the Syllabus by Week/Session

Topics:

  • The Role of Doctrine and the Road to Air Land Battle
  • Organization: The Creation of TRADOC
  • Training: From personality and time-based training to performance-oriented training
  • Material: The “Big 5:” The Abrams tank, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the Apache and Blackhawk helicopters, and the Patriot Air Defense Missile System

 

Readings: 

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