Dr. Christopher Hemmer

Published April 23, 2025

Co-Contributor of Operation Inherent Resolve

Christopher Hemmer is a Professor of International Security Studies at the Air War College, where he also served as Dean for 6 years. He received his Ph.D. in 1998 from the Department of Government at Cornell University. He is the author of, Which Lessons Matter? American Foreign Policy Decision Making in the Middle East, 1979-1987 (State University of New York Press, 2000) and American Pendulum: Recurring Debates in U.S. Grand Strategy (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2015).

Operation Inherent Resolve

While not a sortie-by-sortie account of Operation Inherent Resolve, the coalition air campaign to defeat the nascent Islamic caliphate known as ISIS, this book offers relevant perspectives and insights on a range of political, diplomatic, and military aspects of the campaign. In addition, this book dissects the complex political arena that found NATO allies disagreeing on support for Kurdish forces, while attempting to contain an expansionist Iran and an aggressive Russia, both of whom supported a decaying Syrian regime that willingly used chemical weapons against its own people and generated a refugee crisis that lingers today. The diverse group of authors, consisting of students and faculty affiliated with Air University, explores, among other topics, the role of responsive acquisition, the potential impact of artificial intelligence on Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), and enhanced postures for combat search and rescue. Collectively, they offer insights on the most recent air campaign to analyze the ever-changing geopolitical landscape, collect valuable lessons learned, and inform future practitioners of air warfare.

[Jordan R. Hayworth / 2023 / 332 pages / ISBN 9781585663279 (paperback) | ISBN 9781585663286 (Adobe pdf) / AU Press Code: B-180 / Format: Print & Electronic]