Dr. David Sorenson

Published April 23, 2025

Co-Contributor of Operation Inherent Resolve

David S. Sorenson is the General Benjamin O. David Chair of International Security Affairs at the U.S. Air War College, where he has taught courses on national security, global affairs, and the Middle East for thirty-two years. He has published eight books, including Civil-Military Relations in the Modern Middle East (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023); Syria in Ruins: The Dynamics of the Syrian Civil War (Praeger International, 2016); An Introduction to the Modern Middle East (2nd edition, Westview Press 2014); and Global Security Watch: Lebanon (Praeger International, 2010). He is currently working on a book on the political dimensions of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. He has published articles and book chapters on Middle East politics, defense budget politics, and national security affairs. Sorenson has consulted on Middle East policy for several US government agencies. He formerly taught at Denison University, The Mershon Center at Ohio State University, and the University of Colorado at Denver. His PhD is from the Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver.

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]