Wild Blue Yonder

Nov. 9, 2023
The Allure of Technology

Hindsight is 20/20. When Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the consensus was that Russia would quickly achieve victory in three days thanks to its technological superiority. Yet, Ukraine not only managed to halt the Russian invaders but also pushed them back on multiple fronts. A
Nov. 2, 2023
We Have an Anomaly: America Is Missing a Space-Systems Critical Infrastructure Sector

The other day, I found an old road map of the Mid-Atlantic states while cleaning out a desk drawer and handed it to my 11-year-old. I asked him if he could locate our house on the map. After staring at the map for a few minutes, he asked me, "Dad, where is our blue dot?" Like many Americans, our
Oct. 26, 2023
China’s Hidden Talent: The Thousand Talent Plan

At the age of 60, Dr. Charles M. Lieber was a world-renown chemist at Harvard University with an extensive resume from his groundbreaking work in nanoscience and nanotechnology, publication of over four hundred papers in peer-reviewed journals, lead inventor on 50 patents, and founder of two
Oct. 19, 2023
Poliheuristic Decision-Making Analysis: President George W. Bush and the Decision to Invade Iraq

In March 2003, George W. Bush decided to invade Iraq, pledging to destroy Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and end the dictatorial rule of Saddam Hussein. This decision by the Bush Administration has been analyzed with intense scrutiny across literature and various forms of media; however,
Oct. 12, 2023
The Air Force's Dual Approach: Adopting and Integrating with Air Force Doctrine

Two personas who helped create the United States Air Force left an indelible mark on its culture with their drastically different approaches. While Brigadier General Billy Mitchell immortalized a brazen and maverick approach that involved breaking rules and challenging authority to advocate for
Oct. 5, 2023
(Un)Powerful Propaganda: Russia’s Ineffective Use of Information Activities Against NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence

Moscow’s 2014 invasion of eastern Ukraine and annexation of the Crimea peninsula stunned the West. Through a mix of hybrid and information warfare activities, Russia managed to quickly gain control over parts of a sovereign European nation with minimal violence.[1] Consequently, following the 2016
Sept. 28, 2023
The PRC and the Overseas Chinese

In March 2018, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) announced that the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office was to be absorbed into the United Front Work Department. This reorganization brought international attention back to the concerted effort the People’s Republic of China was
Sept. 21, 2023
The Essentials of Empathy

IntroductionEmpathy is an important piece of the human condition. It is linked to prosocial behaviors and moral development and is negatively correlated with aggression.[1] In popular culture, we see the value in empathizing with others in life and leadership. Arthur Brooks, writing in
Sept. 14, 2023
Growing the State Partnership Program in Africa: A Strategic Imperative for Sustained Engagement on the Continent

The 2022 U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) stresses that to achieve American interests and bounded success with African nations, “U.S.-Africa partnerships must adapt to reflect the important geopolitical role that African nations play globally.” Such 21st-century U.S.-Africa partnerships would
Sept. 7, 2023
Airmen Out-PACED

The U.S. Air Force correctly diagnoses the problem—that in future conflicts it should expect attacks on its command nodes and information systems—but its current approach to rectifying this is not robust. While the USAF invests heavily in new information systems, technology alone cannot solve the