The Unexpected Theologian: The Rise of Religious Messaging in Putin’s Re-making of Russian State Identity

As war rages in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin’s reputation as the “most evil man in the world” continues to grow across the Western world.[1] Despite this critical international view, Putin has maintained a two-decade stranglehold on Russian power in part by projecting a spiritual persona reconnecting

AFSOC Pathfinding Needs a Doctrinal Foundation

 AFSOC as a Technology PathfinderAir Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has stated that it intends to be a technology pathfinding element for the conventional Air Force. Like many Special Operations elements, it considers itself uniquely capable of providing value to its parent service by

The Power of Storytelling for Leaders and Leadership Development

What is it about stories that makes us laugh, cry, think, and connect? How is storytelling connected to leadership? Can the art and process of storytelling itself serve as a developmental tool for individual leaders? The impact of stories and storytelling on students and instructors needs to be

Putin’s Propaganda Power: Examining Putin’s Ukraine War Speeches

The propaganda machine in Russia is alive and well. While Western media highlight the disastrous state of the Russian armed forces, the perception of the war effort within Russia remains much more favorable.[1] Although commentators note the unreliability of Russian public opinion polls,  in the

Aligning DAF with Program Management Industry Standard

The Industry Standard DisconnectThe United States (U.S.) is in a great power competition on who will dictate world order this century. According to the 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS), “the most comprehensive and serious challenge to U.S. national security is the PRC [People’s Republic of

Quantum Technology

In the next five to ten years, the United States will face never-before-seen technological threats to its national security. Chief among those threats is the development and fielding of quantum technology by potential adversaries, like China or Russia. Quantum technology represents a radically new

Modernizing Information Operations Doctrine to Meet New National Security Needs

Air Force Doctrine Publication 3-13 - Information in Air Force OperationsU.S. Air Force doctrine on Information in Operations outlines yesterday’s challenges for tomorrow’s battle. While the United States has focused its military supremacy efforts on the acquisition of highly advanced weapons and

The Future is Irregular. Our Doctrine Should be Too.

Traditional warfare aims to win wars. Irregular warfare aims to secure or maintain the legitimacy of a government. Although the main difference between traditional and irregular warfare is the end state each aims to achieve, U.S. military doctrine defines them instead by their distinctive means.

No More Stovepipes: Unifying Air Operations Planning Doctrine to Enable Multirole Mission Success

Education is the Premise to Progress

 Back to School In his recent keynote speech at the Air, Space, and Cyber Symposium, Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Q. Brown Jr. stated that “we must build our culture, not just our concepts” to meet potential threats. He identified multiple lines of effort “that will drive culture change,