Thomas S. Szayna

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Senior Political Scientist; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Santa Monica Office

Education

M.A. in international relations, Claremont Graduate School; B.A. in history and philosophy, Villanova University

Overview

Biography

Thomas S. Szayna is a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, with more than 20 years of experience in national security policy and defense analysis. He is also a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. In 1997-2011 he served as associate director of the Strategy, Doctrine, and Resources Program in RAND's Army Research Division. His research has focused on aspects of strategic planning for the U.S. armed forces, post-conflict stability and reconstruction operations, and coalition interoperability. He gave testimony for the U.S. House of Representatives and has been a keynote speaker at a number of defense conferences. He is the principal investigator of the project that led to the design of SAFE (Stability Army Operations Force Estimator), a computer application for planners to estimate the size and structure of forces required for post-conflict stability and reconstruction operations. Szayna received his B.A. in history and philosophy from Villanova University and his M.A. in international relations from Claremont Graduate School.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

  • Army global posture
  • Implementing Army Field Manual 3-0
  • Building social science knowledge for stability operations
  • Assessing the possible collapse of strategically important states
  • Integrating the interagency in planning for Army stability operations

Selected Publications

Thomas S. Szayna et al., Integrating Civilian Agencies in Stability Operations, RAND Corporation (MG-801), 2009

Eric Larson, Thomas S. Szayna, et al., Assessing Irregular Warfare: A Framework for Intelligence Analysis, RAND Corporation (MG-668), 2008

Terrence Kelly, Thomas S. Szayna, et al., Stabilization and Reconstruction Staffing: Developing U.S. Civilian Personnel Capabilities, RAND Corporation (MG-580), 2008

Thomas S. Szayna, et al., Preparing the Army for Stability Operations: Doctrinal and Interagency Issues, RAND Corporation (MG-646), 2007

Thomas S. Szayna, et al., The Civil-Military Gap in the United States: Does It Exist, Why, and Does It Matter? RAND Corporation (MG-379), 2007

Honors & Awards

  • President's Choice Gold Award, 2005, RAND Corporation

Publications

Addressing Commanders' Needs for Information on "Soft" Factors - 2011

Integrating Civilian Agencies in Stability Operations - 2009

RAND Review: Vol. 33, No. 3, Winter 2009-2010 - 2009

Assessing Irregular Warfare: A Framework for Intelligence Analysis - 2008

Stabilization and Reconstruction Staffing: Developing U.S. Civilian Personnel Capabilities - 2008

Preparing the Army for Stability Operations: Doctrinal and Interagency Issues - 2007

The Civil-Military Gap in the United States: Does It Exist, Why, and Does It Matter? - 2007

U.S. Army Security Cooperation: Toward Improved Planning and Management - 2004

Faultlines of Conflict in Central Asia and the South Caucasus: Implications for the U.S. Army - 2003

Improving the Quality of DoD’s Civilian Workforce: Guidance for the Office of the Chancellor for Education and Professional Development - 2002

The Future of NATO and Enlargement - 2002

The Impact of NATO Membership in the Czech Republic: Changing Czech Views of Security, Military & Defence - 2002

Improving Army Planning for Future Multinational Coalition Operations - 2001

NATO Enlargement 2000-2015: Implications for Defense Planning - 2001

NATO Enlargement, 2000-2015: Determinants and Implications for Defense Planning and Shaping - 2001

Strategic and Performance Planning for the Office of the Chancellor for Education and Professional Development in the Department of Defense - 2001

The Emergence of Peer Competitors: A Framework for Analysis - 2001

Identifying Potential Ethnic Conflict: Application of a Process Model - 2000

Slovakia: Trying to Catch Up with Visegrad - 2000

NATO Enlargement and the Future of U.S.-European Security Relations - 1999

The Czech Republic: A Small Contributor or a Free Rider? - 1999

Civil-military Relations in the Czech and Slovak Republics - 1998

Cuba and Lessons From Other Communist Transitions: A Workshop Report - 1998

Anticipating Ethnic Conflict - 1997

Assessing armed forces' deficiencies for peace operations : a methodology - 1997

NATO's Metamorphosis and Central European Politics: Effects of Alliance Transformation - 1997

The extreme-right political movements in post-communist Central Europe - 1997

Defense conversion in East Europe - 1995

East European Military Reform After the Cold War: Implications for the United States - 1995

German and Polish Views of the Partnership for Peace - 1995

Intervention in Intrastate Conflict: Implications for the Army in the Post-Cold War Era - 1995

Intervention in Intrastate Conflict: Implications for the Army in the Post-Cold War Era: Supplemental Materials - 1995

Ethnic Conflict in Central Europe and the Balkans: A Framework and U.S. Policy Options - 1994

The rise of the extreme right in post-communist Central Europe - 1993

Civil-Military Relations and National Security Thinking in Czechoslovakia: A Conference Report - 1992

The Military in a Postcommunist Czechoslovakia - 1992

Polish National Security Thinking in a Changing Europe: A Conference Report - 1991

The Ethnic Factor in the Soviet Armed Forces: The Muslim Dimension - 1991

The Military in a Postcommunist Poland - 1991

Polish Foreign Policy under a Non-Communist Government: Prospects and Problems - 1990