In Memoriam: David E. Johnson

Principal Researcher

Washington Office

Education

Ph.D. and M.A. in history, Duke University; M.S. in national resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces; M.M.A.S. in military art and science, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; B.A. in history, Trinity University

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Overview

David Johnson, a principal researcher at the RAND Corporation whose work focused on strategy, military doctrine, history, innovation, civil-military relations, and professional military education, has died.

From June 2012 to July 2014 Johnson established and led the Chief of Staff of the Army Strategic Studies Group for General Raymond Odierno. He was an adjunct scholar at the Modern War Institue at West Point. Before joining RAND, he was a vice president at Science Applications International Corporation. He joined SAIC after a 24-year Army career serving in the Infantry, Quartermaster, and Field Artillery branches in command and staff assignments in the United States, Korea, and Europe. He retired as a colonel in 1997. He received the National Defense University President's Strategic Vision Award; RAND President's, Gold (2), Silver, and Bronze awards; Ancient Order of St. Barbara; Noble Patron of Armor; Order of St. Maurice (Centurion) and the Legion of Merit. His work has been on the professional reading lists of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Chiefs of Staff, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Commander, the Chief of Staff Royal Air Force (United Kingdom), the Royal Australian Air Force Chief of Staff, the British Army, and the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence.

Recent publications include: Shared Problems: The Lessons of AirLand Battle and the 31 Initiatives for Multi-Domain Battle, and The Challenges of the "Now" and Their Implications for the U.S. Army.

Johnson received his Ph.D. in history from Duke University.

Research Focus

Previous Positions

Colonel, U.S. Army

Recent Projects

Joint warfighting implications of lessons learned from recent conflicts
Modern urban combat operations
The evolving roles of ground power and air power

Selected Publications

Johnson, David E., Agnes Gereben Schaefer, Brenna Allen, Raphael S. Cohen, Gian Gentile, James Hoobler, Michael Schwille, Jerry M. Sollinger, and Sean M. Zeigler, The Battle for Baghdad: Institutionalizing Army Lessons for Urban Combat, RAND Corporation (RB-10067-A), 2019

David E. Johnson, Doing What You Know: The United States and 250 Years of Irregular War, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, 2017

Johnson, David E., Hard Fighting: Israel in Lebanon and Gaza, RAND Corporation (MG-1085-A/AF), 2011

Johnson, David E., M. Wade Markel, and Brian Shannon, The 2008 Battle of Sadr City: Reimagining Urban Combat, RAND Corporation (RR-160-A), 2013

Johnson, David E., Adam R. Grissom, and Olga Oliker, In the Middle of the Fight: An Assessment of Medium-Armored Forces in Past Military Operations, RAND Corporation (MG-709-A), 2008

David E. Johnson, Learning Large Lessons: The Evolving Roles of Ground Power and Air Power in the Post-Cold War Era, RAND Corporation (MG-405.1), 2007

David E. Johnson, Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army 1917-1945, Cornell University Press, 1998

David E. Johnson, Modern U.S. Civil-Military Relations: Wielding the Terrible Swift Sword, McNair Paper No. 57, National Defense University Press, 1997

Honors & Awards

Legion of Merit, U.S. Army
President's Award, RAND Corporation
Gold Merit Award, RAND Corporation

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: Agence France-Presse; Al Jazeera America; Army Times; Associated Press; Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Aviation Week; Baltimore Sun; BBC World News Service; Boston Globe; CBS News; Breaking Defense; C-SPAN; Defense News; Defense Technology International; Foreign Policy; GlobalSecurity.org; Government Executive; Haaretz; Inside the Army; Inside Defense; Israel Air Force Magazine; Jane's Defence; The John Oakley Show; Military.com; National Defense Magazine; National Public Radio; North County Times; San Diego Union Tribune; Vice News; Wall Street Journal; Washington Post; Wired; WTOP/Federal News Radio; Yahoo! News

Commentary: Providence Journal; War on the Rocks

Commentary

Military Strategy

Is the Virtue in the Weapon or the Cause?
The Biden administration's recent announcement of its intention to adhere to the provisions of the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel landmines has real consequences. This decision is the latest in the long controversy over the use of anti-personnel landmines and, more broadly, what means are moral in war.
Aug 5, 2022
Lawfire
Military Strategy

What Better Way to Use the Arsenal of Democracy?
At what point can the United States and other countries no longer afford the massive transfer of weapons to the Ukrainians, lest they jeopardize the readiness of their own militaries? When does the arsenal of democracy shift to the arsenal for self? These are questions that are starting to be raised as the demand for weapons becomes clear in what is now a protracted war in Ukraine.
Jun 28, 2022
RealClearDefense
Urban Warfare

Urban Legend: Is Combat in Cities Really Inevitable?
Future combat will take place in dense urban areas and likely in megacities. These are the new “truths” that are taking hold in the U.S. military. But before going all-in on optimizing for urban operations, the U.S. military should take a deep breath and think carefully about future operations within the context of the National Defense Strategy.
May 7, 2019
War on the Rocks
Military Strategy

An Army Caught in the Middle Between Luddites, Luminaries, and the Occasional Looney
The creation of the Army Futures Command is an important and necessary move for the U.S. Army. For the first time since the 1970s, the Army has a major command focused on preparing it for future war with a peer competitor.
Dec 20, 2018
War on the Rocks
Military Strategy

Cluster Munitions and Rearming for Great Power Competition
The United States might need Cluster munitions, anti-personnel landmines, and tactical nuclear weapons to deter or defeat aggression. If policymakers choose to lift bans on these munitions, the ensuing policy restrictions might be tailored to address where these capabilities are necessary.
May 9, 2018
War on the Rocks
Military Force Planning

Reimagining and Modernizing U.S. Airborne Forces for the 21st Century
Many of the challenges the U.S. will face in the coming years across the range of military operations could be deep inland and require rapid response. Airborne forcible entry — with reimagined and modernized airborne forces — would offer decisionmakers options in crises that they do not possess today.
Apr 20, 2016
War on the Rocks
United States Army

Planning for the 'Army of the Future'
What must the Army be ready to do as part of a joint force, now and in the future? What capacities and capabilities should the Army have in order to be ready? The NCFA comes up short in its answers to both of these questions.
Feb 17, 2016
The Hill
Operational Readiness

Ground Combat
The U.S. Army needs to pay attention to state-sponsored irregular forces, whose numbers are growing. Such groups represent the type of adversary U.S. ground forces are likely to face.
Dec 23, 2015
The Cipher Brief
Iraq

Vietnam Teaches Us That Iraq Needs More Than U.S. Combat Advisers
There are issues that must be examined, understood, and planned for if the United States does not wish to have U.S. advisers left to the cruelties of the Islamic State.
Sep 14, 2015
War on the Rocks
Military Strategy

Means Matter: Competent Ground Forces and the Fight Against ISIL
If Iraqi security forces are incapable of defeating ISIL in the cities where they have gone to ground, then the only reliable means available are U.S. ground combat forces. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps have all the skills in joint combined arms warfare that the ISF lacks.
Mar 19, 2015
War on the Rocks
United States Army

Failure to Learn: Reflections on a Career in the Post-Vietnam Army
In the aftermath of a decade of war, the Army must have an objective, serious debate — one that it never engaged in after Vietnam — to understand its experiences, both good and bad.
Jan 27, 2014
War on the Rocks
Security Cooperation

Iran's Counter-Strike
Iran's headstrong attempt to join the world's nuclear-weapons club is setting the stage for a military confrontation that nobody wants, but may happen anyway, writes David E. Johnson.
Feb 25, 2010
Providence Journal and GlobalSecurity.org
Afghanistan

Ends, Ways, and Means—the Debate We Still Need on Afghanistan
When President Obama explained his decision to send 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan to support General Stanley McChrystal's new counterinsurgency campaign, he left a key question unanswered: Will this be enough to achieve U.S. strategic ends in Afghanistan? writes David E. Johnson.
Dec 9, 2009
RAND.org

Publications

Research Brief
The Battle for Baghdad: Institutionalizing Army Lessons for Urban Combat
This brief recounts the U.S. Army's efforts in the Iraq War, especially in Baghdad, and offers lessons learned and recommendations to enable leaders and soldiers to be better prepared in future conflicts.
Jul 3, 2019
Report
The U.S. Army and the Battle for Baghdad: Lessons Learned — And Still to Be Learned
To help the U.S. Army and U.S. Department of Defense retain institutional knowledge and fully prepare future leaders, RAND researchers recount the Army's efforts in the Iraq War, especially in Baghdad, and offer lessons learned and recommendations.
Jun 12, 2019
Report
Shared Problems: The Lessons of AirLand Battle and the 31 Initiatives for Multi-Domain Battle
The U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force are developing the concept of Multi-Domain Battle to better coordinate air and ground forces to meet shared challenges.
Sep 13, 2018
Research Brief
Lessons from Israel's Wars in Gaza
This brief summarizes a RAND report that explores lessons that the U.S. Army and the Joint force can draw from Israel's military operations in Gaza from 2009 to 2014 and how Israel adapted to hybrid adversaries in complex urban terrain.
Oct 18, 2017
Report
From Cast Lead to Protective Edge: Lessons from Israel's Wars in Gaza
This report describes how the Israel Defense Force fought an adaptive hybrid adversary in a dense urban setting under intense public scrutiny during its wars in Gaza and draws lessons from the Israeli experience for the U.S. Army and the joint force.
Jul 26, 2017
Report
Reimagining the Character of Urban Operations for the U.S. Army: How the Past Can Inform the Present and Future
Provides a historical analysis of how militaries have deployed light and mechanized infantry with armored forces during close urban combat, to identify the comparative advantages and costs of this warfighting approach and lessons learned.
Mar 13, 2017
Report
The Challenges of the "Now" and Their Implications for the U.S. Army
This perspective reviews the military adversaries and challenges that this nation and others currently face and draws lessons for the battles the United States has not yet fought but likely will in the future.
Jan 20, 2016
Report
The Continued Evolution of U.S. Law of Armed Conflict Implementation: Implications for the U.S. Military
RAND researchers examine potential strategic, technological, and normative trends that may affect the future evolution of U.S. policies that implement the Law of Armed Conflict, and assess the resulting implications for the U.S. military.
Nov 9, 2015
Report
The 2008 Battle of Sadr City: Reimagining Urban Combat
Analyzes the 2008 Battle of Sadr City, and presents insights and lessons learned. This analysis advances understanding of urban operations and thereby helps the Army focus on what capabilities it will need in the future for such conflicts.
Jan 15, 2014
Research Brief
Preparing for "Hybrid" Opponents: Israeli Experiences in Lebanon and Gaza
The experiences of the Israel Defense Forces against hybrid opponents -- Hezbollah and Hamas -- in the recent conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza will help the U.S. Army understand the capabilities that it and the joint force will require in the future.
Sep 18, 2013
Research Brief
Urban Warfare: The 2008 Battle for Sadr City
The authors identify factors critical to the coalition victory over Jaish al-Mahdi in the 2008 Battle of Sadr City and describe a new model for dealing with insurgent control of urban areas.
Apr 9, 2012
Report
Hard Fighting: Israel in Lebanon and Gaza
The author examines the state of the Israeli military before the Second Lebanon War, the lessons it learned during that conflict, the reforms it undertook to address its deficiencies, and how it fared during Operation Cast Lead three years later.
Jan 19, 2012
Report
Heavy Armor in the Future Security Environment
Through an examination of adversary capabilities in recent conflicts, the author explores whether heavy brigade combat teams are justified as a prominent component of the future U.S. Army.
Nov 8, 2011
Report
The 2008 Battle of Sadr City
The authors identify factors critical to the coalition victory over Jaish al-Mahdi in the 2008 Battle of Sadr City and describe a new model for dealing with insurgent control of urban areas.
Aug 17, 2011
Journal Article
What Are You Prepared to Do? NATO and the Strategic Mismatch Between Ends, Ways, and Means in Afghanistan — and in the Future
This article examines ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) operations in Afghanistan as a way to get at the strategic disconnects in ends, ways, and means.
May 1, 2011
Report
Observations on Recent Trends in Armored Forces
Provides initial research observations on how various militaries view the role of heavy forces (tanks and other armored vehicles) in irregular warfare and hybrid warfare environments.
Jun 14, 2010
Report
Military Capabilities for Hybrid War: Insights from the Israel Defense Forces in Lebanon and Gaza
The experiences of the Israel Defense Forces against hybrid opponents -- Hezbollah and Hamas -- in the recent conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza will help the U.S. Army understand the capabilities that it and the joint force will require in the future.
Mar 17, 2010
Report
Preparing and Training for the Full Spectrum of Military Challenges: Insights from the Experiences of China, France, the United Kingdom, India, and Israel
The authors examine the militaries of China, France, the UK, India, and Israel to identify different approaches to readiness, adaptability, and operational issues in the context of full-spectrum operations and deployments.
Dec 14, 2009
Report
Enhancing Fires and Maneuver Capability Through Greater Air-Ground Joint Interdependence
Proposes a new warfighting concept that capitalizes on greater air and ground joint interdependence and demonstrates its potential to increase effectiveness during major combat.
Mar 16, 2009
Research Brief
The Capabilities That Medium-Armored Forces Bring to the Full Spectrum of Operations
Assesses the performance of medium-armored forces in 13 past conflicts, to better understand their unique capabilities and inform decisions about the Future Force.
Feb 2, 2009
Report
In the Middle of the Fight: An Assessment of Medium-Armored Forces in Past Military Operations
An analysis of the performance of medium-armored forces across the range of military operations since World War I yields insights with significant implications for U.S. Army decisions about fielding these units in the Future Force.
Nov 2, 2008
Report
Learning Large Lessons: The Evolving Roles of Ground Power and Air Power in the Post-Cold War Era
Analyzes the post-Cold War shift in the relative roles of ground and air power in major operations and their joint implications. This revised edition includes updates and an index.
Mar 8, 2007
Report
Learning Large Lessons: The Evolving Roles of Ground Power and Air Power in the Post-Cold War Era — Executive Summary
Analyzes the post-Cold War shift in the relative roles of ground and air power in major operations and their joint implications.
Mar 7, 2007
Research Brief
U.S. Joint Doctrine Should Be Revised to Reflect the Changing Roles of Air and Ground Power
This research brief looks at applications of U.S. air and ground power in post-Cold War operations and the implications of air power largely supplanting ground power in future deep operations.
Jul 26, 2006
Report
Medical Risk in the Future Force Unit of Employment: Results of the Army Medical Department Transformation Workshop V
Describes the Army Medical Department Transformation Workshop V, conducted at the RAND Corporation Washington Office 25-28 May 2004, and includes an analysis and discussion of the workshop results.
Apr 5, 2006
Report
Army Medical Department Transformation: Executive Summary of Five Workshops
A summary of a series of Army Medical Command workshops that assessed the effect of the Future Force doctrine on the Health Service Support system's ability to deliver medical care on the battlefield, identifying related medical issues.
Mar 28, 2006
Report
Joint Paths to the Future Force: A Report on Unified Quest 2004
Presents RAND's analysis of Unified Quest 2004, a wargame cosponsored by Joint Forces Command and the United States Army.
Feb 8, 2006
Report
Medical Risk in the Future Force Unit of Action: Results of the Army Medical Department Transformation Workshop IV
Documents the Army Medical Department's process of identifying and addressing medical issues related to the Army's transformation to the Future Force.
Oct 3, 2005
Report
Conserving the Future Force Fighting Strength: Findings from the Army Medical Department Transformation Workshop 2002
As the Army transforms itself for the future and develops new operational concepts and technologies, the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) is identifying operational medicine issues whose resolution will be critical to its ability to support the Army of the future. The purpose of this research was to develop a method to assess these issues and further investigate a subset of them.
Jun 28, 2004
Report
Conventional Coercion Across the Spectrum of Operations: The Utility of U.S. Military Forces in the Emerging Security Environment
An introduction to the coercive use of conventional military power.
2003
Research Brief
Managing the Army's Arsenals and Ammunition Plants
The Army asked RAND Arroyo Center to assess options for managing their large industrial base, consisting of ammunition plants and arsenals.
2003
Report
Preparing Potential Senior Army Leaders for the Future: An Assessment of Leader Development Efforts in the Post-Cold War Era
Assesses the Army's preparation of its senior leaders for future missions involving joint, coalition, and "full spectrum" operations.
2003
Report
Rethinking Governance of the Army's Arsenals and Ammunition Plants
Assesses options for managing the Army's arsenals and ammunition plants.
2003
Report
Army Medical Strategy: Issues for the Future
The U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) provides peacetime health care for military beneficiaries while also maintaining readiness for war and peacetime deployments.
2002
Report
Army Medical Support to the Army After Next: Issues and Insights from the Medical Technology Workshop, 1999
Gleaning insights from both the functional and technology perspectives into such areas medical informatics, combat service support, and biological and chemical defense. Identify areas warranting further investigation.
2001
Report
A Report on the Army Transformation Wargame 2000
Presents RAND's analysis of Army Transformation Wargame (ATWG) 2000, identifying its issues and exploring implications of them.
2001
Report
Agility by a Different Measure: Creating a More Flexible U.S. Army
Recent deployments of military units to overseas noncombat operations-including Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo-have placed new and unanticipated stresses on U.S. armed forces.
2000