United States Department of Defense

commentary

The Path to Thoughtful Allied Space Power: Progress on a Steep Road
The road to thoughtful allied space power is steep and requires commitment to make progress. By being forthright about the prospects for cooperation, the United States will enable allies and partners to make choices about their own investments and operations that will strengthen future coalition capabilities.
Apr 12, 2024

commentary

Under the Weather: The National Security Risks from Climate Change Could Go Well Beyond What the U.S. Government Thinks
Climate change has at least two characteristics that are likely to drive second- and third-order political and social reactions whose effects on U.S. strategic interests may be substantially greater than those that occur in direct reaction to individual extreme weather events.
Mar 7, 2024
commentary

Reform the Budget Process to Strengthen U.S. Global Leadership
As the U.S. government confronts two near-peer challengers in China and Russia, along with mounting conflict in the Middle East, ensuring stability, predictability, and some measure of flexibility in the U.S. defense budget is more important than ever. Yet the U.S. budgeting system is in a state of disarray.
Feb 7, 2024
essay

How Gender Diversity Improves Defense Operations
It's U.S. defense policy to make sure women play a meaningful role in matters of war, peace, and security. This includes embedding women's perspectives in decisionmaking. Real-world examples show the benefits of applying a gender lens to military planning and operations.
Jan 9, 2024
commentary

Learning from the OpenAI Staff Mutiny
As AI and other software-based technologies continue to rise in importance for the government and Department of Defense, its leaders should learn how top technical talent differs from other kinds of workers and how to ensure the military understands how to interact with the best and brightest technical workers America has to offer.
Dec 18, 2023
commentary

Bridging Tech and Humanity: The Role of Foundation Models in Reducing Civilian Harm
Foundation models can recognize patterns and make predictions like human brains; however, they lack the subjective experiences, contextual reasoning, creativity, and embodied grounding that characterize human intelligence and cognition. While foundation models hold massive potential to limit civilian harm, they must be used to supplement—not replace—human analysts.
Oct 17, 2023
commentary

Encouraging Consistency in National Security Transparency
The United States remains the leader in space in both national security and commercial capabilities. Greater transparency about existing on-orbit systems that are already detected by many is an important next step that could bolster U.S. credibility while also aiding deterrence.
Oct 16, 2023
commentary

Defense Budgeting and the Dilemma of Lost Time
Since 2011, Congress has routinely struggled to pass a budget on time. Instead, Congress leverages continuing resolutions to fund the government and prevent shutdowns. This flawed process that relies on temporary fixes is hampering Pentagon planning and could pose long-term risks to U.S. military readiness and competitiveness.
Aug 16, 2023
commentary

Why DoD Needs Greater Focus on Nonlethal Weapons, Intermediate Force Capabilities
Nonlethal weapons do not entail the firing of projectiles, the detonation of explosives, or even the use of edged weapons with blades. Their effects are more subtle, though no less powerful for that. But the effects of these systems, and their impact on overall military capabilities, are often underestimated or misunderstood.
Aug 8, 2023
commentary

So Many Questions, So Little Time for Pacific Logistics
The United States has been struggling to “pivot to the Pacific” for over a decade, and one of the major missing pieces is logistics. It is critical that the logistics underpinning a credible military deterrent be figured out now.
Jun 23, 2023
commentary

How Should the U.S. Government Buy AI Tools?
The need for AI-readiness in federal procurement will continue to grow with the capabilities of AI tools. There are concrete steps the government could take to ensure all development and implementation of AI-related laws, regulations, and executive branch policies include appropriate considerations.
Jun 20, 2023
commentary

Making the Most of JROTC
Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) units in U.S. schools have drawn intensive scrutiny of late, and some districts might consider dropping JROTC. But they should take stock of what they'll lose. Students who choose to enroll in JROTC and stick with it do better in school than their peers.
May 26, 2023
commentary

Maximizing the Potential of American Irregular Warfare in Strategic Competition
It is time that the United States develop the concepts and associated doctrine, commands, field operating agencies, and personnel to maximize the potential of American irregular warfare in strategic competition.
Apr 3, 2023
commentary

Venture Capital Gives America a Strategic Edge in the Age of Technology Wars
U.S. early-stage hardware startups are seriously disadvantaged by a persistent lack of financing. Congress authorized the U.S. Department of Defense to spend $75 million to invest in dual-use hardware startups. But the Pentagon has proven reticent to embrace a venture capital–style approach, even though research has demonstrated it is optimal for driving innovation.
Mar 20, 2023
commentary

Reducing Racial Disparities in VA Disability Compensation Decisions
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough recently announced formation of an equity team to examine and address racial differences in disability compensation grant rates. This is encouraging progress, particularly after years of reluctance on the part of the department to acknowledge there might be a problem.
Mar 13, 2023
commentary

Bad Idea: Looking for Easy Solutions for PPBE Reform
The means by which the Department of Defense decides how to spend its budget has long been criticized as needlessly complex and incapable of helping policymakers choose among investments to meet strategic goals. Seeking solutions, Congress created the Commission on PPBE Reform in the 2022 defense policy bill. But the reforms the system needs may not be as obvious as they seem.
Mar 2, 2023

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Quoted

Ukraine's Kursk offensive was a tactical masterstroke that changed the geometry of the battlefield by extending Russian lines and obliging them to rethink their force allocation assumptions. This changes the military calculus.

Ann Marie Dailey

Policy Researcher

Source: The National Interest

While it may not be obvious to patients, AI is already integrated into daily health care systems, from predicting which patients are likely to develop infections to forecasting missed appointments. Other uses are not fully developed: while ChatGPT has demonstrated success on a number of medical board exams, hospitals are not outsourcing actual medical care to computers yet.

Shira H. Fischer

Physician Policy Researcher

Source: rand.org

What Teachers Think of School Safety and Lockdown Drills

The Veterans Left Behind: Eligibility for VA Benefits and Other Than Honorable Discharges

Take a Fresh Look at How Leaders Approach Narratives

Ukraine's 'Masterstroke' Kursk Offensive Is About Geometry, not Geography

Climate Change and Critical Infrastructure: Assessing the Risks and Identifying Mitigation Strategies

The Policy Currents Podcast

Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research

Improving Access to Early Childhood Education

United States Department of Defense

The Path to Thoughtful Allied Space Power: Progress on a Steep Road

Under the Weather: The National Security Risks from Climate Change Could Go Well Beyond What the U.S. Government Thinks

Reform the Budget Process to Strengthen U.S. Global Leadership

How Gender Diversity Improves Defense Operations

Learning from the OpenAI Staff Mutiny

Bridging Tech and Humanity: The Role of Foundation Models in Reducing Civilian Harm

Encouraging Consistency in National Security Transparency

Defense Budgeting and the Dilemma of Lost Time

Why DoD Needs Greater Focus on Nonlethal Weapons, Intermediate Force Capabilities

So Many Questions, So Little Time for Pacific Logistics

How Should the U.S. Government Buy AI Tools?

Making the Most of JROTC

Maximizing the Potential of American Irregular Warfare in Strategic Competition

Venture Capital Gives America a Strategic Edge in the Age of Technology Wars

Reducing Racial Disparities in VA Disability Compensation Decisions

Bad Idea: Looking for Easy Solutions for PPBE Reform

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