Modern War Institute

Alternative Tools of Diplomacy: Dennis Rodman
2017-03-03 12:50 - 13:45 (America/New_York) | Arnold Auditorium
Between early 2013 and early 2014, former NBA all-star Dennis Rodman made several trips to North Korea, meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Rodman will speak about his experiences and what lessons might be learned about alternative tools of diplomacy in dealing with rogue states.

Abstract Thinking in Modern War, with Lt. Gen. (Ret) Joe Martz
2017-02-23 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5006
Retired Lt. Gen. Joe Martz will speak at this event about abstract thinking, how to practically apply it to military problems in complex terrain on the modern battlefield.

The Siege of Mosul: Current US Operations in Iraq
2017-02-22 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5006
**This event is classified SECRET. Only US military cadets and faculty with secret clearances may attend.**
Col. Brett Sylvia, commander of 2nd BCT, 101st Airborne Division, will speak to cadets about current US military operations in Iraq. Sylvia’s brigade recently returned from a nine-month deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

Storytelling from the Frontlines
2017-02-13 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5300
Join MWI for a panel discussion, featuring authors of three bestselling fiction and non-fiction books on war, about how to write for non-military audiences. Participants include:
Phil Klay, author of Redeployment
Matt Gallagher, author of Youngblood
August Cole, co-author of Ghost Fleet
Moderated by Nate Finney, editor of The Strategy Bridge

US–Russia Relations under the New Adminstration
2017-01-26 12:50 - 13:40 | Washington Hall 5300
Join us for a panel discussion about the future of US–Russian Relations under the Trump administration, with panelists focusing on Vladimir Putin’s worldview, the impact of US domestic politics, and Russian military actions in Ukraine. Panelists include Dr. Thom Sherlock (Social Sciences), Maj. Matthew Pratt (Behavioral Sciences and Leadership), Col. Liam Collins (Modern War Institute), and Maj. Jon Cheatwood (Social Sciences).

The NATO Urban Warfare Project
2017-01-25 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5006
NATO is currently conducting and Urbanization Conceptual Study and Experiment to examine the impact on NATO military operations of potential crisis situations in urban systems and consequences of urbanization in 2035. This panel will include the current and former directors of the project, Hungarian Air Force Lt. Col. Jozsef Bodnar and UK Royal Air Force Wing Cmdr. (Ret) Gordon Pendleton.

MWI Speaker Series: Author Max Brooks
2017-01-19 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5300
Max Brooks is the bestselling author of World War Z and The Harlem Hellfighters, a graphic novel about the 369th Infantry Regiment during World War I. He will speak about the importance of championing creativity in effective organization.

MWI Speaker Series: Medal of Honor Recipient Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta
2017-01-10 12:50 - 13:45 | Ike Hall Auditorium
Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2010 for his actions on October 25, 2007, when his platoon was ambushed in the Korengal Valley of eastern Afghanistan.

MWI War Studies Conference: “Reassessing Deterrence in the 21st Century”
2016-11-13 - 2016-11-15 | Jefferson Hall
WAR STUDIES CONFERENCE
Reassessing Deterrence in the 21st Century
November 13-15, 2016
Conference Agenda
Tomorrow’s potential adversaries require a new approach for American strategic deterrence. Fifty years after Thomas Schelling penned Arms and Influence, globalization, modernization, interconnectedness and the pervasiveness of non-state adversaries have fundamentally changed our capability as well as our credibility to deter. The Modern War Institute (MWI) will convene a distinguished group of academics, practitioners, business leaders and policymakers to discuss these changes and explore their implications for U.S. national security strategy. The conference will emphasize greater joint, interagency, and multinational integration and readiness of the U.S. military and policymaking communities to meet current and upcoming threats and challenges. Topics under discussion include the challenge of deterring non-state enemies on the cyber battlefield; the viability of NATO and other 20th century alliances to deter; and domestic political challenges – from defense budgeting to strained civil-military relations – to deterring potential adversaries. The purpose of the conference is to gather the world’s preeminent thought leaders to discuss and debate the role of strategic deterrence in modern warfare, which will shape our first edited conference volume and help inform the West Point cadet education program.
War Studies Conference Agenda

MWI Battlefield Assessment on Sri Lanka
2016-11-10 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5006
Dr. Lionel Beehner & Dr. Cronin-Furman – MWI Battlefield Assessment on Sri Lanka

Speaker Series: Masha Gessen
2016-10-21 12:50 - 13:45
Masha Gessen – MWI Speaker Series event on US-Russian Relations Cosponsored with SOSH & English

Speaker Series: MG (ret) Robert Scales, Strategic Importance of Tactical Dominance
2016-10-19 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5300
MG (ret) Robert Scales – MWI Speaker Series with MWI Adjunct Scholar and FOX News Channel (FNC) military analyst on the strategic importance of tactical dominance.

Spymasters, with Former CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden — MWI Film Screening
2016-10-14 19:30 - 22:30 | Robinson Auditorium
The Spymasters: CIA In the Crosshairs is a 2015 documentary film which covers the experience of the Central Intelligence Agency as seen through the eyes of the twelve living CIA directors, all of whom were interviewed for the film.

Speaker Series: Sebastian Junger
2016-09-30 12:50 - 13:45 | Robinson Auditorium
Sebastian Junger, author of Tribe – MWI Speaker Series/Book Talk cosponsored with BS&L

Speaker Series: Andrew Bacevich on U.S. Military Options in the Middle East
2016-09-26 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5300
Dr. Andrew Bacevich – MWI Speaker Series with MWI Adjunct Scholar and Boston University Professor of History on US military options in Middle East

MWI Panel: Future Warfare
2016-09-20 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5300
MWI is hosting a panel discussion on the future of war with CSA SSG (COL Mahaney), AWG CDR COL Mike Loos, and MWI Director COL Liam Collins.

Speaker Series: Fred Kaplan on Cyber Warfare
2016-09-19 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5300
Fred Kaplan, Columnist for Slate – MWI Speaker Series/Book Talk on Cyber War Co-sponsored with the Army Cyber Institute.

Speaker Series: Eric Maddox on the Capture of Saddam Hussein
2016-09-06 12:50 - 13:45 | Robinson Auditorium
Eric Maddox, author of the book Mission: Black List #1, will discuss the capture of Saddam Hussein.

Kill Team – Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic (SCPME) Film Screening
2016-08-19 19:00 - 22:00 | Robinson Auditorium
Kill Team, with Dan Krauss (Director) and Adam Winfield – Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic (SCPME) Film Screening
THE KILL TEAM goes behind closed doors to tell the riveting story of Specialist Adam Winfield, a 21-year-old infantryman in Afghanistan who attempted with the help of his father to alert the military to heinous war crimes his platoon was committing. Tragically, his father’s pleas for help went unheeded. Once Adam’s fellow soldiers got wind of what he’d done, they threatened to silence him — permanently. Forced to choose between his conscience and his own survival, Adam found himself drawn into a moral abyss, faced with a split-second decision that would change his life forever.
With extraordinary access to the key individuals involved in the case – including Adam, his passionately supportive parents, and his startlingly candid compatriots — THE KILL TEAM is an intimate look at the personal stories so often lost inside the larger coverage of the longest war in US history.

COL Jonathan J. Beitler, M.D., Ethics Essay Award
2016-05-06
Cadet essay award for best paper dealing with the topic of ethics or toleration in the profession of arms.
Competition is open to all cadets in all courses. Paper can be any length and does not necessarily have to involve original research.
Departments determine top essays and submit department nominee(s); interdisciplinary committee determines Academy-wide winner.
Submissions due to POC below NLT 6 May; winner announced during TEE week and award presented during Graduation Week
POC – Dr. David Frey, x7643, david.frey@usma.edu, Dept. of History and Director, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies

This award is named for Dr. Jonathan J. Beitler to acknowledge his lifelong commitment to the military profession and to combating social inequality. Dr. Beitler hopes the award will further the Academy’s mission to educate and train cadets by inspiring them to think rigorously about the professional military ethic. Dr. Beitler earned his B.A. from Lehigh University, his M.D. from the Medical College of Pennsylvania, and his M.B.A. from Columbia University. After a teaching at the University of Maryland and at the Montefiore Medical Center, Dr. Beitler joined the faculty at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Since 2003, he has been a Professor of Clinical Radiation Oncology and Clinical Otolarynology at the Einstein. He is on the editorial board of two of the leading journals in his field and as authored or contributed to nearly 100 articles, protocols, or reviews.
While at Lehigh University, Dr. Beitler joined the Army ROTC program and won an Army Health Professions Scholarship. Commissioned as a First Lieutenant, he began his medical career as a General Surgery resident. As a reservist, he has been deployed throughout Europe and North America, earning special recognition for his work with Army burn victims. He has trained in a variety of specialties, including flight surgery and advanced trauma life support. Most recently, he did reserve service at Fort Rucker. He holds the rank of Colonel.

MWI Speaker Series: MAJ D. J. Skelton
2016-05-02 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5300
Most wounded commander in U.S. Military history.

MWI Speaker Series: Medal of Honor Receipt SSG Ryan Pitts – “The Battle for Wanat”
2016-04-18 12:50 - 13:45 | Robinson Auditorium
SSG Ryan Pitts was awarded the medal on July 21, 2014, for actions on July 13, 2008, during the Battle of Wanat. As part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, SSG Pitts served as a Forward Observer.

MWI Speaker Series: COL Jimmy Blackmon – “Pale Horse: Hunting Terrorist and Commanding Heroes”
2016-04-15 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5006
Pale Horse is the remarkable never-before-told true story of an army aviation task force during combat in the Afghan War, told by the commanding officer who was there. Set in the very valleys where the attacks of 9/11 were conceived, and where ten Medals of Honor have been earned since that fateful day the war began, the narrative races from ferocious firefights and bravery in battle to the quiet moments where the courageous men and women of Task Force Pale Horse catch their breath before they take to the skies again.

An IDF Perspective: Fighting Hezbollah and Palestinian Terror
2016-04-14 12:50 - 13:45 | WH5114 (Benavidez Room)
BG Oren Avman is a Division Commander in the Israel Defense Force’s Central Command. During his almost 30 year career, he has led operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, served in Operation Defensive Shield, and fought against Palestinian terror in the West Bank and Gaza.

Speaker Series: LTC(ret) Jason Amerine - "Horse Soldiers in Afghanistan"
2016-04-06 12:50 - 13:45 | Thayer Hall 144
LTC(ret) Amerine led Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 574, an A-team of eleven soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 5th Special Forces Group which fought with and protected Afghan leader Hamid Karzai in battles against the Taliban during November and December, 2001.

Sandhurst Conference: Preparing Our Future Leaders for Modern War
2016-04-04 08:00 - 18:00
Lieutenant General Robert L. Caslen, the Superintendent of the United States Military Academy and Brigadier General Diana M. Holland, Commandant of the United States Corps of Cadets, present the inaugural Sandhurst Conference at West Point. The conference will be an annual event organized by the Department of Military Instruction and the Modern War Institute to complement the traditionally military Sandhurst competition and provide an intellectual and academic forum for officers across the globe to discuss and debate how best to prepare for modern war. To encourage a free and open exchange of views, all comments during the conference are “not for attribution.”
The theme for the inaugural conference is “Preparing Our Future Leaders for Modern War.” The premise of this conference is that technical and tactical competence alone no longer suffices for junior officers to meet the challenges of 21st Century warfare. The nature and character of war are changing amid rapid technological advancements and the growing complexity and uncertainty of the modern battlefield. Throughout this conference, we will seek to better understand the challenges of modern war and how to prepare our future leaders to win in a complex world.
This year’s conference is made possible through the generosity of the USMA Class of 1999

Conference Schedule

World War Z: Imagining Future Warfare
2016-03-31 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5300
Soldiers and scholars have long been challenged when planning and imagining future combat environments. Max Brooks, author of World War Z, used zombies and actual historical events to educate millions on crisis preparedness. Max’s unique, unconventional thinking has been sought by the U.S. Military, FEMA, and many others.
Son of Hollywood legends Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft, Max Brooks has published three massively successful zombie-themed books— World War Z, The Zombie Survival Guide, The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks – and a graphic novel about the African American “Harlem Hellfighters,” during WWI. A former writer for Saturday Night Live, Brooks is an entertaining and thought provoking speaker.

MWI Movie Screening: Pech River Boys
2016-03-25 19:00 - 22:00 | Robinson Auditorium
In May 2010, Bravo Company / 3rd Platoon / 1-327IN of the legendary 101st Airborne Division was deployed to the Pech River Valley located in Afghanistan’s Kunar province. They were stationed at COP Michigan in the mouth of the deadly Korengal Valley. Pech River Boys: Tales From Afghanistan will be a documentary film to preserve the events that these men experienced and to remember their fallen brother Spc Brian Tabada. The sole purpose of this project is to provide an outlet for these soldiers to tell their stories to their family, friends, and those who will listen.

MWI and Military Science Tactical Decision Making Exercise: Arnhem Bridge
2016-03-25 12:50 - 13:45 | Washington Hall 5300
