Modern War Institute Editor

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Andre Rivier joins Charlie Faint on this episode of THE SPEAR for a discussion about the role of Army foreign area officers in combat and in peacetime operations.

I Saw Ukraine’s Rapid Adaptation Cycle in Action, and This is What the US Military Should Learn from It

Five years before the Battle of Stalingrad, another urban battle took place, involving a million troops, that foreshadowed the not only Stalingrad but all of the major urban battles of the twentieth century.

"The critical sections of this [logistics] chain will run through Germany and Poland. Testing whether this system can operate under repeated pressure should be an essential part of Europe’s war planning."

When a Good Base Becomes a Bad One: Battlefield Disposition and the Operational Campaign

"In contrast to Xi’s self-serving argument, historical experience provides little support for the proposition that provocation through position is itself the primary cause of war."

Shanghai, 1937: An Urban Warfare Project Case Study

"We write a requirement, give it to industry, and then judge the final product against that same requirement.... That approach may work for predictable procurement. It does not work for war."

Podcast: The Spear – retired Lieutenant Colonel Andre Rivier, former infantryman and foreign area officer

China argues that the US military presence in the first island change is provocative and risks escalating tensions toward war. Don't fall for it.

"When we started, we did not have the votes, because of the opposition of the Pentagon, the particular opposition of the Navy and the Marine Corps, so we had to figure out a legislative strategy."

Last November, a Polish rail line used to move materiel to Ukraine was sabotaged. In the event of a larger conflict, NATO would face the same challenges—but on an entirely different scale—and preparing for those challenges should begin now.

"The value of Khe Sanh changed as the division adopted a more mobile way of fighting. The Marines had developed other ways to reach, support, and maneuver forces in western Quang Tri, reducing how much the campaign depended on the base."

Strength vs. Confrontation: Do American Forces in the First Island Chain Deter or Invite War?

"It appeared that the advent of gunpowder forever changed the character of warfare. Fortresses that had defined military power for centuries became, almost overnight, expensive places to die."

Goldwater-Nichols deeply changed the way the US military operates. Listen to this insider's perspective on how it came to be law—and how we see its impacts in current operations.

Army leaders are required to learn the military decision-making process inside and out. Why not its little sibling, too? The case for the rapid decision-making and synchronization process.

Don't miss the new episode of Five Questions for a General, featuring Brigadier-General Pascal Godbout, the commandant of the Royal Military College of Canada!

"The result can be absurd: A machine worth millions may spend weeks waiting for one certified part or one mechanic authorized to touch it."

As the US Army builds its education infrastructure for first-person-view drone operators, it should look to Ukraine's Killhouse training facility—replicating what will serve the Army's needs, discarding what won't, and understanding the difference.