Modern War Institute

08/07/2026

In accordance with Army Directive 26-17, this page will sunset.

THE MODERN WAR INSTITUTE AT WEST POINT WILL CONTINUE TO PUBLISH COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS ARTICLES, PODCASTS, AND RESEARCH AT ITS WEBSITE: https://mwi.westpoint.edu/

While complying with this directive, MWI's mission remains the same: Generate new knowledge for the profession of arms, enhance the West Point curriculum, and serve as an intellectual resource for solving military problems.

08/04/2026

A natsec-related review of The Odyssey movie, and its ties to modern warfare. This definitely worth your time to read.

“Myths are things that never happened, but always are.” This quote from the fourth century Roman author Sallustius came to mind when my daughter—a classical studies and archaeology major at […]

07/23/2026

This episode features Major General Wolfe Davidson, commander of the US Air Force’s training enterprise, in a wide-ranging discussion with Cadet Zach Olson about leadership, joint warfighting, innovation, and preparing the next generation of airmen for an increasingly contested battlefield.

Drawing on more than three decades as a special tactics officer and senior leader—including assignments supporting US Space Command, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the chief of staff of the Air Force—Davidson explains why modern warfare demands leaders who understand all domains of conflict, embrace joint and coalition operations, and balance innovation with disciplined ex*****on. He shares insights on transforming Air Force basic training for the first time since the Korean War, building trust and accountability within military organizations, the importance of broadening assignments and professional education, and why understanding the why behind the mission is essential for developing adaptive leaders capable of winning tomorrow’s wars.

Welcome back to Five Questions for a General, a production of the Modern War Institute at West Point. This series features specially selected cadet hosts who are given an incredible professional development opportunity—to sit down with senior military officers and ask carefully crafted questions a...

07/20/2026

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Dale Hunter joins MWI’s Charlie Faint on this episode to discuss how the Army’s first multidomain task force (MDTF) transformed intelligence collection, targeting, and technology integration to compete against sophisticated antiaccess/area-denial threats in the Indo-Pacific. Drawing on his experience as the MDTF’s senior intelligence warrant officer and collection manager, Dale explains the unique role of warrant officers as technical experts who bridge operational gaps, describes how the unit pioneered new approaches to maritime targeting, partner integration, and innovation in the absence of established doctrine, and argues that talent—not technology—is the decisive advantage in modern warfare. The conversation also explores leadership, disciplined initiative, the importance of actively recruiting exceptional people, and the crucible of innovation that shaped the MDTF’s early success and continues to influence the Army’s transformation for future conflict.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Dale Hunter joins MWI's Charlie Faint on this episode to discuss how the Army’s first multidomain task force (MDTF) transformed intelligence collection, targeting, and technology integration to compete against sophisticated antiaccess/area-denial threats in the Indo-Pacific...

06/25/2026

The most recent episode of Five Questions for a General featured retired General Robert B. Brown, the former commander of US Army Pacific and current president of AUSA. General Brown was recruited by Coach K. to play basketball at West Point, and eventually went on to earn four stars as an Army officer. Check it out!

Welcome back to Five Questions for a General, a production of the Modern War Institute at West Point. This series features specially selected cadet hosts who are given an incredible professional development opportunity—to sit down with senior military officers and ask carefully crafted questions a...

06/11/2026

The latest episode of the Five Questions for a General podcast is live!

Hear from Lt. Gen. McFarlane about how “America’s First Corps” operates in the Pacific and how they are adapting at the need of speed ahead of the 7th Infantry Division Multi-Domain Pacific’s redesignation ceremony on June 18.

Welcome back to Five Questions for a General, a production of the Modern War Institute at West Point. This series features specially selected cadet hosts who are given an incredible professional development opportunity—to sit down with senior military officers and ask carefully crafted questions a...

05/20/2026

"The specter of large-scale combat operations dominates contemporary US military professional discourse. A conflict against a peer or near-peer adversary like China or Russia will demand a profound shift in the US Army’s focus, training, and culture. To get ahead of this demand and effect this before facing the imperative of doing so under fire, senior leaders have rightly emphasized a single, vital attribute: lethality. But..."

The specter of large-scale combat operations dominates contemporary US military professional discourse. A conflict against a peer or near-peer adversary like China or Russia will demand a profound shift in the US Army's focus, training, and culture. To get ahead of this demand and effect this before...

05/02/2026

The Modern War Institute, in partnership with the Irregular Warfare Initiative and the Association of the US Army, presents Five Years Later: Remembering the Lessons of Afghanistan, a USMA Class of 1992 War Council. The event will take place on 6-7 May 2026 at the AUSA Conference Center in Arlington, Virginia.

This War Council is intended to complement the work of the Afghanistan War Commission by focusing on lessons for the US Army. Attendees are encouraged to contribute to the summer 2026 edition of the Modern War Journal, which will capture the lessons of Afghanistan for future generations of military leaders.

Updated dress code for all attendees: business casual
If unable to attend in person, you are welcome to join via Teams:

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/218222574397441...
Link for Registration: https://forms.office.com/r/rQk2FAy8Gs

Please see the comments for a flyer with the latest timeline of events.

04/28/2026

"It was the twelfth hour of the planning cycle when our lead plans officer stood between a whiteboard and a map, pulled on a headset, and started describing a complex defensive operation. He talked through the scheme of maneuver in sequence—terrain, routes, phase lines, objectives, support-by-fire positions, transitions, branches. The intelligence and fire support officers interjected with detail where their warfighting functions were involved. Over a twenty-minute period, a transcription tool captured every word. Thirty minutes later, the staff had a first-draft brigade operations order in correct doctrinal format—drafted not by any officer in the room, but by an artificial intelligence tool trained on the structure of Army operations orders, working from the transcript of what the humans had actually said."

It was the twelfth hour of the planning cycle when our lead plans officer stood between a whiteboard and a map, pulled on a headset, and started describing a complex defensive operation. He talked through the scheme of maneuver in sequence—terrain, routes, phase lines, objectives, support-by-fire ...

04/21/2026

"A division major updates a common operational picture during a campaign in the Pacific. An engineer company leaves one mobile brigade combat team and joins another on a different island. A signal package shifts with it. The icon moves in seconds. The operation does not. The gaining brigade now needs lift, fuel, maintenance support, communications integration, protection, reception, staging, onward movement, and rehearsals. The losing brigade now needs replacement capacity or a revised scheme of maneuver. The sustainment architecture changes across distance and water. The task organization decision looked simple. It reshaped the operation."

A division major updates a common operational picture during a campaign in the Pacific. An engineer company leaves one mobile brigade combat team and joins another on a different island. A signal package shifts with it. The icon moves in seconds. The operation does not. The gaining brigade now needs...