Student Research Papers

This page contains exceptional student research papers produced at the National War College during the last several years. For the Academic year 2011-2012, we have included a number of award-winning research papers which have been published in various journals and magazines. These papers have been cleared for public release by the U.S. Department of Defense, but in all cases the opinions below reflect those of the author alone and not the Defense Department or the U.S. government.

We have also included selected student research published before 2011 as available.

Prior to 2011

Steven R. Mann, "Chaos Theory and Strategic Thought," Parameters, Autumn 1992.

Charles Dunlap, "The Origins of the American Military Coup of 2012," Parameters, Winter 2010-2011 (originally published 1993). Derived from 1992 NWC student paper. http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/parameters/Articles/2010winter/Dunlap_Jr.pdf

Jim Baker, "Systems Thinking and Counterinsurgencies," Parameters, Winter 2006-2007. Baker is a Distinguished Graduate of NWC.

AY 2011-2012

Joseph Berger, "Covert Action: Title 10, Title 50, and the Chain of Command-Consequences of Policy Decisions," Joint Force Quarterly, October 2012.

David Fivecoat, "Leaving the Graveyard: The Soviet Union's Withdrawal From Afghanistan," Parameters, Summer 2012.

Michael Devine, "Aspects of Religion in the Thirty Years' War and Peace of Westphalia Relevant to Pakistan," Joint Force Quarterly, April 2012: http://www.ndu.edu/press/peace-of-westphalia.html

Gregory Macris, "A Focus on Costs, Not Benefits, Dampens Koreans' Desire for Reunification," Joint Force Quarterly, October 2012.

Eva Shinagel, "Hearts and Minds: Islam and Afghanistan's Moral Center of Gravity," Special Report, Special Operations Association, 2012: http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2012SOLIC/Shinagel.pdf