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Acknowledgments This book would not have been possible without the support and assistance of a number of remarkable people and institutions. First, my graduate school adviser at the University of South Carolina, Dr. Jerel Rosati, was a great source of personal and professional inspiration. From encouraging my initial pursuit of the topic in a graduate seminar, to the countless hours of brainstorming during the research and writing phases, Jerel kept me focused and optimistic. Thanks likewise to Dr. Don Fowler for constantly reminding me to “get it done!” and to Dr. Paula L’Ecuyer, who spent hours over coffee helping me clarify my thinking. Other South Carolina scholars, including Donald Puchala, Charles Kegley, and Kendrick Clements, provided a diverse and supportive team of critics and mentors, while Sally Buice kept us all on track and focused on having a bit of fun! The bulk of this research was accomplished while I was in residence as a research fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. I am deeply indebted to Michael O’Hanlon and Jim Steinberg at the Brookings Foreign Policy program for generous support and for the opportunity to work in such an intellectually vibrant environment. Brookings Army Fellow Colonel David Gray provided the unique and inspiring perspective of a decorated soldier who is also a distinguished military historian . By introducing me to the “real Army” and constantly challenging me to think beyond conventional wisdom, Colonel Gray was a true mentor and friend. Special thanks are also in order to Brookings scholar Peter Singer and the 21st Century Defense Initiative, who provided me additional support as a nonresident fellow while I ‹nished the book in 2008. I am also indebted to a number of distinguished members of the national security community who were willing to take time out of their busy schedules to meet with me during the research phase of this project. Among these, thanks are in order for Eliot Cohen, Michèle Flournoy, Johanna Mendelson Forman, Jim Mattis, Jim Miller, Sarah Sewall, and Anthony Zinni. I owe special thanks to Joe Collins, David Fastabend, Bob Killebrew, and Greg Newbold, each of whom either read and reread chapter proofs or provided valuable insight, encouragement, and personal mentorship throughout the different phases of this project. I must also thank another very special network of scholars and practitioners , including John Agoglia, Beth Cole, Conrad Crane, Johanna Mendelson Forman, TX Hammes, Frank Hoffman, Colin Kahl, Elisabeth Kvitashvili, Richard Lacquement, Montgomery McFate, Kathleen McInnis , John Nagl, Linda Robinson, Nadia Schadlow, Tammy Schultz, Nina Sera‹no, Erin Simpson, Vikram Singh, and Mark Smith, all of whom provided valuable insight, constructive commentary, and good humor through hours of informal discussion and debate on the topics of counterinsurgency and stability operations. Much of the insight on current military issues was gleaned through workshops and seminars sponsored by the Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute (PKSOI), the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS), the Center for New American Security (CNAS), Hicks and Associates (H&AI), Women in International Security (WIIS), and the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP). David Dilegge and Bill Nagle, founders and tireless editors of the Small Wars Journal website and blog, deserve a special thanks for providing a creative and free forum for this community’s debate and thought leadership. This research was also greatly enhanced by the insight provided by a number of professional civilians, military of‹cers, and enlisted troops who assisted me in site visits and interviews. I am grateful to the soldiers of the First Brigade (Bastogne!), 101st Airborne Division; the instructors at the First Marine Division Infantry School; the Observer Controllers at the Joint Readiness Training Center; the military staff of the First Regiment , Second Marines; the instructors and professors at the Army Command and General Staff College, the Army War College, and the Marine Corps Command and Staff College; the analysts at the Center for Army Lessons Learned and the Marine Corps War‹ghting Laboratory; the staff of the Marine Corps University Archives and the Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute; and the Army and Marine Corps doctrine writers. The members of each of these organizations were incredibly generous with their time and amazingly patient with my endless questions —and follow-up questions. I am especially indebted to my parents, Jim and Joanne, whose support was a continued source of strength; and to my sister Jennifer, whose viii • Acknowledgments [18.223.205.61] Project MUSE (2024-04...

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