Land warfare is always of interest as a strategic instrument of American foreign policy and in its details. Now, that interest is greatly deepened by the serious question of whether in today’s grand planning land warfare is being unwisely underutilized, even abandoned at times. Whatever the reasons for diminution (alternative tools are available, it creates new problems, Americans don’t wish to bear the risks etc.), the realistic question of whether American effectiveness and interests are being served remains. Coping with ISIS raises the question bluntly. Yet, it also flows from numerous scenarios, as illustrated by Michael O’Hanlon’s recently published book, The Future of Land Warfare. We are fortunate to be joined by Dr. O’Hanlon as for his discussion of this fundamental and critical part of American foreign policy.

Michael O’Hanlon is a good friend of this Council, a highly respected scholar, and active commentator.

He holds a Ph. D. degree in Public and International Affairs from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. His bachelor’s and master’s degrees, also from Princeton, are in the physical sciences. He served in the Peace Corps and was a national security analyst at the Congressional Budget Office before joining Brookings. At present, in addition to being responsible for foreign policy research at the Brookings Institution, he is a visiting lecturer at Princeton University, an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University, and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
 

Michael O’Hanlon is known to Council members from his several memorable prior meetings with the Council and from his extensive commentaries: over a dozen authored or co-authored books (the most recent of which are Bending History: Barack Obama’s Foreign Policy (co-authored), Healing the Wounded Giant: Maintaining Military Preeminence while Cutting the Defense Budget, Strategic Reassurance and Resolve (co-authored), and now The Future of Land Warfare), several hundred op-ed pieces in newspapers including the Washington Post and New York Times, and over 3,000 television and radio appearances.

It is a great pleasure, once again, to welcome Dr. Michael O’Hanlon to the Council.