Simons Center News

Scientists at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research are making progress on a Zika virus vaccine, and plan to start human testing later this year. Efforts to produce the vaccine and prepare for the spread of the virus have included components of the Department of Defense, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the […]

When the American Revolution broke out, the rebellious colonies did not possess an army in the modern sense. Rather, the revolutionaries fielded an amateur force of colonial troops, cobbled together from various New England militia companies. They had no unified chain of command, and although Artemas Ward of Massachusetts exercised authority by informal agreement, officers […]

In May, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) released their Joint Strategy on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE). The joint strategy builds on the foundation of the 2015 White House CVE Summit and provides a “roadmap” for U.S. CVE efforts. In his opening message for the strategy, Secretary of State John […]

Earlier this month, U.S. Southern Command (Southcom) commander Navy Admiral Kurt W. Tidd spoke on the region’s greatest security challenge during a media roundtable at the Pentagon – illicit networks. According to Tidd, while Southcom’s area of responsibility has not seen ongoing conflict in some time, “it’s not a region that is without challenges … [and] […]

We congratulate the graduating CGSC classes – SAMS and CGSOC – and wish them well as they head out to provide leadership for our Army and the nation. In this edition of the Foundation News we continue our “CGSC 101” series that highlights the various teaching departments at the College with a feature on the […]

The State Department recently released the 2015 Country Reports on Terrorism. The reports assesses global terrorist threats, including terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. Many of the country reports also appraise U.S. involvement and interagency cooperation, calling for better coordinated […]

In spring 2016, the Simons Center began seeking to publish more of the scholarship being produced here at the Command and General Staff College by both faculty and students. “Much very good, and thoughtful work in many subject areas is being produced and discussed here at Fort Leavenworth, the intellectual center of the U.S. Army,” […]

“The mind is the key to victory,” Lt. Gen. Gary H. Cheek told U.S. military and international officers, and civilians from U.S. federal agencies graduating from the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies on May 26 at 9 a.m. in the Eisenhower Auditorium of the Lewis and Clark Center. The 135 graduates include 14 […]

In 1866, some of the first Decoration Day ceremonies were held in Columbus, Mississippi and Waterloo, New York to honor those that died during the Civil War. Later renamed Memorial Day and expanded to include those who have died in all American wars, this tradition has always included a somber remembrance of service members who […]

On May 23 and 24, 9,000 government, private sector, and civil society representatives gathered in Istanbul, Turkey, for the World Humanitarian Summit. Participants included representatives from 173 United Nations (UN) member states and 55 heads of state and government, as well as thousands from the private sector, civil society, and non-governmental organizations. With an estimated […]