“Defense Policy for an Era of Shifting Priorities and Constrained Resources”

Introduction by Prof. John Hall
UW Department of History and U.S. Army (ret)

Professor Richard Kohn will discuss his thesis that military commitments on the ground should be very limited and a reduction of our Army and Marine ground forces is in order. But he also feels that a robust defense of the “world commons” of trade routes and cyberspace will continue to be essential with appropriate air, sea and technical resources.

Dr. Kohn, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. Professor Kohn’s focus has been American military history generally, emphasizing national security and military policy, strategy, the American experience with war-making, and the connections between war, the military, and American society.

In recent years his concentration has been on current civil-military relations, particularly civilian control of the military. He has had direct involvement in these issues recently as a member of the civilian review commission of the Pentagon’s “Quadrennial Defense Policy Review.” He is also long time participant in the dialog of senior defense experts and very familiar with the clash of opinions in the growing debate on strategic policy. His published academic work specializes in civilian military relations and the development of the officer corps including the struggle to hammer out defense resource decisions.

Learn more through our Event Backgrounder and recent articles:

Beyond Sequester: Improving National Defense in an Age of Austerity

Lean Forward: In Defense of American Engagement

Strategy in a Time of Austerity: Why the Pentagon Should Focus on Assuring Access