2011 NWC Writing Award Winners

For her Research Fellowship paper, "The Dhahran Airfield and Security Assistance: Shaping American Foreign Policy with Saudi Arabia, 1946-1996,” an NDU Foundation Writing Award was presented to Lt Col Tracy R. Szczepaniak, USAF. sponsoring faculty: Professor Mark Clodfelter, with assistance from Professors Harvey Rishikof, Eric Hammersen, Kamal Beyoghlow, and Mike Mazar.

For Course 6100, “Introduction to Strategy,” the Best Paper Award was presented to Ms. Lourdes T. Talbot, DIA, for her paper, “Adapting the Mexico Strategy: First, Get the Context Right,” sponsoring faculty: Colonel Courtney Ducharme.

The Best Paper award for the 6200 “short” paper went to: COL Michelle L. Martin-Hing, USA, for her paper, “Center of Gravity and Radical Islamists,” sponsoring faculty: COL Andres Ploompuu.

The Best Paper award for the 6200 “long” paper went to Col Adam Oler, USAF, for his paper, “An Islamic Way of War?” sponsoring faculty: Professor Mark Clodfelter (that paper was published in the Spring issue of JFQ).

The Best Paper award for Course 6300, “Instruments of Statecraft and Diplomacy,” is presented to Mr. Brian M. Arakelian, OSD, for his paper, “The 1994 North Korean Nuclear Crisis: A Case of Transitive Power for US Diplomacy,” sponsoring faculty: Professor Omer Taspinar.

The Best Paper award for Course 6400, “The Domestic Context and U.S. National Security Decision-Making,” is presented to Mr. Jeffrey D. Specht, DAF, for his paper, “National Security Letters: An Evolving Balance of Security and Civil Liberties,” sponsoring faculty, Captain Rich Fite.

The Best Paper award for Course 6500, “The Global Context,” is presented to Mr. Brian G. Heath, Department of State, for his paper, “The Domestic Politics of Jordan: On the Road to Revolution, Repression, or Reform?” sponsoring faculty: Dr. William Hill.

The Best Paper award for Course 6600, “Applications in National Security Strategy,” was presented to Ms. Catherine S. Higgins, NSA, for her paper, “Mexico Strategy Options,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Rich Davison, OSD.

The National Defense University President’s Award was presented to CDR Brent D. Sadler, USN, for his paper, “A.I. Goes to War! Legal Frameworks Beyond the Singularity,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Harvey Rishikof.

The National War College Commandant’s Award, sponsored by the National Defense University Foundation, was presented by Ambassador Norland to COL Mark “Max” Maxwell, USA, for his paper, “Mexico’s Judicial Reforms of 2008: Building a Legal Causeway, But Is It from the Past or the Future?” sponsoring faculty, Professor Harvey Rishikof.

The Brigadier General A.A. (Rick) Sardo, USMC Award, sponsored by the NDU Foundation, was presented to Lt Col Jonathan A. Sutherland, USAF, for his paper, “China and the US Telecom Sector: The Balance between an Open Market and a Locked Security Environment,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Bud Cole

The Dr. Frank Trager Faculty and Alumni Awards, sponsored by the NWC Alumni Association, was presented to two members of the Class of 2011. First, to Colonel Adam Oler, USAF, for his two award winning papers: “The Shiite Movement and the Need for a New US Strategy,” and “We Know What We Don’t Know: Why Professional Military Education Must Instruct on the Early History of Islam.” The sponsoring faculty is Ambassador Richard Norland.
Next, a Trager Award was also presented to Mr. James P. Merz, Department of State, for his two award winning papers, “Responding to a Nuclear Attack by a Non-State Actor: The Moral and Strategic Considerations,” and “The Obama Administration’s Surprising Decision to Engage Sudan.” Sponsoring faculty are Colonel Jeffrey Stephenson and Professor Terry Myers.

The NWC Alumni Association award was presented to COL Hariharan Dharmarajan, Indian Army, for his paper, “Calibrating Coercion,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Monica Stein-Olsen, USAID.

The NWC Faculty and Alumni award was presented to Mr. Peter A. Malnak, USAID, for his paper, “Israel’s Separation Barrier—Fault Line for a Democratic Nation,” sponsoring faculty, Professors Harvey Rishikof, Audrey Cronin, and Captain Peter Dallman.

This year the NWC Alumni Association presented a new award, for the Best Paper Written on an Ethics Topic dealing with national security affairs. The Award is sponsored by a graduate of National War College who wishes to remain anonymous. The first winner of the NWC Ethics Writing Award goes to Lt Col Theresa B. Humphrey, USAF, for her paper, “The 2011 Egypt Uprising: A Case Study in United States Military Professionalism,” sponsoring faculty, Professor David Tretler.

The final award from the NWC Alumni Association was the Colonel William R. (Rich) Higgins Award, which is sponsored by the NWC Class of 1985. The award is presented by Mr. Philip Pillsbury, the President of the NWC Class of ’85. This award honors the memory of a valiant member of the Class of 1985, Marine Col Rich Higgins, who, in 1988 while serving with the UN Truce Supervisory Organization in Lebanon, was taken hostage by terrorists and subsequently executed. The award for the Class of 2011 is presented to LtCol Daniel Q. Greenwood, USMC, for his paper, “Hybrid Warfare and Non-State Actors: The Enduring Relevance of Clausewitzian Theory,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Mark Clodfelter.

The George F. Kennan Award, which honors our first deputy commandant and the renowned strategist, George F. Kennan. The award is sponsored by the American Foreign Service Association. It was presented by Ms. Susan Johnson, President of the American Foreign Service Association to Mr. Todd C. Holmstrom, Department of State, for his paper, “Acknowledging a Threat: Countering the Iran, Syria, Hamas, Hizbollah Axis,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Bard O’Neill.

The Association of the United States Army Writing Award, presented by LT GEN (Ret) Thomas Plewes, USA to COL Mark A. Lee, USA, for his paper, “The Spider Webs and the Lion: How Energy and Environmental Issues Will Entangle China in the Next Ten Years,” sponsoring faculty, COL Kent Schweikert, USA.

The Colonel Richard A. Christie Marine Corps Association Writing Award, presented by Colonel Walt Ford, USMC (Ret.), the Publisher of the Marine Corps Association and the editor of Leatherneck Magazine, and Mrs. Barb Christie, to honor the memory of her husband, Colonel Rich Christie, NWC Class of 2001, and the recipient of the Marine Corps Association Writing Award that year to Mr. Drew P. Meyer, Department of the Navy, for his paper, “The Journey to Global Zero: Effects on Nuclear Force Structure,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Rich Davison, OSD.

The Navy League of the United States Writing Award, presented by Captain Dale “Kid” Lumme, USN, Retired, the National Executive Director of the Navy League of the United States to CDR Brent D. Sadler, USN, for his paper, “The Fulcrum of Wealth,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Bud Cole. Brent’s paper is a 191-page examination of how emerging markets will likely shape maritime trade patterns in the next half century, and we’re exploring the possibility of having NDU publish it as a monograph.

The Air Force Association Writing Award presented by Colonel Harvey Dahljelm, USAF, Ret., Treasurer of the Nation’s Capital chapter of the Air Force Association to Lt Col Robert G. Novotny, USAF, for his paper, “Millard F. Harmon, Jr.: Model for the Modern Airman,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Mark Clodfelter

The Military Officers Association of America Writing Award presented by Col Steve Strobridge, USAF, Ret., Director of Government Relations of the Military Officers Association of America was presented to CDR Peter C. Phillips, USN, and Col Charles S. Corcoran, USAF, for their paper, “Harnessing America’s Power: A US National Security Structure for the 21st Century,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Harvey Rishikof.

The Sherman Kent Award for the best paper in strategic intelligence presented by LTG retired James Williams, USA, the former Director of DIA and the Chairman of the Board of the National Military Intelligence Association was presented to Col Gregory T. White, USAF, for his paper, “On Toward a Nuclear Arms Control Treaty with China,” sponsoring faculty, Professors Bud Cole, Cynthia Watson, and Kamal Beyoghlow

The Raymond G. Rocca Counterintelligence Award sponsored by the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. Mr. Gary Harter, AFIO’s Director of Intelligence Literature, made the presentation on behalf of AFIO to Mr. Stephen J. Coonen, OSD-Policy, for his paper, “Protecting Critical Technologies: Intelligence Support for Technology Security,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Lisa Bronson.

The Excellence in Research and Writing Award from the Department of Homeland Security presented by Dr. Cheryl Seminara, Chief of DHS Policy, Plans, and Outreach to CDR Paul J. Frontera, USN, for his paper, “US Strategy for Cyberspace: Insight from the Dawn of the Atomic Age,” sponsoring faculty, Professor Steve Stigall, CIA.