Why Security Force Assistance Only Sometimes Works

January 24, 2025 00:56:09
Why Security Force Assistance Only Sometimes Works
Modern War Institute
Why Security Force Assistance Only Sometimes Works

Jan 24 2025 | 00:56:09

/

Show Notes

After twenty years of America’s post-9/11 wars and the US military’s struggle to build capable and effective security forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is an important discussion taking place about what role security force assistance should play for the United States in the very different strategic environment that is taking shape. Will it be a mission that we'll be required to do in order to compete with Russia and China? Or will it become tangential to our preparations for large-scale combat operations? And given the challenges we faced over the past two decades, what needs to happen to achieve better outcomes in the future? Will Reno, a professor of political science at Northwestern University, and Franky Matisek, a military professor of national security affairs at the US Naval War College, have researched the topic deeply, including conducting hundreds of interviews in the field. They join this episode to discuss their findings.

 

The MWI Podcast is produced with the generous support of the West Point Class of 1974.

Other Episodes

Episode 0

January 06, 2021 00:57:45
Episode Cover

Security in the High Latitudes

In an era of renewed great power competition, what are the risks of that competition migrating to the Arctic region and Antarctica? How might...

Listen

Episode

August 04, 2016 00:27:19
Episode Cover

Ep. 9 - "What Makes Violent Actors Tick?" with Dr. Benedetta Berti

MWI sits down with Dr. Benedetta Berti, researcher, author, and TED speaker to discuss the rise of violent non-state actors and how security professionals...

Listen

Episode

March 11, 2026 00:23:48
Episode Cover

The Weapons Defining the Iran Conflict

For more than a week, the United States and Israel have struck a wide range of targets in Iran with air and missile strikes....

Listen