Atlantic Council

General George W. Casey, Jr., Chief of Staff of the Army, joined the Atlantic Council to discuss counterinsurgency and the future of the U.S. military.  The General's remarks, “Complex Operations and Counterinsurgency: Building the Army of the 21st Century," addressed the Army's efforts to transform itself into a force prepared for future global contingencies while at the same time conducting combat and counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The discussion was modified by Fred Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council.

Since 9/11, the US Army has undertaken major sustained operations that have challenged the doctrine, training, equipment and personnel of the Army.  The General shared his views on how the Army has adapted to these challenges and, based on these experiences, what the Army of the future will look like.

General Casey has held several key commands in the U.S. military, including Multi-National Forces – Iraq, the 1st Armored Division and Director of the Joint Staff.  The event was part of the Atlantic Council's Commanders Series, a lecture series of high-level U.S. and European military leaders hosted by the Council's International Security Program.

Full Transcript

Video:

C-SPAN

Podcast (MP3, 1:03:09):

Press Coverage:

• Global Conditions, Trends Indicate Years of Conflict, Army Chief Says – American Forces Press Service, Gerry J. Gilmore
• Army Launching Program To Train Soldiers To Combat Post-Traumatic Stress – Huffington Post, Sam Stein
• Army plans mental health training program – Leaf-Chronicle, Richard V. Stevens

Blogger Reactions:

• Hybrid Warfare: The Second Lebanon War of 2006 – U.S. Army Combined Arms Center Blog

New Atlanticist Analysis:

• Casey: Current Tempo Unsustainable – James Joyner
• U.S. Military: Future Scenarios – Derek S. Reveron
• NATO Should Help in Pakistan – Leo Michel & Shuja Nawaz
• NATO Interests vs. National Interests – Jeffrey LightfootTw
• EU and NATO: Interlocking or Interblocking? – Stéphanie Hofmann & Kenneth Weisbrode
• Petraeus: NATO Faces Very Urgent Moment – James Joyner
• Obama AfPak Strategy Déjà Vu All Over Again – Hugh De Santis
• Afghanistan is Irrelevant – Bernard Finel

Publications:

• Afghanistan Report: A Ten-Year Framework for the Future
• Pakistan Report: Comprehensive U.S. Policy Needed
• Alliance Reborn: An Atlantic Compact for the 21st Century
• Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World
• Saving Afghanistan: An Appeal and Plan for Urgent Action

Events:

• The Future of U.S.-Pakistan Relations
• The Future of Afghanistan: A Conversation with Ashraf Ghani
• Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Obama: Discussions on the New Strategy
• Pakistan: Future Scenarios
• NATO Head: Pakistan FATA Key to Afghan Security
• Defense Business Transformation: Audacity for Change
  
• NIC Chairman Thomas Fingar Presents "Global Trends 2025"
• CIA Director Michael Hayden at Atlantic Council
• Reforming NATO for the 21st Century

Commanders Series Discussions:

• General John Craddock, USA: Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO and Commander, U.S. European Command
• General David McKiernan, USA: Commander, ISAF and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan
• General Victor Renuart, USAF: Commander, USNORTHCOM and Commander, NORAD
• General James Jones, USMC (Ret.): Former Commander, EUCOM & SACEUR, NATO and Commandant of the Marine Corps
• Major General Ton van Loon (Netherlands): Former Commander, ISAF, Regional Command South
• General Barry McCaffrey, USA (Ret.): Former Commander, USSOUTHCOM
• Lieutenant General Karlheinz Viereck (Germany): Former EU Operation Commander, EUFOR Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Commanders Series is generously supported by Saab AB.

 

 

Photos by Julie Hittle.