As a follow-on to last year’s highly successful Principles of War Seminar Series the DoD Office of Force Transformation and the Office of Secretary of the Navy are sponsoring a professional seminar series. In examining the principles of war during the last series, it became apparent that the conduct of war and conflicts may likely be changing but the nature and causes of war may not.  This follow on series, Rethinking the Future Nature of Competitions and Conflict will consider these changes and what they portend for the U.S. and her allies. 

In this year's Seminar Series, speakers will explore such issues as:

• What are the future security issues facing the U.S. and her allies?
• What and where are the potential threats?
• When does it make sense to pursue an offensive or pre-emptive strategy versus a defensive strategy?
• What are the elements of National and Coalition power, including non-military, and how should they evolve to meet future demands?
• What are the current gaps in National/Coalition power, and how would they be best addressed?
• How can the U.S. and her allies get out in front of problems and prevent them from escalating?
• What constitutes victory or an acceptable end state in future conflicts?

To explore these issues more fully, upcoming seminar sessions will also discuss

• US strategy and differing views on the Global War On Terror
• Regional areas of concern
• The effects of globalization
• The future of non-governmental organizations, coalitions and the nation-state

The overall objective of the seminar series is to provide a forum to inform Department of Defense thinking by examining the future nature and role of the military and other government Departments in the context of a changing world.