The 21st Century Defense Initiative was launched by The Brookings Institution in 2006, in response to recent changes in the international security environment. The Initiative produces cutting-edge research, analysis, and outreach that address some of the most critical issues facing leaders shaping defense and security policy in the coming century.

In the five years since September 11, 2001, the global security environment has changed greatly. In addition to the rise in power of traditional actors like China and India, non-state actors such as Hezbollah and al-Qaeda have emerged as major threats in many areas of the world. Other challenges, such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, have become even more acute with the rise of global terrorism and the emergence of rogue weapons programs in North Korea and Iran. The need for civil-military planning to meet these challenges is more pressing than ever. Parallel to these developments, rising powers like China and India are changing the very makeup of the international security environment.

These transformations play out in the rapidly changing context of the 21st century, with emerging revolutions in information, communications, energy use, global economic competition, and bio-technology. Many think the hallmark of the 21st century may not be merely change, but at how the rate of change is accelerating-namely, at an exponential pace unparalleled in history.

The 21st Century Defense Initiative at Brookings will conduct research and analysis, as well as outreach to policymakers and interested publics, on the following three core issues, which are crucial to the shape of U.S. defense policy in the future:

  • The Future of War. The nature and modes of warfare are rapidly changing, whether it is the rise of new actors or new domains of mass violence. Areas for investigation include exploring the impact of globalization and decentralization of conflict groups, the emergence of new types of conflict groups (from warlords and terrorists to child soldiers and private militaries), consideration of new technologies and their impact on both causes and conduct of war (information, robotics, genetics, etc.), continuing questions of warrior ethics and professional identity in new contexts of war, and new modes and locales for military operations (from information warfare to post-conflict stability and reconstruction).

  • The Future of U.S. Defense Needs and Priorities. U.S. national security considerations will hardly stay static in such a rapidly changing world. New threats require new strategies. New capabilities open new policy options, but they also create new responsibilities. Areas for exploration include global defense challenges, regional security needs ranging from those raised by a rising China to heightened tensions with Iran, and homeland security priorities that the U.S. military and related agencies must plan for in the years and decades ahead. Integration with civilian agencies at home and abroad also is a critical aspect of the military planning processes in the 21st century. The Initiative seeks to advise policymakers on the optimal balance of resources to address rapidly changing security threats facing the U.S. today-threats as diverse as terrorism and natural disasters.

  • The Future of the U.S. Defense System. A better understanding of war and the expectations that will be placed upon the U.S. military and related agencies in the 21st century is crucial for informed force planning and budgeting. Building upon the analysis of the above two issues, the Initiative examines a myriad of issues facing the U.S. defense system in light of future and possible missions. These issues include future force structure; the military budget, equipment and capacity; service recruitment and retention; the services' evolving training and professional needs; and others. Each issue may be evaluated at the national level as well as at the service or agency level.
In all its programming, the project seeks to focus on Innovation and Impact. It carries out a diverse range of activities, including:

  • Publications: Books, journal articles, and analysis papers, reflecting in-depth research and field study;
  • Roundtables and seminars: Creating and maintaining a working community in Washington DC for the exploration of changing defense issues;
  • Commentary and opinion pieces: Informing public debate on defense issues that appear frequently in major print and electronic media;
  • Public events: Providing a venue for discussion of changing defense issues by prominent defense leaders and authors; and
  • Conferences and Special programming: Building intellectual support for analysis and research by bringing together top experts, hosting regional crisis simulations, etc.
The Initiative has a special portal to the policy community by hosting the Federal Executive Fellows program—career officers from each military service, the CIA, and the Coast Guard, who will spend a year in residence researching and publishing on cutting-edge defense topics. These mid-career government officials provide a valuable policy feedback that help the Initiative craft and disseminate realistic, applicable policy recommendations relevant to each agency or service.

The Initiative also serves as a new mechanism to draw upon the wealth of expertise and capacity that exist within the Foreign Policy Studies Program and its world-class regional centers, including the Center on the United States and Europe, the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, and the Saban Center for Middle East Policy. Its creation allows the integration of regional knowledge with defense analysis in a manner not possible at other institutions.

Dr. Peter W. Singer serves as the Director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative. Dr. Michael E. O'Hanlon serves as Director of Research. For further information, please contact 202-797-6105 or 21DefenseInitiative@brookings.edu.

Federal Executive Fellows 2008-2009

Colonel Mark E. Weatherington (U.S. Air Force)
Colonel Weatherington earned his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1990 and completed undergraduate pilot training at Reese AFB, Texas. Colonel Weatherington led 17 combat missions into Afghanistan and directly contributed to the success of another 175 combat sorties as a mission planning cell team chief and operations supervisor after September 11, 2001. Colonel Weatherington is a Distinguished Graduate of Air Command and Staff College and a graduate of the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. He previously commanded the 28th Bomb Squadron, Dyess AFB, Texas, and served as Chairman’s Action Group Strategist, Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, directly supporting the principal military advisor to the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council.

Colonel Richard L. Stevens (U.S. Army)
Colonel Richard Stevens commanded the 36th Engineer Brigade headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas and was forward deployed to Afghanistan before joining Brookings. Prior to command, Colonel Stevens served as the Deputy Commander of the Gulf Region Division in Baghdad, Iraq. In this position, Colonel Stevens was charged with overseeing three district commanders working on over 1000 projects throughout the area of operations in Iraq. Colonel Stevens has also served on the Army Staff as the Executive Officer to the Director for Program Analysis and Evaluation, G-8 and as a Staff Officer in G3/5/7. He has overseas experience as the Director of Public Works in Doha, Qatar and has served as a math instructor at the United States Military Academy. Colonel Stevens is a graduate of West Point and holds a Masters degree in Mathematics from the University of Perdue.

Colonel Drew T. Doolin (U.S. Marine Corps)
Colonel Doolin graduated from Illinois State University in 1982. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in December 1986. After graduating from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College in 2000, he was the Marine Military Aide to Vice President Cheney and subsequently assumed duties as the Team leader, Logistics Operations Team in the Installations and Logistics Department as Marine Headquarters. Col Doolin was deployed to Iraq’s Al Anbar province as the commander of a Combat Service Support Battalion from August 2004 – February 2005 and returned for another 6-month tour between January and August 2006. After his return, Colonel Doolin served as the Branch Chief, Chairman Sponsored Exercises Branch, Joint Education and Training Division.

Lieutenant Commander Steven S. Lee (U.S. Navy)
Lieutenant Commander Lee is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1993. His first sea duty tours were aboard USS Simpson (where he served as Information Systems Officer and Weapons and Fire Control Officer. Subsequent sea duty tours included Operations Officer in USS Samuel B. Roberts, Executive Officer in USS Grasp and Executive Officer in USS Decatur. Duties ashore included Executive Assistant to the Director for Logistics (J4), The Joint Staff; Action Officer in the Joint Logistics Operations Center, National Military Command Center; White House Social Aide; Head, Officer and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Programs Branch, Headquarters, Navy Recruiting Command. He earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies at the Naval War College in 2002, and attended the Joint Forces Staff College. He also completed advanced studies in National Security and International Affairs at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C., and completed studies at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University.

Captain Steven T. Baynes
Captain Steven Baynes graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. He earned a Master of Science degree in Operations Research from George Mason University in 1996.Captain Baynes served as Operations Officer on USCGC CONFIDENCE. He then served as Deputy Chief, Personnel and Planning Division at Coast Guard Headquarters. Upon completion of this Headquarters assignment, he assumed duties as Executive Officer on USCGC DAUNTLESS in Galveston, TX. Following his tour onboard DAUNTLESS Captain Baynes was Chief of the Operational Analysis and Planning Division at Headquarters. He also served as Commanding Officer of USCGC DECISIVE. Upon completion of his tour onboard USCGC DECISIVE he reported to LANTAREA as Chief, Response Enforcement Cutter Section. Before joining Brookings, Captain Baynes was Chief, Response Enforcement Branch at Atlantic Area.

Jozlyn Schroeder
Jozlyn Schroeder is a senior economic analyst in the Office of Near East and South Asian Analysis and an eight year veteran of the CIA. Before joining the Agency, she worked as an international trade specialist for the US International Trade Commission. Ms. Schroeder has traveled widely in the Arab world, especially in North Africa and the Persian Gulf. She holds a masters degree in international economics and Middle East studies from Johns Hopkins and a Bachelors degree from Villanova.