U.S. Army Chief of Staff George Casey coined the phrase "era of persistent conflict" to describe the world we face in the 21st century. Many have said the global campaign against terrorism will not be won with bullets, or by the numbers killed in action. This edited volume contains the type of ingenuity that the United States needs at this critical juncture in its history and takes a new look at capabilities, organizations, and missions in this era of persistent conflict, and analyzes how ultimately the country's fate rests with its people, and the implications for that analysis.

Plugging in the gap : a comparative review of variables that affect civilian deployment capacity / Christie E. LaPlume -- National security and the interagency enterprise : a critical analysis / John C. Vara -- Establishing U.S. Stability Operations Command : an organization for the critical national security missions of the 21st century / Doug M. Hammer -- The strategic impact of the Security Assistance Program in contingency operations / Harvey R. Robinson -- Piracy : a local threat with global impact / Matthew G. St. Clair -- Clausewitz's trinity and strategic decision-making / Fritz W. Pfeiffer -- The case for a national risk communications strategy for mitigating terrorist attacks / Roger R. Laferriere.