The Center and FPRI to Host Conference Emphasizing IW Lessons Learned Since 9/11

The Department of Defense’s Irregular Warfare Center (IWC) and the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s (FPRI) Center for the Study of Intelligence and Nontraditional Warfare will co-host a two-day conference on September 17 and 18, 2024, to discuss irregular warfare lessons learned since 9/11 at the U.S. Naval Institute Jack C. Taylor Conference Center, Annapolis, Maryland.

The conference aims to capture lessons learned, including positive and negatives examples, in the conduct of irregular warfare operations around the world by U.S., allied, and partner nations and non-state actors after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

While Afghanistan and Iraq were the most prominent of the post-9/11 wars, the conference welcomes papers that draw on lessons learned from irregular warfare operations in the Philippines, Horn of Africa, the Sahel region of Africa, or elsewhere.

“We are excited to partner with FPRI for this critical, informative event to provide an opportunity to discuss some of the IW lessons learned since 9/11 while fostering growth and emphasizing the importance of learning from past experiences to find solutions to future irregular problems,” said Lori Leffler, IWC Chief of Staff and Deputy Director. “The tremendous value this event brings through the insights shared by panel members, practitioners, presenters and IW SMEs aims to aid the future of irregular warfare.”

“IWC and FPRI’s Center for the Study of Intelligence and Nontraditional Warfare are happy to have the chance to collaborate on this project and to bring together both academic and governmental views and approaches towards studying this important topic,” said Phil Wasielewski, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute Director, Center for the Study of Intelligence and Nontraditional Warfare. “The purpose of the conference is not only to collect lessons learned from our post-9/11 irregular wars (Afghanistan, Iraq, Horn of Africa, Sahel, Philippines, etc.) but also to highlight the continuing need to study and examine irregular warfare operations while much of the DoD budget and educational centers have been reoriented to conventional war against “peer competitors.”

“We see this conference not as a “one and done” event but as the first step for both of our recently new centers to catalyze interest in studying irregular warfare and avoid the boom-or-bust cycle that has plagued it in DoD and the academic world since WWII,” added Wasielewski. “The IWC has plans to collect all papers in their own databases and FPRI plans to publish select papers on its website. Submissions should describe lessons learned from one of seven conference topics: Information Operations; Human Terrain; Logistics, Supply, and Maintenance Operations; Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Operations; Intelligence and Counterintelligence Activities; Engaging with Partner Forces; and Utilizing Local Police and Militia Forces in a Counterinsurgency.”

The conference hosts particularly welcome:

• Case studies from specific campaigns (i.e. The Al Anbar Awakening) or programs (i.e. Village Stability Operations/Afghan Local Police) that cover one or more of these topics
• Lessons learned from lesser-known campaigns in the Philippines, Horn of Africa, Sahel, or elsewhere
• Papers that provide allied, partner force, and indigenous perspectives of the conference topics
  

Papers should be no more than 5,000 words, Times New Roman 12 pt font, 1.5 spaced, and in Word. Papers must be received by August 1, 2024. Please email papers to submissions@fpri.org and include your name, contact information, phone number, and a short biography in the email. Your name should not appear anywhere on paper.

Authors of papers chosen by IWC and FPRI will be invited to present their papers at the conference either in-person or virtually. Selected papers may also be published by FPRI’s Center for the Study of Intelligence and Nontraditional Warfare on their website.

Wasielewski added, “The value this conference will bring is that there will be both a number of papers presented on various aspects of irregular warfare that are sure to be treasure troves of useful lessons learned but also a number of panels with very experienced participants from the various post-9/11 irregular warfare operations around the world. The insights they will share during the conference will be equally valuable and are worth preserving for the next time our national defense establishment is called upon to conduct an irregular warfare campaign.”

For more event information and submission details, please visit:

The IWC serves as the central mechanism for developing the Department of Defense’s (DoD) irregular warfare knowledge and advancing the Department’s understanding of irregular warfare concepts and doctrine in collaboration with key allies and partners.

The Center’s foundation is built upon three Lines of Effort:

• AMPLIFY and collaborate to build an innovative and adaptable global networked IW community of interest.
• Strategically ILLUMINATE current and future irregular threats, crises, and obstacles.
• ADDRESS current and future irregular threats to the US, allies, and partners by providing optionality to leaders.

Through these LOEs, the Irregular Warfare Center addresses current and emerging security concerns and challenges with world-class research, rigorous analysis, top-tier strategic education and training for U.S. and international partners.