The Humanity of Warfare

ABSTRACT The Humanity of Warfare: Social Science Capabilities and the Evolution of Warfare addressees the changing nature of conflict and the new focus represented in the Counter-insurgency (COIN) doctrine. Now that the population’s welfare is placed at the center, understanding the populations and social dynamics becomes critical. Military commanders and the population’s welfare are inextricably intertwined and victory now depends upon the success of this paradigm-shifting doctrine. This book takes a penetrating look at the socio-cultural enablers, subject matter experts and social scientists who assist the military in understanding the indigenous culture and populations they hope to serve and protect. Throughout the course of the book the reader gains an understanding of how the Social Scientist can help the military understand the key socio-cultural issues, dynamics, and leaders necessary to achieve success. Chapter two demonstrates specific examples of relevant socio-cultural products that have greatly enhanced the military’s ability to interact successfully with the population of Afghanistan. Chapter three informs the respective commanders on how to best enable their socio-cultural team with specific needs and requirements. Chapter four demonstrates the critical skills, education, and abilities socio-cultural team members must have to be successful in a conflict environment. Chapter five reveals peacetime socio-cultural capabilities designed to inform and prepare military commands by bringing the unique perspectives, analysis, and socio-cultural expertise into their processes to create the most culturally prepared deploying unit as humanly possible before deployment. In short, to fully exploit the socio-cultural capability with the goal to protect lives within vulnerable populations and the occupying soldiers, and achieve objectives.  

ABSTRACT The Humanity of Warfare: Social Science Capabilities and the Evolution of Warfare addressees the changing nature of conflict and the new focus represented in the Counter-insurgency (COIN) doctrine. Now that the population’s welfare is placed at the center, understanding the populations and social dynamics becomes critical. Military commanders and the population’s welfare are inextricably intertwined and victory now depends upon the success of this paradigm-shifting doctrine. This book takes a penetrating look at the socio-cultural enablers, subject matter experts and social scientists who assist the military in understanding the indigenous culture and populations they hope to serve and protect. Throughout the course of the book the reader gains an understanding of how the Social Scientist can help the military understand the key socio-cultural issues, dynamics, and leaders necessary to achieve success. Chapter two demonstrates specific examples of relevant socio-cultural products that have greatly enhanced the military’s ability to interact successfully with the population of Afghanistan. Chapter three informs the respective commanders on how to best enable their socio-cultural team with specific needs and requirements. Chapter four demonstrates the critical skills, education, and abilities socio-cultural team members must have to be successful in a conflict environment. Chapter five reveals peacetime socio-cultural capabilities designed to inform and prepare military commands by bringing the unique perspectives, analysis, and socio-cultural expertise into their processes to create the most culturally prepared deploying unit as humanly possible before deployment. In short, to fully exploit the socio-cultural capability with the goal to protect lives within vulnerable populations and the occupying soldiers, and achieve objectives.  

Samuel James Striker, Ph.D., is the founder of Hollin-Phoenix Consulting, LLC: a company that specializes in socio-cultural research in unstable areas. He is considered by many to be one of the foremost conflict zone social scientists with extensive experiences in unstable areas such as North Africa, Iraq, and Afghanistan. His educational experience is equally expansive, with degrees in Educational Leadership, Research and Technology (PHD); Educational leadership (MA); Physical Science (BS); Electronics and Liberal Arts (AA). His past work experience includes the U.S. Air Force, educator, an educational director, software consultant, military security consultant, research manager, and social scientist. He has worked with such military entities as the Department of Defense, Department of the Army, and several NATO units. His certifications encompass extensive training in Labor Relations and Negotiations, Combat Advisory School, Open Source Intelligence Resources and Information Systems, Counter-Insurgency Leadership Academy, CIMIC Leadership, Afghanistan Immersion Studies and several iterations of the U.S. Army Human Terrain System. His deployments in Iraq include training and supervising multiple third country nationals from Nepal, Uganda, Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia, as well as Iraqi soldiers. He liaised extensively with the U.S. military. In Afghanistan he worked primarily as a social scientist where he devised an effective collection and analysis tool known as Truncated Methodology. He has dozens of internal publications with NATO as well as a published dissertation. His works have informed policymakers at all levels to include the Defense Intelligence Agency and the POTUS’s kindle, US Air Force logistics Command, CIMIC, Department of State, USAID, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and other agencies with a presence in conflict areas. He has also submitted comprehensive critiques on the U.S. Army’s Human Terrain System training program. Dr. Striker’s awards include two Civilian Commendation Medals, NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, 1/101st Airborne Recognition Award, 4/10 Mountain Brigade Award, 4/101st Airborne Recognition Award, and ISAF Joint Command Best Product Award. Dr. Striker has been featured in The Afghan Paradox and honored by Western Michigan University for his work in conflict areas. His guest speaking engagements include the Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Multinational Group in Motta di Livenza, Italy, the 2012 GEOINT Symposium, U.S. Army Human Terrain System, and the COIN Leadership Academy. Dr. Striker has two children and four grandchildren. He currently calls East Lansing, MI home. He enjoys travelling, SCUBA diving and flying as quasi-leisure activities. His never-ending vision is to bring the social science capability to virtually all cross-cultural endeavors for the purpose of protecting populations and soldiers through cultural understanding. Stay tuned for Dr. Striker’s next book which features Applied Social Science in a Trans-cultural World, representing the next stage in social evolution.