Every academic year, students at the Air War College (AWC), Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., write professional studies research papers during their 10 months in residence that address questions raised by strategic leaders across all military service branches and in many government agencies.
At times, an individual’s research findings meet the rigorous standards necessary for sharing with academic and professional audiences beyond the walls of Maxwell through publication as professional papers and in academic journals.
Such was the destination for the research conducted by Air Force Office of Special Investigations Special Agent, Lt. Col. Ben Hatch, 7th Field Investigations Squadron Commander, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
The Academic Year 2018 AWC graduate was published in the 2019 fourth quarter edition of the Journal of Strategic Security, a double-blind peer reviewed professional journal.
“After spending these past 18 months post-AWC graduation working revisions to drafts and completing additional research on the paper, it’s incredibly gratifying to see the article in published format,” SA Hatch said. “I’ll be the first to admit the peer reviews were tough, but the feedback provided served as a motivator to refine the article into a product that offered tangible options for policy makers to consider.”
His article, The Future of Strategic Information and Cyber-Enabled Information Operations, examined ways to prepare for future challenges across the continuum of conflict, and proposed options for the U.S. Government to optimize how it manages, counters, defends and exploits the effects of information by organizing for strategic information and cyber-enabled information operations across and through multiple domains. The article can be downloaded at the link: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol12/iss4/4/
“I’m proud to have contributed to such an important national security conversation,” SA Hatch said.
The AWC resident program class includes officers from each U.S. military service branch, civilian employees of federal government agencies, and officers from the international community.
All U.S. students are dually enrolled in the AWC senior-level professional military education (PME) program and the Master of Strategic Studies degree program; therefore, they must meet admission requirements for the master’s degree.
The AWC PME program is accredited for joint professional military education phase II as defined for senior level colleges in the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction 1800.01E, Officer Professional Military Education Policy.
As the senior Air Force PME school, AWC annually educates about 245 resident students from all U.S. military service branches, federal agencies, and international fellows from 45 nations.
What’s on tap for the published researcher?
“The prospect of completing additional research that meets the publication standard is something I would need some time to reflect on,” SA Hatch admitted. “For now, I plan to enjoy the moment and focus on my assigned AFOSI mission to Defend the Nation, Serve Justice, Protect the Air Force, and Find the Truth.”
Editor’s Note: The views expressed in the published article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense or the United States Air Force.