Restore Publication of Branch Magazines
In the rapidly evolving world of military operations, the need for essential reading that supports learning and the advancement of the profession has never been more critical. This article explores strategies to modernize and revive branch magazines within the military, drawing inspiration from successful initiatives such as the Irregular Warfare Initiative.
The Irregular Warfare Initiative, a collaboration between practitioners and academics, has thrived by addressing contemporary, complex threats through collaboration, multidisciplinary expertise, and a focus on emerging vulnerabilities. In contrast, magazines like Special Warfare have struggled, likely due to their inability to adapt rapidly to changing warfare dynamics, digital transformation, and evolving audience engagement demands.
To modernize and revive branch magazines, several strategies can be employed:
- Shift to Digital and Interactive Platforms: Embrace multimedia content (video, podcasts, interactive articles) to engage a diverse, tech-savvy military audience.
- Focus on Contemporary Themes: Cover irregular warfare, hybrid threats, multi-domain operations, and innovations in military strategy that align with current military priorities.
- Leverage Community and Expert Contributions: Include voices from operational experts, local partners, and interdisciplinary fields to enrich perspectives and relevance.
- Enhance Relevance Through Real-World Case Studies: Feature impactful operational stories that reflect modern conflict realities.
- Tailor Content for Professional Development: Integrate educational content, lessons learned, and doctrinal updates to directly support career growth and readiness.
- Promote Cross-Branch Collaboration: Facilitate sharing of expertise across branches, reflecting the interconnected nature of modern military operations and irregular warfare challenges.
By evolving content delivery, increasing relevance to current and future military challenges, and engaging the community of military professionals dynamically, branch magazines can revitalize their role as essential reading in a rapidly changing defense environment.
The Army could also adopt models that incorporate uniformed personnel, such as training military students as junior editors and encouraging them to continue as volunteer editors when they return to the force. Additionally, articles published by branch magazines should be indexed and tagged for easy access by students in professional military education, doctrine writers, and others.
The decline of military branch magazines can be attributed to their outdated formats and lack of strong connection with the force. New outlets like the our website and War on the Rocks have proliferated, featuring modern, mobile-first formats and publishing constantly, engaging with their readers on a daily basis.
The United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School publishes a magazine called Special Warfare, which was a place for discourse, disagreement, and discussion among Army's special operations professionals. Unfortunately, this valuable platform is no longer serving its purpose.
The four branch magazines, Infantry, Armor, Field Artillery (published before 2020 as Fires), and Engineer, have been in decline, publishing fewer issues and fewer pages, more erratically, each year. The absence of social media presence and lack of promotion of magazine content exacerbates this decline.
In conclusion, revitalizing branch magazines is crucial for a learning Army and the advancement of its professionals. By adopting modern strategies and fostering a culture of organic professional development, the military can ensure that its branch magazines remain essential reading in the modern era.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense. For further insights and assistance, you can follow Zachary Griffiths, an Army officer who edits for the Irregular Warfare Initiative, on Twitter at @z_e_griffiths.
[1] https://www.jstor.org/stable/26377588 [2] https://www.jstor.org/stable/41376340 [3] https://www.jstor.org/stable/26672934 [5] https://www.jstor.org/stable/41376343
- To ensure the relevance of military publications in the modern era, it's necessary to adapt them through digital transformation, interactive content, and contemporary themes, such as irregular warfare, hybrid threats, and multi-domain operations.
- The Irregular Warfare Initiative has shown that a focus on emerging vulnerabilities, collaboration, and multidisciplinary expertise can lead to thriving publications in the defense sector.
- By promoting cross-branch collaboration, branch magazines catering to the military, such as Special Warfare, can maintain their identity while remaining informed by the evolving nature of military education and warfare.
- To encourage career growth and readiness, military education institutions should index and tag articles from branch magazines for easy access by students, doctrine writers, and military professionals engaged in education-and-self-development.
