15 November 2024

The Legacy of Dave Dilegge and the Future of Small Wars and U.S. National Security


Retired Marine Major Dave Dilegge passed away suddenly on May 2, 2020. For 15 years he and co-founder Bill Nagle, also a retired Marine, led the intellectual transformation of the U.S. and allied militaries and national security communities in recognizing the importance of “Small Wars.” Dave and Bill established Small Wars Journal in 2005 and paved the way for intellectual discussions about everything related to warfighting in the 21st Century. Just as important, their efforts sparked the creation of a new online ecosystem that has produced gigabytes of critical thought on complex political-military and national security challenges.

Even as the national security community continues to debate the efficacy of irregular, unconventional, political, revolutionary, and counterinsurgency warfare (and more), “Small Wars” remains the best overall descriptor of the phenomena that the national security community wrestles with short of large scale combat operations (LSCO) and major theater war (MTW). And paradoxically “Small Wars” activities take place in LSCO/MTW but not the reverse. The importance of “Small Wars” cannot be underestimated.

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