Writing Contest

Competition, Crisis, Conflict, and Change

US Army Mad Scientist

“As we consider the future, our Army's challenge is clear. In a new era of great power competition, our nation's adversaries seek to achieve their strategic aims, short of conflict, by the use of layered stand-off in the political, military and economic realms to separate the U.S. from our partners.

Should conflict come, they will employ multiple layers of stand-off in all domains -- land, sea, air, space and cyberspace -- to separate U.S. forces and our allies in time, space, and function in order to defeat us. If they are successful, we risk losing the strategic depth that gives our Joint Force its operational advantage and enables our offensive military capability.”

– TRADOC Pamphlet 525-3-1, The U.S. Army in Multi-Domain Operations 2028

WHAT? Mad Scientist wants your thoughts on the nature of the 4 Cs -- Competition, Crisis, Conflict, and Change -- now through 2035. We seek your submissions (2,500 words max., non-fiction only, please!) exploring one or more of the following questions (within the context of Multi-Domain Operations):

1. How will our competitors deny the U.S. Joint Force’s tactical, operational, and strategic advantages to achieve their objectives (i.e., win without fighting) in the Competition and Crisis Phases?

• What stand-off capabilities, cyberattack, information operations, human engineering, and other disruptive approaches will our adversaries use to achieve their objectives?

• How will our adversaries leverage non-traditional “kinetic” capabilities (e.g., proxy forces, Private Military and Security Companies [PMSCs]) in the Competition and Crisis Phases?

• How will our adversaries create and exploit seams that separate us from our allies and partners?

• What capabilities gaps will our adversaries exploit to their advantage in Competition and Crisis?

2. How will our adversaries seek to overmatch or counter U.S. Joint Force strengths in future Large Scale Combat Operations?

• Imagine a future Kasserine Pass or Task Force Smith -- how would our adversaries neutralize our ground combat capabilities?

• What convergences of emergent game changing technologies will our adversaries employ to achieve overmatch?

• How could our adversaries deliver a “knock out” blow to win and return-to-competition, without resorting to nuclear weapons?

WHO? This writing contest is open to everyone* – no affiliation with the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense, or the United States Government is required.*

WHEN? All entries must be received NLT 1700 EST, Monday 15 March 2021.

WHERE? Submit your entry(ies) with the subject line: MadSci Writing Contest to: [email protected]

*USG employees: Please clear your entries for public release through your respective PAOs prior to submission.