In a rapidly changing world, we must frequently transform our institutions to keep up. In the minds of many, the concept of transformation is principally associated with technology, but this can be a trap. It is usually necessary to take a much broader and more systemic approach in order to meet the real needs. The papers here analyze the transformation both from theoretical and empirical perspectives.

Military transformation and the Pacific War. The Pacific War of 1941-1945 and the period preceding it offer some particularly clear lessons regarding military transformation -- lessons that are not at all restricted to military contexts. I explore these in three papers.

General Tony Zinni, USMC (retired), who formerly commanded the U.S. Central Command and had wide experience in conducting a variety of military operations in the post-Cold War world, has recently published (with co-author Tony Koltz) an interesting book, The Battle for Peace, presenting a variety of ideas regarding needs for transforming U.S. institutions for dealing with a changed and changing world. Dr. H. H. Gaffney and I have written up some notes from a talk by Gen. Zinni on 13 April 2006.