U.s. Army War College

Reviving America's National Will for the Global War on Terror (Defense) U.s. Army War College

It is the intent of this book to explore the importance of national will regarding America as a nation at war. The importance of national will is tied to keeping America informed about the war. This book will consider the role of Strategic Communication in WWII to develop national will and contrast it with today?s efforts. One National Defense Strategy (NDS) objective is to ?Win the Long War.? Winning ?the long war? will take more than military might, it will take national will. The enemy believes this war can be won in the media. But for America winning is more about national resolve which has waned over time. What has happened in America since September 11, 2001 is that ?America went to the mall? while the military went to war. This paper will review the premise that in order to win the long war it is essential to regain national will. Americans today do not adequately understand or support the long war because it is not adequately presented with clarity or consistency. Strategic Communication (SC) is critical to regaining American resolve and it is the responsibility of national and military leaders to present this case to the American people.