Richard L. Kugler is an American thinker and writer on U.S. national security policy and defense strategy.

Life and work

Dr. Kugler is a thinker, writer, and scholar on U.S. national security policy and defense strategy. He is especially known for his analyses of complex policy issues and options, and for producing innovative policies, strategies, plans, programs, and budgets that help shape official thinking. He has been one of the original architects of NATO enlargement as well as multiple other U.S. policy departures in Europe, Asia, and the Persian Gulf. He was a Distinguished Research Professor at the Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP) of the

National Defense University National Defence (or Defense) University (or College) may refer to: :''Alphabetical by country'' University * Marshal Fahim National Defense University, Afghanistan * National Defense University (Azerbaijan) * People's Liberation Army National Defe ...

, and is now a senior consultant there. He advises senior echelons of the Office of

Secretary of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

(OSD), the

Joint Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, which advises the president of the United States, the United States Secretary of Defense, secretary of defense, ...

, and the interagency community. He is author or editor of twenty books in his field, along with many journal articles in ''Foreign Affairs'', ''Survival'', and other journals, book chapters, and official studies. Dr. Kugler, along with Dr. F. Stephen Larrabee and Dr. Ronald D. Asmus were the three RAND analysts who helped establish the US approach toward NATO Enlargement. RAND publicly portrayed this work as one of its most significant accomplishments in over 50 years. The principal work on NATO Enlargement was presented in a Foreign Affairs article ("Building a New NATO) and two Survival articles (Strategic Options and Budget Costs for NATO Enlargement). The London Times portrayed their work as helping redraw the political and military map of Europe. Other noteworthy collaborators of Dr. Kugler are Mr. David Gompert David Gompert, and Dr. Paul Davis. A political scientist, defense economist, and

operations research Operations research () (U.S. Air Force Specialty Code: Operations Analysis), often shortened to the initialism OR, is a branch of applied mathematics that deals with the development and application of analytical methods to improve management and ...

analyst, Dr. Kugler holds a Ph.D. from

the Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sci ...

. From 1988–1997, he was a research leader at the public think tank, the

RAND Corporation The RAND Corporation, doing business as RAND, is an American nonprofit global policy think tank, research institute, and public sector consulting firm. RAND engages in research and development (R&D) in several fields and industries. Since the ...

. From 1984–1988, he was director of

Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...

's (DOD) Strategic Concepts Development Center, where he advised the Secretary of Defense and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. From 1975 to 1984, he was a senior executive in the Office of Secretary of Defense. During 1968–1972, he was a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

officer, including a tour in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

. He has been awarded the Distinguished

Civilian Service Alternative civilian service, also called alternative services, civilian service, non-military service, and substitute service, is a form of national service performed in lieu of military conscription for various reasons, such as conscientious o ...

Medal, the Exceptional Civilian Service Medal, the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, and other decorations. Dr. Kugler has also taught graduate courses at RAND,

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

and

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

Security Policy Security policy is a definition of what it means to ''be secure'' for a system, organization or other entity. For an organization, it addresses the constraints on behavior of its members as well as constraints imposed on adversaries by mechanisms ...

Studies (Defense Analysis using Operations Research/Systems Analysis Techniques for

policy analysis Policy analysis or public policy analysis is a technique used in the public administration sub-field of political science to enable civil servants, nonprofit organizations, and others to examine and evaluate the available options to implement th ...

). Kugler was an adjunct professor of international relations at both universities. Many of his students have gone on to senior level positions in DOD,

US Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

and other national and international policy-oriented organizations.

Books and documents

* A Search for Strategic Wisdom: Guiding the Twists and Turns of US National Security Strategy. March 2017. Www.amazon.com * Strategic Shift: Appraising the Recent Changes to U.S. Defense Plans and Priorities: NDU, http://www.ndu.edu/CTNSP/docUploaded/Kugler-Wells%20-%20Strategic%20Shift%20(1%20page)%20-%20PrePub%20Final.pdf * New Directions in U.S. National Security Strategy, Defense Plans, and Diplomacy

INSS/CTNSP/NDU OR http://www.ndu.edu/CTNSP/docUploaded/New%20Directions.pdf * Future Directions in US Foreign Policy

* Pursuing NATO Smart Defense in Multinational Ways. With Peter C. W. Flory, Peter Flory. INSS/NDU/, 2011. * A Plan to Blunt the Impact on NATO of European Defense Cuts. With Dr. Hans Binnendjk. "Europe's World", Fall 2010. * NATO Requirements for Territorial Defense and Expeditionary Operations: Similarities and Differences. CTNSP/NDU Working Paper, February 2010. * An Extended Deterrence Regime to Counter

Nuclear program of Iran The nuclear program of Iran is one of the most scrutinized nuclear programs in the world. The military capabilities of the program are possible through its mass enrichment activities in facilities such as Natanz and Arak. In June 2025, t ...

Issues and Options

September 2009. * A New Transatlantic Compact? Center for Technology and National Security Transforming NATO - An NDU Anthology, (NDU) 2009 * Should NATO Write a New Strategic Concept? Center for Technology and National Security Transforming NATO - An NDU Anthology, (NDU) 2009 * Sizing the Civilian Response Capacity for Complex Operations - Civilian Surge, Key to Complex Operations. Richard L. Kugler and Christal Fonzo-Eberhard, (NDU) 2009 * Deterrence of Cyber Attacks - Cyberpower and National Security. Edited by Franklin D. Kramer, Stuart H. Starr, and Larry K. Wentz. (NDU), 2009 * Operation Anaconda: Lessons for Joint Operations

Authors: Richard L. Kugler, Michael Baranick, and Hans Binnendijk, March 2009 * Seeing the Elephant: The U.S. Role in Global Security by Richard L. Kugler, Hans Binnendijk, Hardcover - (January 1, 2007)Potomac Books, 2006 Quality paperback, 319 pages /". * Capsule Review - Seeing the Elephant: The U.S. Role in Global Security, Foreign Affairs, Lawrence D. Freedman, May/June 200

* Case study, Case Study in Army Transformation: Creating Modular Forces, (National Defense University, Washington, D.C. Center for Technology and National Security Policy, 2008) * Transatlantic

Homeland Defense Homeland defense (HD) is the protection of a territory, sovereignty, domestic population, and critical infrastructure against external threats and aggression. (Definition will be incorporated into JP 3-26Definition deferred to ''Homeland Defense, J ...

May 2006 7 pages. Authors: Neyla Amas; Stephen J. Flanagan; Stuart E. Johnson; Richard L. Kugler; Leo G. Michel; Anne M. Moisan; Jeffrey Simon; Kimberley L. Thachuk; (NDU, 2006) *

Operation Anaconda Operation Anaconda or the Battle of Shah-i-Kot was a military operation that took place in early March 2002 as part of the War in Afghanistan. CIA paramilitary officers, working with their allies, attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban force ...

in Afghanistan: A Case Study of Adaptation in Battle. (NDU, 2007) * Policy Analysis in National Security Affairs: New Methods for a New Era by Richard L. Kugler (U.S.) (2006). * Learning from Darfur. Building a Net-Capable African Force to Stop Mass Killing, Authors: David C. Gompert; Courtney Richardson; Richard L. Kugler; Clifford H. Bernath; (NDU, 2005) * The

NATO Response Force The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a high-readiness NATO rapid deployment force comprising land, sea, air, and special forces units capable of being deployed quickly within short notice. The NRF comprises more than 500,000 troops. Its forces inc ...

2002-2006: Innovation by the

Atlantic Alliance The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental transnational military alliance of 32 member states—30 European and 2 North American. Established in the aftermath ...

Richard L. Kugler and Hans Binnendijk * The Global Century: Globalization and National Security, Volume 2 by Richard L. Kugler and Ellen L. Frost(Paperback - April 15, 2002) * Commitment to Purpose. NATO. Pub. January 1993 * Strategic Issues and Options for the Quadrennial Defense Review by Paul K. Davis, Richard L. Kugler, R. J. Hillestad (RAND) * Western Unity and the Transatlantic Security Challenge Authors: Peter van Ham; Richard L. Kugler; (George C. Marsall Center, European Center for Security Studies (2002) *

U.S. Military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. U.S. federal law names six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Since 1949, all of the armed forces, except th ...

Strategy and Force Posture for the 21st Century (RAND, 1999) * Strategic Assessment 1999 : Priorities for a Turbulent World. Richard Kugler (Editor) * Free-Rider Redux: NATO Needs to Project Power (And Europe Can Help). David Gompert and Richard Kugler (Foreign Affairs, January/February 1995) * Toward a Dangerous World?: U.S. National Security Strategy for the Coming Turbulence (Paperback - October 25, 1994) Foreign Affairs, January/February 1995 * Nato's Future Conventional Defense Strategy in Central Europe: Theater Employment Doctrine for the Post–Cold War Er

* Moscow's spring or NATO's autumn: U.S. policy and the future of Europe (A Rand Note) by Richard L Kugler (RAND, 1989) * Lee's mistake: learning from the decision to order Pickett's Charge.: An article from: Defense Horizons by David C. Gompert and Richard L. Kugler (Digital - September 12, 2006) * Custer in Cyberspace, February 2006, by David C. Gompert and Richard L. Kugler (NDU) * Custer and cognition.G. Armstrong Custer): An article from: Joint Force Quarterly by David C. Gompert and Richard L. Kugler (Digital - November 20, 2006) - (NDU) * A Recast Partnership? Institutional Dimensions of Transatlantic relations, Transatlantic Relations. Simon Serfaty (ed.) Michael Brenner, Benoit d'Aboville,

Jolyon Howorth Jolyon Michael Howorth (born 4 May 1945) is a British scholar of French history, European politics and defense policy. He is currently Jean Monnet Professor of European Politics and Professor Emeritus of European Studies at the University of Ba ...

, Franklin Kramer, Ivan Krastev, Richard Kugler, Julian Lindley-French, Vivien Schmidt, Simon Serfaty. CSIS March 3, 2008. (pb) * A New Military Framework for NATO, May 2005 by David C. Gompert, and Richard Kugler (NDU) * Needed - A NATO Stabilization and Reconstruction Force, September 2004 (NDU) * Alternative Approaches to Army Transformation, July 2004 by Joseph N. Mait and Richard L. Kugler * Dual-Track Transformation for the Atlantic Alliance, November 2003 (NDU) * Mind the Gap: Promoting a Transatlantic Revolution in Military Affairs by David C. Gompert, Richard L. Kugler, Martin C. Libicki, and John P. White (Paperback - July 1999) * Adapting Forces to a New Era: Ten Transforming Concepts, Richard Kugler and Hans Binnendijk,(NDU, 2001) * Managing Change: Capability, Adaptability, and Transformation, Richard Kugler and Hans Binnendijk,(NDU, 2001) * A Balanced Way Out of the Pentagon's Deadlock,

International Herald Tribune The ''International Herald Tribune'' (''IHT'') was a daily English-language newspaper published in Paris, France, for international English-speaking readers. It published under the name ''International Herald Tribune'' starting in 1967, but its ...

, Richard Kugler and Hans Binnendijk, AUGUST 8, 2001 * Analytic Architecture for Joint Staff Decision Support by Leslie Lewis, John Schrader, Richard Kugler, William Fedorochko, James A. Winnfeld * NATO

military strategy Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired Strategic goal (military), strategic goals. Derived from the Greek language, Greek word ''strategos'', the term strategy, when first used during the 18th ...

for the post–Cold War era: Issues and options (A Project Air Force report)(RAND, 1992) * Alternative approaches to Army transformation.: An article from: Defense Horizons by Joseph N. Mait/Richard L. Kugler (October 24, 2006) * Adapting forces to a new era: ten transforming concepts.: An article from: Defense Horizons 9 by Richard L Kugler and Hans Binnendijk, July 28, 2005) * Changes Ahead : Future Directions for the U.S. Overseas Presence(MR-956) (Paperback - October 25, 1998) * Managing change: capability, adaptability, and transformation.: An article from: Defense Horizons by Richard L Kugler and Hans Binnendijk (NDU, July 28, 2005) * Western Unity and the Transatlantic Security Challenge (The Marshall Center Papers, No. 4) by Peter van Ham/Richard L. Kugler (Paperback - 2002) * A new military framework for NATO.: An article from: Defense Horizons by David C. Gompert and Richard L. Kugler (October 24, 2006) * Building a new NATO, ''Foreign Affairs'' 72, Number 4, Dr. Ronald Asmus, Dr. F. Stephen Larrabee, Dr. Richard Kugler.(1993) * NATO Expansion: The Next Steps. ''Survival'' 37, Number 1, Dr. Ronald Asmus, Dr. F. Stephen Larrabee, Dr. Richard Kugler (Spring 1995) * The future of NATO and U.S. policy in Europe by Richard L Kugler (RAND, 1992) * The great strategy debate: NATO's evolution in the 1960s (A Rand note) by Richard L Kugler (RAND,1991) * Laying the foundations: The evolution of NATO in the 1950s (A Rand note) by Richard L Kugler (RAND, 1990) * Enlarging NATO: The Russian Factor by Richard L. Kugler (Paperback - April 25, 199

* Dissuasion as a strategic concept.: An article from: Strategic Forum by Richard L. Kugler (Digital - July 25, 2005) * Costs of NATO enlargement : moderate and affordable (SuDoc D 5.417:128) by Richard L. Kugler (RAND, 1997) * Where is NATO's defense posture headed? (SuDoc D 5.417:133) (RAND, 1998) * The Future U.S. Military Presence in Europe: Forces and Requirements for the Post–Cold War Era/R-4194-Eucom/Na(Rand Corporation//Rand Report)(Paperback - June 1992) * Adaptiveness in National Defense: The Basis of a New Framework, defense (military), National Defense Research Institute, Paul K. Davis, David Gompert, Richard Kugler, (RAND, 1996). * U.S.

national military strategy The National Military Strategy (NMS) is issued by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a deliverable to the secretary of defense briefly outlining the strategic aims of the armed services. The NMS's chief source of guidance is the Nation ...

and force posture for the

post-communist Post-communism is the period of political and economic transformation or transition in post-Soviet states and other formerly communist states located in Central-Eastern Europe and parts of Latin America, Africa, and Asia, in which new governments ...

era. (RAND, 1992) * Replacing the 2-MTW standard: Can a better approach be found?(RAND, 2000) * U.S. Military Strategy and Force Posture for the 21st Century: Capabilities (Paperback - 1994) * The politics of restraint:

Robert McNamara Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American businessman and government official who served as the eighth United States secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson ...

and the strategic nuclear forces, 1963-1968 (Massachusetts

Institute of Technology An institute of technology (also referred to as technological university, technical university, university of technology, polytechnic university) is an institution of tertiary education that specializes in engineering, technology, applied science ...

. Dept. of

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

. Thesis. 1975. Ph. D) by Richard L Kugler (1975) See Amazon.com Richard L. Kugler books at https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Richard%20L.%20Kugler&ie=UTF8&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank Dr. Kugler has written thousands of pages of original analysis for the Department of Defense. A great deal of Dr. Kugler's work has been used as the basis for U.S. national security policy during each administration from 1977 to the administration of President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

. Dr. Kugler is an analyst and is not involved in politics.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kugler, Richard National Defense University faculty Living people American military writers Military theorists Year of birth missing (living people)