by G.I. Wilson, John P. Sullivan, and Hal Kempfer

About the authors: G.I. Wilson is a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve colonel, John P. Sullivan is a sergeant in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Hal Kempfer is a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve lieutenant colonel.

Our world and the nature of conflict are changing. The ways we wage war and protect the public are also rapidly changing. The now-and-future conflict is transnational and global; it includes the American homeland and cyberspace and attacks on civilians.

Fourth-Generation Warfare

This “fourth-generation warfare” is manifesting itself in highly compartmentalized, cellular, predatory adversaries operating in networks outside the framework of traditional nation-states.

Urban operations, crime, and terrorism are now part of the...