Dr. James W. Derleth

James W. Derleth is a Professor of Irregular Warfare at the George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. His areas of expertise include Civil-Military Operations, European Politics and Security--with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe, Irregular Warfare, and Stability Operations. 

From 2004-2010 Dr. Derleth was the Senior Stability Advisor at United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He led the team that created an interagency assessment tool that helps identify sources of instability, design programming to diminish them, and measure the effectiveness of the programming. This work was incorporated into U.S. Army and NATO doctrine and USAID’s Stability Policy. Derleth wrote U.S. Army Doctrinal Publication 3-07, Stability Operations and co-wrote NATO’s Allied Joint Publication 3.4.5, Military Support to Stabilization and Reconstruction Operations. He also participated in senior-level interagency task forces that developed and implemented multi-faceted counter-terrorism programs in the Sahel and East Africa. Dr. Derleth has worked in numerous conflict areas, including Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, the Horn of Africa, West Africa, and Uganda. 

Dr Derleth’s research is focused on Irregular Warfare and Civil-Military Operations. Recent publication include 

“Failing to Train: Conventional Forces in Irregular Warfare” (Modern War Institute); “Russian New Generation Warfare, Deterring and Winning the Tactical Fight” (Military Review); “Fostering Stability: Understanding Communities in Complex Environments” Occasional Paper #2, Strategy and Security Institute, University of Exeter; and “Fostering a Whole-of-Government Approach to National Security” (Military Review).