The term ‘strategic influence’ describes how the Joint Force can project soft power around the globe. How can we measure this strategic influence, who are we seeking to influence, and what are we seeking to achieve? What does strategic influence imply in terms of military strategy, how do measures of influence inform operational design, and how can the military's operational objectives be nested within larger U.S. government strategic initiatives? A core component of this strategic influence is credibility. How can U.S. forces build and maintain persistent, meaningful relationships with partners and allies, minimize the disconnect between rhetoric and reality, and effectively counter adversarial strategic influence efforts? Furthermore, how do you achieve balance between accountability and ‘speed of need’ when seeking influence?
Information has a critical role to play within this strategic competition. How can the Joint Force achieve an information advantage throughout the competition continuum, and how can the military better understand, apply, and integrate information across operations to achieve its objectives? At the operational level, what are proven effective ways to shape the information environment during Phase 0/Phase I operations, specifically regarding near-peer competitors? Do tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) exist that PACAF/PA should be aware of to dial up and down the amount of deterrence and pressure messaging to effectively deter adversaries and avoid escalation? Furthermore, how can information strategies be tailored to address mission-specific needs, and what is the balance between attributable and nonattributable operations that provides the highest probability of success while minimizing political and operational risk?
To ensure the success of these operations, what are the best methods and practices to assess the effects of operations in the information environment? How do we measure and assess results from information campaigns, and how do we communicate these results to stakeholders and authorities? Finally, what types of organizational structures and resourcing would best set the conditions to integrate these efforts across the Services and joint, interagency, intergovernmental, multinational, and commercial (JIIM-C) partners? Are there capability gaps across the DOTMLPF-P framework that need to be addressed, and how can the Joint Force work with centers such as the Global Engagement Center or NATO's Strategic Communications Center of Excellence to enhance these strategic influence operations?
- Bailey, Capt. Jacob. D., "Global Campaign Plans: An Effective Deterrent?" SOS AUAR (ISR) Paper, 2022, 10 pgs.
- Crimm, Mark A., "Rethinking Deterrence: Using Social Science to Improve Planning and Prediction," AF Fellows paper, 2022, 3 pgs.
- Crouch, Maj. Daniel W., "Rethinking Nuclear Crisis Management" ACSC Research Paper (SANDS), 2022, 54 pgs.
- Hickman, Lt. Col. Peter L., "Dumb Bombs, Smart Bombs, Truth Bombs?: The Soleimani Strike and the Discourse of Armed Force," SAASS Thesis, 2022, 111 pgs.
- Keohane, Maj. Christopher M., "Arguing with the Dragon: Taiwan's Counter Disinformation Campaigns and Deterring Conflict," AFGC thesis, 2025, 54 pgs.
- Keohane answers these topics by proposing a specific organizational integration to shape the information environment: Military Public Affairs (PA) and MISO, which traditionally operate separately, must collaborate openly in unclassified operations to combat disinformation. He details how PA can use its core functions—media engagement, news release management, crisis communication, and continuous monitoring—to rapidly address falsehoods during military exercises and crises. By pairing PA’s unclassified media reach with MISO’s behavioral analysis, the Joint Force can replicate Taiwan's strategy of transparent, real-time crisis communication that bolsters allied governments and neutralizes adversary messaging.
- Lubove, Capt. Jesse, "Chinese Investment in the Data Economy," SOS AUAR/ISR paper, 2022, 12 pgs.
- Rapelje, Maj. Crystal L., "Leveraging Air Force Intelligence to Maximize Adversary Reactions to Operational Exercises," AF Global College thesis, 2025, 54 pgs.
- Yelnicker, Lt. Col. Mary C., "The Grammar of Nuclear Deterrence," Air Force Fellows paper, 2022, 3 pgs.
- Amico, Maj. Brandon J., "Words as Weapons: Counterintelligence-Driven Rhetoric in US Defense Strategy," SAASS thesis, 2024, 73 pgs.
- Belcher, Brandon, "Special Operations in Somalia: Strategies for Success in the Horn of Africa," AFGC thesis, 2025, 36 pgs.
- Belcher recommends utilizing Military Information Support Operations (MISO) to broadcast rewards and tip lines leading to the capture of high-value targets. Crucially, he argues that US SOF must work strictly behind the scenes and allow the Somali central government to take all the credit. This non-attributable US footprint prevents al-Shabaab from using visible foreign intervention or civilian casualties as recruiting propaganda, while simultaneously building the local population's trust in their own central government.
- Higgins, Jenna E., "The Missing Instrument: Information Power in Australia's Strategy of Denial," SAASS thesis, 2025, 99 pgs.
- Higgins addresses the pursuit of strategic influence by defining information power as a grand strategic tool that is essential for building credibility and legitimacy among regional partners. She explains that for middle powers like Australia and Japan, achieving an information advantage is not about raw material strength, but rather about deploying cohesive strategic narratives that perfectly align political rhetoric with operational behavior. By studying Japan's successful regional integration, Higgins illustrates that influence in the information age depends on maintaining a consistent, credible narrative that reassures allies while engaging audiences through rational, emotional, and moral appeals. This holistic approach allows nations to proactively shape their security environment and achieve a strategic advantage across the competition continuum without resorting to direct confrontation or arms races.
- Piercy, Maj. Kevin, "I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means: Information Power and Deterrence," ACSC paper, 2022, 29 pgs.