At the core of our work lies a fundamental question: How can we empower bold, original thinkers to contribute to the long-term national security of the United States? This question guides our every action. We believe change comes from interdisciplinary thinking, collaboration, and tireless experimentation.
From the participants in our experiments, in 2023 and previous years, to every individual daring to challenge the status quo, we have nurtured and continue to nurture innovative ideas and support intellectual growth. Through these efforts, the Foundation remains committed to fostering a culture of curiosity, courage, and openness among a diverse array of people dedicated to shaping the future of the United States.
In 2022, we continued the work we began in 2021, our first operating year, by experimenting with ways to find and foster intellectually curious people who are passionate about the future of the United States.
Our work in 2022 reinforces our belief that it is crucial to find the best people to address the long-term problems that could impact our national interests. This is what Andy Marshall did during his life, and it is one of his many legacies that we will continue to uphold.
Published by the Andrew W. Marshall Foundation (AWMF) and the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), Reflections on Net Assessment features newly released interviews with Andy Marshall, one of the longest-serving defense intellectuals in the United States, including 25 years at the RAND Corporation and more than 40 years as the founding director of Net Assessment in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Backed by their decades of experience working inside or supporting the Office of Net Assessment at the U.S. Department of Defense, editors Jeffrey S. McKitrick and Robert G. Angevine have woven together a description of Marshall’s place in the rapidly changing 20th century with interviews that defense analyst Kurt Guthe conducted with Marshall between 1993 and 1999. In these interviews, Marshall reflects on the themes that defined his career. He recounts his experience as an analyst among exceptional thinkers at the flourishing RAND Corporation during the Cold War and his work in national security and defense under six U.S. presidents. Readers gain insight into his basic beliefs about human endeavors, his view on the nature of competition between nations, and his strategy for exerting influence in the U.S. government.
Reflections on Net Assessment is an opportunity to learn about the intellectual history of net assessment in Andy Marshall’s own words. It is a unique primary source for students, experts, and anyone interested in national security and strategy.
The original interviews with Andrew Marshall upon which this book is based were funded by the Smith Richardson Foundation.
The Andrew W. Marshall Foundation & Institute for Defense Analyses
Interviews with Andrew W. Marshall
Thursday, October 6, 2022, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
Published by the Andrew W. Marshall Foundation (AWMF) and the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), Reflections on Net Assessment features newly released interviews with Andy Marshall, one of the longest-serving defense intellectuals in the United States.
In this recording of our launch event, editors Jeffrey S. McKitrick and Robert G. Angevine, and moderator Vago Muradian of the Defense and Aerospace Report, discuss Marshall’s basic beliefs about human endeavors, his view on the nature of competition between nations, and his strategy for exerting influence in the U.S. government.
The Andrew W. Marshall Foundation’s 2021 Annual Report shares reflections on our first full year of operations, updates on activities, and our vision for the future.
On Tuesday, December 14, 2021, the Andrew W. Marshall Foundation (AWMF) and advisors met to reflect on 2021 activities and offer thoughts on experimentation, intellectual courage, and mentorship.
Jaymie Durnan, Co-Founder and Chairman of AWMF, welcomed the audience and gave opening remarks. Mr. Durnan discussed how AWMF is fulfilling its mission through the experiments it has launched in 2021and noted that, “we really are keeping our promise to Andy by focusing on people and ideas, and how people are applying these ideas to the future of the United States.”
Jesse Ausubel, director of the Program for the Human Environment at the Rockefeller University, spoke about experimentation and its merits. He stated that, “change is the only truly predictable attribute of most systems” and spoke to the importance of play as a form of experimentation and invention. “The youthful Marshall Foundation understands the need to play, to experiment, and then to grow while retaining that spirit of play. The good news about 2021 is that the Foundation did numerous things for the first time.”
Dr. Melissa Flagg of Flagg Consulting LLC spoke about how we can encourage people to think boldly and imagine possible futures. She described Andrew Marshall as “not in a hurry” and said that she believed “he felt a deep urgency, but it was an urgency to understand – not simply to act.” Dr. Flagg advised that “we have a responsibility to inspire and support those who want to think beyond simply what they have learned.”
Dr. Dan Patt discussed mentorship and what AWMF can do to foster new voices. Mentorship “has nothing to do with having the answers and everything to do with asking the questions,” he stated. He went on to remark, “in the way that Andy lived his life and conducted his career and mentored a good many souls, we can find inspiration and we can find some answers, but probably the greatest lesson for us was in how Andy approached questions, how he approached being a mentor.”
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session with the audience, focusing on identifying good research questions, group creativity, and considerations one should make when looking at future possibilities.
