By Madilyn Cataloni, Staff Writer
On Wednesday, December 3, the public policy department hosted representatives from the Army War College for a panel discussion as a part of their Eisenhower Series College Program. The panel spoke from about 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the Penn Lyceum. The panelists included Lieutenant Colonel Shawn Peynada of the U.S. Army, Colonel Douglas Willig of the U.S. Army, Colonel Martin Sonnenberger of the German Army and Colonel John Prendergast of the Irish Army.
The discussion began with opening remarks from Christopher Rick, an Assistant Professor in the Public Policy Department. The panelists then shared what they were conducting research in.
One panelist explained how they were looking into the U.S. investment and engagement in NATO to uncover if there is a bigger buy-in from the U.S. compared to other countries. This panelist also shared how they were furthering their research and looking into the international rules-based order.
The second panelist focuses on the human side of military policies and the expectations they put onto people. Their other research area focuses on what makes good leaders connect to their subordinates. An example mentioned was, does the leader care about the individuals, can the individuals trust the leader, and can the leader be helpful.
The third panelist research involved looking into how Ireland is the peacekeeping country of the UN and what they should do to prepare for possible attacks from Russia. The fourth panelist is researching how to adequately spend money on the military and how the army trains leaders to make good decisions in dire situations.
After all the panelists introduced the fields they were researching, there was a Q&A with audience questions. The first question asked to the panelists was how is AI impacting what you are doing.
One panelist responded by discussing how AI can enhance decision making, but not replace it. Another panelist then went on to discuss how AI can provide the wrong answer, so you must already be knowledgeable in the field before asking it questions.
Another question asked to the panelists was if Europe could replace the U.S. position in Europe. A panelist responded by explaining how the European countries may need to increase the percent of GDP they use towards the defense budget. As of right now, the countries need to maintain a budget of 3.5%, if the U.S. stopped adding funding, then the GDP of the countries budget would need to increase from 4-5%.
A question was asked specifically about Ireland. The question was asking how the Irish military plans to adapt with the Russian threat. The response from a panelist was that Ireland will need to invest more money in the Naval and Air defenses.
A further question asked by audience members centered around the current population declining and how it could be a concern for conscription. A panelist responded by saying how Berlin is in negotiations about possibly conscripting eligible males due to the shortage.
The last question posed to the panelists was asking them what is a topic not being focused about in the public and the media. One panelist responded by saying climate change. Another panelist responded by saying there should be more media involved with the innovations that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are creating. A third panelist responded by explaining that people are taking security for granted as we haven’t had a World War in the past 80 years. And the last panelist responded by saying that the media does not do a good job with telling the army’s story and how anyone can make it to the top.
Once all the questions were asked, Rick thanked the panel for coming and the audience for attending the event. Following the event, an informal discussion occurred where students and faculty could continue asking questions with the officers.
