USAFA Library Guides: Combatant Commands: Getting Started

Introduction

Welcome to the Combatant Commands research guide! Resources selected in this guide support academic research and courses in Military & Strategic Studies for the study of joint operations, national security, defense strategy, power projection, regional cooperation, global competition and security issues.

The Military & Strategic Subject Guide is available for broader research on military and security-related topics.

Background Research

BBC News Country Profiles
Get a profile of a country, territory or international organization that contains useful background information, facts and links to related stories
Britannica Academic
Access articles on different topics, countries, important leaders with research tools to compare countries for further insights
Europa World Plus
Find in-depth surveys and expert analysis at regional, sub-regional and country level, plus information on international organizations
Global Road Warrior
Provides country-by-country information on a wide range of topics -- culture, demographics, history, transportation, security briefing, and more
US Department of State: Countries and Areas
Fact sheets, travel information, news, and highlights bilateral relations between the United States and other countries
The World Factbook (CIA)
Provides basic intelligence on the history, society, government, economy, geography, transportation, military, terrorism, and transnational issues for world entries. Includes world and regional maps and entries for international organizations, terrorist groups, and more.

Maps

Global Road Warrior
Select a country, then click on Maps from the side navigation to access thematic maps for the country chosen
Google Maps
National Geographic: MapMaker Interactive world maps
The World Factbook: CIA Maps
World, regional and other maps

Key Library Databases

Aviation Week & Intelligence Network (AWIN)
Find articles on aerospace and defense intelligence and reports with market analysis of the air transport and aviation industry
International Security & Counter Terrorism Reference Center (Ebsco)
Intelligence database for security and threat analysis that covers regional conflict, terrorism, domestic security and risk management options
JSTOR Security Studies
Find journal articles and research reports from policy institutes focused on foreign relations, national and international security issues
Military and Government Collection (Ebsco)
Provides full-text journals and periodicals relevant to all branches of the military and government, highlighting current news
Military Balance
For global military and defense data, analysis and information on armed forces, personnel, equipment, deployments, exercises and defense budgets
Military Periscope
Main features include Weapon Systems, Armed Forces, Terrorist Organizations, News and Special Reports
Praeger Security International: Terrorism, Homeland Security, Strategy
Access collection of electronic books and articles dealing with international relations and critical security issues
Stratfor Worldview -- via the Air Force Portal
Provide forecasts, assessments, snapshots and situational reports on geopolitical and military events
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To access Stratfor, use your CAC to Login to the AF Portal. From the Library & Resources tab, click on the A-Z Directory of Library Resources and select "S" for Stratfor. You will also see Stratfor listed under Online Resources.

News & Current Events

Breaking Defense
For news and updates on US armed forces, the Pentagon, space, cyber allies, threats and more
Department of Defense
Keep up on the latest news direct from the Department of Defense
DoD Spotlight: National Defense Strategy
Foreign Affairs Online
Library provides full access to all articles of Foreign Affairs and its coverage of American foreign policy and global affairs
Foreign Policy and FP Insider
With a FP account you can sign into a computer or a mobile device and keep up with important news and world events, and analysis of global trends
New York Times (Digital Edition)
Sign up for an account for unlimited access to the New York Times from a computer or mobile device, and its coverage of world news by region
Nexis Uni
Find current news articles from a wide range of national and international newspapers and other sources
Wall Street Journal
Sign up for unlimited access to the Wall Street Journal, and keep current with US and world news, plus the WSJ Magazine

Security Issues and World Conflicts

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project
Provides recent analysis of different conflicts and regional overviews with a featured report entitled "Top Ten Conflicts to Worry About"
Conflicts to Come
Published by the European Union Institute for Security Studies, this paper on the future of conflict identifies 15 scenarios for 2030
CrisisWatch
A global conflict tracker with updates on conflicts and crises developing in various regions and countries worldwide
The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives (2017)
Entries organized in an A-Z format, this encyclopedic work looks beyond the lens of the battlefield to the causes, processes and effects of war
Security Council Reports (UN)
Follow country and regional issues in the UN Security Council, with monthly forecasts, thematic and general issues involving peacekeeping efforts
Strategic Trends
Concise analysis of major developments in world affairs, with a primary focus on international security

Terrorist Organizations and Militant Groups

Country Reports on Terrorism (US State Department)
Annual reports on terrorism for those countries and groups meeting the criteria set forth in US legislation
Mapping Militants Project from Stanford's Center for International Security & Cooperation
Search alphabetically for full profiles of groups and maps that show the evolution of militant organizations in specified conflict theaters
Military Periscope
Find profiles of different militant groups or organizations by region
SAGE Encyclopedia of Terrorism (2011)
Features descriptive profiles of terrorist groups with entries on key individuals, tactics and events
The World Factbook (CIA)
Provides a listing of terrorist groups: history, goals, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, weapons, size, and sources of support

How to Cite Sources

Chicago Manual of Style Online
Fully searchable online version with Quick Guide and sample citations
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Library subscription includes Chicago Style Q&A and Resources for Students on Chicago and Turabian style basics, tips for page formatting, and crafting a paper.
MIT Libraries - Citing Sources
MIT Libraries has an easy-to-use overview guide for citing sources and information on different style guides
The Purdue OWL
Purdue OWL is an excellent website for information on how to cite sources in a variety of styles
Zotero
This guide explains how to setup and use Zotero as a citation manager. Zotero is a free, open source, easy-to-use citation management tool that helps you to collect, manage, cite, and share your research sources whether you are using Chicago, APA or MLA.

Combatant Commands

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