Military Review English Edition March-April 2016 | Página 137

BOOK REVIEWS

narrower—yet still broad—topical areas. The papers
were primarily written by U.S. Military Academy faculty for the 2011 Student Conference on U.S. Affairs.
The conference is an annual four-day event focused
on U.S. foreign policy, hosted at the academy. It brings
together faculty and undergraduates from universities
across the United States and foreign universities, as well
as policymakers from around the world.
The first six papers examine domestic issues
in foreign policy. The second six papers examine
regional dynamics in foreign policy. The final six
papers consider how to turn global challenges into
foreign policy opportunities.
In thought-provoking fashion, the papers within
the first section address a myriad of domestic issues that influence, if not drive, U.S. foreign policy.
Consider the challenges and opportunities in developing and coordinating whole-of-government approaches to foreign policy issues within the current domestic
political environment. How does the evolution of
education in the United States influence foreign
policy? Does the average citizen give thought to how
civil-military relations in the United States affect foreign policy? How do these, and other domestic issues,
influence domestic policies as we strive to protect
national interests?
The second section of the book focuses on regions of the globe beyond U.S. boundaries. Issues are
pursued relating to China as a competitor and partner
and to the continually changing politics of the Middle
East, as relationships with allies shift in accordance
with their strategic interests. The authors consider
how the European economic crisis, the European
Union, and the future of NATO affect foreign policy. What does the recent United States policy shift
toward the African continent portend with its myriad
of foreign policy challenges and opportunities? What
roles do North, Central, and South America play as
producers and consumers of drugs, and what are the
challenges to sovereignty that accompany drug production and consumption?
The final section of the book addresses the potential
for turning global challenges into foreign-policy opportunities. How does the United States govern the electronic commons—the open-access resource that is the
Internet? Are there opportunities within the challenges
of controlling the proliferation of nuclear, biological,
MILITARY REVIEW  March-April 2016

and chemical weapons with the myriad of state and
nonstate actors? What is the correct mix of trade protectionism versus trade liberalism for the United States
to maintain a leading position in the global economy?
The writers consider the challenges of resource extraction, production, and movement to market and the
environmental concerns associated with each step in
the process. Other minerals besides oil have strategic
implications for nations; for example, phosphate rock is
essential for global fertilizer production. This resource
clearly has global implications for a human population
projected by some to reach around eleven billion by the
end of this century.
Thinking Beyond Boundaries represents an opportunity for the reader to delve deeply into the complex
issues facing U.S. leadership striving to protect current
strategic interests, identify new interests arising from
changing global situations, assist current allies, and
sway possible future allies. This book is an excellent
read, guaranteed to adjust most reader’s views on contemporary topics of concern.
Lt. Col. Kevin Lee Watson, U.S. Army, Retired,
Fort Belvoir, Virginia

ALWAYS FAITHFUL, ALWAYS FORWARD: The
Forging of a Special Operations Marine
Dick Couch, Berkley Books, New York, 2014,
352 pages

F

or those familiar with Dick Couch’s writing,
the subject of his most recent work, Always
Faithful, Always Forward, will not come as a
surprise. In it, Couch follows the path of Class 1-13
on their journey to become critical skills operators (CSOs) and special operations officers in U.S.
Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command
(MARSOC, or Raiders).
Couch’s previous works in this field have followed
the paths of similarly hopeful Army Rangers and Green
Berets, and Navy SEALs (Sea, Air, and Land teams),
among others. However, the most noticeable difference
in Always Faithful, Always Forward is not the discrepancies between training in the various branches, but the
newness and still-nebulous nature of MARSOC within
the larger special operations forces (SOF) community.
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