Research Seminar: Professor James Lacey and Colonel Matthew Jones

Professor James Lacey and Colonel Matthew Jones present a paper entitled 'Military History and Wargaming in US Military Universities'.

This seminar is part of the War Studies series in the School of History.

The speakers are the leading planners of “war games” at Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia. But what exactly are “war games”, how do they work, and what has it to do with military history? Jim and Matt are excellently placed to give us first hand insights.

About the speakers

Dr. James G. Lacey serves as professor and course director for Campaigning and Warfare. He is the Marine Corps University’s Horner Chair of War Studies. Prior to coming to the War College he spent six years at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), a military think tank based near Washington, working on a number of projects dealing with the economics of war, the then current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, strategic communications, and long-term US strategic policy. He was an active duty military officer for twelve years, serving in the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, and United States Army Europe Headquarters. He retired from the Army Reserves in 2005, after 24 years of total service, and worked afterwards as a Wall Street journalist on financial and military matters. Jim holds a Ph.D. in Military History from Leeds University. His dissertation was on the economic underpinnings of U.S. strategy in World War II.
 
Matthew Jones retired from the United States Marine Corps after twenty-seven years' service as a Colonel of Infantry. His service included combat operations in Kuwait, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan as well as staff duty in Marine Corps headquarters, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Marine Expeditionary Force. He is now Professor of Practice in Joint Warfare at the Marine Corps War College (and writing his PhD in Military History at the University of Leeds).