NDU Press hosted the final round of judging on May 16–17, 2024, during which 27 faculty judges from 16 participating professional military education (PME) institutions selected the best entries in each category. There were 97 submissions in this year’s three categories.
The 18th annual competition was intended to stimulate new approaches to coordinated civilian and military action from a broad spectrum of civilian and military students. Essays address U.S. Government structure, policies, capabilities, resources, and/or practices and provide creative, feasible ideas on how best to orchestrate the core competencies of our national security institution.
The purpose of this competition is to stimulate thinking about national security strategy, promote well-written research, and contribute to a broader security debate among professionals. NDU Press manages the competition in three phases, with assistance from coordinators and faculty judges representing each participating PME school. First, the schools conduct internal competitions and submit their best essays to NDU Press. Second, judges evaluate nominated essays from other schools virtually. Finally, judges travel to NDU for the final round conference to determine winners in each category.
Students may enter essays in one category: National Security Research Essay.
Click here to read the competition rules
The 2024 Winning Essays
1st Place
Lieutenant Colonel Zachary S. Hughes, USAF
National War College
"Giving Our “Paper Tiger” Real Teeth: Fixing the U.S. Military’s Plans for Contested Logistics Against China"
2nd Place
Lieutenant Colonel Adam “Teddy” Boyd, USAF
National War College
“Who Goes There? What DoD Is Missing About the Changing Character of War”
3rd Place
Major Anthony J. Bertoglio, USMC
Marine Corps Command and Staff College
“The U.S. Defense Industrial Base: Regression or Resilient?”
For all 2024 competitions, the winning essays will be published in Joint Force Quarterly 115 (4th Quarter 2024), the CJCS professional military, interagency, and security studies journal. Authors of the first-, second-, and third-place essays will be recognized by the Secretary of Defense, CJCS, or NDU President with certificates and—if conditions permit—a personal meeting with the Secretary or Chairman.
This is a joint, interagency writing competition, and essays are expected to meet rigorous academic standards. Thus, senior faculty commitment in each participating college or school is an imperative for a healthy competition. Faculty essay coordinators are requested to actively promote and inform students of the opportunity to compete with their colleagues, and faculty judges are requested to make a significant investment of their time in reading and evaluating essays during both phases of judging.