John Spencer
We highly recommend that any article written by John Spencer be read. Here are articles he has written or co-written since October 7. We will continue to populate as more come out.
June 17, 2024. It's Time to Start Using the Term 'Palestinian Civilian' Correctly. From Newsweek
April 4, 2024. Ultimately, Hamas Owns Every Death in Gaza—Civilians Included. From Newsweek
March 25, 2024. Israel has created a new standard of Urban Warefare. Why will no one admit it? From Newsweek
March 11, 2024. The Road to Ceasefire Leads Through the Rafah Offensive. From Newsweek
March 6, 2024. I Have Delivered Aid in War Zones. They Were the Missions We Feared Most. From Newsweek
February 20, 2024. Hospitals Are Protected Under International Law. But They Cannot be 'Off Limits' From Newsweek
February 12, 2024. Memo to the 'Experts': Stop Comparing Israel's War in Gaza to Anything. It Has No Precedent. From Newsweek
January 31, 2024. Israel Implemented More Measures to Prevent Civilian Casualties Than Any Other Nation in History. From Newsweek.
MORE INFO REGARDING HIS CREDENTIALS
Spencer currently serves as the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point, Co-Director of the Urban Warfare Project, and host of the Urban Warfare Project podcast. He also serves as the Chair of Urban Warfare Studies with the Madison Policy Forum, a New York based think-tank. He is a founding member of the International Working Group on Subterranean Warfare.
His research, spanning over a decade, focuses on military operations in dense urban areas, megacities, urban and subterranean warfare and includes cutting-edge field research into ongoing or recently concluded wars and battles from Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine, Israel, to Gaza.
He is the author of three books: Understanding Urban Warfare, (Howgate Publishing, 2022), Connected Soldiers: Life, Leadership, and Social Connections in Modern War (Potomac Books, 2022; Winner of the 2023 Gold Medal Award, Best Military History Memoir, Military Writers Society of America), The Mini-Manual for the Urban Defender (John Spencer, 2022).
His over 130 writings have appeared in the Time Magazine, New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, LA Times, NY Daily News, Wired Magazine, Politico, The Hill, Foreign Policy Magazine, Defense One, Army Magazine, and many other publications. Spencer is also a regular military analyst and commentator for CNN, MSNBC, FOX, BBC, and numerous news and media organizations.
In February 2022, Spencer wrote a guide, The Mini-Manual for the Urban Defender, for the citizens of Ukraine on how to defend their cities. The manual was translated into Ukrainian and spread widely across all of Ukraine. It is now available in sixteen separate languages with many other translations in the works.
Serving over twenty-five years in the active Army as an infantry soldier, Spencer has held ranks from Private to Sergeant First Class and Second Lieutenant to Major while serving in elite and storied military units from the 75th Ranger Regiment, 173rd Airborne, to the 4th Infantry Division. His assignments as an Army officer included two combat deployments to Iraq as both an Infantry Platoon Leader and Company Commander, a Ranger Instructor with the Army’s Ranger School, a Joint Chief of Staff and Army Staff intern, fellow with the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Strategic Studies Group, and Co-Founder, Strategic Planner, and Deputy Director of the Modern War Institute at West Point. While teaching at West Point he received the West Point Apgar Award for Excellence in Teaching. After active duty, Spencer served as a Colonel in the California State Guard with assignment to the 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guard as the Director of Urban Warfare Training. Spencer holds a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University. He looks forward to connecting via Twitter @SpencerGuard.
