Joseph J. Collins

Dr. Joseph J. Collins PhD is a retired United States Army colonel, serving from 1970 until his retirement in 1998, and then recalled from 2001-2004 to serve at the Pentagon.



Dr. Collins was recalled from his 1998 Army retirement in February 2001 by then Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz to serve as his special assistant. Shortly after this the then Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, appointed Collins as deputy assistant secretary of defense (DASD). On November 15, 2001, Collins was introduced as deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Affairs before giving a Special briefing on the role of the Department of Defense in providing humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. On February 25, 2003, Collins was identified as DASD for Stability Operations when he presented a Department of Defense Briefing on Humanitarian Relief Planning for Iraq. He retired from his position as Department of Defense DASD for for stability operations in 2004.

In April 2008, an occasional paper for Institute for National Strategic Studies authored by Dr. Joseph J. Collins was published by The National Defense University Press critical of the Bush administration's handling of Post-Invasion Iraq titled, "Choosing War: The Decision to Invade Iraq and Its Aftermath".

Biographical Information
(Bio sources: - )
 * 2004-   : Professor of National Security Strategy at the National War College
 * 2001-2004: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability Operations
 * 1998-2001: Dr. Collins was a Senior Fellow at the [for Strategic and International Studies]
 * 1970-1998, U.S. Army Officer, beginning a rank of Second Lieutenant, and retiring as a Full colonel
 * Fordham University, BA
 * Columbia University: 2 master's degrees, PhD in political science
 * 2004 Awarded the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service

Related SourceWatch resources

 * Homeland defense
 * Homeland security

National Defense University

 * Joseph J. Collins, "Choosing War: The Decision to Invade Iraq and Its Aftermath"National Defense University, Occasional Paper, April, 2008
 * Joseph J. Collins, "Planning Lessons from Afghanistan and Iraq", National Defense University, Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 41, 2nd quarter 2006
 * Dr. Joseph J. Collins; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability Operations, "US Department of Defense: NATO and the Challenges of Afghan Security", National Defense University, January 28, 2004, (Direct download PDF)

Center for Strategic and International Studies

 * Joseph J. Collins, Michael Horowitz, "Homeland Defense: A Strategic Approach", Center for Strategic and International Studies: Homeland Security Program, December 11, 2000, (CSIS Citation - Direct download link to PDF)
 * Frank Cilluffo, Joseph J. Collins, Arnaud de Borchgrave, Daniel Gouré, Michael Horowitz, "Defending America in the 21st Century - New Challenges, New Organizations, and New Policies", Center for Strategic and International Studies: Executive Summary of Four CSIS Working Group Reports on Homeland Defense, December 1, 2000, (CSIS Citation - Direct download link to PDF)
 * Dr. Joseph J. Collins, "The U.S. Military: Still the Best?", Center for Strategic and International Studies: Homeland Security Program, August 29, 2000, Reprint from Boston Globe, August 29, 2000, (CSIS Citation - Direct download link to PDF)
 * Dr. Joseph J. Collins, "Training America's Emergency Responders", Center for Strategic and International Studies: Homeland Security Program, A Report on the Dept. of Justice's Center for Domestic Preparedness and The U.S. Public Health Service's Noble Training Center, Fort McClellan, Anniston, Alabama, July 1, 2000, (CSIS Citation - Direct download link to PDF)

U.S. Department of Defense

 * Jim Garamone, "Working to Prevent Humanitarian Disaster in Iraq", American Forces Press Service, February 25, 2003
 * Casie Vinall, "Joe Collins: Career Officer, Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary", American Forces Press Service, June 23, 2003
 * K.L. Vantran, "'Tremendous Strides' Made in Iraq, Afghanistan", American Forces Press Service, December 19, 2003

Misc

 * Joseph J. Collins, "Rebalancing Our National Power, American Security Project, January 23, 2008
 * Joseph J. Collins, "From the ground up", Armed Forces Journal, October, 2006 (date inferred from form data in XHTML code)
 * "Bridging the 'Post-Conflict Security Gap': Notes from the comments of Joseph J. Collins, Robert Perito &amp; Joanna Spear", Search For Common Ground, Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum, October 14, 2003
 * Pentagon official speaks out on rebuilding Afghanistan--and maybe Iraq, from National Journal, November 26 2002.
 * Joseph J. Collins, "The Soviet Military Experience in Afghanistan," Military Review, May 1985, p. 16
 * Joseph J. Collins, "Afghanistan: The Empire Strikes Out," Parameters, March 1982, p. 55
 * Joseph J. Collins, "Soviet Military Performance in Afghanistan: A Preliminary Assessment," Comparative Strategy, No. 4, 1983, p. 162