Quote Originally Posted by rbn422 View Post
Key Questions for the Community
1. Can you make a career out of this?
2. Can you do this without military experience?
3. Are there any questions I should be asking?
1. I really cannot tell you. From what I see being written by modern Political Scientists and "COIN Experts" a house trained Chimp could make a living, but that is not really a useful for. My point being the bar for critical, useful or even insightful work is set very low indeed.

2. Yes you can, providing you do not stray into areas where military experience can be the only valid provider of the necessary level of understanding. Biddell, Cordesmann and Gray, are all civilians. Notably, all those three men produce work usually superior to that you see from retired officers.

3. Where to begin? My constant quest is to try an understand why most of what you see in modern military thought is incoherent, evidence free, and not held to rigour.

Research Focus
How the military engages "irregular" forces like insurgents, militias, and terrorists. Studies: Examine theory, doctrine, TTPs, etc. to gain a picture of the most current thinking and literature (publicly available); look at case studies involving US military and other Western and Eastern militaries; and write a masters thesis.
So basically the conduct of Irregular Warfare? This is exactly what Callwell did. I suggest this is more a PhD.
Moreover you are somehow going to have to sift the garbage from the good in way that provides useful insight. That is an immense challenge, and one that will require a very great deal of intellectual honesty.