Entmoot/For students

For students

Find your path into national security.

The National Security Student Pathways Atlas is a free map of the internships, fellowships, scholarships, summer programs and degree paths across the intelligence community, the military, federal agencies, labs, think tanks and industry — who can apply, whether it pays, whether it needs a clearance, and when the deadline is. Every entry links to the official page it was checked against.

Open the Student Pathways Atlas ↗ How to use it Due soon
660+opportunities
1,390+organizations & programs
96%checked against official pages
Freeno sign-in, no tracking
01How to use the atlas

Five minutes to a shortlist

Four steps take you from the whole map to your own shortlist.

  1. The Student Pathways Atlas map: the Opportunities column first, with collapsible groups for internships, fellowships, scholarships, summer programs and competitions, in rows for International and the United States

    Start with Opportunities

    The first column groups every opportunity by kind — click a group to open it.

  2. The Education level filter open, listing high school, undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and early-career options with a count beside each

    Filter to what fits you

    Narrow the list by education level, citizenship, clearance, pay and status.

  3. The Deadlines tab listing application deadlines in date order, with the program name and the dates as published

    Check the Deadlines tab

    See every published deadline in one list, soonest first.

  4. An internship's detail card showing eligibility, education level, pay, status and the link to the official page

    Open a card

    Click any tile for who can apply, pay, clearance and the official link.

Always confirm dates and eligibility on the program's official page before you apply.

02Coming up

Due in the next two months

Application deadlines from the atlas and events worth a spot on your calendar, through Dec 26, 2026. Dates were checked against official pages — still confirm on the program's own site before you apply.

Application deadlines 60
October 2026
Oct26 Spring 2027 Internships (incl. Transatlantic Defense and Security) Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) Unpaid; virtual or in person in DC; 8 tracks incl. Transatlantic Defense and Security, Tech Policy today Oct26 Spring and Summer 2027 Editorial Internships POLITICO Paid $23/hr; reporting, photo, audio/video roles; Arlington HQ plus CA, NY, FL and NJ bureaus today Oct28 ISA 2027 Annual Convention: participant pre-registration International Studies Association Pre-registration deadline for program participants; Atlanta, Mar 21-24, 2027 (online Mar 2-5) in 2 days Oct30 FY2027 NDSEG Graduate Fellowship U.S. Department of Defense (NDSEG Fellowship Program) U.S. citizens/nationals in STEM PhD study; DoD-funded fellowship; closes 5 PM Eastern in 4 days Oct30 INDSR Internship, March-May 2027 Institute for National Defense and Security Research (Taiwan) International undergrad and master's students or recent grads; unpaid; on site in Taipei in 4 days Oct30 Spring 2027 Minority Staff Internship, House Foreign Affairs Committee House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats Paid; Capitol Hill, Jan 19-May 14, 2027; legal track for law students is rolling in 4 days Oct30 Summer 2027 Technical Internships The Aerospace Corporation Rising sophomores to grad students; on site; 5 postings close Oct 30, others Nov 6 or Feb 26, 2027 in 4 days Oct31 2026 Energy Highlights Article Competition NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence NATO/partner nationals; open category plus ages 14-20 and 21-29; EUR 500 top prize and publication in 5 days Oct31 EUCOM Volunteer Internship (summer and year-round tracks) U.S. European Command U.S.-citizen college students 18+; unpaid; Stuttgart, Germany; Secret clearance investigation in 5 days Oct31 International Affairs Junior Fellowship (2027 start) U.S. Department of the Treasury New or soon bachelor's grads, U.S. citizens; usually hired at GS-9; start summer 2027 in 5 days Oct31 Voice of Democracy and Patriot's Pen Essay Contests 2026-27 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Grades 6-12; entries go to a local VFW Post by midnight; top scholarship $35,000 in 5 days Oct31 Winter/Spring 2027 Internship American Security Project Rising juniors and up; unpaid with WMATA transit stipend; Jan-May 2027 in DC; rolling review in 5 days
November 2026
Nov1 2027-28 Princeton in Asia Fellowship Princeton in Asia College graduates; year-long work fellowships with host organizations in Asia, most starting Aug 2027 in 6 days Nov1 2027-28 Science & Technology Policy Fellowship American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Doctoral-degree scientists and engineers (or MS engineering + 3 yrs), U.S. citizens; federal policy year in 6 days Nov1 2027-29 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Technology and International Security UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, with Los Alamos and Livermore labs New PhDs (degree by Sept 1, 2027); salaried 2-year postdoc in Washington, DC with lab engagement in 6 days Nov1 Spring 2027 Internship Chicago Council on Global Affairs Spring term January-May in Chicago; internships unpaid unless otherwise noted in 6 days Nov1 Spring 2027 Student Volunteer Program U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) U.S.-citizen high school and college students; unpaid; 6-month volunteer placement in 6 days Nov2 2027 Nuclear Scholars Initiative CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) Grad students and early-career professionals; year-long nuclear policy cohort; CV + 1 rec letter in 7 days Nov2 2027 Winter Honors Program American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Undergraduates 18+; fully funded seminar Jan 5-9, 2027 in Charleston, SC; stipend in 7 days Nov4 Spring 2027 Research Internship American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) Unpaid; January-April in DC; at least 20 hours a week with flexible schedule in 9 days Nov5 Civil Service Fast Stream (2027 intake) UK Civil Service Graduates (2:2 or above) meeting UK nationality rules; schemes start Sep or Oct 2027; closes midday in 10 days Nov5 Summer 2027 International Affairs Internship Program The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) Undergrads; Jun 2-Jul 31, 2027 in DC with courses; Nov 5 is the early deadline, final Feb 8 in 10 days Nov6 Spring 2027 Research Assistant Internship Wilson Center Students and recent grads; paid; research support for a Wilson fellow; starts early January in 11 days Nov6 Spring 2027 Staff Assistant Internship Wilson Center Students and recent grads; paid hourly ($15+); 20-35 hours a week; apply by email as one PDF in 11 days Nov7 Spring 2027 Foreign Policy Internship Brookings Institution Degree-seeking students; paid; cohorts start Jan 19 or Feb 1, 2027; selections by Dec 18 in 12 days Nov8 Pathfinder 2026 National Security Essay Contest Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Grad students and early-career professionals; 800-1,000-word essay; $1,000 first prize in 13 days Nov8 Spring 2027 Young Global Professionals Internship Atlantic Council Juniors, seniors, grad students and recent grads; Jan 19-May 28, 2027, mostly in DC; opens Oct 19 in 13 days Nov11 Spring 2027 Internship Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA, NDU) Unpaid; Washington, DC; email resume, cover letter and a 500-word statement in 16 days Nov12 2027-28 NSLI-Y Language Scholarship U.S. Department of State U.S. high school students; merit-based scholarship for summer or year abroad studying critical languages in 17 days Nov13 Spring 2027 Research and Analysis Internships Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Work-authorized, in the U.S.; Jan 12-May 14, 2027 in DC; need-based stipend up to $1,000/month in 18 days Nov13 Summer 2027 Internship (May-July) George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies Enrolled university students; unpaid, no housing or travel support; Germany; email applications only in 18 days Nov15 Spring 2027 Internship Niskanen Center Must be authorized to work in the U.S.; stipend up to $1,000 a month; runs Jan 12 to May 7, 2027 in 20 days Nov15 Spring 2027 M.A. Admission and Scholarship Deadline The Institute of World Politics New M.A. applicants: apply by this date to be considered for merit- and need-based scholarships in 20 days Nov16 Humanities at Hertog: Winter 2027 Online Seminars Hertog Foundation Students, recent grads and young professionals 35 and under; online; $150 gift card on completion in 21 days Nov16 Intelligence Development Program, 2028 Intakes Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Australian citizens only; 12-month intelligence analyst program in Canberra; AUD 100,425 to 118,220 in 21 days Nov17 Critical Language Scholarship, Summer 2027 Critical Language Scholarship Program (U.S. Department of State) U.S. undergrad and grad students; 8 weeks of intensive summer language study; due 8 PM Eastern in 22 days Nov30 Clarke Diplomatic Security Fellowship, 2027 Cohort U.S. Department of State U.S. citizens entering junior year or grad school in fall 2027; path to DSS agent; early review Nov 19 in 35 days Nov30 Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowship 2027-28 Council on Foreign Relations U.S. citizen PhDs and postdocs in nuclear security; $110,000 stipend for 2027-28 in 35 days Nov30 Summer 2027 High School Navy Lab Internship (SEAP) Office of Naval Research U.S. citizen high schoolers, 16+, past grade 9; 8 weeks at Navy labs; $4,000 stipend in 35 days Nov30 Summer 2027 Naval Research Internship (NREIP) Office of Naval Research U.S. citizen college students, rising sophomores and up; 10 weeks at Navy labs; $7,500 to $11,500 in 35 days Nov30 Working Student, Professional Services (Berlin) Planet Labs Full-time students in GIS, CS, remote sensing or geography; 20 hours a week, hybrid in Berlin in 35 days Nov30 Yenching Academy Master's in China Studies, 2027 Entry Yenching Academy of Peking University Foreign passport holders; fully funded master's in Beijing; due 9:00 AM Beijing time (Nov 29 in U.S.) in 35 days
December 2026
Dec1 AWC Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships, 2027-28 Kissinger Center, Johns Hopkins SAIS (America in the World Consortium) Ph.D. students and postdocs in grand strategy; a year in residence at SAIS, Duke or UT Austin in 36 days Dec1 Ernest May Fellowship in History and Policy, 2027-28 Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School Pre- and postdocs, priority to historians; $55,000 to $65,000 stipend; letters due Dec 15 in 36 days Dec1 Fall 2027 M.A. in Security Studies (Fee-Waiver Deadline) Georgetown University, Walsh School of Foreign Service Apply by Dec 1 for an application-fee waiver; final deadline Jan 15, 2027 in 36 days Dec1 Graduate Degree Fellowship for Fall 2027 East-West Center For master's or PhD study at UH Manoa; separate UH application needed; due 11:59 PM Hawaii time in 36 days Dec1 Homeland Security Master's, Cohort 2701/2702 Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security U.S. government and military homeland security staff; free for most agencies; 3.0 GPA or equivalent in 36 days Dec1 International Security Program Fellowship, 2027-28 Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School Predocs, postdocs and practitioners; $46,000 to $56,000 stipend; letters due Dec 15 in 36 days Dec1 Managing the Atom Fellowship, 2027-28 Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School Nuclear policy predocs, postdocs and professionals; $50,000 to $60,000 stipend; letters due Dec 15 in 36 days Dec1 Master in Public Policy (MPP), Fall 2027 Entry Harvard Kennedy School Two-year policy master's; due 12 p.m. (noon) ET; financial aid application due Jan 15, 2027 in 36 days Dec1 Spring 2027 LL.M. in Cyber, Intelligence and National Security Law Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University For law graduates (J.D. or equivalent); Arlington or online; F-1 visa applicants due Nov 1 in 36 days Dec1 Summer 2027 Academy for Civic Education and Democracy Ronald Reagan Institute Undergrads 18+ with a 3.0 GPA; DC internship plus GWU course, Jun 6 to Jul 31; final deadline Jan 1 in 36 days Dec2 Summer 2027 Academic Internship Program (Early Deadline) The Washington Center Undergrads (sophomore and up) earning credit; DC internship Jun 1 to Jul 30, 2027; regular deadline Jan 13 in 37 days Dec4 Dellums SMART Scholarship for Incoming Freshmen, 2027 SMART Scholarship Program (Department of War) High school seniors starting STEM degrees; full tuition, stipend and DoW internships; due 5 PM ET in 39 days Dec4 SMART Scholarship-for-Service, 2027 Awards SMART Scholarship Program (Department of War) STEM bachelor's, master's and PhD students; full tuition, $30k to $46k stipend, then a DoW job in 39 days Dec7 FAIT Fellowship, 2027 Cohort U.S. Department of State U.S. citizens in IT fields entering junior year or grad school in fall 2027; path to Foreign Service IT in 42 days Dec10 INMM Memorial Education Scholarship Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) INMM student members or 2025-26 grads; $1,000 cash award; self-nominations welcome in 45 days Dec15 Davis and Berger Graduate Fellowships, 2027-28 Temple University Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy (CENFAD) Temple history grad students; Davis diplomacy fellowship and Berger war-and-society award ($2,000+) in 50 days Dec15 PhD in International Relations, Fall 2027 entry American University School of International Service Full-time PhD in DC; admits usually get a Dean's Fellowship with full tuition and a stipend in 50 days Dec21 Direct Commission: packets for the March 2027 board U.S. Army Recruiting Division US citizens with a bachelor's and field experience can commission as Army officers; board meets Mar 15-19 in 56 days
Events 26
Oct 13, 2026 – Jan 20, 2027 · Online
Happening now

Boren Awards Application Webinars (2027 Cycle)

Boren Awards (National Security Education Program), administered by IIE

Webinars on the Boren Awards, which fund study of critical languages abroad in return for a year of federal service: a general presentation (Oct 13), Ask Us Anything sessions (Oct 21, Nov 23, Dec 15), Crafting Competitive Essays (Nov 17) and Final Touches sessions (Jan 13 and Jan 20). Free Zoom webinars for U.S.

Event page ↗
Oct 13 – Nov 13, 2026 · Online
Happening now

Critical Language Scholarship Info Sessions and Office Hours

Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program, U.S. Department of State

The State Department's Critical Language Scholarship pays for summer study of languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian and Russian. These Zoom sessions cover each language group, how applications are judged, and open questions with CLS staff. Free Zoom info sessions, webinars and student office hours for undergraduate and graduate students applying to CLS.

Event page ↗
Oct 26–29, 2026 · Honolulu, HI
Happening now

AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific 2026

AFCEA International and AFCEA Hawaii

AFCEA's yearly Honolulu conference where U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the military services and industry discuss AI, cyber resilience and command-and-control in the Pacific. Held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Free for academia: register in the Academia category with your .edu email, which AFCEA verifies. Full conference access includes keynotes, panels and the exhibit hall.

Event page ↗
Oct 27–28, 2026 · McLean, VA + online

ATT&CKcon 7.0

MITRE ATT&CK

MITRE's annual conference on the ATT&CK framework, the common map of attacker tactics and techniques that threat-intelligence and defense teams use to describe cyberattacks. Register for the virtual option to watch online (no price listed). There is no separate student rate;

Event page ↗
Oct 28, 2026 · Online

CFR Global Affairs Expert Webinar: What the Midterms Mean for U.S. Foreign Policy

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR Education)

CFR's James M. Lindsay leads a conversation with students and educators on what the 2026 midterm elections mean for U.S. foreign policy. 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET. Made for college and university students and educators; register with the form on the page or by email with your name, title and academic affiliation.

Event page ↗
Oct 29, 2026 · Online

APSIA Online Graduate School Fair II

Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA)

An online fair where admissions staff from APSIA's international affairs and public policy graduate schools answer questions on applications, joint degrees, financial aid and careers. 11:00am-1:45pm ET. Open to anyone thinking about graduate school or an international career; register online (registrants share their details with APSIA and its member schools).

Event page ↗
Oct 29, 2026 – Feb 21, 2027 · Online

StellarXplorers 2026-2027 Competition

Air & Space Forces Association (AFA)

A space-system design competition for high school and middle school teams. Students plan satellite orbits and choose components and launch vehicles in timed online rounds from fall through February. High school and middle school teams compete in three online qualifying rounds and an online semifinal. The National Finals (Apr. 28-30, 2027) are for the top-scoring teams.

Event page ↗
Oct 30 – Nov 1, 2026 · Manama, Bahrain

IISS Manama Dialogue 2026

International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)

The Middle East's main security summit, where ministers and military leaders debate the region's foreign-policy, defense and security problems. This is the 22nd edition. No open student registration. Young people from the Middle East and North Africa can take part as full delegates through the IISS Young Leaders' Programme;

Event page ↗
Nov 10–11, 2026 · Paris, France

Paris Peace Forum 2026

Paris Peace Forum

The ninth Paris Peace Forum, at the Palais de Chaillot, brings governments and organizations together on conflict, technology, development and the planet. This year's edition centers on a Child Summit about children growing up with AI.

Event page ↗
Nov 12, 2026 · Online

CFR Global Affairs Expert Webinar: North Korea's Strategic Playbook

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR Education)

Jenny Town, director of the Stimson Center's 38 North program, leads a conversation with students and educators on North Korea's strategy. 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET. Made for college and university students and educators; register with the form on the page or by email with your name, title and academic affiliation.

Event page ↗
Nov 12–14, 2026 · Brooklyn, NY

CSAW'26 Cybersecurity Games & Conference (Finals)

NYU Tandon School of Engineering (CSAW)

CSAW is the largest student-run cybersecurity games and conference, with 12 challenges including Capture the Flag, embedded security, a cyber policy competition and an AI hardware attack challenge. Finalists compete in person in November, and there is a career fair the same week. Student-run event for high school through doctoral students.

Event page ↗
Nov 12, 2026 · Online

Queens of Code: NSA's Pioneering Women

Women's Foreign Policy Group and the International Spy Museum

Author Eileen Buckholtz and fellow former NSA computer scientists Maureen McHugh and Sherri Ramsay talk about the women who shaped early computing and cybersecurity at NSA. 12:00-1:00 PM ET. Public Zoom webinar; anyone can register through the link on the event page.

Event page ↗
Nov 13–14, 2026 · Tinley Park, IL

DOE CyberForce Competition 2026

U.S. Department of Energy CyberForce Program (Argonne National Laboratory)

A hands-on cyber defense competition where college teams protect a simulated power utility. In the 2026 scenario the grid also powers an island defense radar network, so teams must keep both running under attack. College student Blue Teams apply through the Student Team Application: members must be 18+, degree-seeking (associate through PhD) and attending an accredited U.S.

Event page ↗
Nov 13–15, 2026 · Boston, MA

Northeast Regional Model Arab League 2026

National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (NCUSAR), hosted by Northeastern University

A college Model Arab League where student delegations represent Arab League member states and debate political, defense, economic and social issues in councils, including a Joint Defense Council and a crisis committee. College students take part as a school delegation. The conference is open to collegiate institutions, and schools register on the conference page.

Event page ↗
Nov 17, 2026 · Washington, DC

PONI 2026 Fall Conference

CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI)

A one-day conference at CSIS, themed "The Nuclear Order Under Strain," where rising nuclear experts discuss arms control after New START, nonproliferation and deterrence. Sessions are not for attribution. Register with the button on the CSIS event page.

Event page ↗
Nov 17–20, 2026 · Washington, DC

World Affairs Councils of America National Conference 2026

World Affairs Councils of America (WACA)

WACA's national foreign-policy conference at the Mayflower Hotel, themed "America's Global Choices: Then, Now, & Next," with expert sessions over four days. Student rate for high school, undergraduate and graduate students with proof of current enrollment; there is no virtual option.

Event page ↗
Nov 19–21, 2026 · Atlanta, GA

SRMUN Atlanta 2026

Southern Regional Model United Nations (SRMUN)

An intercollegiate Model UN conference at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta where students simulate UN bodies and other international organizations. The 2026 slate includes the International Criminal Court and an EU Council. College students attend as part of a school delegation registered by a faculty advisor or student contact.

Event page ↗
Nov 20–22, 2026 · Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada + online

Halifax International Security Forum 2026

HFX (Halifax International Security Forum)

A yearly meeting of defense ministers, military leaders and experts from democracies, held in Nova Scotia two weeks after the U.S. midterm elections. Students can watch the public sessions online. No student access; follow the livestream. Attending in person is by invitation only, but the forum says everyone can follow its public proceedings at hfx.halifaxtheforum.org.

Event page ↗
Nov 21–24, 2026 · Chicago, IL

American Model United Nations (AMUN) 2026

American Model United Nations

A college Model UN in Chicago that simulates the Security Council, General Assembly, Economic and Social Council and International Court of Justice, with a student press corps. College students attend with a school delegation (a $120 deposit reserves a country). Students can also join as International Press Delegation reporters or ICJ justices, including without a delegation.

Event page ↗
Nov 24, 2026 · London, United Kingdom

RUSI Long War Conference 2026

Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)

A one-day conference at RUSI's Whitehall headquarters on how Britain and its allies could ready their people, industry and politics to deter, fight and endure a long war. Academic Institution Concession ticket for anyone studying at or working for an academic institution.

Event page ↗
Nov 27–29, 2026 · Berlin, Germany

European Defense Tech Hackathon – Berlin

European Defense Tech Hub (EDTH)

A 48-hour defense-tech hackathon for 200+ people from across Europe, with 10-15 challenges in areas such as counter-drone defense, electronic warfare and edge AI. Teams get feedback from people with frontline experience. Apply as a participant; the EDTH team reviews every application and replies by email.

Event page ↗
Dec 2–3, 2026 · Doha, Qatar

Doha Forum: Youth Edition 2026

QatarDebate Center with the Doha Forum

QatarDebate's youth program held just before the main Doha Forum, where young leaders debate and work on ideas about geopolitics, technology, the global economy and governance. The 2026 theme is "Redefining Global Trust.". Apply through the "Register to Attend" forms on the QatarDebate page. The deadline for international participants (September 30) has passed;

Event page ↗
Dec 3, 2026 · Online

Johns Hopkins SAIS Public Service Scholarships Virtual Information Session

Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)

SAIS admissions explains its Public Service Fellows program (full tuition for the MA in International Relations, for students aiming at public service careers) and its Public Service Scholars program (half tuition for mid-career professionals). 12:30-1:30 PM. Open to prospective graduate students; register through the link on the event listing.

Event page ↗
Dec 4–5, 2026 · Simi Valley, CA

2026 Reagan National Defense Forum

Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute

An annual gathering of defense leaders from Congress, the administration, the military and industry at the Reagan Library to debate U.S. defense policy. The 2026 forum is on December 4-5. No open registration is listed. About 20 advanced undergraduates attend through the National Defense Fellowship, run by the Reagan Institute and the Alexander Hamilton Society;

Event page ↗
Dec 5–6, 2026 · Doha, Qatar

Doha Forum 2026

Doha Forum (State of Qatar)

The 24th Doha Forum, a yearly meeting of heads of state, ministers and experts on diplomacy, conflict and global cooperation, under the 2026 theme "Redefining Global Trust.". Attendance is by invitation only, but students can submit an Expression of Interest (the form has a "Student" option), with no guarantee of an invitation;

Event page ↗
Dec 9, 2026 · Washington, DC

Aspen Security Forum: DC Edition 2026

Aspen Strategy Group (Aspen Institute)

A one-day Washington edition of the Aspen Security Forum, a nonpartisan conference where senior officials and experts debate the top national security and foreign policy issues. The main 2027 forum is July 18-20, 2027, in Napa, California. No student registration is posted;

Event page ↗

The atlas's Deadlines tab ↗ has every dated deadline, beyond these two months too.

03Learn the field

Books, podcasts and channels worth your time

A hand-picked shelf for getting oriented — how intelligence and defense actually work, the strategy debates, the technology, and the careers. "Start here" items assume no background.

Books
Book Start here

Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead

Jim Mattis and Bing West

A memoir by the retired Marine general and former Secretary of Defense about leadership at every level, from leading a platoon to commanding U.S. forces across the Middle East. Also makes a strong case for allies and for reading history.

Open ↗
Book Start here

Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology

Chris Miller

How semiconductors became the foundation of military and economic power, and why the U.S.-China competition now runs through chip factories in Taiwan and elsewhere. An accessible introduction to technology, supply chains, and the industrial base.

Open ↗
Book Start here

Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety

Eric Schlosser

An investigative account of a 1980 accident at a Titan II missile silo in Arkansas, woven together with the history of how the U.S. has tried to keep its nuclear weapons safe and under control. An accessible way into nuclear command, accidents, and near misses.

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Book Start here

Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China

Hal Brands and Michael Beckley

Two scholars argue that the most dangerous stretch of the U.S.-China rivalry may be a decade-long sprint rather than a century-long marathon. A short, readable entry into the debate over China and Taiwan.

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Book Start here

Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers

Andy Greenberg

A Wired journalist's detective story about the Russian military intelligence hackers behind attacks on Ukraine's power grid and the NotPetya malware. A readable introduction to what cyberwar actually looks like.

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Book Start here

Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence

Amy B. Zegart

A clear, research-based introduction to how American intelligence actually works, from its history and analysis basics to covert action, oversight, and how digital technology is changing spying. A good first book for anyone curious about the intelligence community.

Open ↗
Book Start here Free

The 9/11 Commission Report

National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States

The official, bipartisan account of the September 11 attacks and the government's failures, whose recommendations led to major intelligence reforms including the creation of the Director of National Intelligence. A readable narrative, free as a PDF from the Government Publishing Office.

Open ↗
Book Start here

The Cold War: A New History

John Lewis Gaddis

A short, lively history of the U.S.-Soviet rivalry from 1945 to its end by a leading Yale historian. The Cold War built most of today's national security institutions, so this is useful background for everything else on the list.

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Book Start here

The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare

Christian Brose

A former staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee, now an executive at the defense tech company Anduril, explains why AI, autonomy, and networked systems are eroding the U.S. military's advantage and how the Pentagon should adapt. A readable case for defense modernization.

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Book Start here

The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11

Lawrence Wright

The Pulitzer Prize-winning history of al-Qaeda's rise and the intelligence failures that preceded the September 11 attacks. Important background for modern counterterrorism and for why the intelligence community was reorganized afterward.

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Book Start here

The Making of the Atomic Bomb

Richard Rhodes

The Pulitzer Prize-winning history of nuclear weapons, from the discovery of fission through the Manhattan Project to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Long (about 900 pages) but written for general readers, it explains both the science and the people behind the nuclear age.

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Book Start here

The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War

Ben Macintyre

The true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB officer who secretly worked for British intelligence, and his escape from Moscow in 1985. It reads like a thriller and shows how human intelligence, betrayal, and tradecraft really work.

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Book Start here

Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War

Raj M. Shah and Christopher Kirchhoff

The inside story of the Defense Innovation Unit, told by two of the people who launched it, about bringing commercial startup technology into the military. A readable introduction to defense innovation and how tech careers connect to national security.

Open ↗
Book Going deeper

Arms and Influence

Thomas C. Schelling (introduction by Anne-Marie Slaughter)

A Nobel-winning economist's foundational book on deterrence and coercion: how the threat of force, especially nuclear force, is used as bargaining power. Many core ideas in modern strategy courses trace back to it.

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Book Going deeper

Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War

Robert M. Gates

Robert Gates, a former CIA director who served as Secretary of Defense under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama, gives a candid inside account of running the Pentagon during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A detailed look at how the White House, Congress, and the Pentagon work together and clash.

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Book Going deeper

Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis (2nd edition)

Graham Allison and Philip Zelikow

Uses the Cuban Missile Crisis to show three ways of explaining government decisions: as a single rational actor, as organizations following routines, and as bureaucratic politics. A widely assigned classic on how national security decisions get made.

Open ↗
Book Going deeper

Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Paul Scharre

A defense expert's account of the global competition over artificial intelligence, organized around four battlegrounds: data, computing power, talent, and institutions. Rewarding for anyone interested in AI policy and military technology.

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Book Going deeper

How Everything Became War and the Military Became Everything: Tales from the Pentagon

Rosa Brooks

A former senior Pentagon official and law professor looks at how the line between war and peace has blurred, and what that means for the military, the law, and civilian control. Mixes memoir, history, and law.

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Book Going deeper

Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy (10th edition)

Mark M. Lowenthal

A widely used college textbook on the U.S. intelligence process: collection, analysis, covert action, counterintelligence, oversight, and how intelligence supports policymakers. The 10th edition (2025) adds coverage of AI, great-power competition, and cyber intelligence.

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Book Going deeper

On War

Carl von Clausewitz (edited and translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret)

The classic study of what war is and why it must serve political purposes, still a core text in strategy and military education. The Princeton edition adds essays and a reading guide that make it much easier to work through.

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Book Going deeper

The Hacker and the State: Cyber Attacks and the New Normal of Geopolitics

Ben Buchanan

A scholar's analysis of how states actually use hacking: more for espionage, sabotage, and constant competition than for dramatic 'cyber war'. Useful for understanding how cyber operations fit into statecraft.

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Book Going deeper

The Hell of Good Intentions: America's Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy

Stephen M. Walt

A prominent realist scholar's critique of post-Cold War U.S. foreign policy, arguing that 'liberal hegemony' led to costly wars, and laying out a more restrained alternative. Read it alongside more hawkish books to see the main debate in the field.

Open ↗
Book Going deeper

The Long Game: China's Grand Strategy to Displace American Order

Rush Doshi

A China scholar who later served on the National Security Council draws on decades of Chinese Communist Party documents to trace how Beijing's strategy toward the United States has evolved since the Cold War, then proposes an American response. Useful for seeing China policy through primary sources.

Open ↗
Book Going deeper

The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict

Elbridge A. Colby

A realist argument, from the lead architect of the 2018 National Defense Strategy, that U.S. defense planning should focus on denying China the ability to dominate Asia. Useful for understanding current debates over U.S. defense priorities.

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Podcasts
Podcast Start here Free

CyberWire Daily

N2K Networks (host Dave Bittner)

A weekday news briefing on cyber attacks, vulnerabilities, and the policy and nation-state angles behind them, with short expert interviews. Regular listening is a practical way to learn the vocabulary and main players of cybersecurity.

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Podcast Start here Free

GoodFellows: Conversations on Economics, History & Geopolitics

Hoover Institution, Stanford University (Niall Ferguson, H.R. McMaster, John Cochrane; moderated by Bill Whalen)

A historian (Niall Ferguson), a retired general and former national security adviser (H.R. McMaster) and an economist (John Cochrane) from Stanford's center-right Hoover Institution debate geopolitics, war, the economy and U.S. politics, often with a guest. It is opinionated and useful for hearing a conservative strategic perspective.

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Podcast Start here Free

Intelligence Career Conversations

Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) (host Jim Donnelly)

A nonprofit intelligence and national security association interviews current and former intelligence community leaders and industry executives about their career paths, from internships to senior leadership. It is practical listening for anyone wondering how people get into intelligence work and move between government and industry.

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Podcast Start here Free

Security Clearance Careers Podcast

ClearanceJobs (host Lindy Kyzer, with Jill Hamilton and others)

Frequent, practical episodes on getting and keeping jobs that require a security clearance: how background investigations work, how to get hired at the CIA, and military-to-civilian transitions. It is run by a cleared-jobs board, so treat it as career mechanics, not policy analysis.

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Podcast Start here Free

SpyCast

International Spy Museum (host Sasha Ingber; with N2K Networks and Goat Rodeo)

The International Spy Museum's podcast, running since 2006, on how espionage works and how intelligence has shaped history. Weekly episodes feature historians, authors and former intelligence officers, often telling one operation or case in depth.

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Podcast Start here Free

The Last Line of Defense

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) (host Seth G. Jones)

CSIS's Seth Jones interviews senior guests on current defense questions, recently former Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks on the industrial base, former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Leon Panetta. It is an accessible way to hear how the defense establishment thinks about readiness, industry and new technology.

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Podcast Start here Free

The President's Inbox

Council on Foreign Relations (host James M. Lindsay)

Each week CFR's James Lindsay interviews an expert about one foreign policy problem facing the United States, such as Iran, U.S.-China relations, tariffs or election interference. Episodes are short and nonpartisan in tone, and they show how policy debates are framed.

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Podcast Start here Free

The Rest Is Classified

Goalhanger (hosts David McCloskey, former CIA analyst, and Gordon Corera, former BBC security correspondent)

A former CIA analyst and a former longtime BBC security correspondent tell true stories of spies, defectors and covert operations, often as multi-part series (recently on Kim Philby). The main feed is free; a paid membership adds early access and bonus episodes.

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What the Hell Is Going On?

American Enterprise Institute (hosts Danielle Pletka and Marc A. Thiessen)

Two scholars at the right-of-center American Enterprise Institute interview one guest a week on national security and politics, recently Chris Miller on AI and Anduril's Chris Brose on weapons stockpiles. It is short and conversational and gives a hawkish conservative view; some episodes are about domestic politics.

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Podcast Going deeper Free

Arms Control Wonk

Jeffrey Lewis and Aaron Stein (producer Scott LaFoy)

The companion podcast to the Arms Control Wonk blog, in which Jeffrey Lewis and Aaron Stein discuss nuclear weapons, missiles, missile defense, space and arms control. It is informal but technical, and a good audio route into nuclear policy once you know the basics.

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Podcast Going deeper Free

ChinaTalk

Jordan Schneider

Long interviews on China, U.S.-China technology competition, AI and the defense industry, including 'WarTalk' episodes on military technology. It is dense and wide-ranging (some episodes are about economics or U.S. politics), and it is strong on the technology side of great-power competition.

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Horns of a Dilemma

Texas National Security Review, University of Texas at Austin (hosts Sheena Chestnut Greitens and Ryan Vest)

The podcast of the peer-reviewed Texas National Security Review, with conversations with scholars and officials on topics such as China and Taiwan, North Korea, Russia and its neighbors, nuclear escalation and undersea infrastructure. It is academic in tone and good preparation for graduate study in security studies.

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Irregular Warfare Podcast

Irregular Warfare Initiative, a collaboration of the Modern War Institute at West Point and Princeton's Empirical Studies of Conflict Project

In-depth conversations with guests from the military, academia and the policy community on insurgency, counterterrorism, special operations, proxy wars, drones and military assistance. It connects research with operational experience and suits students interested in the military or conflict studies.

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Risky Business

Risky Business Media (hosts Patrick Gray and James Wilson, with rotating co-hosts such as Adam Boileau)

A weekly cybersecurity news show, running since 2007 from an Australian-based team, covering state-sponsored hacking, ransomware and security policy. It is more technical and industry-facing than CyberWire, so it suits students heading toward cyber careers. Some segments (Soap Box, Snake Oilers) are sponsored vendor interviews.

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The Foreign Affairs Interview

Foreign Affairs magazine (host Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, editor)

The editor of Foreign Affairs holds long weekly conversations with scholars and former officials, recently Lawrence Freedman on modern war, Helen Toner and Kyle Chan on AI, and former NATO ambassador Julianne Smith on Russia. It assumes you follow the news and focuses on the arguments behind it.

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The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Near-daily interviews on the law and policy of national security, including surveillance, war powers, terrorism, cyber and the courts. The feed also carries Lawfare's weekly 'Rational Security' roundtable and archive re-releases. It is especially useful for students considering law school or a legal policy career.

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Podcast Going deeper Free

War on the Rocks

War on the Rocks (host Ryan Evans)

The main podcast of the defense and foreign policy publication War on the Rocks, with practitioners and scholars on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, military readiness and the armed services. It assumes some background. The main feed is free; some other shows are for paying members.

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YouTube channels
YouTube channel Start here Free

Cappy Army

Chris Cappy, who describes himself on the channel as a former Army 11B infantryman and journalist

A former Army infantryman turned journalist talks through current wars, weapons and military news in long, conversational videos — Russia's war in Ukraine, China, drones, special operations and the Pentagon budget — giving a soldier's ground-level view of how modern combat works. Casual and opinionated; some videos include real combat footage.

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YouTube channel Start here Free

Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)

Center for Strategic and International Studies

A bipartisan Washington think tank whose channel mixes short explainers (recently: what is inside a Shahed drone) with expert panels on defense budgets, deterrence, Korea, the Middle East and biosecurity. Useful for hearing how policy professionals talk through current problems.

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YouTube channel Start here Free

Central Intelligence Agency

Central Intelligence Agency (official)

The CIA's official channel posts occasional short videos about the agency's workforce and about artifacts in the CIA Museum, plus foreign-language videos explaining how to contact the agency securely. Useful for seeing how the agency presents its mission and careers, though English uploads are infrequent.

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YouTube channel Start here Free

Council on Foreign Relations

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

The nonpartisan think tank that publishes Foreign Affairs posts short explainers, expert webinars and event recordings on U.S. foreign policy, from Arctic security to the Strait of Hormuz, with some economics videos mixed in. A good first stop for quick background on a crisis or region.

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Imperial War Museums

Imperial War Museums (UK)

Britain's Imperial War Museums share short history videos drawn from their collections and veteran interviews, covering the world wars, the division of Korea, Cold War espionage and spy planes like the SR-71. An easy way to build historical background for today's debates.

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YouTube channel Start here Free

International Spy Museum

International Spy Museum (Washington, D.C.)

The Washington, D.C. museum posts short artifact videos and full SpyCast interviews with historians and former intelligence officers, from Cold War stay-behind networks to the CIA's first moments in Afghanistan after 9/11. An accessible entry point into intelligence history.

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YouTube channel Start here Free

Philip Thompson

Philip Thompson, a UK-based independent creator (the channel states no professional credential)

'True Life Spy Stories': long narrative episodes on real espionage cases from the two World Wars and the Cold War to today, covering KGB defectors, CIA operations, Mossad and the NSA, plus current spy scandals. Also released as a podcast. An engaging way into the history of intelligence work; some episodes are for paying members only.

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YouTube channel Start here Free

Real Time History

Real Time History GmbH, the Berlin production company behind The Great War channel (per channel)

Documentaries, usually 25 to 40 minutes and sometimes much longer, on wars from many eras, recently the Soviet war in Afghanistan, the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and the War of 1812, built around maps and archive material.

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YouTube channel Start here Free

Sandboxx

Sandboxx News, the media arm of the Sandboxx military-life app company run by 'veterans, military spouses, and civilians'; videos feature Alex Hollings (per channel and video descriptions)

Explainers on military aircraft, ships and weapons programs, such as the Navy's F/A-XX fighter, plus defense-industry news. An easy way into defense technology.

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YouTube channel Start here Free

Task & Purpose

Task & Purpose, a military news outlet founded in 2014; videos produced and hosted by Kyle Gunn

The YouTube channel of a military news site, with 10-20 minute explainers on U.S. military equipment, programs and policy, such as the Army's next howitzer and Bradley replacement, the Air Force's aging tanker fleet, and new counter-drone weapons. Useful for learning how the Pentagon chooses and buys equipment and why some programs stall.

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The Operations Room

The Operations Room (creator not named on the channel page)

Minute-by-minute animated maps of major battles and operations; recent series cover Pearl Harbor and Midway. You watch a battle unfold on the map.

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YouTube channel Start here Free

WarFronts

WarFronts, a channel in the Fronts media network (fronts.co), based in Czechia

Near-daily explainers on wars and crises happening now, from Ukraine and Iran to Ethiopia, Mali and Haiti, each laying out who is fighting, why, and what could come next. Every video description lists its sources (Reuters, WSJ, Atlantic Council and others), so it is an easy way to keep up with current conflicts and then follow the reporting yourself.

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YouTube channel Start here Free

William Spaniel (Game Theory 101)

William Spaniel, associate professor of political science, University of Pittsburgh

A University of Pittsburgh political scientist who studies war uses game theory to explain current crises, bargaining and why negotiations succeed or fail, mostly about Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East. It teaches you to reason about why states fight and bargain, not just what happened.

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YouTube channel Going deeper Free

Bellingcat

Bellingcat, an independent open-source investigative collective founded in 2014 (per channel)

Short videos and documentaries showing how investigators use satellite imagery, social media and shipping data to examine conflicts and crimes, from drone-war casualties in Mali to tracking a Russian vessel off West Africa.

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YouTube channel Going deeper Free

Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

Center for a New American Security

A Washington think tank focused on U.S. national security and defense policy; its videos cover Russia and Ukraine, European rearmament, AI and security, and counterterrorism. Uploads come a few times a month.

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YouTube channel Going deeper Free

Covert Cabal

Covert Cabal (the creator isn't named on the channel)

Military analysis from satellite imagery and other open sources. It is best known for counting Russian tanks and armored vehicles at storage bases through 4+ years of the Ukraine war, and also covers missile forces and air defense.

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YouTube channel Going deeper Free

Hoover Institution

Hoover Institution, Stanford University

Stanford's center-right Hoover Institution posts interviews and lectures on public policy, including national security topics such as the U.S.-China AI race and China's push into the Arctic. Economics and domestic-policy videos are mixed in, so browse by topic.

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YouTube channel Going deeper Free

Hudson Institute

Hudson Institute

A center-right think tank that promotes strong American leadership; its channel posts panels with officials and scholars on deterrence, shipbuilding and the defense industrial base, Korea, China and Latin America. Some domestic-policy events are mixed in.

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YouTube channel Going deeper Free

International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (London)

The London-based institute that publishes The Military Balance posts sessions from its defence summits plus short explainer series such as The Arms Control Primer and 'Better know a treaty.' A useful international, non-U.S. perspective on defense and arms control.

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YouTube channel Going deeper Free

Lawfare

The Lawfare Institute

Video versions of Lawfare's podcasts (Lawfare Daily, Rational Security) plus live sessions, where lawyers, scholars and former officials discuss national security law, executive power, intelligence and technology policy. Best once you know the basics; much recent coverage centers on court fights over executive power.

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YouTube channel Going deeper Free

Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)

Nuclear Threat Initiative

A nonpartisan nonprofit working to reduce nuclear, biological and emerging-technology threats; its videos cover nuclear risk, biosecurity, AI and biology, and weapons in space. Uploads come every month or two, but it offers a direct look at the nonproliferation and biosecurity field.

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YouTube channel Going deeper Free

Perun

Perun (pseudonymous independent Australian defense analyst)

Weekly hour-long slide presentations by an independent Australian analyst on defense economics, military procurement and the war in Ukraine; each video description lists caveats and a reading-and-sourcing section. Long, but a clear lesson in how budgets, industry and logistics shape military power.

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YouTube channel Going deeper Free

Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft

Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft

A think tank that argues for military restraint and diplomacy over intervention; its channel hosts book talks, panels and short clips on U.S.-China relations, the Middle East and AI competition. The videos argue openly from that viewpoint, which makes it a direct way to hear the restraint case in its own words.

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YouTube channel Going deeper Free

The Cipher Brief

The Cipher Brief, a national security media outlet (per channel)

Interviews with former intelligence officers, military leaders and private-sector experts on threats such as a Taiwan crisis, special operations in the 'gray zone' and the Middle East.

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Newsletters & publications
Newsletter Start here Free

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (nonprofit, Chicago)

The nonprofit publication behind the Doomsday Clock. It covers nuclear risk, biosecurity, climate change and disruptive technologies in plain language and has a free email newsletter; a few articles are premium. A good starting point for students interested in nuclear issues.

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Newsletter Start here Free

Defense One Today

Defense One (Government Executive Media Group)

A free daily email summarizing the past 24 hours of national-security news, analysis and ideas, from the Pentagon to the battlefield to Congress. An easy way to build the habit of following defense news.

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Newsletter Start here Free

Disinformation Review

EUvsDisinfo (European Union, European External Action Service)

An email from the EU's diplomatic service about pro-Kremlin disinformation: which false stories are spreading, and how they twist real events. A clear introduction to how state influence campaigns work.

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Newsletter Start here Free

Eurovision News Spotlight

European Broadcasting Union (EBU) with its public service media members

Fact-checking and open-source verification from Europe's public broadcasters, working together. Recent issues traced Russian disinformation in German elections and reviewed tools for spotting AI-generated content.

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Newsletter Start here Free

Indicator

Craig Silverman and Alexios Mantzarlis

A newsletter about investigating digital deception: fake accounts, scams, manipulated media and influence campaigns, with how-to guides and a regular tool roundup. Good for learning how disinformation researchers actually work.

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Newsletter Start here Free

The Bellingcat Newsletter

Bellingcat

Bellingcat's own email roundup of its latest open-source investigations, guides and training workshops, sent every two weeks. Recent issues covered satellite imagery of an earthquake zone and geolocating a wildlife trafficker.

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Newsletter Start here Free

The Cipher Brief (Nightcap newsletter)

The Cipher Brief

A national-security news site whose analysis comes largely from former intelligence, military and diplomatic officials. Its weekday Nightcap email is free with just an email address; some articles on the site are for paid Subscriber+ members.

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Newsletter Start here Free

The OSINT Newsletter

Jake Creps (named in the site footer)

A regular roundup of open-source intelligence news, new tools, and techniques, with a companion podcast. A practical way to see what working investigators are using right now.

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Newsletter Going deeper Free

38 North

38 North, a program of the Stimson Center

Expert analysis of North Korea by email, including regular satellite-imagery reports on missile, nuclear, naval and drone sites. One of the best-known examples of open-source imagery analysis.

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Newsletter Going deeper Free

ACLED Newsletter

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED)

Updates from an independent group that records political violence and protest worldwide: a monthly letter from its CEO, country conflict-monitor updates, podcast episodes and webinars. Good for learning how conflict data is collected and used.

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Citizen Lab Newsletter

The Citizen Lab

Research alerts and a monthly digest from a lab that investigates spyware, digital espionage and online censorship. A window into the technical forensics behind stories about hacked activists and politicians.

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Newsletter Going deeper

Digital Digging

Henk van Ess

A long-time trainer of investigators writes about advanced online research methods, including how to use AI tools carefully. Some issues apply OSINT to national-security topics, such as Russia's military recruiting.

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Newsletter Going deeper Free

Disinfo Update

EU DisinfoLab

A fortnightly digest from a Brussels-based research group on disinformation: new research, platform and policy changes, tools, and upcoming events. Good for seeing how Europe is responding to influence operations.

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GIJN Bulletin

Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)

A free email from the worldwide network of investigative journalists, with new guides, tipsheets and training. Recent issues covered reporting in conflict zones and research with georeferenced data.

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ISD Insights

Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD)

A roundup of research from an independent institute that tracks extremism, disinformation and online harms, including how online networks feed real-world violence. Shows how analysts research online threats from open sources.

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Newsletter Going deeper Free

OSINT Field Notes

Benjamin Strick

A monthly letter from an experienced open-source investigator. Each issue walks through a real technique (satellites, maps, disaster data) step by step so you can try it yourself.

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Parameters: The US Army War College Quarterly

US Army War College Press

The Army War College's refereed journal on strategy and land power, written for senior officers and national-security professionals. Every article in the current issue can be downloaded as a free PDF. It shows how the military's senior schools think about war.

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Strategika

Hoover Institution, Stanford University (Military History in Contemporary Conflict Working Group)

An online journal from the Hoover Institution in which historians, analysts and military officers look at a current security problem in light of past wars. Each issue takes one question, such as maritime chokepoints, and gives several short answers. Readers can subscribe to be notified of new issues.

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Texas National Security Review

University of Texas Press (editorial team overseen by UT-Austin's Clements Center and Strauss Center)

A peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes scholarly articles alongside shorter pieces aimed at policymakers. Every issue is free to read online, which makes it an accessible way into academic security studies.

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Newsletter Going deeper Free

Today on Lawfare

Lawfare (non-profit publication)

Lawfare's free daily roundup, plus a weekly 'The Week That Was', covering the legal side of national security: surveillance, war powers, cyber, courts and Congress. Best for readers who want to understand the rules that govern security decisions.

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Newsletter Going deeper Free

War on the Rocks

War on the Rocks Media Inc.

An online magazine of essays on strategy, defense and foreign policy by practitioners and scholars, with a free email newsletter. Most articles are free; some are for paying members. Its short, argued pieces show how people inside the field debate.

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Telegram channels
Before you open a Telegram channel. These channels post fast and unfiltered. Some show graphic images or video of war and violence, and claims are often unverified when they first appear. Most report from one side of a conflict, and many post in Russian, Ukrainian or Persian — your browser can translate. Treat every post as a lead to check, not a fact. Don't install software a channel links to, and never use people-search or tracking tools on private individuals. You'll be asked to confirm before each channel opens.
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ASTRA

ASTRA (astra.press), an independent Russian news outlet

Independent Russian outlet that reports drone strikes, fires, military incidents and repression inside Russia, often with local photos and video. Open-source researchers such as CIT draw on it heavily for strike monitoring. Perspective: independent Russian, critical of the Kremlin. Sourcing: fast-breaking posts often rely on residents' videos, officials and unnamed sources, so wait for confirmation. Posts in Russian.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

Carnegie Politika (English)

Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, part of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The English channel of Carnegie Politika, the Berlin-based Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center's analysis platform. It posts short summaries and links to expert analysis of Russian politics, the war, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Perspective: think-tank analysis and expert opinion, not raw OSINT; many authors are Russian experts critical of the Kremlin.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT)

Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), an independent investigative group founded in 2014 by Ruslan Leviev that studies the Russian military; based in Tbilisi since 2022

An independent team that investigates the Russian military using open sources. Its main channel posts weekly front-line and mobilization dispatches and daily volunteer summaries of strikes on civilians; English versions of the dispatches are on notes.citeam.org. Perspective: independent Russian, anti-war and critical of the Kremlin. Posts in Russian.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

Conflict Intelligence Team (English)

Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT)

The English channel of an independent open-source investigation team that covers the Russia-Ukraine war. It posts daily volunteer summaries of strikes on civilian infrastructure and links to English situation reports that analyse frontline videos.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

Cyber Detective

Cyber Detective (Cyb Detective), a pseudonymous OSINT researcher whose channel bio says she works at Netlas.io, a cybersecurity search tool

Daily posts on free OSINT tools and techniques: search engines, geolocation, Telegram and username research, web archives and cybersecurity guides. A good way to build a research toolkit. Perspective: neutral and technical.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

DeepState

DeepState, a Ukrainian open-source mapping project founded by Ruslan Mykula and Roman Pohorilyi

Ukrainian project behind DeepStateMap, a widely used map of the front line. The channel posts map updates on Russian and Ukrainian advances plus news on Ukraine, sanctions and diplomacy. Perspective: openly pro-Ukrainian; its founders told NPR the Ukrainian military uses the map and that they sometimes delay adding details that could compromise Ukrainian military security, so it is not neutral. Posts in Ukrainian.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

FactNameh

FactNameh, a Persian-language fact-checking platform run by ASL19, a Toronto-based internet-freedom group

Persian-language fact-checking platform focused on Iran. It checks officials' statements and debunks miscaptioned photos and videos circulating in Iranian media and social networks. Perspective: diaspora-based and critical of Iranian government claims. Posts in Persian.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

GIJN in Russian

Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), Russian-language edition

GIJN's Russian-language channel shares investigative methods, tool guides, trainings and grants, such as its new guide to investigating technology and AI in modern warfare. Perspective: professional journalism network, not a news source. Posts in Russian.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

iStories (Важные истории)

iStories (Important Stories), a Latvia-based Russian investigative newsroom founded in 2020 by Roman Anin and an OCCRP member center

Independent Russian investigative newsroom that uses leaked and open data to investigate corruption, the security services and the war. The channel posts short explainers and links to its investigations. Perspective: independent Russian, critical of the Kremlin; declared 'undesirable' in Russia in 2022. Posts in Russian.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

Liveuamap

Liveuamap (Live Universal Awareness Map), a map-based news service founded in 2014 by software developers and journalists to cover the conflict in Ukraine

Map-based news service that pins short reports of strikes, protests and diplomacy to a map. The English channel posts headlines from its Ukraine, Iran, Yemen and other regional maps. Background: Began in 2014 covering the war in Ukraine and now covers more than 30 regions. Sourcing: one-line summaries often relay a government's or armed group's statement without a verdict, so open the linked map entry and its source.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

Mediazona

Mediazona (zona.media), an independent Russian newsroom

Independent Russian outlet covering courts, the security services and the war. With BBC News Russian it keeps a running count of Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine, built name by name from obituaries and other public sources. Perspective: independent Russian, anti-war and critical of the Kremlin. Posts in Russian.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

Provereno.Media

Provereno.Media, a Russian-language fact-checking project founded by journalist Ilya Ber in 2020 and registered in Estonia

Russian-language fact-checkers who debunk viral claims, miscaptioned war imagery and AI-generated fakes, and explain how they checked. Useful for learning verification step by step. Perspective: independent, opposes Kremlin propaganda. Posts in Russian.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

Texty.org.ua

Texty.org.ua, an independent Ukrainian data-journalism newsroom

Ukrainian data-journalism newsroom that analyzes Russian propaganda, manipulation on Telegram and battlefield data. The channel links its long-form analysis, about one post per weekday. Perspective: Ukrainian. Posts in Ukrainian.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

The Insider

The Insider (theins.ru), an independent Russian investigative outlet

Independent Russian investigative outlet known for joint investigations with Bellingcat into Russian intelligence operations. The channel posts news, investigations, debunks of Russian state-media fakes and a daily front-line summary. Perspective: independent Russian, strongly critical of the Kremlin. Posts in Russian.

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Telegram channel Going deeper Free

The Kyiv Independent

The Kyiv Independent, an English-language Ukrainian newsroom founded in 2021 by former Kyiv Post journalists

English-language Ukrainian newsroom. Its official channel posts breaking news and daily 'Ukraine war latest' roundups that link to full articles. Perspective: Ukrainian.

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Wargames & simulations
Wargaming Start here

AFTERSHOCK: A Humanitarian Crisis Game

Rex Brynen & Tom Fisher (PAXsims), sold through The Game Crafter

A cooperative board game in which players (government, a military relief task force, the UN and NGOs) coordinate help after an earthquake in a fictional country, built to teach how agencies work together in a crisis. $132.99 for the boxed game; 1-12 players, 90-120 minutes, ages 14+.

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Wargaming Start here Free

Brian Train's free print-and-play wargames

Brian Train (BTR Games), via his Ludic Futurism blog

A page of 19 short print-and-play games on insurgency and counterinsurgency, political crises, urban operations and displaced civilians, from Guerrilla Checkers to Kashmir Crisis and Ukrainian Crisis. Free download; print and play.

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Wargaming Start here Free

Bundeswehr Wargaming Handbook

Bundeswehr Doctrine Centre (German Armed Forces)

The German armed forces' handbook on wargaming, with a foreword by the Chief of Defence and an example game (HyDRA, on a hybrid attack) designed with students of the German general staff officer course. Free download (German original on the Bundeswehr site; an English edition is in the Connections UK library).

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Wargaming Start here Free

CFR Education simulations

Council on Foreign Relations (CFR Education)

Free role-play case studies from the Council on Foreign Relations that put students in the shoes of policymakers. Mini simulations run one to two days of class; cases include the future of NATO, strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan, the response to 9/11 and who owns space. Designed for classrooms and clubs.

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Wargaming Start here Free

King's Wargaming Network

King's College London, School of Security Studies

A university research group, founded in 2017, that runs public lectures and workshops, a Wargaming Week and a free newsletter, and supports King's wargaming master's module. Its 2026 Wargaming Week included a design workshop for people who had never built a wargame.

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Wargaming Start here Free

NATO Wargaming Handbook

Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT), Experimentation and Wargaming Branch

A short, plain-language reference (64 pages) from NATO's Allied Command Transformation that sets out common wargaming vocabulary and the steps of a professional wargame, from design to analysis and reporting. Free download.

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Wargaming Start here

Twilight Struggle

Ananda Gupta & Jason Matthews; GMT Games

A two-player card-driven board game of the U.S.-Soviet Cold War, where historical event cards drive a contest for influence around the world from 1945 onward. $94 for the 20th Anniversary edition from GMT; the rulebook is a free PDF on the page.

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Wargaming Start here Free

UK Defence Wargaming Handbook

UK Ministry of Defence, Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC)

The UK Ministry of Defence's 112-page introduction to what wargames are, the main types, and how they are used for education, training, planning and decisions, from tactics up to national strategy. Free PDF download.

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Wargaming Going deeper Free

CNA Wargaming Reports by Peter Perla

CNA (Center for Naval Analyses)

CNA's collection of papers by Peter Perla, author of the classic book The Art of Wargaming, including 'Wargame Pathologies', 'Wargame-Creation Skills and the Wargame Construction Kit' and 'Conversations with Wargamers'. Free PDF downloads.

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Wargaming Going deeper

Command: Modern Operations

Matrix Games (professional edition sold by Matrix Pro Sims, a division of Slitherine)

A detailed PC simulation of modern air, naval, land, space and cyber operations on a real-world map, and the commercial sibling of Command: Professional Edition sold to defense users. $79.99 for the base game on Windows PC, with optional paid scenario packs.

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Wargaming Going deeper Free

Connections (U.S.) Wargaming Conference

Connections Wargaming Conference (2026 host: Naval Postgraduate School)

An annual unclassified conference, held every year since 1993, that brings together wargaming practitioners from the military, government, academia and industry; there is no conference fee and international participants are welcome.

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Connections UK

Connections UK CIC (volunteer directors from Dstl, the Defence Academy of the UK and industry)

The UK's main professional wargaming conference, open to anyone interested in professional wargaming or serious games; its Downloads page is a free library of national wargaming handbooks (UK, NATO, U.S., French, German and Polish).

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Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge

Atlantic Council, Cyber Statecraft Initiative

A simulation-based competition in which teams of four university students respond to an evolving fictional cyber crisis with written briefs and spoken policy recommendations to expert judges. Rounds are held in several cities; the 2025-26 season included New York, Monterey, Paris, Austin and Washington.

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Hedgemony: A Game of Strategic Choices

RAND Corporation (Michael Linick, John Yurchak, Michael Spirtas, Stephen Dalzell, Yuna Huh Wong, Yvonne Crane)

RAND's tabletop strategy game in which players represent the United States, its partners and its competitors and must balance limited forces and money in a global security situation. The rulebook, player guide and glossary are free PDF downloads; a physical copy costs $275 plus shipping from RAND.

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Influence Wargaming Handbook

UK Ministry of Defence (DCDC) with Dstl and the Joint Information Activities Group

A UK guide to wargaming information, persuasion and influence, effects that are hard to show in traditional military games. Free 142-page PDF (Open Government Licence), with a linked talk by the authors hosted by the Georgetown University Wargaming Society.

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Labyrinth: The War on Terror, 2001-?

Volko Ruhnke; GMT Games

A one- or two-player card-driven board game about the post-9/11 struggle between the United States and jihadist networks, covering military action and the wider contest over governance and ideas. Regular price $86 at GMT (listed on sale at $51).

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Littoral Commander: The Baltic

The Dietz Foundation (Littoral Commander series created by Sebastian J. Bae)

A board game for individuals or teams exploring hypothetical conflicts and crises around the Baltic Sea, with an emphasis on logistics; scenarios take 2-3 hours. $90 from the nonprofit Dietz Foundation; it is the second game in the series after Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific.

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On Wargaming: How Wargames Have Shaped History and How They May Shape the Future

Matthew B. Caffrey Jr.; Naval War College Press (Newport Paper 43)

A history of wargaming from ancient times to today, with advice on making wargames more useful. Free PDF from the U.S. Naval War College.

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PAXsims

PAXsims (editor Rex Brynen, McGill University, and associate editors)

A long-running blog on wargaming and conflict simulation, publishing since 2009, with game reviews, design advice, a research bibliography and news of professional courses. A free way to learn how militaries and governments use games to think through war and crises.

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The Craft of Wargaming

Jeff Appleget, Robert Burks & Fred Cameron; Naval Institute Press

A step-by-step textbook from Naval Postgraduate School faculty on building analytical wargames, from defining the problem to analyzing results, with practice exercises and case studies. Paid book (paperback listed at AUD $39.99 by the Australian distributor).

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The First Battle of the Next War: Wargaming a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan

Mark F. Cancian, Matthew Cancian & Eric Heginbotham; CSIS

A widely discussed think-tank report on a wargame run 24 times, showing how analysts use games to explore a possible future war and what they concluded. Free report and PDF.

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War Gamers' Handbook: A Guide for Professional War Gamers

U.S. Naval War College, War Gaming Department (ed. Shawn Burns)

A practical 100-page guide from the Naval War College's War Gaming Department on how professional games are designed, run and analyzed. Free download; the college allows free reproduction for academic and non-commercial use.

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CRS Defense Primers

Congressional Research Service (Library of Congress)

Short, nonpartisan explainers that Congress's research service writes for members and staff. Topics include the defense budget process, the NDAA, military officers and enlisted personnel, and how the Pentagon is organized. Search 'Defense Primer' on Congress.gov.

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Intelligence Community careers for students

U.S. Intelligence Community (INTEL.gov, Office of the Director of National Intelligence)

The official guide to internships and co-ops across the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies, including NSA programs for high-school students. It explains that students need a background investigation for a clearance, which skills help (languages, study abroad, military service) and that applications are due 6 to 9 months ahead.

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NICCS Cyber Career Pathways Tool

National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (CISA)

CISA's interactive map of cybersecurity work roles, built on the NIST NICE Framework. Students can compare roles, try short hands-on micro-challenges and follow a career roadmap into cyber jobs.

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Index of U.S. Military Strength

The Heritage Foundation

An annual report card on the U.S. military's capacity, capability and readiness and on the threats posed by major adversaries, from the conservative Heritage Foundation. Free to read online. Read it alongside other sources; its rating scheme is a useful way to see how analysts measure military power.

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