2446fed04528c87c6be7708f0052c2c9

Aaron O’Connell

  • Director of Research

Aaron O’Connell is Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin and Director of Research for the Clements Center for National Security. Prior to joining the UT faculty, he served in the Obama Administration as Director for Defense Policy & Strategy on the National Security Council staff and as an Associate Professor of Military History at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.  

In addition to his academic career, Dr. O’Connell served 27 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and retired at the rank of Colonel. Trained originally as a combat engineer, he later became a strategic analyst and advisor to a number of senior military leaders, including the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and the ISAF Commander in Afghanistan. 

Scholarly Interests 

Dr. O’Connell’s scholarly interests span three inter-related fields: 20th century military history, the role of violence in foreign policy, and the military’s effects on contemporary U.S. culture and society. He teaches courses in military history, U.S. foreign policy, terrorism and insurgencies, and the U.S.’s role in the world. He is currently writing a book on the Global War on Terror, which will be published by Simon & Schuster in the coming years.  

Publications  

Dr. O’Connell is the author of Underdogs: The Making of the Modern Marine Corps, which explores how the Marine Corps rose from relative unpopularity to become the most prestigious armed service in the United States.  He is also the editor of Our Latest Longest War: Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan, which is a critical account of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan since 2001. He has also authored a number of articles and book chapters on military affairs and U.S. military culture. 

Media Appearances  

Dr. O’Connell has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, BBC World Service, Public Radio International, C-SPAN, Fox News, and PBS’s NewsHour Weekend. His commentary has appeared in Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Slate, The Daily BeastWar on The Rocks, and The Chronicle of Higher Education

Courses Taught 

  • War and Violence in American History 
  • The United States and the Second World War 
  • U.S. Military History, 1775-Present