Phil Reynolds

Dr. Phil Reynolds is a political scientist specializing in security cooperation, irregular warfare and global politics. He received his PhD from the University of Hawai‘i and holds a master’s degree in Defense Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School.

His research examines how states design, implement and evaluate security assistance under conditions of political risk, institutional fragility and strategic competition. He has published in Journal of Strategic Security, Defence & Security Analysis, Journal of Military Studies and Small Wars & Insurgencies, and is the author of Ouroboros: Understanding the War Machine of Liberalism.

Dr. Reynolds has taught at the University of Hawai‘i and the College of Strategic Security Cooperation, where he led courses on operational analysis, comparative strategic culture, interagency coordination and ethics. He previously served as a U.S. Army officer and Department of Defense civilian, bringing applied policy experience into his teaching and research.

Phil W. Reynolds,  “The Hidden Political Economy of Security Cooperation.” The Defence Horizon Journal, February 19, 2026. https://tdhj.org/blog/post/political-security-cooperation/.

Phil W. Reynolds, “Program Management and Building Partner Capacity: A Tangled Thicket,” in Foundations of Defense Project Management, ed. Darli Vieira, Alencar Bravo, and Geraldo Ferrer (Sharjah, UAE: Bentham Science Publishers, 2026), 210–227, https://doi.org/10.2174/97988988117781260101.

Phil W. Reynolds, “Strategic fit: Application of world governance indicators to U.S. security assistance.” Defence & Security Analysis. 20, no. 1 (2025): 19-39.

Phil W. Reynolds, "Describing the Security Cooperation Dilemma.” The Defence Horizon Journal. (2025).

Phil W. Reynolds, "Security Conditionality: Evidence and Effectiveness." Journal of Strategic Security. 18, no. 1 (2025) : 89-116.

Reynolds, Phil W, "Clausewitz and the Partisan: Accounting for Unlimited Enmity in the Twenty-first Century.” Journal of Military Studies. 10, no. 1 (2021): 130–138.

Phil W. Reynolds, "Past Failures and Future Problems: The Psychology of Irregular War." Small Wars & Insurgencies 26, no. 3 (2015): 446-458.

Phil W. Reynolds and Doowan Lee "The Strategic Offensive Against the CCP.” The Cipher Brief. (2021).

Phil W. Reynolds,  "What Happens if North Korea Collapses?" The Diplomat. 3 (2016).

Phil W. Reynolds,  “Is China Winning in the South China Sea?” The Diplomat. (2016).

Phil W. Reynolds,  “NATO Forgets All Politics Are Local.” Real Clear Defense. (2018).