Army Sergeant Sandra Coast graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., last Friday at age 51. “Everybody in the world thinks I am a total nutcase,” she tells the post’s public-affairs officer. “I just want …
Army
Chiarelli: A True Model for Future Military Leaders
General Peter Chiarelli retired three weeks ago. He was the Vice Chief of Staff (VCSA) of the U.S. Army, which means the service’s second most powerful general with four stars, his only boss being the Chief of Staff of the Army. …
“I Spy. Why?”
Battleland pal Jeff Stein offers a noirish, first-person look into the world of military intelligence, and what makes spies tick:
I remember [the instructor] saying something like: “This is the only thing in the Army that you can volunteer for and then get out of if you change your mind.” That’s because we had signed up for …
Water Costs Too Much
That’s why the Army is beginning to recycle water that troops use for showers in Afghanistan. Shower water accounts for 75% of the potable water used at Forward Operating Bases in Afghanistan, and it costs between $5 and $30 a gallon to get it there. So the Army has developed the Shower Water Reuse System, which takes “used” …
The Cost of Speaking Out
So what happens to a military officer who speaks out against the grain? It’s an apt question, given Army Lieut. Colonel Daniel Davis’ recent treatise (or was it a screed?) in Armed Forces Journal on what he perceives as the …
Cracking Down on Rx Abuse
It was nearly four years ago that Battleland tapped out a cover story for the magazine on the wave of prescription drugs that was helping some troops make it through their deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, or cope with their aftermath after coming home.
The Pentagon has just announced it is expanding its drug screening program …
“Truth, Lies and Afghanistan”
That’s the title of a column by an active-duty Army officer published on-line Sunday by the independent Armed Forces Journal.
Army Lieut. Colonel Daniel L. Davis writes about what he says he witnessed traveling 9,000 miles around Afghanistan over the past year:
What I saw bore no resemblance to rosy official statements by U.S.
…
The Army’s $86,000 Machine Gun
So there was this Army contract award (click on it to enlarge) last week:
Seems pretty simple: 900 240 machine guns for $77.4 million. Math was never Battleland’s strong suit, but a quick trip to the calculator says that indicates each gun costs $86,000. Must be those gold-plated barrels (actually, there’s no gold in those …
On a Cold Kabul Runway: Frères d’Armes
Kabul, Afghanistan — Roughly two weeks ago…I am home now, my peers are not. With some exceptions.
It is cold here today, and it is snowing. The tarmac is covered with a light layer of slick snow. We walk out towards the …
Petraeus of the CIA (Comedian-In-Action)
Funny four-star generals are rare. Dave Petraeus got in a pickle several years ago when he picked on the Air Force, but now that he’s out of uniform and running the CIA, he zinged a safer target in remarks to the Reserve …
More From Afghanistan…
If Battleland‘s earlier post Monday about that Army Human Terrain Team report didn’t give you an up-close look at the challenges facing the U.S. military in Afghanistan, check out this summary of how International Women’s Day was noted in the Afghan town of Meymaneh (also spelled Maymana, or Maimana) last year.
It sums up, in four …
Snapshots From Afghanistan…
You can listen to generals testifying before Congress all you want – and chat with troops in, or just back, from Afghanistan – but nothing gives you a sense of how things are going as does listening to the folks the U.S. is …
Talk is Cheap in Washington When It Comes to Politicians and the U.S. Military
Last night, President Obama opened his State of the Union address by referencing the sacrifices and courage of America’s military personnel as they return home from combat. The President’s rhetoric was moving, but unfortunately, words are simply words and have not been fully backed up with action that supports America’s heroes.