News reports suggest the Army private arrested in Killeen Texas for allegedly planning an attack on Fort Hood troops had a stash of guns and bomb-making components. Fort Hood was the location of the shooting massacre in November 2009, by a guy who was basically a terrorist. Just what was motivating this kid, however, is hard to fathom …
A Strange Arrest in a New Alleged Fort Hood Attack Plot
The immediate reaction from a lot of people when news first broke that a soldier shot up the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood in November 2009 was surprise that this kind of thing had not happened earlier. Many folks (including me) first assumed that this was the act of a soldier suffering greatly from combat stress after repeated …
White House ‘Dangerously Disengaged’ on Iraq, Other Stuff
One of the most common criticisms of the Obama administration you’ll hear in Washington is that the White House doesn’t do much planning, that they just are not fully engaged on a lot of issues. Stuff just sort of happens. I mostly follow national security issues, but whether it is the botched plans to close Guantanamo, or the …
“Is U.S. Military Personnel Policy Ready For The 21st Century?”
Many experts say the industrial-era personnel system still in use by the Pentagon — with its up-or-out promotions, its non-vesting pension system for the first 20 years, and its decrepit means of evaluating officers — was perfect for World War II. But now that we have an all-volunteer force reliant on skilled people who often …
A Military Teetering on the “Ragged Edge”
House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee Chairman J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) held a hearing on the state of the military this week. The conclusion is stark: the U.S. military is at a breaking point. Today. Right now.
None of America’s armed forces can meet all of the global demands placed on them by commanders today. Were an …
What Happens if Karzai gets Killed?
It’s creepy pontificating about somebody’s possible assassination, but you’ve got to wonder how Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai sleeps at night. Sadly, you also have to wonder what kind of chaos might follow if he got killed.
The mayor of Kandahar is dead. News reports say he died after a suicide bomber hid an explosive in his …
Good News, the War is Over
We are wrapping up Battleland today on account of the war is over. Al-Qaeda is basically dead. As a result, the United States is pulling out of Afghanistan and Iraq tomorrow, bringing home all those drones, stopping warrantless wiretapping, closing the prison at Guantanamo, etc. etc. etc.
Except none of that is true, except the part …
“Is U.S. National Security Gun-Heavy And Butter-Light?”
One of the intriguing things about recently-departed defense secretary Robert Gates — pretty much a lifetime spy — was his concern that the U.S. toolkit was out of whack when it comes to weapons v. diplomacy. He’d frequently mention how there were more sailors on an aircraft carrier, or musicians in the Pentagon’s bands, as …
Afghan Sitrep II: Another Grunt Sounds Off
We’re Here Because We’re Here Because We’re Here …
Beaulieu Sur Mer, France
The old German army had a term of art for describing the US strategy in Afghanistan: nicht schwerpunckt, meaning there is no center of effort or unifying idea around which to shape and coordinate the ever-changing kaleidoscope of supporting efforts as well …
“Does the U.S. Military Have Too Many Air Forces?”
As the Defense Department looks to the future, how many of its pieces — redundant air forces and duplicate armies among them — are really needed for the nation’s security? How many fall into the nice-to-have basket that might no longer be affordable? The topic gets kicked around by John Nagl of the Center for a New American …
Ethereal Defense Cuts – A Phony War
It’s the home stretch on the current round of wrangling over the nation’s deficits and debt. And as we reach the home stretch, the dialogue has begun to detach more and more from reality.
This is especially true for defense. The guardians at the gate, led by HASC Chair Buck McKeon, are fighting in the last trench to keep defense from …
Dear Hackers…
The Pentagon has announced a new Cyber Strategy Website. Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said about the site, “The centrality of information technology to our military operations and our society virtually guarantees that future adversaries will target our dependence on it.”
Bets on how long it’ll be till this puppy …
The Good News about Endless War?
I’ve written more than most about the cost in blood and treasure of the seemingly endless wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. We’ve also heard a lot about the well-founded concern about the endless grind creating a “hollow Army,” drained of talent like the post-Vietnam era.
These are all valid concerns, of course. But there …