Word from Afghanistan that a suspected key enabler of the attack on Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel Tuesday night was killed in a precision air strike Wednesday:
KABUL, Afghanistan – The International Security Assistance force confirmed today a top Haqqani Network leader suspected of providing material support to the Kabul suicide
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Yesterday’s big Arlington National Cemetery story was that the FBI is investigating possible criminal acts at Arlington.
The other thing going on is that frustrated members of Congress are seriously considering yanking authority to run Arlington National Cemetery away from the Army and giving the cemetery to the Department of Veterans …
Two new voices here on Battleland — both important. Both historic. Both women.
Our newest Battleland crew member is retired U.S. Navy commander Darlene Iskra. Not only was she the first woman ever to command a Navy ship, she’s also been an answer — or is that a question? — on Jeopardy (check it out here — she’s the $1,600 clue …
Departing defense secretary Robert Gates is the 10th military chief I have covered since Harold Brown was running Jimmy Carter’s Pentagon. After a private dinner at the White House on Wednesday night, and a final ruffles and flourishes sendoff at the Pentagon on Thursday, Gates will fly off for his home in Washington state and never …
Wow, this past month of blogging has gone fast! Plenty of words come to mind to describe the experience: humbling, exhilarating, rewarding… Yup, I’ll say that’s a good start. I’ve had a brilliant response which has far surpassed my expectations. I’ve heard from from other troops wanting to get involved, asking for advice, or giving me …
Fascinating series of photographs of Tuesday night’s attack — and counter-attack — on Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel by Nazir Ekhlass, and posted on war blogger Michael Yon’s website.
OK. It’s not much, but every little bit helps. Thanks to a new airspace access deal with Russia — with Russia! — a U.S. KC-135 refueling tanker was able to fly from Washington state to the big U.S. base in Kyrgyzstan via the North Pole last week. The Manas base in Kyrgyzstan is a major support hub for the war in Afghanistan. The …
This just in at Military.com:
Female Special Operators Now in Combat
Women have been accompanying combat troops during their raids of suspected terrorists in Iraq since 2003. The local commanders absolutely needed women to accompany the troops to help segregate women and children from men. In this capacity, the women — who had …
The FBI is conducting a criminal inquiry into Arlington National Cemetery. The burial mixups there have made big news. Was any of it against the law? Probably. Here are a few reasons to think so.
Reserving graves:
It’s against the law to reserve grave locations at Arlington. The previous Superintendent, Jack Metzler, did it …
War remains forever about perceptions, absent the signing of instruments of surrender.
Last week: “We’ve inflicted serious losses on the Taliban,” President Obama declared as he announced U.S. troops will start coming home next month.
Last night: nine Taliban suicide bombers stormed one of the most posh and protected hotels in
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Last week, the Pentagon told you the costs of the war on terror had eclipsed $1 trillion. Wednesday morning, a panel of academics experienced in war accounting says that’s only a down payment — and that its real, total cost is around $5 trillion.
Five trillion dollars: that’s $16,000 per American; $64,000 for a family of four.
The Boeing Company made around $13 million in windfall profits off of selling grossly overpriced spare parts to the Army for its AH-64 Apache and Ch-47 Chinook helicopters, according to a 142-page leaked “For Official Use Only” audit conducted by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG). Of $23 million Boeing …
