BattlelandWeapons
The B-52H — the last series of the Stratofortress still flying — turns 50 this month. More than 70 of the behemoth bombers continue to fly. “Half a century ago, no one would think this aircraft would be where it is today,” said Maj. Chris Otis, 20th Bomb Squadron assistant operations director at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. “It …
BattlelandWeapons
A decade of war certainly takes its toll on the brains and minds of those waging it. We’ve seen that in the numbers of troops returning with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. Pentagon leaders refer to them as the “signature wounds” of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq because of their prevalence due to …
BattlelandWeapons
There is not another nation on Earth that comes close to packing the aerial wallop of the U.S. Air Force. Or the U.S. Navy. Or even the U.S. Marine Corps, for that matter. So why are those three services so hell-bent on spending $382 billion for 2,457 new Joint Strike Fighter F-35 warplanes? It’s not like we’re on the verge of being …
BattlelandNational Security
Ever wonder what all those ribbons over Army General Dave Petraeus’ heart mean? Slate offers a guided tour.
BattlelandPresident Obama
Colleague Massimo Calabresi has a marginally sunnier view of the President’s imminent Middle East speech this morning than Tony Karon did last night:
In his much-hyped speech on the Middle East scheduled for Thursday, President Barack Obama will argue that the region’s anti-autocratic uprisings and the death of Osama bin Laden have
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BattlelandVeterans
The report released earlier Thursday at the Pentagon about the grim mental-health issues facing U.S. troops at war brings into focus the need for the spouse-support group at Walter Reed. It’s supported by the non-profit Walter Reed Society. Following up on Wednesday’s post, here is the latest from Gayla Romanowsky at the five-day …
BattlelandTroops
U.S. troops’ minds are going to hell in a hand basket, according to the latest comprehensive survey of the mental health of U.S. soldiers and Marines waging war in Afghanistan.
“Psychologically, it is hard to imagine that these elevated levels of combat are not taking a toll on Soldiers,” the study concludes. “Reports of acute …
BattlelandPresident Obama
Time‘s Tony Karon weighs in on our Global Spin blog on what to listen for in President Obama’s Middle East speech Thursday:
Why would he address the Arab world at a moment when his policies have little hope of reversing diminished U.S. standing? After all, the Arab consensus views Obama has having failed miserably to deliver on the
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BattlelandWeapons
Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday, explaining how the Pentagon plans to help cut $400 billion in spending over the coming 12 years by curtailing dubious missions:
“They represent missions that the department carries out today that, while of value, are not central to our core mission or are of lower …
BattlelandWeapons
The self-licking ice cream cone continues: over at Small Wars Journal, Robert Haddick explains why the days are numbered for the mainstay of the U.S. drone fleet.
BattlelandWeapons
Why does people’s skepticism go out the window when it comes to military matters — especially any that are secret? Granted, the recent dispatch of Osama bin Laden does make the U.S. military look all-but-omnipotent. But it’s important to note that grand success was striking…because it was so rare.
Annie Jacobson’s new book — …
BattlelandVeterans
Many military spouses deserve Purple Hearts of their own for dealing with their troops when they return home. The Army is trying to help with week-long sessions for them at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. The “Significant Others Support Group” offers basic training in how to deal with multiple deployments and the …
BattlelandPolitics
UPDATE: It’s official: Navy has just announced ship to be named for Cesar Chavez.
So which of these heroes should we honor by naming a Navy ship after him? One’s a Pearl Harbor Medal of Honor winner. The second gave his life in Iraq so that his fellow Marines would live. And the third brought respect to the migrant …
