Shooting War
Reporters go off to war seeking knowledge yielding understanding, and strive to share both.
Photographers do, too. But sometimes their most ambitious work revels in ambiguity.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, …
$745,000,000
— The size of the Navy contract, here, announced Friday to do away with the carrier USS Enterprise. Battleland can almost recall when that was how much it cost to buy one of the behemoths.
“We found that in general the Installation and Garrison commanders and their cemetery management staffs were very dedicated and conscientious with respect to management of cemetery operations. This was the first time most of these cemeteries had ever received an oversight inspection from an organization outside the installation. Overall, the Services do well at honoring the dead.”
— From a Pentagon inspector general’s report, here, released Friday. Lots of military families will breathe a sigh of relief at the news, given the problems at Arlington National Cemetery in recent years, now largely resolved.
Great SEALs of the United States…
…are slated to get bonuses of up to $160,000 for re-enlisting, according to the Navy.
These aren’t for rookies, but for the cream of the crop: SEALs who have been in uniform for at least 18 years. Contrary to public …
7
— The number of fully-qualified Afghan air force pilots (15% of the 47 required) for the country’s Special Mission Wing. Despite the lack of pilots – and numerous other shortfalls – the U.S. is pressing ahead with plans to buy $772 million worth of aircraft “that the Afghans cannot operate and maintain,” according to a new report, here, from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. And you can’t even blame the rush on U.S. contractors: the 18 new planes are Brazilian-designed, and the 30 helicopters are Russian-built.
War…On the Installment Plan
Every once in awhile you come across a Pentagon contract announcement, like this one Thursday, that reminds you that while the wars may be all but over, we’ll be paying for them for a long time:
Medical Center Orthotics and …
97%
— The conviction rate of “enemy combatants” in Afghan courts in 2012 when the Pentagon provided fingerprints and DNA evidence, according to a Government Accountability Office report, here, released Thursday. Wonder if they’ve tried it at Guantanamo?
Dodge the Draft, America
America is worried about her civic health.
The steady hum of discontent over our individualistic culture has grown louder recently, from retired Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry’s forceful argument in favor of a military …
Midnight Maintenance
U.S. Marines maintain an AH-1W Cobra gunship at Camp Bastion in Helmand province, June 24.
`Hoss’ Cartwright Under Investigation
Anyone can make a mistake. But this could be a big one – and, if it happened, it may not have been a mistake.
Retired Marine general James “Hoss” Cartwright is under investigation for leaking word to the New York Times …
Female SEALs? “This Is What We Must Find Out”
That’s the key point in the top commando’s message to his troops when it comes to adding women to the ranks of the nation’s SEALs, Rangers, Delta Force soldiers and other special operators.
Admiral William McRaven told …
