The Marines’ 2005 “massacre” of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha began with a bang but ended with a whimper Monday. Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich pled guilty to a single count of negligent dereliction of duty in …
Military
“Embrace Our Solution”
The Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee have posted a new video timed to President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night. They’re calling on him to join with them in cutting the federal workforce so that a second $500 billion batch of Pentagon budget cuts required under existing law can be …
Why Spend $139K For a Soldier You Can Get for $44K?
How much of our military do we need perpetually trained to the highest readiness level, and how much can we safely consign to the reserve forces? It’s a debate that is going to start heating up anew later this week, when the Pentagon reveals a little of what it is planning to spend money on beginning in 2013 (everything will end up …
Sexual Assault and the Military: Old Remedies Don’t Work
The news reports on the high rate of suicide in the military are subsiding, as the rate seems to be flattening. New reports focus instead on the high rates of sexual assault. Unfortunately, the proposed solutions recycle the same old solutions: education for female Soldiers and prosecuting males.
But I fear that such proposals …
The Army Venn Diagram from Hell
Buried on page 43 of the Army’s 196-page mental health study released last week is this striking illustration, about which the Army notes:
“Numerous co‐occurring physical and behavioral health issues can share common manifestations and symptoms, which further complicate diagnosis and treatment of any one health issue, let …
“Army Brig. Gen. Herbert R. McMaster Jr., has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general. McMaster is currently serving as commander, Combined Joint Interagency Task Force - Shafafiyat, International Security Assistance Force, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan.”
First-Name Basis Only: The U.S. Chair Force
The Air Force has its first two Global Hawk drone pilots groomed from the ground up to fly drones, without ever having flown “real” airplanes first. It’s a new career field for the Air Force, and these guys are the first …
Persian Paper Tiger? Go Navy!
Less than three weeks ago, Iran’s army chief warned the screen door not to hit the stern of the USS John Stennis as it left the Persian Gulf. “I recommend and emphasize to the American carrier not to return to the Persian …
“When we talked about this in the government, the consensus was that [attacking Iran] would guarantee that which we are trying to prevent -- an Iran that will spare nothing to build a nuclear weapon and that would build it in secret.”
Same Old, Same Old At Japan’s Ministry
TOKYO – Japan’s new Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka seems to have done the impossible: He’s gotten off to an even worse start than his predecessor, who was fired after just four months on the job.
Tanaka is to meet with …
Kind of Like Washing a Rental Car
The Army Corps of Engineers has just finished building new terminals at Afghanistan’s Shindand air base for $18 million. “This facility will play an important role as the coalition begins to move equipment and personnel out of …
New Dawn for Marines’ F-35B
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will announce Friday afternoon that the Marines’ F-35B fighter is being taken off “probation” and production will continue. It has been under intense scrutiny due to problems with its STOVL – short takeoff, vertical landing – capability that apparently are being fixed. Seeing as he’s heading …
General Fogleman: Back to the Future
Ron Fogleman (Air Force chief of staff, 1994-97) is the only member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to request, and take, early retirement over a matter of principle (see why here). That makes him pretty rare, and worth listening …