Sure you know the military has the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. But what about the Bloods and the Crips? Not to mention other street and prison gangs like the Asian Boyz, Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, MS-13, Sureños, Tiny Rascal Gangsters, the Juggalos, the Aryan Brotherhood, Barrio Azteca, Texas Syndicate, along with …
Military
Pentagon’s Poorly-Performing Prediction Predilection
The Pentagon is always fretting about the Next Big Threat, and then spends billions planning for it. Unfortunately, the threat rarely returns the favor by showing up. Richard Danzig, the former Navy secretary (and chairman of the board of Battleland’s Command Post partner, the Center for a New American Security) has a new paper out …
“What Will Afghanistan Be Like in 10 Years?”
We know what the past decade has been like in Afghanistan — 1,822 American troops killed, at a financial cost of a half-trillion dollars. Was it worth it? What will this country look like in a decade? Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and Stephen Biddle, an Afghanistan expert at the Council on …
Taliban Twitter War: Sure Beats Bullets…Or Does It?
A wireless war of words has broken out in Afghanistan between the Taliban and the U.S.-Afghan alliance fighting them:
Bits of information – not just bullets and bombs – are in the thick of the fighting in Afghanistan. U.S. forces feared they were losing the information war to the Taliban and now are fighting back with Twitter –
…
Where’s the DEW Line When You Need It?
Google News is a quick way to get up-to-date on areas of interest. I’ve got my Google News page weighted heavily toward military news, and it’s amazing to read what’s up there right now.
You get the impression from this trio of breaking news stories that the Pentagon and its suppliers are oblivious to the budgetary train wreck …
A Death in the (Nuclear) Family
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UspUEjMLsdA]
The world’s biggest nuclear weapon — the infamous minivan-sized megaton B53 — died Tuesday, of old age. The five-ton bomb was about 50 years old. The Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration announced its passing at the Pantex nuclear plant outside Amarillo, …
Take This (Defense) Job and…Love It
Paper cuts are becoming an occupational hazard of covering the debate over how to trim Pentagon spending. If you feel like getting slashed with competing reports, a pair of studies released Tuesday should send you running for bandages.
Bottom line: we can cut spending if we defend less. But if we defend less, we’re going to lose a …
Iraqi IEDs? Iranian IEDs? How About U.S.-Iranian IEDs…
Improvised explosive devices are the leading killer of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Tuesday morning comes word from the U.S. Department of Justice of a plot that “caused thousands of radio frequency modules to be illegally exported from the United States to Iran, at least 16 of which were later found in unexploded improvised …
A Japanese Itch That Won’t Go Away…
The fate of Futenma Air Station on Okinawa remains a thorn between the U.S. military and its Japanese hosts. As the city of Ginowan has grown up around the base, locals have been pushing to have it moved. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, now in Japan, agrees, but the push has been underway for 16 years. Larry Shaughnessy over at CNN’s …
Army Pain, Army Shame…Nation’s Gain?
Interesting comment at a Tuesday morning breakfast with Army Col. Kevin Galloway, the service’s pain czar*:
You used to drive around outside a military post and what was outside — pawnshops and tattoo parlors. You know what you see now? You see pain clinics popping up. They’re meeting an unmet need that’s inside the gate. Some
…
Military Mystery: World’s Most Capable Fighter Jet Struggles to Stay Airborne
America’s Air Force has again grounded portions of its stealthy fleet of F-22 Raptor tactical fighter jets. This comes on the heels of a recent four-month grounding of the fleet earlier this year.
While the call for accountability is certainly warranted, Air Force leaders appear to be doing everything possible to keep the pilots …
“Is All the Money The U.S. Is Pouring Into Afghanistan Doing More Harm Than Good?”
Some 90% of the money in and around Afghanistan is coming from the United States and its allies. Yet this tidal wave of cash is distorting the Afghan economy, breeding corruption, and creating a dependency that may be tough to break. Stephen Biddle, an Afghanistan expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Brian Katulis, a …
Good Riddance x 2
First, Iraq makes it clear it doesn’t want U.S. troops hanging around. Then, over the weekend, Afghan President Hamid Karzai says:
If fighting starts between Pakistan and the U.S., we are beside Pakistan. If Pakistan is attacked and if the people of Pakistan need Afghanistan’s help, Afghanistan will be there with you.
Sure, he was …