The U.S. military is pretty good at honoring its history, with statues, memorials and that kind of thing. Heck, there’s …
Military History
IEDs, C.O.D.
Army Major Keith Boring spent much of 2006 and 2007, his second Iraq combat tour, as a battalion plans officer for 1-40 Cavalry, 4-25 Infantry south of Baghdad. While his specialty was armor – he is a tank-driver, after all …
50 Years Later: The Lessons of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Hard to believe for those of us who lived through it – or even if you merely witnessed it by watching 2000’s Thirteen Days – but the Cuban Missile Crisis turned 50 last week. That was the one time when the point of one …
Nunn-Lugar No Longer?
Sam Nunn left the Senate in 1997. Richard Lugar lost his bid for a seventh term in May. So perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that their landmark 1991 legislation, the Nunn-Lugar act that created the Cooperative Threat …
Why Diversity Counts in National Security
The reality of demographics mandates a sharp focus on creating leaders from the burgeoning Hispanic and Asian American communities. The history of Vietnam tells us we need to keep that same focus on the African American …
Eleven Years On
Sunday marks the beginning of the U.S. military‘s 12th year in Afghanistan.
It ain’t quite the Hundred Years’ War, but 12 years is 20% of this particular Battleland correspondent’s life.
Eleven years ago today – October …
Pentagon’s Correspondents Corridor Renamed
For 40 years, a stretch of the Pentagon’s E-ring, where reporters maintained their desks and Pentagon press officers helped them do their jobs, was known as the Correspondents Corridor. There were humble, but tasteful signs, …
History Threatens Repeat in Renewed Pacific War
Disputes over islands in Asia reflect a wider failure to reconcile differences among nations stemming from historical conflicts
“At the end of my military career, some 40 years later, that [Vietnam] war had a lot to do with the way I handle myself in the wars that we're in right now, part of which means to make sure that the American people know what's going on - to put a face on that, to put a face on those we've lost. I was a big advocate for opening Dover [Air Force Base] to the public and the families for just that reason. We want people to know what's going on and to consciously say “yes” or “no” -- we will continue this, or we won't continue it. The Vietnam War began, the American people didn't support the men and women in uniform, and that is not the case now.”
Uniform Matters: If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
I’ve noticed quite a few comments both in Navy Times and on Facebook’s Female Navy Officers page about uniform changes. As usual, many are complaining about them.
I do recall when I was in the Navy, uniform changes came …
Better the Second Time Around
Army Major Jeremy Hall pulled two tours as an Army engineer north of Baghdad – first in 2007 and 2008, and then again in 2010 and 2011. He faced challenges during his initial deployment, but was glad he went back for a second …
Afghanistan: “It’s Just Damage Limitation Now”
Briton Ben Anderson is a documentary filmmaker (the BBC, HBO, the Discovery Channel), but he turns to the written word in No Worse Enemy: The Inside Story of the Chaotic Struggle for Afghanistan. The book offers a gritty – and …
A (Former) SEAL Speaks Out…About (Former) SEALs Speaking Out
No Easy Day is different.
SEAL Team Six operators have, until now, always been very tight-lipped about current operations. Yes, there have been revealing books about SEAL Team Six — Rogue Warrior and Inside SEAL Team Six are …