So, you think we’re going to start withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan this summer? Here’s something that might give you pause: you’ve just spent $130 million building a better gas station for aircraft at the huge U.S. military base at Bagram Airfield, just north of Kabul. Bagram is the central pit stop for the U.S. war effort, and …
National Security
First Chinese Stealth Fighter Ready For Takeoff?
Aviation buffs are buzzing over blurry photographs now surfacing on Chinese military websites purporting to show Beijing’s first stealth fighter jet, the Chengdu J-20 fighter. Chinese aviation fans says they have been snapping pics of the jet during recent taxi tests, with a first flight likely still weeks away. It’s the best holiday …
Holiday Cheer
Amid major legislative achievements – nuclear-arms pacts, repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” tax deals – sometimes it’s the smaller items that matter most, at least to some people. Here’s a tale of a Marine, his wife, and their son – and how Congress, last week, and the President, yesterday, helped a shattered family. They acted on …
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is History
President Obama has just signed the law allowing openly gay men and women to serve in the U.S. military. “This morning I am proud to sign a law bringing an end to ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” he said. No one should have to “sacrifice their integrity” to wear the uniform of the U.S. armed forces, he said.
He singled out Defense Secretary …
Fat AND Dumb
Military officials have been complaining for years that a growing share –about 25 percent – of the nation’s youth is too obese to enlist in the service. Now comes word that 23 percent can’t pass the military’s initial entrance examination. Even as the U.S. military continues to meet its recruiting goals, the evaporating pool of …
So How Long Before Openly Gay Troops Can Serve?
In the wake of the Senate’s vote to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on Saturday — and President Obama’s plan to sign the bill into law Wednesday morning — just how long is it going to be before gay men and women can serve openly? Some Pentagon officials have suggested it could be a lengthy process, perhaps more than a year, while a new …
DADT, RIP
I missed the racial integration of the U.S. military, but I witnessed up close the mixing of women into nearly every rank and file. Soon it will be time for openly gay men and women to serve, as well. I can recall the tirades against opening up more billets to women some 20 years ago. There was a special commission set up to deal with …
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" All But Dead
The Senate voted 65 to 31 this afternoon to kill “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a law that had been used to kick nearly 14,000 gay men and women out of the U.S. military since 1993. The measure, which already has passed the House, is on its way to the White House for President Obama’s signature. It marks a significant victory for Obama – who …
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Dying
The Senate has voted 63 to 33 against a filibuster designed to thwart repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The law still lives, but only by a thread. After 17 years, it is expected to die tomorrow this afternoon in a final Senate vote, and clear the way for openly gay men and women to serve their country in uniform for the first time in history.
So Why Did That V-22 Crash?
The Air Force has released its probe into the first combat loss of the Pentagon’s troubled V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft. It happened near Qalat, Afghanistan, in April, killing four of the 20 aboard, including the chief pilot. The $116 million V-22 had to make a fast landing and flipped after its nose gear collapsed when it ran into a ditch. …
F-22: Call Sign "Rusty"
You’ll recall the Air Force claims its F-22 fighter is the world’s best. Heck, at $350 million a pop, it should be. Too bad they didn’t invest in RustOleum when they were building it.
The Government Accountability Office reports:
Corrosion of the aluminum skin panels on the F-22 was first observed in spring 2005, less than 6 months
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Afghanistan's Military Challenges Vexing After a Decade of War
The Obama Administration’s Thursday assessment of its Afghan policy is a classic of the genre: it suggests progress while delaying decisions, offers few data points, and tops it off by blaming a reluctant ally — in this case, Pakistan — as the root of the problem because of the “safe haven” it provides Taliban fighters. Nonetheless, …
Winning Votes for New START, $1 Billion At a Time
We’ve written before on the U.S. military’s quest to be able to attack targets anywhere in the world even more quickly than we currently can. Why take hours to destroy a “fleeting” — that’s the word that’s usually used — nuclear-related or terror target when time is of the essence? This has been a big issue among some hawks, although …