If all U.S. combat troops are going to leave Afghanistan by January 1, 2015, it makes sense that they back away from Afghanistan’s front lines before New Year’s Eve, 2014. Think of it as the dimmer on your dining room light – slowly turn it down instead of plunging from full light to darkness.
Troops
Corporal Gets 30 Days in Brig For Hazing Fellow Marine Who Killed Himself in Afghanistan
The sad and sorry case of Marine Lance Corporal Harry Lew has won its first conviction. On Monday, Lance Corporal Jacob Jacoby was sentenced to 30 days in jail – and a reduction in rank to private first class – for his role in the hazing that led Lew to take his own life in Afghanistan last April 3.
The government urged Jacoby …
What Makes Insurgents Tick?
It’s not – surprise! – what you think:
…We see insurgency as a form of collective, goal-focused activity that comes about when nefarious people exploit the weaknesses of a political system…And since insurgency is
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Throwbots
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We’ve seen flying robots – drones – spying on the enemy, and beefy tracked robots disabling IEDs. So why not the ultimate traveling ‘bot – one that’s thrown by soldiers? Don’t laugh – the Pentagon’s anti-IED shop is planning to send 400 tossbots to Afghanistan …
More From Afghanistan…
If Battleland‘s earlier post Monday about that Army Human Terrain Team report didn’t give you an up-close look at the challenges facing the U.S. military in Afghanistan, check out this summary of how International Women’s Day was noted in the Afghan town of Meymaneh (also spelled Maymana, or Maimana) last year.
It sums up, in four …
Thanks, General Chiarelli
Tuesday marks the final day in uniform for General Pete Chiarelli, the Army’s vice chief of staff. As the service’s No.2 officer, he has been the key driver on fighting to reduce the mental toll of the nation’s wars on its …
A Half-Masted `Stars and Stripes’?
Stars and Stripes covers the U.S. military like a blanket and is funded, in part, by the U.S. military. Yep, that’s a built-in conflict of interest. Over the years, the paper has done numerous stories that have ticked off its funder, such as this, that, and the other thing. But that’s what makes it neat: it’s kind of like the grain …
Snapshots From Afghanistan…
You can listen to generals testifying before Congress all you want – and chat with troops in, or just back, from Afghanistan – but nothing gives you a sense of how things are going as does listening to the folks the U.S. is …
A Heroine…Of a Different Kind
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“We are sad to report that Lt. Cmdr. Regina Mills, Nimitz‘ Handler, died Jan. 23 following a multi-vehicle accident on State Route 16 in Kitsap County, Wash….Regina was a great leader and officer. She was a leader and mentor not only to the Sailors and officers in the Air …
The Lego Leatherneck
Sure it’s a coincidence — the Marines aren’t suggesting that their world-champion Lego builder has anything to do with the latest budget cuts detailed by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta turning the corps into a toy military force.
But make no mistake: the Marines are proud of Captain Kyle Ugone’s declaration from the …
The Promise — and The Danger — in Panetta’s Budget
Leon Panetta rolled out some of the first details on the new FY 2013 defense budget on Thursday. It’s the first since FY 1998 to actually decline in nominal terms (though FY 2011 and FY 2012 were “real” cuts, as they did not …
“How You Like That Pay, Soldier?”
Troops get paid in lots of different ways. There’s basic pay, allowances, bonuses, incentives and assorted housing, health and retirement bennies. Is this the best way to compensate U.S. military personnel? In other words, are …
Homeless Female Vets on the Rise
The Department of Veterans Affairs has made stamping out homelessness among the nation’s veterans a top priority. According to this new Government Accountability Office report, it has its work cut out for it (despite some recent good news). “Limited VA data show that the number of women veterans the agency identified as homeless …