Get inside the E-Ring!

Welcome to the E-Ring, a new blog from Foreign Policy that will take you inside the Pentagon’s power corridors, reporting on the people and policies driving the national security establishment.

There’s plenty to cover. From the drawdown in Afghanistan to the budget fights on Capitol Hill, from Iran’s nuclear ambitions to China’s secretive military build-up, from the opening of the Arctic to the frontiers of cyberspace, the Department of Defense is planning for or already coping with a mind-boggling range of contingencies, challenges, and threats. Its military power, its political reach, and its global impact are all enormous.

And, yet, much of the decision-making process remains largely out of view of the public that funds the Pentagon’s work — and, of course, relies on it to protect the country.

As commander-in-chief, President Obama sits atop this complex. But defense policy decisions — and the trend of U.S. military power overall — are not made by him alone. They are made by a cadre of advisers throughout his administration, as well as a long list of senior military officials, members of Congress, privileged academics and think tank advisors, and other insiders who form the U.S. national security establishment. The E-Ring is about these people. Every day, it will bring you coverage of the decision-makers who are leading and executing defense policy — from the top of the chain of command all the way down.

Come with us, and get inside the E-Ring.