Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

I was surprised to see Google getting down with Marine Corps intelligence

Given the recent blowup between the U.S. government and the Google/Microsoft complex over transparency in intelligence matters, I was interested to see that Google now sponsors two annual awards for Marine Corps intelligence specialists. Sgt. Manuel Iles won "Language Professional of the Year," and Capt. Jesse Sloman won an award for "Literary Excellence." What is ...

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
Wikimedia
Wikimedia
Wikimedia

Given the recent blowup between the U.S. government and the Google/Microsoft complex over transparency in intelligence matters, I was interested to see that Google now sponsors two annual awards for Marine Corps intelligence specialists. Sgt. Manuel Iles won "Language Professional of the Year," and Capt. Jesse Sloman won an award for "Literary Excellence." What is Google doing for the Corps, I wonder? I searched online for information about a contract but failed to find anything illuminating.

Given the recent blowup between the U.S. government and the Google/Microsoft complex over transparency in intelligence matters, I was interested to see that Google now sponsors two annual awards for Marine Corps intelligence specialists. Sgt. Manuel Iles won "Language Professional of the Year," and Capt. Jesse Sloman won an award for "Literary Excellence." What is Google doing for the Corps, I wonder? I searched online for information about a contract but failed to find anything illuminating.

I wonder if one day Google or another such company will be the biggest U.S. military contractor. After all, a century ago, no one had ever heard of Boeing, Lockheed, or General Dynamics.

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

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