Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

James Fallows, a fan of Best Defense, quotes Gourley, Frankel, Hammes, Nagl

Six contributors to Best Defense made cameo appearances in James Fallows's Atlantic article.

James-Fallows-(edit)
James-Fallows-(edit)

And me, too. I counted a total of six contributors to Best Defense making cameo appearances in his Atlantic article. I found it a bit rambling, but still a very good overview of the state of our armed forces, especially for the general reader who doesn’t pay much attention to the subject. Little grasshoppers are of course immersed in subject.

And me, too. I counted a total of six contributors to Best Defense making cameo appearances in his Atlantic article. I found it a bit rambling, but still a very good overview of the state of our armed forces, especially for the general reader who doesn’t pay much attention to the subject. Little grasshoppers are of course immersed in subject.

Like Fallows, I am surprised and dismayed at the disinclination of the U.S. military establishment to review its strategic shortcomings over the last 13 years.

Speaking of articles, the New York Times has a good one today about American forces returning to Camp Taji in Iraq. It quotes Army Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Keith on his family’s reaction to the deployment order: “My dad was just like, F this.”

Asia Society/Kate Bohler

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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