Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Navy fires minesweeper CO, recruiting district CO. No idea what Army doing.

The Navy, which is better about disclosing these things than the Army is, recently fired the skipper of a minesweeper and the commander of a recruiting district.

1507021-N-KG618-405 
BRISBANE, Australia (July 21, 2015) Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Dearra Horton, assigned to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), holds a snake to show students from the Aboriginal and Islander Independent Community School during a community service event at Burringilly Aboriginal Corporation. Blue Ridge is conducting a port visit in Brisbane while patrolling the 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kevin A. Flinn/Released)
1507021-N-KG618-405 BRISBANE, Australia (July 21, 2015) Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Dearra Horton, assigned to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), holds a snake to show students from the Aboriginal and Islander Independent Community School during a community service event at Burringilly Aboriginal Corporation. Blue Ridge is conducting a port visit in Brisbane while patrolling the 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kevin A. Flinn/Released)
1507021-N-KG618-405 BRISBANE, Australia (July 21, 2015) Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Dearra Horton, assigned to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), holds a snake to show students from the Aboriginal and Islander Independent Community School during a community service event at Burringilly Aboriginal Corporation. Blue Ridge is conducting a port visit in Brisbane while patrolling the 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kevin A. Flinn/Released)

 

 

The Navy, which is better about disclosing these things than the Army is, recently fired the skipper of a minesweeper and the commander of a recruiting district.

Photo credit: U.S. Navy

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

More from Foreign Policy

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping give a toast during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping give a toast during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21.

Can Russia Get Used to Being China’s Little Brother?

The power dynamic between Beijing and Moscow has switched dramatically.

Xi and Putin shake hands while carrying red folders.
Xi and Putin shake hands while carrying red folders.

Xi and Putin Have the Most Consequential Undeclared Alliance in the World

It’s become more important than Washington’s official alliances today.

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

It’s a New Great Game. Again.

Across Central Asia, Russia’s brand is tainted by Ukraine, China’s got challenges, and Washington senses another opening.

Kurdish military officers take part in a graduation ceremony in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, on Jan. 15.
Kurdish military officers take part in a graduation ceremony in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, on Jan. 15.

Iraqi Kurdistan’s House of Cards Is Collapsing

The region once seemed a bright spot in the disorder unleashed by U.S. regime change. Today, things look bleak.