Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks’ daily take on national security.
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An atomic bomb blast in Nevada in 1951. (Wikimedia Commons) Quote of the Day
How the military misapprehends cyberspace — and how that in turn undercuts cyber deterrence.
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A US Air Force (USAF) F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter aircraft flies over Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada (NV), during the joint service experimentation process dubbed Millennium Challenge 2002 (MC02). (Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II via Wikimedia Commons). A Shoutout for Two Key Things Harold Brown Did as Defense Secretary Under Carter
A forgotten legacy.
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Edward III counting the dead after the battle of Crécy. (Wikimedia Commons) Moral Repugnance: A Response to ‘Can’t Kill Enough to Win? Think Again’
There are multiple ways to describe retired Lt. Cols. David Bolgiano and John Taylor’s article in the December issue of Proceedings.
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A brown bear. (Flickr) Military Mischief: O-5 and Above Edition
A brief list of recent military wrongdoing.
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The nuclear football. (Wikimedia Commons) It Is High Time to Do Away With the President’s Nuclear ‘Football’
The recent Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on nuclear weapons introduced some unsettling possibilities.
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A military working dog on the run. (Department of Defense) Don’t Mess With This Military Working Dog
A military working dog on the go.
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Leaders hold a meeting on Afghanistan during the NATO 2014 summit in Newport, South Wales, on Sep. 4, 2014. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) NATO’s Little Noticed but Important New Aggressive Stance on Cyber Weapons
Not many people noticed it, but last month, NATO made a dramatic change in its cyber policy.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during a press conference following a so-called "Diesel Summit" with mayors of large German cities in the chancellery in Berlin on Nov. 28, in order to look at ways of improving air quality. (John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images) Edgar on Strategy (Part XI): Strategy, or slip-up? The Willkommen that was heard round the world
It was the invitation heard around the world. And maybe that’s the problem.
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A mosaic depicting theatrical masks of tragedy and comedy. (Palazzo Nuovo, Hall of the Doves via Wikimedia Commons) What’s wrong with us? We’re living in a tragedy but we don’t know how to do that
For the first time in my life, I fear for the future of our country
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Members of the U.S. Marine Corp honor guard salute during the singing of the National Anthem. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) A Nervy Idea For the Marines, and Some Outspoken Officers, in the USMC Gazette
Maj. Matthew Peterson suggests in the December issue of “Marine Corps Gazette” that the Marines form a “Marine Legion."
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U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Pearce sits next to a young boy during a visit to Shiek Burhan Al Asee's house during a patrol of the Riyahd village in Iraq on March 8, 2007. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway) Quote of the day: For what purpose would you need a combat rocking chair?
Answer: For a military chaplain to hold and comfort wounded and dying Iraqi children.
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Lt. Gen. Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller in 1950 during the Korean War. (Wikimedia Commons) Carl Prine on the USMC’s ‘Big Lie’ About Every Marine Being a Rifleman
Another excerpt from an interview in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
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Aaron Burr, the third vice president of the United States; U.S. President Donald Trump on the South Lawn of the White House Dec. 4, in Washington, D.C. (The New York Historical Society via Wikimedia Commons; Alex Wong/Getty Images) We’re finding out now what might have happened if Burr had won the election of 1800 & what that means for North Korea
America's close call in 1800 is back with a vengeance
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Secretary of Defense James Mattis takes questions from reporters. (Department of Defense) Mattis Shows How to Handle a Reporter’s Question About His Religious Beliefs
Secretary of Defense James Mattis comments on religion.
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General Ulysses S. Grant at Cold Harbor (Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons) The reflective leader: A major lesson from the memoirs of U.S. Grant
Grant's memoirs show that self-awareness and honest reflection are crucial to leadership
