Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks’ daily take on national security.
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170307-A-BG398-012 Tough looking dog
I wouldn’t mess with “Jerry.”
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Army Reserve MPs mount up with crew-served firepower Making our Army great again
There are three things that the Army needs today to improve its strategic usefulness: increased strategic mobility, a flattened command structure, and improved situational awareness.
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U.S. Army paratroopers from C Company, 1-503rd Infantry Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade conduct a Squad Live Fire Exercise with the Italian Army 8^ Regiment Alpine at Rivoli Bianchi range, Venzone Italy, Feb 02, 2017. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S., European, Africa or Central Commands' areas of responsibility within 18 hours. (released, photo by graigg faggionato) An Army program that helps officers become critical strategic thinkers
Institutional instinct might have led Army leadership to create a new military professional education program at the War College. Instead, Gen. Odierno chose to look outside the system of the Army for ideas and energy.
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XINYE, CHINA - FEBRUARY 02: A macaque monkey is taught to ride a bicycle as it works with a trainer at the Qilingang Monkey Farm on February 2, 2016 in Baowan village, Xinye county, Henan province, China. The area boasts a centuries-long and lucrative history of raising and training monkeys for performance. In Xinye, villagers are seeing an increase in business with the lunar calendar's "Year of the Monkey". Farmers say most of the monkeys are bred and raised for domestic zoos, circuses, and performing groups, but add that some are also sold for medical research in China and the United States. Despite the popularity of the tradition, critics contend the training methods and conditions constitute animal cruelty. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Things I didn’t know (a continuing series)
A list of interesting facts and news.
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warbird Book excerpt: ‘The Warbird’
This is from The Warbird, a new book by Tara Copp, the Pentagon correspondent for “Stars & Stripes.” It is about her grandfather and her grand-uncle during World War II, and also her own experience of war in Iraq.
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Screen Shot 2017-03-15 at 9.46.04 AM Firings, reliefs, and such: Special ‘rotating carousel of prostitutes’ nautical edition
I’m thinking there is a good movie to be made about the Fat Leonard scandal.
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Peep_Show_by_David_Shankbone The Marine scandal confirms the need to address the U.S. military’s porn addiction
How can the men of the Marines United Facebook group, who all pledged an oath to serve and protect their country and their fellow Marines, violate their own female comrades by illegally consuming and sharing nude photos and videos of them?
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170305-N-LI768-160 ARABIAN SEA (March 3, 2017) The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) transits the Arabian Sea. The ship is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations designed to reassure allies and partners, and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Devin M. Langer/Released) Future of War hoedown next week in D.C.
Come on down! Here’s the info.
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Grant_crop_of_Cold_Harbor_photo My favorite phrase in U.S. military history
“Grant attacked.”
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Task Force Southwest Marines complete Nonlethal Weapons Training Turnabout is fair play: A Marine officer interviews Tom about military leadership
Here is an exchange I had with Lieutenant Colonel Jeannette Haynie, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, who is working on her doctoral dissertation.
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Went_the_Day_Well_Poster Best British war films
The other day I saw a list of the “Top 25 British war films.”
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Shays Rebellion monument Will we have a civil war? A SF officer turned diplomat estimates chances at 60 percent
For most of my career I have been traveling the world observing other countries in various states of dysfunction and answering this same question.
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Animals_in_War_1939-1945_F4881 A dog retreating from France
With the British Expeditionary Force in 1940.
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3230555364_ab62b1bc79_o McCoy on the Marines and women
Former Marine Sgt. Alexander McCoy, a member of the Best Defense Council of the Former Enlisted, has a good article in the New York Times on how the Marine Corps could deal better with women.
