Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks’ daily take on national security.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 Natural Security: Dam problems, security solutions, and a new White House memo
American national security institutions, people, and equipment remain largely optimized for warfighting in the industrial age.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 We need—and deserve—an American version of the Brits’ Chilcot Report
While individual scholars have analyzed the decision-making events, the U.S. government itself has never commissioned any detailed analysis of the path that our government took leading up to the war.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 Who is a hero? What does he do?
An interesting meditation from Alex Horton on Chris Mintz, an Army infantryman who wasn’t permitted to deploy to Iraq when his unit did—but who took five rounds in an Oregon college.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 Australian military includes extreme sports as part of training
I learned a lot about my own cognition, stamina and decision-making from whitewater kayaking.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 Ike and the interstate system: Bringing together the general and the president
It was perfectly natural for Eisenhower, when he became president, to focus part of his energies on constructing an interstate highway system. I’d like to see another president follow his example.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 Blind into America: Braddock got crushed because of poor handling of Indian allies
I picked up "Braddock’s Defeat" because I loved "Crucible of War."
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 Quote of the day: This soldier reads the Army the riot act on how to do PT better
I am sick and tired of seeing soldiers not reach their fitness potential because of poor fitness training.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 Would it be possible to construct an aircraft carrier entirely of wood?
There is an inherent size limit on wooden ships.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 Army suspends Maj. Gen. Grigsby, comander of the 1st Infantry Division
The Army today suspended Maj. Gen. Wayne Grigsby, the commander of the 1st Infantry Division.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 An open letter to LT Kuriluk: We all need to hold the military’s feet to the fire
You, like us, are dissatisfied with the status quo in the defense enterprise.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 Does this work for you? Agility vs. adaptiveness, Readiness vs. preparedness
Agility vs. adaptiveness, Readiness vs. preparedness.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 War dog: What Iraq looked like
I liked this photo not so much for the dog, but because it reminded me of how much part of Iraq looked like.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 God, grunts, and choices
Study a photograph of infantry soldiers at a battlefield service.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 The GOP’s stance on the train tracks of history against women in the military
The GOP is still trying to put the administration's personnel policy back in the box.
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fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 A misguided Marine article on drill
Without a clear battlefield purpose, drill is just a bunch of guys doing a military macarena.
