The Secretary of Defense has proposed cutting $78 Billion out of the DoD budget over five years. That’s $78 Billion, or less than $20 Billion a year. Are you kidding me — why even bother with such a miniscule amount? Anyone with even a brief, passing knowledge of the DoD over the last 2 decades has to be amused that the national media has viewed this proposal as a “substantial cut.” With an enormous DoD budget that exceeds THREE ...
Continue Reading →Military News Highlights: December 16 & 17
Uncertainty marks White House review on Afghanistan, Pakistan
In regards to the highly touted release of the administrations review of Afghanistan, one-step up and two-steps back.
One-step up, “strategy is showing progress”; two-steps back, no new information on how soon Afghan Security Forces will be able to assume responsibility for security and when the “rat-lines” coming out of Pakistan can be severed.
One-step up, “we are on track to achieve our goals”; two-steps back, gains are still “fragile and reversible” and ...
Continue Reading →Military News Highlights: November 19, 2010
U.S. deploying heavily armored battle tanks for first time in Afghan war
Let’s be frank about why a company of M1 Abrams tanks are being added to the fight in Helmand province – because of their survivability and the firepower they bring to the fight against the current threat in Helmand (i.e. IED’s that disrupt lines of communications, concentrated enemy positions supported by complex IED/minefields, lack of local support). The reality on the ground is that in order to ...
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