War scholars: McChrystal firing inevitable

By J. OKRAY Experts have mixed opinions on the resignation of Gen. (ret.) Stanley McChrystal in June, as military policies and ethics come to the forefront of the debate. “Obama should pocket McChrystal’s supposed resignation and tell him to get back to work,” said Andrew Bacevich, professor of international relations at Boston University, in an op-ed for NYDailyNews.com shortly after the... Read more →

Panel discusses nuclear disarmament strategies

WASHINGTON — The U.S. hasn’t produced any new nuclear weapons since the Cold War ended almost 20 years ago, but the country still maintains an arsenal of some 9,200 warheads that could deliver a destructive force 400 times greater than the force of all explosives used in World War II, according to former Department of Energy adviser Robert Alvarez. Proponents of maintaining a nuclear arsenal... Read more →

Current testing is make or break for new Marine Corps Amphib

Photo by Wikipedia Amphibious warfare capabilities, the ability to project military power onto a hostile shore, is a unique tactic exclusive to the Marine Corps. Since 1972, the Marines have used Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs), a sort of hybrid between a boat and tank, to safely transport Marines directly from ships and up onto land. In 1988, the Marines decided to initiate an Advanced Amphibious... Read more →

Visiting the troops: Morale-booster, or photo op?

WASHINGTON – They’re a staple of wartime media coverage: High-profile trips to visit the troops by presidents and vice presidents, members of congress and top military officials. Vice President Joe Biden, the president’s point man on Iraq, has made seven such trips to Iraq and Afghanistan since being elected, according to the Office of the Vice President. He made many other visits during... Read more →

More than just a uniform

Recently, USA Today had a story about an incident in which a National Guardsman tried to use his uniform to his own advantage. He wanted to attend the Michigan-Michigan State football game, October 9, but he didn’t have a ticket. So, the 42-year-old part-time soldier went home and decided to try his luck again at the entrance, this time wearing his military uniform and carrying two unloaded riffles.... Read more →

Building law enforcement in Iraq and Afghanistan

How would one build a nation-wide law-enforcement system from scratch? This is a question retired Lt. Army Gen. James Dubik has faced a number of times. Most notably, he was in charge of developing the Iraq Security Forces in 2007. This month Dubik released a report, “Creating Police and Law Enforcement Systems,” that was published by the Institute for the Study of War. The report examines the... Read more →