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]

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 Assault Vehicle (AAAV) program, which in 2003 was renamed as the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) program.  In 1996, the Marine Corps awarded General Dynamics a contract to build 573 of the vehicles with full operational capability by 2025. This 13 billion dollar project substantially upgrades the previous AAV models.  For example, the original AAVs’ high speed in water [...]

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Would even “a few good men” really help in the Gulf?

WASHINGTON–Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was quick to defend himself against reports that only a small fraction of the National Guardsmen called up to fight the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had been deployed, blaming bureaucratic red tape. But what he didn’t say is that even full deployment may not be what the oil-soaked coast needs. “The military can’t do anything other than provide... [Read more]

WASHINGTON–Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was quick to defend himself against reports that only a small fraction of the National Guardsmen called up to fight the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had been deployed, blaming bureaucratic red tape. But what he didn’t say is that even full deployment may not be what the oil-soaked coast needs. “The military can’t do anything other than provide manpower to clean beaches or string up nets, and that manpower can come from anywhere,” said Dakota Wood, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington. Wood said Americans are eager to call in the troops in times of domestic crisis, relying on the military to offer security or resources that [...]

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Reporting in Guantanamo

The Pentagon’s “Media Policy and Ground Rules” pamphlet for reporting on Guantanamo starts off badly and quickly veers into silly. The bad start: Reporters may only fly to Guantanamo to cover the military commissions by using military aircraft, although they can leave on commercial planes. Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald noted that she had to fly via commercial plan to Washington so she could... [Read more]

The Pentagon’s “Media Policy and Ground Rules” pamphlet for reporting on Guantanamo starts off badly and quickly veers into silly. The bad start: Reporters may only fly to Guantanamo to cover the military commissions by using military aircraft, although they can leave on commercial planes. Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald noted that she had to fly via commercial plan to Washington so she could take a military flight from Andrews Air Force Base to Cuba. She used to fly from Miami to report on Guantanamo. The turn to silly: “Etiquette” rules prohibit chewing gum, standing and stretching or sleeping in the courtroom. What these examples demonstrate: A military culture that results in arbitrary restrictions on reporters at the whim [...]

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Top Secret America unveiled by the Washington Post

The Washington Post unveiled the first installment of its much-awaited investigative series on the vast post-Sept. 11 counter-terrorism-industrial complex this morning, and it appears to be all that national security watchers were hoping for – or fearing. The “Top Secret America” series is the result of two years of reporting by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Dana Priest and William Arkin,... [Read more]

The Washington Post unveiled the first installment of its much-awaited investigative series on the vast post-Sept. 11 counter-terrorism-industrial complex this morning, and it appears to be all that national security watchers were hoping for – or fearing. The “Top Secret America” series is the result of two years of reporting by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Dana Priest and William Arkin, a veteran national security  journalist. By all accounts, it appears to be – by an order of magnitude – one of the most ambitious media projects on the U.S. response to the 2001 terrorist attacks. It is a must-read for anyone interested in seeing how the U.S. government is trying to protect its citizens from another attack, and how many [...]

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U.S. military rules the planning roost

WASHINGTON–As Americans, we see ourselves as the best in a number of ways. We have the best governmental framework. We have the best athletes. We have the best way of life. Whether those are true or not is up for debate abroad, but not within our borders. What is likely an accepted truth across the world is the United States military’s ability to plan for unforeseen disasters is second to none. “This... [Read more]

WASHINGTON–As Americans, we see ourselves as the best in a number of ways. We have the best governmental framework. We have the best athletes. We have the best way of life. Whether those are true or not is up for debate abroad, but not within our borders. What is likely an accepted truth across the world is the United States military’s ability to plan for unforeseen disasters is second to none. “This is an enormous strength of the United States military,” said Dr. David Tretler, a professor at the National War College in Washington. “We probably do this more, and therefore better, than anybody else. “When events do occur, we have a greater capacity to carry out the planning that’s [...]

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“Can you repeat that?” Linguistics key to Afghan war effort

WASHINGTON–Last summer, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed a group of 2,000 people who he located at the critical juncture and “at the heart” of the military’s efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. “You are as important as any other undertaking in the US military right now,” Mullen proclaimed. This wasn’t a talk of weapon systems or traditional... [Read more]

WASHINGTON–Last summer, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed a group of 2,000 people who he located at the critical juncture and “at the heart” of the military’s efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. “You are as important as any other undertaking in the US military right now,” Mullen proclaimed. This wasn’t a talk of weapon systems or traditional war theory, but one centered on what might be the most undervalued tool in the military’s arsenal – language. Mullen’s newfound indispensible manpower in an interminable and untraditional war are the students and staff at the Monterey, Calif.-based Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. Ten years ago, the DLIFC was solely in the business of training linguists for [...]

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