Gary Johnson never met an Aleppo he knew
He equated our backing of both the rebels and the Kurds as a major contributor to the “mess.” But we all know it goes deeper, further back and is more complex than that.
Author: Norwood
313 articles
Ex - Green Beret. Writing represents his own views, which are NOT necessarily those of his former employers in the U.S. government.
North Korea’s nuclear capability is real
The U.S. is the primary villain in whatever alternate reality they’re living in North Korea. They’ve told us that they’ve tested the bomb that will be the standard in their defense apparatus. We also know that they possess long-range missiles.
Why not join or re-join the military? Both Vets and new recruits are bombarded with negativity
Most veterans focus their attention on what was wrong? Nothing is funded, everything sucks, it’s not what it used to be, the war’s over. What is wrong with the military? A lot. But it’s also changing, and we require a new generation to join. Military service is so good nearly everyone considers going back in […]
Is Special Operations Forces being sold short as mere gunslinging heroes?
I dated a woman in D.C. who thought an ex-boyfriend was an assassin, but on the side. She went to tell me that there were operations that had to be denied. The bona fide was that he rode the metro to Pentagon City with her, once.
Sidney Blumenthal, Hillary Clinton, and the future of intelligence
That level of influence is an intelligence officer’s dream. Except he’s just Sidney Blumenthal.
Al-Nusra and U.S.-backed rebels difficult to tell apart
On the map legend, the rebels and al-Nusra are the same identifying color. It’s that hard to distinguish their operations and operating space.
Who are the Syrian Rebels and what can be expected of them
Their chief desire is to eliminate Assad, not ISIL. In fact, on the list of terrorist organizations the rebels are worried about, I bet Hezbollah ranks higher than ISIL.
Government culture has transformed over the years at war
The State Department is seen by some in the military-industrial complex as a fairly weak entity to be circumvented, not included in national security.
If we lose RD-180’s, we lose serious defense capabilities
“The truth is hard to hear but Congress must listen: Without an engine, a rocket is a giant, multi-ton, multi-million dollar paperweight, and that paperweight will not lift critical ISR assets off the ground.”
The OSS needs to come back because we lost our way
It’s not likely the original members of the OSS and the Intelligence Community would have passed today’s background checks and standards. They did, however, perform and get things done.
Obsession with doctrine and short term memory makes us less innovative at war
We do not retain or look for outliers, and if they’re there – they don’t have a place in the military. That sense of being just another cog in the wheel leads many to get out.
Our obsession with celebrity aids our enemy
Our culture’s preoccupation with celebrity and fame has warped our sense of the world and our own view of leadership here at home.
