The Fusion Analyst: An intro to all source intelligence and analysis

“Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called “The Pledge.” The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of […]

The Mattis way of war

Former Secretary of Defence General James Mattis’s no-nonsense approach to life is well-known. Before and during his tenure as SecDef, he pushed for more focus on warfighting and less emphasis on senseless exercises and training.  Gauging by his time of military, and now public service, the Secretary of Defense appears to prefer logic, and not […]

How the US plans to counter Russia and China in Africa

Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. Qassem Soleimani. War with Iran. The Afghan papers. These are some of the more important topics that have been trending in defense and foreign policy news. Russia and China, conversely, have been conspicuous in their absence. But, arguably, these two countries are the most important long-term threats to U.S. national security. […]

Was Iran’s retaliation legal?

Following President Donald Trump’s decision to order a drone strike and kill Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani, there was considerable debate on whether or not the action was legal. But what about Iran’s response? Sovereignty A complicating factor is location. When the United States killed Soleimani in Baghdad, the Iraqi government denounced it as a violation […]

Israel unveils new “Multidimensional Unit”

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have created a new combat force that they are calling the “Multidimensional Unit” and are assigning soldiers from across the military to it. According to the Israelis, this combined unit is the first of its kind in the world. Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, the IDF’s Chief of Staff, ordered the […]

Which countries would support the US in a war with Iran?

With Washington and Tehran nearing the brink of war, the rest of the world looks on nervously. But which U.S. allies would actively back the United States should a full-scale war break out? More supportive would most likely be some of the Gulf monarchies such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Many of these countries house […]

Quds Force: A mix of CIA and Special Operations

The United States conducted an airstrike that not only took out the Iranian Quds Force (also known as Qods) commander General Qassem Soleimani, but also Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis the deputy head of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). President Trump said that the United States decided to order the drone strike after they learned […]

Interrogation 101: The Art of the Deal

Interrogation provides valuable information that protects American lives, identifies and develops targets, and is a skill set comprised of thoughtful approaches and focus.

“Why were US troops training terrorists in Pensacola?”

Last week when the horrible events in Pensacola, Florida played out, many Americans were shocked to find out that the perpetrator was a supposed ally of the U.S.. Mohammed Alshamrani, a 21-year old Saudi second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force went on a shooting rampage on the base. He opened fire inside a […]

Fighter Pilot’s tale: A night mission over Iraq in the F-16

Ride along with F-16 pilot Nate “Buster”Jaros, as he takes us and his wingman for a night mission over Iraq to help an Army convoy in trouble. It was a cold winter night over Iraq. It was 2003 and OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) was in full swing and US fighter aircraft were getting used to […]

The Fighter Squadron Bar: Where fighter pilots are born

The fighter squadron bar is a place of fun and jest, of solace and reflection, and also a place to soothe the daily reminders of how real the job can be. Fighter pilots are born in the fighter squadron bar. Emerging into the world of tactical aviation, in the bar is where the combat fighter pilot […]