Effective tech option for border security tested but terminated due to lack of budget

Effective tech option for border security tested but terminated due to lack of budget

How to secure the southern border of the U.S. will command the spotlight in the coming weeks as President Trump and Congress again seek a compromise to prevent another government shutdown or a national security emergency declaration. The president continues to demand expansion of physical barriers. Others are convinced technology provides more cost-effective means to […]

Florida couple finds WWII grenade while fishing and takes it to Taco Bell

Florida couple finds WWII grenade while fishing and takes it to Taco Bell

Strange and unusual stories out of Florida tend to hit the media with such frequency that many people are inclined to think the state’s citizens have gone mad. The truth is, wacky stories about unusual crimes and police interactions probably happen with the same frequency in plenty of other states. But, in accordance with Florida’s […]

Security Service of Ukraine captures Russian-backed separatist while he’s on vacation—in Ukraine

Security Service of Ukraine captures Russian-backed separatist while he’s on vacation—in Ukraine

On Saturday, January 26th, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Ukraine’s primary government security agency, captured a member of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR)—a Russian-backed separatist formation—while the man was on vacation. The SBU made the capture while conducting a raid in Kharkiv, a city in northeast Ukraine. Although it may seem bizarre for a soldier […]

Accountability, discipline, and leadership: How to solve ongoing issues in Special Operations

Accountability, discipline, and leadership: How to solve ongoing issues in Special Operations

In a recent interview with the Cipher Brief, Retired Brigadier General Craig Nixon discussed ongoing problems in the Special Operations community and provided useful insight. During his 29 years of service, General Nixon served as the Director of Operations for both the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which is […]

Finding needles in haystacks: The future of military intelligence?

Finding needles in haystacks: The future of military intelligence?

In the national security decision-making process and military operations, more often than not, intelligence drives action. Actionable intelligence, that is, timely and accurate information about a target of interest, is the most precious commodity. There are numerous ways to gather actionable intelligence: Human Intelligence (HUMINT) is highly valued but very difficult to acquire as it […]

Pentagon’s UFO program was more like the ‘X-Files’ than a real defense initiative – likely why it was cancelled

Pentagon’s UFO program was more like the ‘X-Files’ than a real defense initiative – likely why it was cancelled

It’s been over a year now since the New York Times released a story that forced the Department of Defense (DoD) to acknowledge a secret program within the DoD that was tasked with investigating reports of unidentified flying objects within the U.S. military. Throughout, the program called the Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program (AATIP) was colored […]

How Navy SEALs are preparing for war with China

How Navy SEALs are preparing for war with China

After decades of counterinsurgency operations, the United States military has begun shifting its gaze back to nation-level adversaries. According to the Department of Defense (DoD), Russia and China pose the greatest nation-level threat to the U.S. As a result, hereafter, military spending will place more importance on projects and capabilities that would be useful in […]

Under-equipped and undertrained, will Burkina Faso be the next to fall in the war against Islamist terrorists?

Under-equipped and undertrained, will Burkina Faso be the next to fall in the war against Islamist terrorists?

Burkina Faso, a once-peaceful country in sub-Saharan Africa, shares a border with Mali—and that’s a problem. Mali has experienced incredible violence and political instability over the years, which continues to pose a significant threat to the entire region. The two countries share a long and relatively unmonitored border, allowing jihadis to conduct cross-border operations whenever they see […]

Kenya terrorist attack update: The accurate story behind the SAS operator

Kenya terrorist attack update: The accurate story behind the SAS operator

An unwelcome avalanche of fame has fallen on the lone Special Air Service (SAS) member who responded to last Tuesday’s terrorist attack in downtown Nairobi, Kenya. News outlets around the world have speculated about his identity and outfit. At first, he was a Navy SEAL from SEAL Team 3 because he wore a Velcro patch that […]