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The inside story of the deadliest attack on a U.S. military base during the Iraq War
‘My war just kept going’ — How this Marine veteran became the voice of a generation fighting a forever war
Featured in The Long March
Is COIN Inherently Fragile? And Even Worse, Is Insurgency Anti-Fragile?
While reading this passage in Nicholas Nassim Taleb’s Antifragile about optionality, an old thought about counterinsurgency and its inherent difficulties...
Quote Of The Day: ‘We Need To Take Better Care Of Sailors Who Make Mistakes’
“Over the past three years I have seen an incredible gap in leadership. Sailors of all ranks and rates have...
‘Anatomy Of Failure’: An Analysis Of Why America Keeps Losing Wars
In Anatomy of Failure: Why America Loses Every War It Starts, Harlan Ullman provides a fascinating blend of tactical analysis,...
Mattis Explains Those Indonesian Special Forces Snakehandlers To The Defense Media
The other day some Indonesian special forces troops put on a snazzy exhibition for visiting Defense Secretary James Mattis. Special...
I Had One Luxury In The Army. Deploying To Afghanistan Ruined It
Out of necessity, everyone becomes a morning person when they join the infantry. This came as a shock when I...
Here’s The Winner Of The Long March’s Mil-Speak Contest
The mil-speak contest votes are in, from the Army, the Marine Corps, the Navy, the Pentagon, the VA, and, yes,...
Relief, Ousters, And Other Military Mischief
–The Air Force booted the commander of an air mobility wing at Scott Air Force Base on grounds of lost...
The Navy Charges: Is Accountability Found In A Trial? I Fear Not, And Here’s Why
The Navy announced last week it will convene Article 32 hearings, the first step toward courts-martial, for five service members...
A Rising Twitter Star Who ‘Speaks For All Veterans’ Shares His Origin Story With T&P
If you intelligently follow national security issues on Twitter, you likely have come across @iAmTheWarax, a crusty fellow resembling John...
Congratulations To The Navy For Charging Its Officers With Negligent Homicide
On Jan. 16, the U.S. Navy announced that it has charged five officers under the Uniform Code of Military Justice...
Another Soldier And Her Dog
‘Nuff said. Master Sgt. Leigh Michel gets a kiss from her service dog LizzyU.S. Army/Whitney Delbridge Nichels
Do You Speak Military? Then Enter This Simple — But Difficult! — New Contest
Here’s our first Long March contest: Write one sentence of U.S. military jargon that is credible to military personnel yet...
Armageddon Meter: The Chance Of War With North Korea Drops Down To 42%
That’s good news. When we last checked the meter in December, it had peaked at 54%. Some people attribute this...
In Case You Missed It: Horton On The Politicization Of Military Deaths
Sometimes I read an article and think, “Dang, I wish I’d written that.” This thoughtful article is one of those....
McCain On Torture
There are so many disappointing things about American politics today that it is good to point out the opposite. John...
How Is Mattis Handling The Madness Of The Trump Administration? A Quick Interview With A Pentagon Insider
Here's a conversation I had recently with a guy I've known a long time who works at the Pentagon. No...
Is There A Russian Angle To Trump’s Recent Crackdown On Pakistan?
I suspect that Trump’s pal Putin played a role in the president’s recent tweetdown on Pakistan. My guess is this:...
Introducing ‘The Long March With Tom Ricks’
Yes, the Tom Ricks defense column, once hosted by Foreign Policy and known as “The Best Defense,” has moved here...
