How Big Should the Army Be?
In its version of the pending defense authorization bill, the House of Representatives said that the U.S. Army should consist of 480,000 soldiers at the end of FY2017. That would be an increase of...
View ArticleHow Big Should the Army Be?
In its version of the pending defense authorization bill, the House of Representatives said that the U.S. Army should consist of 480,000 soldiers at the end of FY2017. That would be an increase of...
View ArticleInterdiction and Deep Operations
Military doctrine has been defined as “fundamental principles that guide the employment of U.S. military forces in coordinated action toward a common objective.” Some of those fundamental principles...
View ArticleDefending U.S. Forces Against Enemy Drones
Enemy use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is a growing threat to U.S. forces because of their low cost, versatility, and ease of use, according to a recent U.S. Army doctrinal publication. “The UAS is...
View ArticleTreatment of Chemical Warfare Casualties
“Chemical warfare agents remain a significant and continuing threat to military forces,” according to a newly updated manual jointly issued by the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Islamic State...
View ArticleYou Could Look It Up: DoD Dictionary Updated
The newly updated edition of the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms includes a new entry for “Improvised Nuclear Device.” It is defined as “A device incorporating fissile...
View ArticleJoint Chiefs Urge “Due Diligence” in Targeting the Enemy
The proper selection and validation of enemy targets in war is a critical function for military planners and intelligence analysts. Errors can result in horrific civilian casualties and may also be...
View ArticleDiscipline and Punishment at the Department of Defense
The Pentagon has prepared a newly updated compilation of infractions that might be committed and prohibitions that might be violated by Department of Defense employees, together with the recommended...
View ArticleCivilian Control of the Military, and More from CRS
The nomination of Gen. James Mattis to be Secretary of Defense will require a legislative waiver of the prohibition against appointing persons who have been on active duty in the military within the...
View ArticleU.S. Faces Evolving Threat Networks, DoD Says
Transnational threat networks pose increasingly complex challenges to U.S. interests, according to a new doctrinal publication from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Networked threats are highly adaptable...
View ArticleSurvival and Resistance Under Extreme Conditions
Sometimes eating bugs may be the right thing to do. “When food is limited and insects are available, they can become a valuable food source.” That bit of practical wisdom comes from a new US Air Force...
View ArticleUSAF Adopts More Expansive Disclosure Policy
The US Air Force should practice an information policy of “maximum disclosure, minimum delay,” says a newly revised Air Force directive. See Air Force Instruction 35-107, Public Web and Social...
View ArticleUS Military Advantage in Cyberspace is Challenged
The superiority of the US military in cyberspace, which once could be taken for granted, is gradually eroding, says an Army Field Manual published this week. In the past decade, “U.S. forces dominated...
View ArticleUSAF Updates Policy on Conscientious Objectors
There may be some US Air Force personnel who are dismayed by the rising number of civilian casualties caused by US air strikes in Syria and Iraq. Others may consider the dropping of a 22,000 pound bomb...
View ArticleArmy Explores Counter-Drone Techniques
Having developed and utilized unmanned aerial systems (UAS, or drones) for surveillance, targeting and attack, the US military now finds itself in the position of having to defend against the same...
View ArticleLegality of US Airstrike in Syria, & More from CRS
Public debate over the legal authority for the April 6 U.S. missile strike on a Syrian airbase is reviewed in a new brief from the Congressional Research Service, which stops short of proposing a...
View ArticleWhite House: Prepare for the Unpredictable
“The Nation must prepare to mitigate an unpredictable global security and national emergency environment,” the White House said in a report to Congress this month. The report, transmitted by President...
View ArticleThe Army Ranger Handbook: Updated
“You can lie all you please when you tell other folks about the Rangers,” advised Major Robert Rogers in 1759, “but don’t never lie to a Ranger or officer.” That guidance is recalled in a newly updated...
View ArticleIs “Cyberwar” War?
Are offensive cyber operations an act of war? “I would say specifically to your question what defines an act of war [in the cyber domain]– that has not been defined. We are still working towards that...
View ArticleVisual Recognition of Aircraft Still Needed
The ability to recognize and identify aircraft on sight remains a skill that soldiers need to acquire even in a highly automated military, according to the U.S. Army. “Soldiers must be knowledgeable in...
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