Cyber War as a Career Path
Military cyber operations have been normalized to the point that there is now a defined career path for would-be cyber warriors in the U.S. Air Force and a formal curriculum for training them. The role...
View ArticleCongress Urges Cyber Ops Against Russia, Others
Rebuking the Trump Administration for its “passivity,” Congress is pressing the Department of Defense to engage in “active defense” in cyberspace against Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. A new...
View ArticleBang the Drum Quickly: Army Percussion
The use of percussion instruments in military bands is exhaustively explored in a new publication from the U.S. Army. “While a civilian percussionist may specialize on one particular percussion...
View ArticlePentagon Moves to Support War in the “Grey Zone”
The Department of Defense issued a directive this month based on new authority granted by Congress last year to engage in “low-visibility, irregular warfare” operations. In the FY2018 defense...
View ArticleArmy Needs Intelligence to Face “Peer Threats”
U.S. Army operations increasingly depend on intelligence to help confront adversaries who are themselves highly competent, the Army said this week in a newly updated publication on military...
View ArticleUSAF: Implementing Arms Control Treaties
The implementation of arms control agreements by the Air Force is detailed in a newly updated directive. The directive addresses Air Force obligations under New START, US-IAEA Safeguard Agreements, the...
View ArticleOn the Conduct of Army Information Operations
The planning and execution of US Army information operations are the subject of a new Army manual for practitioners. Information operations are activities that involve the use of information to support...
View Article“Taking” Marine Mammals for National Defense
The U.S. Navy this month updated its regulations on the use of marine mammals — such as whales, dolphins, and seals — for national defense purposes. See Acquisition, Transport, Care, and Treatment of...
View ArticleReligious Support to Military Funerals
The US Army has issued updated guidance on military funerals that notably emphasizes freedom of religion and individual choice. “The Army requires the capability to provide RS [religious support]...
View ArticleDefense Primers, and More from CRS
“The President does not need the concurrence of either his military advisors or the U.S. Congress to order the launch of nuclear weapons,” the Congressional Research Service reminded readers last month...
View ArticleMilitary Deception: A Handbook
Military tacticians use deception to induce an opponent to act against his own interests, or to refrain from acting when it would be advantageous. The theory and techniques of military deception were...
View ArticleContractors: All Major Military Operations Rely on Them
Military contractors are such an integral part of U.S. military forces that “most military operations will include contracted support,” a newly updated Pentagon manual explains. In fact, “While some...
View ArticleUSAF Seeks “Resilient” Nuclear Command and Control
The US Air Force last week updated its guidance on the command and control of nuclear weapons to include protection against electromagnetic pulse and cyber attack, among other changes. See Air Force...
View ArticleDoD Doctrine on Nuclear Operations Published, Taken Offline
The Joint Chiefs of Staff briefly published and then removed from public access a new edition of their official doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons. But a public copy was preserved. See Joint...
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Army Playing Cards Feature Iranian Weapons
In a not very subtle sign of the times, the U.S. Army has produced a deck of playing cards featuring weaponry used or held by Iran in order to familiarize soldiers with Iran’s inventory of weapons and...
View ArticleLife Underground: US Army Subterranean Operations
Subterranean operations involving the use of tunnels and underground facilities pose growing challenges to the U.S. military, a new Army manual indicates. “Today, over 10,000 known subterranean...
View ArticleThe Urgency of Military History
The task of the military historian differs from that of the academic historian because military history has an operational dimension. It is supposed to help inform current military operations with the...
View ArticleThe Military Role in Combating COVID-19
There is a bewildering amount of official guidance on the role of the military in circumstances such as the current pandemic. But the practical impact of that guidance, whatever it may be, is unclear....
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Army Program Seeks to Heighten Soldiers’ Cognition
A properly trained soldier can distinguish a vegetarian from a meat-eater based on their smell, a new Army publication says, since “different diets produce different human odors.” He or she can to...
View ArticlePentagon Sees “Increased Potential” for Nuclear Conflict
The possibility that nuclear weapons could be used in regional or global conflicts is growing, said a newly disclosed Pentagon doctrinal publication on nuclear war fighting that was updated last year....
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