Category: Intel

Deterrence is the ancient ability to scare somebody off from hurting you, your friends or your interests — without a major war. Desire peace? Then be prepared for war. Or so the Romans believed. It’s an easily understood concept in the abstract. But deterrence still remains a mystical quality in the concrete since it is… Continue reading Civilization Requires Deterrence | RealClearPolitics

Over one million U.S. military service members are members of the National Guard or reserves. These troops are being tested like never before, yet they do not receive the same physical and mental health care coverage provided to their active-duty counterparts, a gap that a recently introduced bipartisan bill seeks to address. The year 2020… Continue reading Supporting the Mental Health Needs of National Guard and Reserve Members

This week, we discuss the China-Pakistan partnership in light of the Taliban’s rise to power, media literacy education, COVID-19 on U.S. Navy ships, parenting from prison, preventing veteran suicides, and a reimagined workforce development system. Photo by West Asia News Agency via Reuters Both China and Pakistan have welcomed the Taliban back to power. The… Continue reading China-Pakistan Partnership, Media Literacy, Incarcerated Parents: RAND Weekly Recap

While I was on a consulting assignment, playing the J39 of a mythical Joint Task Force (JTF) being deployed to a notional country, our largest tactical unit was to be the 1st Bde Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne.

The pandemic has battered Los Angeles renters, and a new wave of pain is coming: The state’s moratorium on evictions is ending September 30. But this housing crisis doesn’t have to turn into a new homelessness crisis. Californians with incomes below 80% of their area’s median are eligible to receive funds from the COVID-19 Rent… Continue reading Renters’ Last Chance for Pandemic Aid Before Evictions Resume

The Arctic has received relatively little military attention since the Cold War, but U.S. strategy is shifting toward a renewed focus on the region, reflecting increasing Russian military activity there. Recent Arctic strategies by the Army, Air Force, and Navy emphasize ways of improving operational capabilities and capacity in the region. In addition to its… Continue reading As U.S. Shifts Arctic Strategy to Counter Russia, Allies Offer Valuable Info

The February 4, 2020 NY Times ran an article “In Iraq Where Beauty Was long Suppressed, Art Flowers Amid Protests” (https://nyti.ms/2ScUsVk  which is also the photo source). While the political climate in Iraq is volatile and arguments about US troops are staying and over who was responsible for the most recent rocket attack. Protest art… Continue reading Native Art Can Be The Best PSYOP

Democracies are supposed to get along, but that has not always been the case for the United States and India. Indeed, the relationship, though perhaps at an historical high point today, still suffers from New Delhi’s lingering distrust of Washington derived from raw Cold War geopolitics and India’s longstanding foreign policy of nonalignment. The most… Continue reading India’s Brittle Confidence in America