TODAY’S TOP 5
1. Gen. John Kelly's mission to defend Marines: 'I'll never stop'
(Marine Corps Times) One of the military's most respected leaders has taken aim at an amorphous "chattering class" within the Pentagon and beyond who've questioned the mettle of today's Marines.
2. Obama signals US to keep limited Afghanistan role
(Associated Press) President Barack Obama slipped into Afghanistan for a surprise visit Sunday and made clear that the U.S. will likely maintain a limited role here even after its combat mission ends this year and America's longest war comes to a close.
3. Why I Blew the Whistle on the V.A.
(Sam Foote in The New York Times) MY decision to become a whistle-blower after 24 years as a physician in a Veterans Affairs hospital was, at first, an easy one. I knew about patients who were dying while waiting for appointments on the V.A.'s secret schedules, and I couldn't stay silent.
4. A General Writes the First After-Action Report on the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq: Why We Lost
(Time) Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates' book sparked a firestorm upon its release in January, although you would never have predicted it by its humdrum title: Duty. But recently retired Army lieutenant general Daniel Bolger, who played key roles in Afghanistan and Iraq in his 35-year career, wasn't coy when it came time to titling his upcoming book Why We Lost.
5. Obama to Detail a Broader Foreign Policy Agenda
(New York Times) President Obama, seeking to answer criticism that he has forsaken America's leadership role, plans to lay out a retooled foreign-policy agenda on Wednesday that could deepen the nation's involvement in Syria but would still steer clear of major military conflicts.
DEFENSE NEWS WITH VAGO MURADIAN
SAM: Semi-Autonomous Motorcar
Mental Health First Aid for Vets
'You are not Forgotten'
Vago's Notebook
INDUSTRY
Budget Cuts Drive New Concepts for Military Satcom
(Defense News) With sequestration likely to remain, the US Air Force is looking for ways to drive down cost on protected military satellite communications.
Advice to Military Vehicle Suppliers: Find New Customers
(National Defense) It is indeed a depressing outlook for military vehicle manufacturers that rely predominantly on Defense Department business, analysts said. Many companies might not survive this downturn unless they figure out how to wean themselves off government sales.
Support Grows For New U.S. Rocket Engine
(Aviation Week) Support for quickly starting a new liquid oxygen (LOx)/hydrocarbon rocket engine, possibly relying on methane fuel, is growing in U.S. space oversight circles. An influential government commission and senior Air Force officials are throwing their weight behind it, and momentum is mounting amid the political firestorm surrounding Russia's threat to cut off the supply of RD-180 engines used on the Atlas V first stage.
GenCorp investigating engine failure in testing
(Reuters) Aerojet Rocketdyne, a unit of GenCorp, said on Friday it was investigating the failure of one of its AJ26 rocket engines during "hot-fire" testing Thursday at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
Special Operators on Lookout for New Biometric, Forensic Tools
(National Defense) Mike Fitz, program manager for Special Operations Command's sensitive site exploitation program, asked a crowd of industry members, government officials and special operators if any of them had seen the movie Zero Dark Thirty.
New Indian Regime Expected To Rejuvenate Defense Sector
(Defense News) Indian military officers and defense analysts are pinning their hopes on the newly elected National Democratic Alliance government to speed stalled weapons and equipment buys.
India aims to recover 228 million euros in Finmeccanica bank guarantees
(Reuters) India will move to recover bank guarantees from an aborted 560-million-euro helicopter deal with Italy's Finmeccanica (SIFI.MI), the defense ministry said, after an Italian court lifted a freeze on 228 million euros held with European banks.
Indian Navy hopeful BJP will move on delayed procurements
(IHS Jane's 360) The Indian Navy (IN) is expectant that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, which assumes office on 26 May, will approve the purchase of urgently needed equipment such as heavyweight torpedoes for its under-construction Scorpene submarines and advanced towed array sonars (ATAS) for its warships.
European Firms Wrestle Over Joint UAV
(Defense News) European countries are in the grip of the ever-expanding thirst for drones, which give them the ability to add reconnaissance and strike capability at lesser cost and risk to service members.
DCNS creates Canadian subsidiary to target CSC programme
(IHS Jane's 360) French naval shipbuilder DCNS announced that it has created a subsidiary in Canada as it looks to the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) programme.
CONGRESS
NDAA Conference Clash To Come: SASC Says 'Readiness,' HASC Says 'Hope'
(Breaking Defense) "We do emphasize readiness," Sen. Carl Levin told me. "I for one would rather have a smaller force that is ready than a bigger force that is less ready." With those words - his parting shot as I hounded him through the Capitol's marble halls after his official press conference yesterday on the annual defense bill - the Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee drew a clear battle line with the Republican-controlled House, which cut "operations and maintenance" funds by $1.2 billion to fund a larger force with more generous personnel benefits.
House Bill Would Tap Into Nuclear Weapons Fund to Aid Veterans
(Global Security Newswire) The version of the fiscal 2015 defense authorization bill that the House approved Thursday would cut some controversial nuclear weapons spending in a bid to help veterans.
Veterans groups blast Burr for letter
(The Hill) Several veterans organizations are blasting Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) for a letter criticizing their response to a controversy involving alleged medical mistreatment by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Keep Him! VA Problems Not On Shinseki, Says Sanders
(DefenseOne) Unequivocally, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., now believes that Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki should not lose his job following allegations that VA health care workers falsified records of wait times for medical care in the federal system.
Blumenthal: Time to bring in DOJ
(The Hill) Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said Sunday that the Department of Justice should investigate alleged mistreatment of military veterans that has engulfed the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Number of veterans in Congress has fallen drastically since post-Vietnam years
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch) As the federal government struggles with problems at the Veterans Administration amid thousands returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it does so with a Congress that has only a fourth of the number of veterans it had after Vietnam.
Bill would prioritize Medal of Honor recipients for VA healthcare
(The Hill) Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) has introduced a bill to give Medal of Honor recipients the highest priority among veterans seeking access to Veterans Affairs healthcare.
Senate Bill Gets Tough on Russia
(Aviation Week) The impact of Moscow's aggression against Ukraine is finding its way into U.S. defense legislation, where lawmakers aim to curb America's dependence on Russian technology in bills that stand to benefit domestic manufacturing interests in some key congressional districts.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
DoD Distances Itself From US Hacking Indictment of PLA Soldiers
(Defense News) The Pentagon is distancing itself from the US Justice Department's charging of five Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers with 31 criminal counts of hacking and cyber espionage against six US companies.
Darpa Program Benefit: Cyber-Secure Software
(Aviation Week) With the proliferation of embedded computer systems and connectivity, securing the flight deck from malicious intrusion is an active and growing area of focus in the civil and military sectors.
Boy in 'workout gear' refused admission to commissary
(Military Times) A Navy wife is still puzzling over why she and her 7-year-old son were turned away from the commissary at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, because he was allegedly wearing "workout gear."
10 big ideas from the Pentagon lab that (really) invented the Internet
(Christian Science Monitor) The Pentagon's futuristic innovation arm - the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), otherwise known as the folks who brought the world the Internet - hosted its own version of a science fair this week, where it showcased its latest super-high-tech innovations.
Spec Ops Looks for More Surveillance Punch
(Defense News) For the past several years, the annual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference has been about the impending transition from Afghanistan to other, less defined areas. That discussion was spearheaded by the hard-charging head of US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Adm. William McRaven, who was radically revamping his command structure.
Interview: Adm. Robert Papp
(Defense News) Over the past four years, US Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert Papp fought to keep his major programs on track despite budget cuts. He managed to win back funding for all eight of his big national security cutters, but rebuilding the icebreaker force and buying new offshore patrol cutters remain at risk.
Chastened Pentagon promises better ammo count
(USA Today) Prodded by Congress, the Pentagon has promised a better count of its bullets and missiles, according to congressional staff.
ARMY
Army selects new camo pattern
(Army Times) The Army has decided on a new camo to replace the unpopular Universal Camouflage Pattern on your ACUs- and the selection is very similar to MultiCam.
Army gets attention of soldiers with training skits
(Fayetteville Observer) More than 100 soldiers watched as a career came to an end.
PlayStation wants you
(Army Times) For years, the Army has used video games as part of its recruiting efforts. Now, a video-game company plans to use the Army to fill its own ranks.
Man arrested in Colorado Springs predator case is medic assigned to 10th Special Forces
(Colorado Springs Gazette) The man arrested for allegedly offering to pay young women to watch him masturbate is a medical sergeant assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group, Fort Carson officials confirmed Friday.
Doubling down for the troops
(Army Times) Kurt Busch hopes his long day of racing May 25 will help service members with their long roads to recovery.
NAVY
Commander: Navy must improve female retention rate
(Navy Times) The Navy retains female sailors at half the rate it holds on to men. One result is that it doesn't have enough senior enlisted women on some ships stationed overseas, leaders of the Navy say.
USS George Washington departs Yokosuka; carrier's future uncertain
(Stars & Stripes) The aircraft carrier USS George Washington embarked Saturday on what is likely one of its last patrols of the western Pacific Ocean as a Japan-based carrier.
New CAP rules: More advancements, smaller time window
(Navy Times) The Navy is moving forward with an overhaul of the Command Advancement Program that would require commanding officers to advance their top sailors during a three-month season. The changes may also allow for more sailors to be spot-promoted under the popular program.
Report faults destroyer CO in deadly 2013 helo mishap
(Navy Times) A high-level investigation into a helicopter crash that killed two pilots last September in the Red Sea faulted the commanding officer of the destroyer William P. Lawrence, concluding that the ship's high-speed maneuvering through 7-foot high seascreated dangerous conditions as the helicopter's crew attempted to secure the aircraft after landing.
Remembering the USS Squalus 75 years later
(Naval History Blog) On May 23, 1939, the USS Squalus was tragically lost at sea off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Twenty-six lives were lost, thirty-three were saved. The story as told by Carl la Vo in The Short Life of the Squalus follows. (originally published in the Spring 1988 issue of Naval History magazine)
SECDEF charges academy grads with stamping out sex assault
(Navy Times) More than a thousand new officers entered the fleet Friday as the Naval Academy's graduating class hurled their midshipman covers into the air while a packed stadium roared with cheers and applause.
New protocol aims to prevent at-sea miscalculation
(Navy Times) China, its Pacific neighbors and the U.S. reached an April agreement adopting standard communications procedures between ship crews intended to reduce the chance an at-sea encounter escalates into a crisis.
Missouri Navy vet chronicles losses on WWII submarines
(Navy Times) Serving aboard an American submarine was one of the most dangerous assignments in World War II, with nearly 1 in 5 crew members losing their lives somewhere in the ocean depths.
Ideas Pour in to US Navy's Small Ship Task Force
(Defense News) The task force working to come up with ideas for the US Navy's small surface combatant (SSC) got a major data download Thursday, as industry submitted their proposals for modified or entirely new designs.
Battle-scarred corpsman becomes Marine officer
(Navy Times) It's not often you see a midshipman hustling down Stribling Walk to get to class with a Combat Action Ribbon and a Purple Heart pinned to his dress uniform, but that was the last four years for Marine 2nd Lt. Jefferson Talicuran.
Moving up faster
(Navy Times) Seniority no longer gives sailors much of anedge when it comes to making rate.
Building better boots
(Navy Times) They're heavy and stuffy. Not waterproof. Hard to break in - and uncomfortable afterward.
AIR FORCE
Air Force officer pays special tribute to 210 killed in action from BYU
(Air Force Times) Second Lt. Brett Anderson saved the final name on his list for the April 19 Salt Lake City marathon.
Interview: Eric Fanning, US Air Force Undersecretary
(Defense News) When Eric Fanning became undersecretary of the US Air Force in April 2013, he never expected to spend almost six months as the acting secretary after Michael Donley stepped down. With the swearing in of Deborah Lee James in December, Fanning was able to return to his normal day job - not that it's a particularly calm one.
At 93, life is sweet for 'Candy Bomber'
(Air Force Times) Gail Halvorsen spent his first 20 years on small farms in Idaho and Utah. When he earned a private pilot's license in the fall of 1941, he dropped treats from his airplane to the neighborhood children.
MARINE CORPS
Mattis: You're not damaged
(Marine Corps Times) James Mattis wants Marines to know that though he's no longer wearing the uniform, he's still got their back.
Peralta: new honor on Mount Soledad
(San Diego Union Tribune) The new plaque will become part of a wall at the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial in La Jolla, which is dedicated to veterans and to service members killed in action.
Marine sergeant major takes reprisal complaints to feds
(Marine Corps Times) A sergeant major who claimed top Corps leaders halted his career after he accused a two-star general of wrongdoing, has filed several requests with federal and military officials to have statements removed from the Defense Department inspector general's report into the claims because he says they slander his career performance.
Marine pays final respects to comrade; both in famous Vietnam photo
(Fayetteville Observer) King and Purdie, both Marines, were bound together by their service in Vietnam, and through a photograph that became one of the most famous images of that conflict.
1,000th day in prison nearing, Marine asks retrial
(Associated Press) A former U.S. Marine who has spent almost 1,000 days in an Iranian prison after being accused of working for the CIA will appeal for a new trial after already seeing his sentence reduced once, an Iranian news agency reported Sunday.
Court overturns 18-year rape sentence tainted by Heritage Brief
(Marine Corps Times) A Marine staff sergeant convicted of raping a civilian will go free because a military judge failed to acknowledge apparent unlawful command influence created by the comments of the commandant of the Marine Corps, a military appeals court found this week.
Honoring military dogs and their handlers
(San Diego Union Tribune) In a memorial garden not far from Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital, a group of veterans has put up a new monument.
2015 early out programs drop
(Marine Corps Times) The service has released details of its highly anticipated voluntary force-shaping measures for fiscal 2015, which will offer thousands of staff noncommissioned officers a lump-sum payment to leave uniform or an early retirement.
KnifeHand' game really keeps you on your toes
(Marine Corps Times) Bored Marines can knife hand their way through a new video game available on smartphones, but they'll have to look out for several pesky distractions meant to slow their progress, including nonjudicial punishments and the infamous "Jody" - that smooth-talking guy back home who gets too close to a deployed Marine's girlfriend.
VETERANS
Long appeals leave older vets without benefits for years
(USA Today) Cases involving the appeal of veterans benefits rulings take almost 19 months to resolve, Department of Veterans Affairs records show, and advocates say the crush of new claims is hurting older veterans.
VA approves more private care for veterans
(Associated Press) More veterans are being allowed to obtain health care at private hospitals and clinics in an effort to improve their treatment following allegations of falsified records and delays in treatment.
These wounded U.S. vets wanted closure. They found it back in Afghanistan.
(Washington Post) Four years and dozens of surgeries later, the soldiers were flying over the valley again, staring down at the patch of Afghanistan where they were maimed by land mines.
Where Do Military Veterans Live?
(National Journal) Veterans make up about a fifth of the adult population in only a handful of congressional districts. But these places aren't all typical retiree havens like Arizona and Florida. They are places like Washington state, Virginia, and central Texas, too. Why?
Restrepo' documentarian returns with 'Korengal'
(Associated Press) Sebastian Junger wants 84 minutes of moviegoers' time, especially civilian moviegoers.
VA treats 2,500 transgender veterans
(USA Today) Pvt. Chelsea Manning, an inmate at the Army's prison at Fort Leavenworth, may have more luck receiving treatment after serving her sentence and being drummed out of the Army.
Paralyzed driver aims for Indy breakthrough
(Military Times) When former race car driver Sam Schmidt hits the asphalt this weekend in a demo run at the Indianapolis 500, he'll provide hope to thousands of Americans, including many veterans, who can't drive because of physical limitations.
Woman who lost husband to PTSD now fighting for survivors' benefits (Paywall)
(Herald Times) Lorrene Eads checked all of the other places she could think of before venturing down Will Sowders Road that morning to look for her husband. He had called in the middle of the night, threatening suicide, again. She had been unable to contact him on her break at work. She prayed he was passed out somewhere after a night of depression and drinking.
AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
White House mistakenly identifies CIA chief in Afghanistan
(Washington Post) The CIA's top officer in Kabul was exposed Saturday by the White House when his name was inadvertently included on a list provided to news organizations of senior U.S. officials participating in President Obama's surprise visit with U.S. troops.
Afghans Praise Karzai for Skipping Meeting with Obama
(Wall Street Journal) Afghans praised President Hamid Karzai on Monday for refusing to meet with President Barack Obama during a brief visit to their country and said the U.S. leader didn't respect diplomatic protocol.
MIDDLE EAST
Syrian rebels describe U.S.-backed training in Qatar in new documentary
(McClatchy) With reports indicating that forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad are gaining ground in that country's brutal civil war, moderate Syrian rebels have told a visiting journalist that the United States is arranging their training in Qatar.
Former Israeli, Saudi Intel Chiefs Debate Hot-Button Mideast Issues
(Defense News) Former Israeli and Saudi spy chiefs debated a spectrum of hot-button Mideast issues - including the Iranian nuclear threat, Islamic terror, Syrian civil war and, of course, prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace - in an unprecedented public event Monday in Brussels.
Sisi set to take presidency as Egyptians back stability
(Reuters) Egyptians voted on Monday in an election expected to anoint Abdel Fatah al-Sisi as president, with supporters hoping another military strongman can end three years of turmoil despite fears for democracy in the Arab world's most populous nation.
Syrian ambassador asked to leave Jordan
(Jordan Times) Jordan on Monday asked Syrian Ambassador in Jordan Bahjat Suleiman to leave the Kingdom within 24 hours after the government declared him persona non grata.
Hezbollah Chief Goads Israel, US, West
(Defense News) Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, in an annual address claiming credit for ending Israel's 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon, vowed to retain his organization's vast military arsenal in defense of Lebanon, Arabism and Islam.
EUROPE
Putin's new model army
(The Economist) THIS week Vladimir Putin said he had ordered 40,000 of his troops, strung along the border with Ukraine since March, back to barracks. As with two previous similar "orders", there was little sign of an immediate withdrawal.
Russia To Boost Aerospace Forces, Overhaul Structure
(Defense News) With a planned investment of 2 trillion rubles (US $55 billion), Russia is buying new weapons and aims to modernize its Aerospace Defense Forces (VKO) by 2020, said Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov.
In Ukrainian election, chocolate tycoon Poroshenko claims victory
(Washington Post) Ukraine handed chocolate tycoon Petro Poro-shenko a commanding victory in its presidential election Sunday, giving the pro-European billionaire a chance to resolve a conflict that has created the greatest tensions between the West and Russia since the Cold War.
Ukrainian army battles Kremlin-backed separatists in Donetsk; at least one civilian killed in crossfire
(Kyiv Post) The armed, Kremlin-backed rebels showed up at the Donetsk International Airport at 3 a.m. and started facing off with the Ukrainian military that was guarding the airstrip. Negotiations began, but obviously failed. At 5:30 a.m., several rebels were captured by Ukrainian forces, according to the Defense Ministry. At 10 a.m., three buses of 50 Kremlin-back rebels entered the airport to support the militia already there.
French Defense Minister Sounds Alarm Over Possible Budget Cuts
(Defense News) French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has written to Prime Minister Manuel Valls expressing deep concerns over an expected cut in the defense budget, while the chief of staff and the Air Force, Army and Navy chiefs have offered to resign, daily Le Figaro reported on Thursday.
France launches FAMAS replacement tender
(IHS Jane's 360) France has launched its programme to replace the FAMAS as the French armed forces principle assault rifle in one of the biggest tenders for individual small arms in Europe.
France Might Withhold 2nd Mistral Ship From Russia
(Defense News) French defense officials are exploring ideas to avoid delivering a second helicopter carrier to Russia, including looking for an alternative client for the Sevastopol, analysts and an industry executive said.
AFRICA
U.S. Trains African Commandos to Fight Terrorism
(New York Times) United States Special Operations troops are forming elite counterterrorism units in four countries in North and West Africa that American officials say are pivotal in the widening war against Al Qaeda's affiliates and associates on the continent, even as they acknowledge the difficulties of working with weak allies.
Infographic: Libyan Factions Take Shape
(War On The Rocks) Escalating tensions in Libya center on former army general Khalifa Hifter, who on May 16 launched "Operation Dignity for Libya" in Benghazi, promising to "cleanse the city of terrorists." On May 18, militias loyal to Hifter attacked the national parliament, and on May 19, fighting broke out in Tripoli. Various Libyan factions have been positioning themselves around the conflict. This graphic illustrates some of the early alignments.
Djibouti says Somali pair suspected of bombing restaurant filled with Western military
(Reuters) Djibouti's Interior Ministry said on Sunday that two Somalis are suspected of having carried out a suicide bombing at a restaurant filled with Western military personnel on Saturday that killed three and wounded at least 15.
Malian Armed Forces defeated in Kidal
(IHS Jane's 360) Malian Minister of Defence Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga confirmed on 22 May that an attempt by the Armed Forces of Mali (FAMa) to take control of the northern city of Kidal was repulsed by Tuareg rebels. "In military history, there is no nation that has won a war without losing at least one battle," he said on Malian radio. "This battle was not in our favour."
Nigeria official: Girls located but can't be rescued
(USA Today) The Nigerian government knows where nearly 300 abducted schoolgirls are being held by Islamic extremists but is incapable of using force to rescue them, the country's defense chief said Monday.
ASIA-PACIFIC
China-Vietnam Sea Spat Heats Up
(Defense News) Thucydides, the Greek historian who penned the story of the Peloponnesian War, wrote that "the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must."
Chinese ship rams, sinks Vietnamese fishing boat in Vietnam's waters
(TUOITRENEWS) A Chinese fishing boat rammed and sank a Vietnamese fishing ship with 10 fishermen on board in the Vietnamese territorial waters on Monday. All the crewmembers were rescued by other Vietnamese fishing boats.
Filipino ex-senators ask court to scrap new U.S. defence pact
(Reuters) Two former senators, who voted to evict two large U.S. military bases from the Philipiines in 1991, asked the Supreme Court on Monday to declare unconstitutional a new defence pact clinched with Washington, the first legal challenge to the pact.
China, Japan exchange barbs over action by warplanes in East China Sea
(Reuters) Japan and China on Sunday accused each other's air forces of dangerous behavior over the East China Sea, with Japan saying Chinese aircraft had come within a few dozen meters of its warplanes.
Update: Thailand faces US military aid withdrawal following coup
(IHS Jane's 360) Thailand faces a withdrawal of US military aid and potential sanctions following the coup announced by the Thai armed forces on 22 May.
US cancels military exercises with Thailand
(Al Jazeera) The United States has cancelled a joint military training exercise with Thailand, visits by top military officers and a police training programme over the country's military coup.
India Turns to Domestic Sources for New Air Defense Guns
(Defense News) After failing since 2007 to buy replacements for its Swedish-made L-70 air defense guns through global tenders, the Indian Ministry of Defence has decided to procure the guns only from domestic sources, in the Buy and Make (Indian) category.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
'Charlie Mike' on Memorial Day
(Army Lt. Col. Mike Jason in The Washington Post) It started like it always does. A well-meaning fellow American wished me a "happy Memorial Day ." Every year it stops me in my tracks. Hours after such a greeting, I come up with a good zinger in reply, but when it happens, I can think of nothing. This year, social media algorithms have gotten in the game. I check my Facebook feed on the Metro, and I am offered a deal on chinos in an American flag pattern. Thanks, those would be perfect for my long-weekend BBQ on my sure-to-be-"happy" Memorial Day weekend.
How Not to Find Closure in Iraq
(Rob Kunzig in Politico) I landed in Baghdad nearly six years after Lance Corporal Chad Clifton, my best friend, was killed in Ramadi, the epicenter of the Sunni insurgency, the capital of fighting and dying in Iraq. He was a Marine; I was a civilian, contracted to plug a hole at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The horror and honor of the Civil War on Memorial Day
(Robert J. Samuelson in The Washington Post) The first Memorial Day - then called Decoration Day - was celebrated May 30, 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War to honor the Union dead. Compared to a national population of 31.4?million in 1860, the Civil War dead, both Union and Confederate, are now roughly estimated at 750,000 and possibly more.
Opinion: Responsive leaders are key when harassment is reported
(Air Force Maj. Emirza Gradiz in Air Force Times) As a woman who wears the Air Force uniform proudly, it pains me to learn about other members of our military who have been harassed and subsequently let down by systematic failures to protect the victim. Regrettably, recent stories in the media may have exacerbated this view of our culture.
National Guard association, vets groups know how to win at Defense fiscal football
(Walter Pincus in The Washington Post) If congressional approval of the fiscal 2015 defense budget were a football game, the first quarter ended Thursday when the House passed its version of next year's authorization bill.
Is Washington Getting China Policy Wrong?
(Elizabeth C. Economy in the Council on Foreign Relations) It would be easy to think that U.S. policy toward China has gone off the rails. Washington is at odds with Beijing in the East and South China Seas; accusations of cyber espionage are flying across the Pacific; and Beijing is signing big oil and gas deals and talking about shared security concerns with Moscow, even as the United States is trying to coordinate sanctions against Russia for its crisis-inducing behavior in Ukraine.
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