The Price of Admission
The Edward Snowden affair grows curiouser and curiouser by the day, as Alice might say. As of this writing, the man who exposed the crown jewels of NSA’s intelligence-gathering activities…
The Man Who Almost Lost the War
Major General Daniel Sickles. The most famous–some would say notorious–political general of the Civil War, Sickles’s actions on the battlefield contributed to the stunning Union defeat at Chancellorsville, and he…
The Grounding
While the world media has been focused on yesterday’s crash landing of an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 at San Francisco International Airport, the following aviation-related announcement caught our eye; from…
Where in the World is Colonel Bristol?
***UPDATE*** 7/19/2013. In a sudden about-face, the Pentagon has agreed to let Colonel Bristol speak with Congress about last year’s attack on our consulate in Benghazi. DoD relented after Republican…
A Few More Amateurs, Please
One of the arguments against citizen-journalists is that we lack the “training” and “experience” to get the story right. After yesterday’s little snafu at KTVU in Oakland, it looks like…
A Hero Among Heroes
Colonel George “Bud” Day, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his valor as a POW in North Vietnam, died yesterday at his home in Shalimar, Florida at the…
From (Beneath) the Sea
Earlier this month, Israel destroyed a shipment of advanced anti-ship missiles in the Syrian port of Latakia. The missiles, which had just been received from Russia, posed a serious threat…
Undisciplined
Dave Micelli is a veteran teacher in the Baltimore city school system. Recently, he submitted a letter to the Baltimore Sun, ridiculing the paper’s editorial on the need for “better…
Why Rush Will Survive–and Prosper
The media world is atwitter (once again) over speculation that Cumulus Radio won’t renew its contracts with Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity when they expire at the end of this…
Dispatches from the Tar Pits
If you need proof that the dinosaur media establishment is in its death throes, look no further than the recent sales of the Boston Globe and the Washington Post. The…
Tidal Wave
B-24s over Ploesti on 1 August 1943. The raid on Axis oil facilities in Romania resulted in heavy lossess of planes and crews, but paved the way for later, successful…
Military Epidemics that Aren't
Today’s essential reading from Thomas Donnelly, writing at The Wall Street Journal. A few excerpts: “…Begin with suicides by servicemen and women, which have increased in recent years—but by dozens…
Taking Flight
It was powerful symbol of a sudden shift in the balance-of-power in the Middle East. The “symbol” (in this case) was an Air Force C-17 transport, lifting off from an…
Posturing
As of this writing, four U.S. Navy destroyers are on station in the eastern Mediterranean, postioned (ostensibly) for a strike against Syria and its chemical weapons facilities. The move came…
Justice for Traitors
After years of fits and starts, military courts have finally imposed justice on Private Bradley Manning and Major Nidal Hassan. Manning, the former intelligence analyst, was found guilty earlier this…
The Last 24 Notes
Today’s reading assignment is from Matt Labash of The Weekly Standard, and his piece on “Bugles Across America,” a volunteer organization that performs “Taps” at the funerals of military retirees…
The Gathering Storm (Syria Edition)
It’s often been said that a military plan never survives the first contact with the enemy. By any reasonable estimate, we’re still several days away from a first strike against…
From Debacle to Disaster
How does a foreign policy crisis move from mere debacle to absolute disaster in the matter of a few hours? Just ask Team Obama. Over a 12-hour span on Monday,…
Cal Worthington, R.I.P.
Los Angeles car dealer Cal Worthington, in one of his famous TV commercials (Worthington collection via The New York Times) Cal Worthington died Sunday at the age of 92. If…
Passing the Buck
In the wake of Monday’s mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has, predictably, ordered an inquiry into security practices at the nation’s military installations. According…