Building a Small Surface Warship Mission Impossible?
By Rear Admiral William J. Holland Jr. USN (Ret.)
Troubles with Navy shipbuilding started two decades ago, and they will take a long time to fix.
'A Test, Not a Final Exam'
By Richard Whittle
A close observer of the Marine Corps controversial MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft reports from Iraq on its first combat deployment.
A Sobering Look at Iraq & Afghanistan
An Interview with General James L. Jones,U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)
Proceedings columnist Harlan Ullman sits down with the former Supreme Allied Commander Europe and current Middle East envoy.
Hype, Hope and Hard Facts: Getting a Fix on SSGN SOF Capabilities
By Commander Michael J. Dobbs, U.S. Navy (Retired)
The special operations capabilities of ballistic-missile submarines converted to guided-missile submarines has been overhyped.
Marketing Is Not a Dirty Word
By Steve Cohen
The Navy needs to start turning its public affairs officers into effective marketers in the competition for talent and dollars.
Triumph in Strategic Thinking
By Lieutenant General Bernard E. Trainor U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)
A former Cold Warrior looks back on NATOs standoff with the Soviet Union from 1975-1989.
The Elusive Seamless Transition'
By Art Pine
For many combat wounded, the move from DOD care to the VA is confusing, often conflicting, and anything but seamless.
Insurgents in the Bloodstream
By Captain Chas Henry, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)
Drug-resistant acinetobacter bacteria are infecting wounded troops, sometimes leading to amputation.
Prosthetics in the VA: Past, Present, and Future
By Frederick Downs Jr.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has been providing quality prosthetic devices to combat wounded since World War II.
From Warrior to Lifesaver
By Commander Wayne M. Gluf, MedicalCorps, U.S. Navy
Tarawa-class amphibious assault ships can be reconfigured as the Navys next generation of hospital ships.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Proceedings - January 2008
Editor's Page
Robert Timberg, Editor-in-Chief
The Navy's Not Serious About Riverine Warfare
By Lieutenant Daniel A. Hancock, U.S. Navy
Even though two former CNOs mandated that the Navy should refocus on littoral warfare, it simply is not happening.
Is the 313-Ship Fleet Realistic?
By Commander Otto Kreisher, U.S. Navy Reserve (Retired)
If the Navy and the contractors building the littoral combat ship don't hammer out a deal soon, the answer to this question is likely no.
A Great White Fleet for the 21st Century
By Lieutenant Commander David K. Richardson, U.S. Navy, Major Lane V. Packwood, Idaho Army National Guard, and Daniel E. Aldana
With humanitarian assistance/disaster response now prominent in the operational mix, we need an international plan for the Pacific.
Separate but Equal
By Commander John K. Hafner U.S. Navy Reserve
A licensed master mariner says its high time the Navys line officers become specialists, not just generalists/careerists.
Fill the Middle Gap Rediscover the Corvette
By Lieutenant James Rushton, U.S. Navy
We have too few ships for the global presence addressed in the new maritime strategy. The Navy should consider a time-honored design.
The Coconut Chicken Chronicles
By Chef Adam Weiner
A culinary pro teaches Navy culinary specialists to make and present meals like it could be someones last.
Reconciliation in Iraq: Don't Hold Your Breath
By Colonel Norvell B. DeAtkine, U.S. Army (Retired)
As efforts drag on to rebuild a nation, we must remember that history and legacies die hard. Iraq is no exception.
Bring Personnel Management into the 21st Century
By Colonel David A. Smith, U.S. Air Force Reserve (Retired)
A close observer of the U.S. military's human capital system says its stuck in the 1900s and needs a major overhaul.
Stop Blaming the Press
By David J. Danelo
Contrary to what may be the prevailing military opinion of journalists, the lions share of the war reporting has been fair.
Budget Battles, Interest Groups, and Relevancy in a New Era: The Ship-of-the-Line USS Pennsylvainia
By Lieutenant Claude Berube, U.S. Navy Reserve
A step back into the early 19th century reveals that debates over the best types of ships for the Fleet sound remarkably familiar.
Training for the Wrong Fight
By Lieutenant Commander Rory Berke, U.S. Navy
Naval intelligence must stop looking at threats through a Cold War lens, recognize that the enemies have changed, and realize that this discipline is more relevant than ever.
A Remembrance
By Lieutenant Commander John Gordon Forester Jr., U.S. Naval Reserve (Retired)
In his first-class year, an NROTC midshipman is assigned to the cruiser Macon with the heady task of serving on the staff of a future CNO, then-Rear Admiral Arleigh Burke.
Firing on the Up Roll
By Harlan Ullman
Robert Timberg, Editor-in-Chief
The Navy's Not Serious About Riverine Warfare
By Lieutenant Daniel A. Hancock, U.S. Navy
Even though two former CNOs mandated that the Navy should refocus on littoral warfare, it simply is not happening.
Is the 313-Ship Fleet Realistic?
By Commander Otto Kreisher, U.S. Navy Reserve (Retired)
If the Navy and the contractors building the littoral combat ship don't hammer out a deal soon, the answer to this question is likely no.
A Great White Fleet for the 21st Century
By Lieutenant Commander David K. Richardson, U.S. Navy, Major Lane V. Packwood, Idaho Army National Guard, and Daniel E. Aldana
With humanitarian assistance/disaster response now prominent in the operational mix, we need an international plan for the Pacific.
Separate but Equal
By Commander John K. Hafner U.S. Navy Reserve
A licensed master mariner says its high time the Navys line officers become specialists, not just generalists/careerists.
Fill the Middle Gap Rediscover the Corvette
By Lieutenant James Rushton, U.S. Navy
We have too few ships for the global presence addressed in the new maritime strategy. The Navy should consider a time-honored design.
The Coconut Chicken Chronicles
By Chef Adam Weiner
A culinary pro teaches Navy culinary specialists to make and present meals like it could be someones last.
Reconciliation in Iraq: Don't Hold Your Breath
By Colonel Norvell B. DeAtkine, U.S. Army (Retired)
As efforts drag on to rebuild a nation, we must remember that history and legacies die hard. Iraq is no exception.
Bring Personnel Management into the 21st Century
By Colonel David A. Smith, U.S. Air Force Reserve (Retired)
A close observer of the U.S. military's human capital system says its stuck in the 1900s and needs a major overhaul.
Stop Blaming the Press
By David J. Danelo
Contrary to what may be the prevailing military opinion of journalists, the lions share of the war reporting has been fair.
Budget Battles, Interest Groups, and Relevancy in a New Era: The Ship-of-the-Line USS Pennsylvainia
By Lieutenant Claude Berube, U.S. Navy Reserve
A step back into the early 19th century reveals that debates over the best types of ships for the Fleet sound remarkably familiar.
Training for the Wrong Fight
By Lieutenant Commander Rory Berke, U.S. Navy
Naval intelligence must stop looking at threats through a Cold War lens, recognize that the enemies have changed, and realize that this discipline is more relevant than ever.
A Remembrance
By Lieutenant Commander John Gordon Forester Jr., U.S. Naval Reserve (Retired)
In his first-class year, an NROTC midshipman is assigned to the cruiser Macon with the heady task of serving on the staff of a future CNO, then-Rear Admiral Arleigh Burke.
Firing on the Up Roll
By Harlan Ullman
Armed Forces Journal - February 2008
The Air Force we want In August, the Air Force issued a new doctrinal publication, Irregular Warfare. Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley said in his foreword to the document that air power produces asymmetric...
Masters of command TO THE NAVY COMMANDERS AND CREW of the three warships in the Strait of Hormuz for their cool, restrained response to severe provocation from Iranian gunboats. As the gunboats swarmed...
War funding fudge TO THE WHITE HOUSE for its plan to fold most wartime funding into its base Pentagon budget request starting in fiscal 2010. Such a move would be ill-advised for three reasons. First, it...
An intelligent call TO DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE MIKE McCONNELL for stepping away from the Bush administration’s coyness on whether waterboarding is torture. In an interview in The New Yorker...
They also serve Like all wars before it, the Long War has demanded a high toll from families of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines fighting it. And, as in previous wars, family members have learned...BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Networks and knowing Maneuver warfare has always held the elevated terrain as sacred. Aviators have a similar golden rule: Maintain altitude, which can be traded for speed, another virtue of air power. And at...BY CMDR. JEFFREY W. EGGERS
Mine blindness By Milan Vego
Iran and the nuclear nightmare Is Iran covertly developing atomic weapons in defiance of international constraints, and is it playing fast and loose with the facts as it rationalizes its nuclear activities? The Dec. 3...BY MARVIN BAKER SCHAFFER
Israel vs. Iran: 1st strike strategies In late December, Tehran crowed that its 1,000-megawatt Bushehr nuclear plant, supposedly meant to produce peaceful nuclear energy, would be “online” as early as this spring,...BY PETER BROOKES
An irregular challenge First, IW [irregular warfare] is a form of armed conflict. As such, it replaces the term “low-intensity conflict.” Second, IW is a form of warfare. As such, it encompasses...BY MAJ. GEN. RICHARD COMER (RET.)
The rebirth of the Outback Air Force The U.S. Air Force, which has built partnerships with the air forces of developed countries, is now forging links with those of less-developed countries. The service has added air force...BY GEORGE M. MONROE
Slow change CAPT. JAMES ALDEN’S PERSPECTIVES ARTICLE, WHILE INTERESTING, WAS ALSO DISTURBING ON MANY LEVELS [“Eyes wide shut,” March]. While I concede that the Army’s process of...
After-action review THERE IS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT WHILE THE INITIAL BLITZKRIEG WAS SATISFACTORY, in its post-hostilities phase Iraq was the worst-planned U.S. military operation in American history. Although...
In this issue Our two cover story authors bring to bear more than 60 years of Air Force career experience in their examinations of why and how the Air Force should reshape itself to make air power a...
Masters of command TO THE NAVY COMMANDERS AND CREW of the three warships in the Strait of Hormuz for their cool, restrained response to severe provocation from Iranian gunboats. As the gunboats swarmed...
War funding fudge TO THE WHITE HOUSE for its plan to fold most wartime funding into its base Pentagon budget request starting in fiscal 2010. Such a move would be ill-advised for three reasons. First, it...
An intelligent call TO DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE MIKE McCONNELL for stepping away from the Bush administration’s coyness on whether waterboarding is torture. In an interview in The New Yorker...
They also serve Like all wars before it, the Long War has demanded a high toll from families of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines fighting it. And, as in previous wars, family members have learned...BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Networks and knowing Maneuver warfare has always held the elevated terrain as sacred. Aviators have a similar golden rule: Maintain altitude, which can be traded for speed, another virtue of air power. And at...BY CMDR. JEFFREY W. EGGERS
Mine blindness By Milan Vego
Iran and the nuclear nightmare Is Iran covertly developing atomic weapons in defiance of international constraints, and is it playing fast and loose with the facts as it rationalizes its nuclear activities? The Dec. 3...BY MARVIN BAKER SCHAFFER
Israel vs. Iran: 1st strike strategies In late December, Tehran crowed that its 1,000-megawatt Bushehr nuclear plant, supposedly meant to produce peaceful nuclear energy, would be “online” as early as this spring,...BY PETER BROOKES
An irregular challenge First, IW [irregular warfare] is a form of armed conflict. As such, it replaces the term “low-intensity conflict.” Second, IW is a form of warfare. As such, it encompasses...BY MAJ. GEN. RICHARD COMER (RET.)
The rebirth of the Outback Air Force The U.S. Air Force, which has built partnerships with the air forces of developed countries, is now forging links with those of less-developed countries. The service has added air force...BY GEORGE M. MONROE
Slow change CAPT. JAMES ALDEN’S PERSPECTIVES ARTICLE, WHILE INTERESTING, WAS ALSO DISTURBING ON MANY LEVELS [“Eyes wide shut,” March]. While I concede that the Army’s process of...
After-action review THERE IS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT WHILE THE INITIAL BLITZKRIEG WAS SATISFACTORY, in its post-hostilities phase Iraq was the worst-planned U.S. military operation in American history. Although...
In this issue Our two cover story authors bring to bear more than 60 years of Air Force career experience in their examinations of why and how the Air Force should reshape itself to make air power a...
Parameters - Winter 2007
“Afghanistan: Regaining Momentum” by Ali A. Jalali (.htm format) (.pdf format)
Beyond Insurgency
“New Challenges and Old Concepts: Understanding 21st Century Insurgency” by Steven Metz (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“US COIN Doctrine and Practice: An Ally’s Perspective” by Alexander Alderson (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Strategic Realignment: Ends, Ways, and Means in Iraq” by Bruce J. Reider (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“The Military and Reconstruction Operations” by Mick Ryan (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Disarming Rogues: Deterring First-Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction” by David Szabo (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Stabilization and Democratization: Renewing the Transatlantic Alliance” by Zachary Selden (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“The Moral Equality of Combatants” by Carl Ceulemans (.htm format) (.pdf format)
Beyond Insurgency
“New Challenges and Old Concepts: Understanding 21st Century Insurgency” by Steven Metz (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“US COIN Doctrine and Practice: An Ally’s Perspective” by Alexander Alderson (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Strategic Realignment: Ends, Ways, and Means in Iraq” by Bruce J. Reider (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“The Military and Reconstruction Operations” by Mick Ryan (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Disarming Rogues: Deterring First-Use of Weapons of Mass Destruction” by David Szabo (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Stabilization and Democratization: Renewing the Transatlantic Alliance” by Zachary Selden (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“The Moral Equality of Combatants” by Carl Ceulemans (.htm format) (.pdf format)
Parameters - Autumn 2007
Crafting a Global Message
“Strategic Communication” by Richard Halloran (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Propaganda: Can a Word Decide a War?” by Dennis M. Murphy and James F. White (.htm format) (.pdf format)
Prospects for a New Middle East
“Stabilizing Lebanon: Peacekeeping or Nation-Building” by William K. Mooney, Jr. (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Responding to a Nuclear Iran” by Christopher Hemmer (.htm format) (.pdf format)
Nation-Building: A Joint Enterprise” by Gregory L. Cantwell (.htm format) (.pdf format)
The Rules of the Game
“When Soldiers Speak Out: A Survey of Provisions Limiting Freedom of Speech in the Military” by John Loran Kiel, Jr. (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Civilian Contractors under Military Law” by Marc Lindemann (.htm format) (.pdf format)
Whither the RMA?” by Christopher M. Schnaubelt (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Strategic Communication” by Richard Halloran (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Propaganda: Can a Word Decide a War?” by Dennis M. Murphy and James F. White (.htm format) (.pdf format)
Prospects for a New Middle East
“Stabilizing Lebanon: Peacekeeping or Nation-Building” by William K. Mooney, Jr. (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Responding to a Nuclear Iran” by Christopher Hemmer (.htm format) (.pdf format)
Nation-Building: A Joint Enterprise” by Gregory L. Cantwell (.htm format) (.pdf format)
The Rules of the Game
“When Soldiers Speak Out: A Survey of Provisions Limiting Freedom of Speech in the Military” by John Loran Kiel, Jr. (.htm format) (.pdf format)
“Civilian Contractors under Military Law” by Marc Lindemann (.htm format) (.pdf format)
Whither the RMA?” by Christopher M. Schnaubelt (.htm format) (.pdf format)
Military Review - January-February 2008
Beyond Guns and Steel: Reviving the Nonmilitary Instruments of American Power
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
The secretary of defense says the U.S. must develop a cadre of deployable civilians to strengthen the Nation’s “soft” power in today’s national security environment.
U.S. Africa Command: A New Strategic Paradigm?
Sean McFate
The tenth and newest unified command, AFRICOM, stands up in October 2008. Civilian-heavy and with a security-development focus on Africa, this hybrid will not look like its brethren.
Operation Mountain Lion: CJTF-76 in Afghanistan, Spring 2006
Colonel Michael A. Coss, U.S. Army
The “clear-hold-build-engage” strategy used by Combined Joint Task Force-76 during Operation Mountain Lion (April-June 2006) could be a template for future counterinsurgency efforts.
Protection of Arts and Antiquities during Wartime: Examining the Past and Preparing for the Future
Major James B. Cogbill, U.S. Army
Well before D-Day, America planned to protect European art and cultural treasures. Failure to do the same in Iraq suggests we need a permanent DOD structure to ensure we don’t repeat our mistake.
Northern Ireland: A Balanced Approach to Amnesty, Reconciliation, and Reintegration
Major John Clark, British Army
The political, economic, and security dimensions of societal reconstruction are ineluctably symbiotic. A veteran of the Northern Ireland “troubles” analyzes how that conflict has been brought to the brink of resolution.
The Rule of Law for Commanders
Captain Christopher M. Ford, U.S. Army
Without rule of law there is no chance for civil society and little likelihood of stabilizing a conflict. Iraq is a case in point.
International Law and Slavery
Mark D. Welton, J.D.
Human trafficking remains a problem throughout the world—one that often arises in areas of armed conflict and, thus, is of concern to military professionals.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Department of Defense Humanitarian Assistance Programs
Colonel Eugene V. Bonventre, U.S. Air Force
Measures of effectiveness, normally ubiquitous throughout DOD, do not exist for monitoring and evaluating military humanitarian assistance activities. Making efforts to gauge these programs can pay dividends in stability operations.
Threat Analysis: Organized Crime and Narco-Terrorism in Northern Mexico
Gordon James Knowles, Ph.D.
Below America’s southern border, conditions are ripe for spawning potential mechanisms of terrorism directed at United States citizens. Awareness and cooperation with Mexican authorities are essential for controlling the threat.
CONTEST WINNERS
2007 MacArthur Contest 3rd Place
On Luck and Leadership
Major David Cummings, Jamaica Defence Force
How many times in our careers as professional Soldiers have we heard individual officers described as being lucky? What is this thing called luck?
2007 IO Contest 2nd Place
108 Merging Information Operations and Psychological Operations
Lieutenant Colonel Fredric W. Rohm Jr., U.S. Army, Retired
Merging the IO functional area and the Psychological Operations branch into one specialty may be cost effective. Combining resources, training, and functions can only help improve our effort in the information war.
INSIGHTS
Iraq: The Way Ahead
Mitchell M. Zais, Ph.D.
Security in Iraq has clearly improved over the last year, but the Iraqi Government has made little progress on the political end. “Soft-partitioning” seems to be the best solution to the government’s paralysis.
Redefining Insurgency
Lieutenant Colonel Chris North, U.S. Army, Retired
The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are more complex than the word “insurgency” suggests. A new definition may be in order.
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
The secretary of defense says the U.S. must develop a cadre of deployable civilians to strengthen the Nation’s “soft” power in today’s national security environment.
U.S. Africa Command: A New Strategic Paradigm?
Sean McFate
The tenth and newest unified command, AFRICOM, stands up in October 2008. Civilian-heavy and with a security-development focus on Africa, this hybrid will not look like its brethren.
Operation Mountain Lion: CJTF-76 in Afghanistan, Spring 2006
Colonel Michael A. Coss, U.S. Army
The “clear-hold-build-engage” strategy used by Combined Joint Task Force-76 during Operation Mountain Lion (April-June 2006) could be a template for future counterinsurgency efforts.
Protection of Arts and Antiquities during Wartime: Examining the Past and Preparing for the Future
Major James B. Cogbill, U.S. Army
Well before D-Day, America planned to protect European art and cultural treasures. Failure to do the same in Iraq suggests we need a permanent DOD structure to ensure we don’t repeat our mistake.
Northern Ireland: A Balanced Approach to Amnesty, Reconciliation, and Reintegration
Major John Clark, British Army
The political, economic, and security dimensions of societal reconstruction are ineluctably symbiotic. A veteran of the Northern Ireland “troubles” analyzes how that conflict has been brought to the brink of resolution.
The Rule of Law for Commanders
Captain Christopher M. Ford, U.S. Army
Without rule of law there is no chance for civil society and little likelihood of stabilizing a conflict. Iraq is a case in point.
International Law and Slavery
Mark D. Welton, J.D.
Human trafficking remains a problem throughout the world—one that often arises in areas of armed conflict and, thus, is of concern to military professionals.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Department of Defense Humanitarian Assistance Programs
Colonel Eugene V. Bonventre, U.S. Air Force
Measures of effectiveness, normally ubiquitous throughout DOD, do not exist for monitoring and evaluating military humanitarian assistance activities. Making efforts to gauge these programs can pay dividends in stability operations.
Threat Analysis: Organized Crime and Narco-Terrorism in Northern Mexico
Gordon James Knowles, Ph.D.
Below America’s southern border, conditions are ripe for spawning potential mechanisms of terrorism directed at United States citizens. Awareness and cooperation with Mexican authorities are essential for controlling the threat.
CONTEST WINNERS
2007 MacArthur Contest 3rd Place
On Luck and Leadership
Major David Cummings, Jamaica Defence Force
How many times in our careers as professional Soldiers have we heard individual officers described as being lucky? What is this thing called luck?
2007 IO Contest 2nd Place
108 Merging Information Operations and Psychological Operations
Lieutenant Colonel Fredric W. Rohm Jr., U.S. Army, Retired
Merging the IO functional area and the Psychological Operations branch into one specialty may be cost effective. Combining resources, training, and functions can only help improve our effort in the information war.
INSIGHTS
Iraq: The Way Ahead
Mitchell M. Zais, Ph.D.
Security in Iraq has clearly improved over the last year, but the Iraqi Government has made little progress on the political end. “Soft-partitioning” seems to be the best solution to the government’s paralysis.
Redefining Insurgency
Lieutenant Colonel Chris North, U.S. Army, Retired
The current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are more complex than the word “insurgency” suggests. A new definition may be in order.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)