This week's column

The coming battle in the Pentagon

A vociferous bureaucratic battle will occur across the first two years of the next administration, one that will greatly determine our military's future capabilities in this long war against radical extremism.

On one side will be pitted the "big war" crowd with its emphasis on "resetting" the force following the inevitable drawdown in Iraq. This is mostly the air-sea crowd from the Air Force and Navy. On the other side will stand—ironically enough—those mostly ground forces from the Army and Marines that are logically slated to benefit maximally from any such "healing period."

Read on at Scripps Howard.
Read on at KnoxNews.

Comments

[William R. Cumming.]

Actually, the battle is over. Army is being outwaited by Air Force and Navy that cannot come up with leadership that can envision a future other than big war. I personally believe that if McCain becomes President it is possible (but not likely) that he goes down in history as returning the military-industrial-academic complex to a system other than one promoting nonsensical militarism. Example, academies become post-grad institutions, State Dept recieving adquate budgeting and staffing. He could also easily charge the NSC with truly living up to its statutory charter of integrating international, domestic, and military policy to provide for the National Security of the US. GET it clearly out of ops and back in policy arena. Limit the number of active-duty military assigned as staff to NSC. We were bound to get an Ollie North sooner or later and there have been others. If you are not an ops type as a serving officer unlikely to make the flag rank lists. Anyhow reintegrate into NSC the Homeland Security Council since this was tragic mistake although I believe Fran Townshend did an admirable job with meagre pickings in budget and staff. And yes Tom B. the staff of the NSC must be for globalization and spreading the core but mindful that the gap still has teeth that can hurt. Also, nothing really done to think through the problem of the non-state actors since 9/11. Time for brain power and a full scale mobilization of talent to deal with 21st Century national security issues. Not sure the brain power is out there but hope so. Just finished reading David Rothkop's new book (last book "Running the World" about the NSC from Truman to Clinton) and he probably did not intend to do so but in my mind very competently documents the wasted power and resources of his "Superclass" that cannot really seem to figure out that democracy and globalization is not going to just happen with TLC from smart powerful people in many nations of the core. Huge pending issues is whether EC will follow its selfish desires and return solely to a cafe society a la Vienna 1912 and duck its responsibilites for protecting and expanding the core and minimizing the gap. We live in interesting times.

[Jarrod Myrick]

“Our F-15s and F-16s are overmatched by China and Russia and this poses a significant risk to our air dominance and to our nation’s safety,” Corley said. armed forces journal april 2008 http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2008/04/3392707

who are the china-russia hawks in congress? anybody have a list?

[Galrahn]

I still believe the best litmus test in Washington is to ask if they have read the Navy's maritime strategy, and have them tell you what they think about it.

It takes about 2 minutes to tell where they stand, because unlike any other strategic document produced during the Bush administration, it emphasizes a new way to think about using military power.

It is too bad the Navy's own leadership doesn't appear to support it though, they are yet to make any move that would align means with ways, ends, and context, and are yet to find a narrative to build support for it. Hell I honestly believe I have a better narrative on that document than the Navy does.