Tag: Military
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Fighting Dems 2010?
Remember the “Fighting Dems“? Back in 2006, there was a movement spearheaded by Markos Moulitsas et al promoting military veterans (most of them OIF and OEF vets) running for Congress. Granted, only 5 of the House candidates won, but that cohort notably included folks like Joe Sestak, Tammy Duckworth, and Jim Webb, all of whom…
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A Snail’s Pace
Despite pressure from Congress and the White House, the Department of Defense has been banking on an internal review to determine whether or not it will endorse an end to the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Despite the obvious and unnecessary red tape at play here, the survey’s feedback has unfortunately been dismal: WASHINGTON —…
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That Other War Is Getting A New Commander Too
While President Obama’s nomination of Gen. David Petraeus to replace Gen. Stanley McChrystal is the lead military story in most news outlets, it’s easy to forget the latest happenings over in Iraq. In particular, Operation Iraqi Freedom (or Operation New Dawn, take your pick) is getting a new commander. Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, nominated to…
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The Boys Are Back in Town
This week, Soldiers from Georgia’s 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team will begin returning home from a 12-month deployment in Afghanistan, though the fighting is hardly over. The seemingly overnight transition from a mild-mannered civilian occupation to the front lines in arguably one of the most definitive conflicts of this generation certainly isn’t an easy one,…
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A Semester Later, G.I. Bill Still Backlogged
Although I still believe that Jim Webb-sponsored Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 is one of the greatest bills passed this past decade, it’s painful to see such a good program so mired in delay and inefficiency. Rep. Harry Mitchell of Arizona says enough is enough, especially considering the revelation that apparently some of…
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The Fatigue-Patterned Multi-Billion Dollar Elephant in the Room
With the advent of President Obama’s election came a forceful commitment to withdraw American forces from Iraq. However, during both the campaign and in more recent discourse, largely missing from that debate has been considerations from the logistical nightmare involved with such an undertaking. More to the point, counteracting six years of build up intended…