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DeM Banter: This falls in the interesting times category for sure, especially when you look at the article posted earlier today regarding crews sitting on the ramp and "pretending" to fly because we don't have enough training hours. We have spent a good bit of time at the m100Group talking about choices... this was a …
Continue reading "Pentagon Shoots Down Kerry’s Syria Airstrike Plan By Jeffrey Goldberg"
DeM Banter: I was waiting for someone to bring this up...of course it was the Flight Engineer... "Hey eng...do we have any Airpower?" Pilot/Eng...."maybe when Washington gets us a budget." Good times.... USAToday.com June 17, 2013 Sequestration is crippling the Air Force's ability to defend the nation. Imagine an enemy that could neutralize 13 U.S. …
DeM Banter: Austerity measures in action...it is indeed odd that we have yet to hear that fact that about 30% of our combat fleet in the USAF is grounded as we debate action in Syria. Interesting times... Defense News June 17, 2013 Pg. 30 The French Air Force is facing a problem that is increasingly …
Continue reading "Interview Gen. Denis Mercier Chief of Staff, French Air Force by Andrew Chuter"
DeM Banter: Few good answers here... in a classic "damned if you do, damed if you don't" scenario...a data burst of articles below, I know... but there is so much in ink (or digits) it is hard to parse through. Is this another if you have a hammer--everything looks like a nail? We can't forget …
DeM Banter: It does make it tough to balance the military budget... June 13, 2013 The Pentagon says it doesn't want them, doesn't need them and can't afford to maintain them. Two congressional armed services panels say that's just tough -- you're stuck with them. So at a time of budget squeezing, the Defense Department's …
Continue reading "Slash The Budget, But Don’t Close Unneeded Bases? Columbus (GA) Ledger-Enquirer"
DeM Banter: How many times have we "guessed" correctly at what the next war would look like? George Friedman's "The Next Hundred Years," is a wonderful read on the topic... without reviewing the text... I think the answer is close to zero. Something to think about when we ponder all of our "eggs in one …
Continue reading "A New Vision Of The Military’s Role By Walter Pincus"
DeM Banter: One has to love the use of history to make a point... have to love Dr Joe Nye's writing. We will see... Los Angeles Times June 12, 2013 Pg. 13 The right U.S. strategy includes 'power with,' not just 'power over.' China will almost certainly pass the United States in the total size …
Continue reading "MEETING CHINA HALFWAY By Joseph S. Nye Jr."
DeM Banter: if the math gets to be too much (I just used a calculator) skip to the last paragraph.... Politico.com June 9, 2013 According to some, the U.S. rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific region in recent years is a bold strategic shift in national security policy. To many Chinese interlocutors, in fact, the military dimensions …
Continue reading "Rebalancing The Military In Asia And The Pacific By Michael O’Hanlon"
DeM Banter: so many great quotes in here... can I just get an Amen? I am starting to pondering how long until the next [fill in the blank]. Any thoughts? London Daily Telegraph June 11, 2013 Pg. 21 Many of the lessons we have learnt post-9/11 have been paid for and written in blood Since …
Continue reading "We Must Be Coldly Realistic Over The Use Of Force By David Petraeus"
DeM Banter: Is this a strategic statement or a passing phase? It all sounds very telling... but perhaps I am too close to this one. Like my good friend Prince says: "Sign O the Times mess with your mind Hurry before it's 2 late Let's fall in love, get married, have a baby We'll call …
