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Episode 113 “To be Blunt on Afghanistan 03/04 by Midrats on Blog Talk Radio
CDR Salamander writes:
Where is the line between truth, optimism, spin, happy-talk, and lies?
Those of us who have served in Afghanistan and those serving now all have our stories. Our guest this Sunday has a few as well.
“Over the course of 12 months, I covered more than 9,000 miles and talked, traveled and patrolled with troops in Kandahar, Kunar, Ghazni, Khost, Paktika, Kunduz, Balkh, Nangarhar and other provinces.
What I saw bore no resemblance to rosy official statements by U.S. military leaders about conditions on the ground.
…
When it comes to deciding what matters are worth plunging our nation into war and which are not, our senior leaders owe it to the nation and to the uniformed members to be candid — graphically, if necessary — in telling them what’s at stake and how expensive potential success is likely to be. U.S. citizens and their elected representatives can decide if the risk to blood and treasure is worth it.Likewise when having to decide whether to continue a war, alter its aims or to close off a campaign that cannot be won at an acceptable price, our senior leaders have an obligation to tell Congress and American people the unvarnished truth and let the people decide what course of action to choose. That is the very essence of civilian control of the military. The American people deserve better than what they’ve gotten from their senior uniformed leaders over the last number of years. Simply telling the truth would be a good start. “
Using his article in Armed Forces Journal; Truth, Lies, and Afghanistan as a starting point – our guest for the full hour will be Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis, US Army.
For those of us who served in earlier wars this might bring back some memories. And the common warrior question: “What is ground truth?”
Join us live at 5pm here or download the show later from the same location or iTunes.
Posted by Eagle1 in Army, Foreign Policy, Hard Power, Soft Power | read comments (3)We do this a couple of times a year – yes, my friends, it is a “Midrats Free For All.”
Radio Central Is there a topic we have not covered that you want Sal from “CDR Salamander” or me to address? Better yet – do you have a question you want us to answer?
Well, now is your chance. We’ll cover the topics of the week on our own – but for a change you can jump the line.
Call in or hop in the chat room this Sunday from 5-6pm EST, you never know what topic will come up.
Click here to join us. If you miss the show, you can listen to it or download from that same location or on iTunes.
The large standing Army and active duty military we have known in our lifetime may seem the norm – but it isn’t.
Is there a way to maintain a strong military capability – available and scalable if needed – without the structure we have become accustomed to?
Is there a better way to balance our Reserve and National Guard forces that is better in line with our economic, national security, and yes – Constitutional requirements?
This Sunday, 19 FEB from 5-6pm EST, join us with our guest, General Ron Fogleman, USAF (Ret) for the full hour. Using his recent article in Defense News, Going Back to the Future: Militia Model Could Cut U.S. Expenditures as a starting point, we will discuss these ideas and more as we look for a way to maintain strength and options as the budget crunch starts.
You can listen live by clicking here.You can listen later by getting the show at that site, or from the Midrats podcast on iTunes.
As noted in an earlier post on my home site, the weather in the upper Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden is beginning to shift from monsoon back to that more favorable to the operations of pirates in the small open attack boats. After several weeks of slowed pirate activity, the pirates have managed to snag a new victim and her crew of 21.
Arrayed against the pirates are warships from the EU, NATO, China, India, Japan, Singapore, Iran, Russia and armed guard teams embarked on many merchant ships and fishing boats.
Naturally, it’s a good time to talk pirates. So, on Sunday, February 12 at 5 pm (Eastern U.S.), that’s what we are going to do.
Episode 110 The 21st Century Pirate Threat 02/12 by Midrats on Blog Talk Radio:
The problem with piracy is not going anywhere. Each year in places like Somalia it is becoming part of the local economy. In areas near poorlly governed areas, it threatens the free flow of goods at market prices through the world’s sea lines of communication.
Is it an economic problem, a global security problem, a political problem, or a mixture of that and more?
What is the impact of international aid, military action, and the paying of ransom? What are the best solutions, and what is working and what is not working to slow the impact of piracy?
Join Sal from “CDR Salamander” and EagleOne (that’s me!) from “Eagle Speak” for the full hour to discuss these issues and more with their guest, Rear Admiral Terry McKnight, USN (Ret.), former Commander of the anti-piracy CTF-151 off the horn of Africa.
Here’s the link to listen live. If you miss the show you can download it later from here or from iTunes (podcasts under “Midrats”).
Sometimes, when others forget, it’s good to have a way to remind them.
Here’s a link to a 17 minute presentation that explains much.
Peter van Uhm: Why I chose a gun
As the old Strategic Air Command motto had it: “Peace is our profession”
Episode 107 Air-Sea Battle Budgets the PACOM Shuffle 01/22 by Midrats | Blog Talk Radio 5pm Eastern U.S.:
Most agree that our nation’s national security focus needs to shift its weight towards the swath across the Western Pacific through the Strait of Malacca to the Northern Arabian Gulf.
We have started the same path in response to national budget and debt problems that started a decade ago in Europe; and the defense budget here as there will take the first hit.
Are we starting in the right direction – or are we in danger of inserting in to the equation a fundamental error?
Our guest for the entire hour will be returning guest and panel member, Bryan McGrath.
Bryan is the Founding Director of Delex Consulting, Studies and Analysis specializing in Defen
se and National Security issues, including strategy and strategic planning, executive communications, and strategic communications.
You can also find him online at Conservative Wahoo and Information Dissemination.
A retired Naval Officer, Bryan spent 21 years on active duty including a tour in command of USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), with his final duties ashore included serving as Team Lead and Primary Author of the U.S. Navy’s 2007 Maritime Strategy; A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower.
Join us Sunday at 5pm (Eastern U.S.) to discuss the military budget as planning of the great diversion of money from the Department of Defense begins at Episode 106 Tough Choices Hard Budgets 01/15 . Or, as the Salamander put it
Many are sobering up to the fact that the military is about to face a budget challenge not seen in a generation. Especially those who have seen this movie before, a number know that this one has the potential to be the most challenging seen in over half a century.
For the full hour, our guest will be Col. Robert Killebrew, USA (Ret.)., using his article in the DEC Armed Forces Journal, Cutbacks and Crisis, as a starting point.
In addition to being a contributing editor at AFJ, mong the many other things he has done since retirement he writes and consults on national defense issues as a Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
Prior to his retirement from active duty he served for thirty years in a variety of Special Forces, infantry and staff duties. His assignments ranged included duty in Vietnam with MACVSOG, the Vietnamese Airborne Division, command in mechanized, air assault and airborne units, and staff positions in the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, as director of plans, XVIII Airborne Corps, special assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army, command of a deployed joint task force and as an instructor in strategy and policy at the Army War College.
If you want to be ahead of the game in the growing budget battles, make sure and tune in this Sunday at 5pm EST or get the archive.
Early report and not much in the way of details, but there is this from NATO Shipping Center Daily Piracy Update:
The M/V LIQUID VELVET, the previously pirated vessel that may have been used as a mothership, was disrupted by naval Counter Piracy forces in the evening of 10 January. This mothership is no longer considered a threat to merchant shipping.
 |
| RN Lynx helicopter |
I expect more details will be forthcoming.
Should be interesting reading.
UPDATE: Looks like a blocking move by a Royal Navy force as set out here:
RFA Fort Victoria Fort Victoria, which is operating as part of Nato’s Operation Ocean Shield in the Indian Ocean, cut off the vessel’s progress when it was 90 miles from the coastline and forced it to return to Somalia.
Fort Victoria approached the Liquid Velvet under cover of darkness, before circling the vessel at speed. The ship’s Lynx helicopter was also used. Fort Victoria then followed Liquid Velvet as she retreated towards Somalia.
Nice.
Today at 5pm Eastern (U.S.), it’s a special anniversary show! Join us at Midrats Episode 105 for a sort of a cocktail party conversation.Or, as CDR Salamander put it:
Yes friends, believe it or not we are on our 105th episode!
Two years behind us, and a third in front. Though we already have some great guests lined up in the upcoming weeks, as a way of saying thanks to everyone for tuning in, for our 2nd Anniversary show we are going to try something a little different – we are going to turn the tables on ourselves.
This time, it is our friends, listeners and regular guests who will get to ask the questions and visit for awhile.
What would you like the hosts to talk about? Is there a topic you would like us to address that we don’t? Well here is your chance.
Look at the top of the showpage – that’s our call in number.
Remember, click here to join in the fun.
Join us at 5pm Eastern on Sunday for Midrats Episode 102 The Military Media at a Pivot :It started after 911, something not seen for any significant duration since Vietnam – and sustained interest in military matters. As a result, we have seen an increase in the variety and number of places where you can find reporting on military matters.
From retired officers on the news networks using maps to explain the big picture, to new media, to expanded traditional coverage – a decade of war has brought a depth of knowledge that was almost non-existant in the last two decades of the last century.
With two wars and smaller skirmishes in the Long War taking place on a regular basis, the need and interest for information has kept knowledge of military history, strategy, tactics, equipment, and plans as an ongoing requirement in the media.
As the American military presence in the Iraqi war ends, Afghanistan scheduled to fade, and defense budgets contract – what is the state of the military focused media going forward?
To discuss the above and to review the major Navy and military topics of the year will be returning guest Phil Ewing, previously with Politico and Navy Times.
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