The group that calls itself the IS is reportedly expanding its reach. But it may start losing its appeal to potential recruits through actions that expose its extreme brutality.

"Any man I see out there, I'm gonna kill him. Any son of a bitch takes a shot at me, I'm not only going to kill him, I'm going to kill his wife and all his friends..."

Recruiting an experienced hand at a critical moment will reassure those who seek continuity from the Administration’s policy.

... relatively sophisticated nautical craft beneath the waves – we need to understand their capabilities and intent. This volume is a fine start. - Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret)

Contrary to what the Internet would have you believe there are ways of thinking about Chris Kyle other than war criminal or hero.

Remarks by Deputy Secretary Work and General Jean-Paul Palomeros on "The Third U.S. Offset Strategy and its Implications for Partners and Allies".

Guys, I feel for the two officers’ sense of frustration – but this growing stream of solutionless exit-route bitterness is becoming too much.

Continue on for the University of Pennsylvania's "2014 Global Go To Think Tank Index."

Since 2009, the Pentagon’s civilian workforce has grown by 7 percent and the number of active-duty military personnel has been slashed by 8 percent.

The Foreign Policy Initiative believes that the following excerpts from the hearing will help to inform lawmakers...

Without a clear strategy from the White House and the return of a robust defense budget, the United States is set for failures in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Hope is the belief that ideology will prevail. Hope drives motivation or, in the psychologist’s jargon, a “response initiation.”

What is the best war movie you’ve seen?

SWJ's "Drudge-like" National Defense & Foreign Affairs News & Opinion Page (Updated 24/7)

Terrorism experts are now seeing growing similarities between Boko Haram and ISIS.

Understanding the nature of violent conflict in the world's most dangerous flashpoints may help find ways to peace and stability, according to a Stanford expert.

A series of recommendations for what the President should say about key issue areas.

Creatively thinking about warfare ought to be encouraged and we must resist institutional attempts to codify how to approach thinking.

A list of books recommended by Security Studies Program faculty members.

A team of analysts at King’s College in London is building an exhaustive database of western Islamic State fighters – through Twitter and Facebook.

There is no question that the United States should do what it can to minimize civilian casualties.

I Am Charlie.

We need to destroy the Islamic State army sooner than later.

Surveys are now a common, though largely unacknowledged, counterinsurgency tool of the contemporary battlefield.

Read, connect, and discuss..

Washington Post book review by Carter Malkasian.

The newly dominant zealots calling themselves Islamic State produced gruesome videos...

"I found three types of conflicts that were not on many lists but should be. Each, for different reasons, represents a trend worth paying attention to."

The key factor is senior leadership that has not kept faith with its troops.

A retired four-star Marine Corps general, now the U.S. ‘special envoy’ in the war against the terrorist army, on reasons for optimism even as a long fight looms.