09/10/2020 News and Commentary- National Security
News and Commentary by Dave Maxwell. Edited and Published by Andrew Narloch.
1. Pacific Air Forces leader eager to take up Palau’s offer to build joint military airfields
2. Is Palau the key to the Marine Corps’ fight against China?
3. Assessing Trump’s National Security Record
4. Short-term tax cut for service members must be repaid in early 2021
5. The Air Force Isn’t Dominant Anymore … Says Air Force Chief of Staff
6. China Detains 23 in Crackdown on Inner Mongolia Protests
7. Opinion | This is who Joe Biden should nominate as defense secretary
8. As Investigators ID Big Problems, U.S. Navy Blames “Fat Leonard”
9. Under multiple investigations for crime ‘climate,’ Fort Hood command shakeup came fast
10. China Rips Into Trump Order Revoking Visas Of 1,000 Chinese Students
11. National Cyber Power Index 2020 Methodology and Analytical Considerations
12. Hyten: New Warfighting Concept to Erase Battlefield Lines
13. Africa spec ops commander warns of al-Qaida’s growing influence
14. The Law of (Future) Armed Conflict: LOAC, Technology, and the Changing Character of Warfare
15. Most Americans support athletes speaking out, say anthem protests are appropriate, Post poll find
16. Philosophy for a Time of Crisis
1. Pacific Air Forces leader eager to take up Palau’s offer to build joint military airfields
Stars and Stripes–By WYATT OLSON-September 9, 2020
Seems like Palau is becoming a very popular place.
2. Is Palau the key to the Marine Corps’ fight against China?
marinecorpstimes.com · by Philip Athey · September 10, 2020
3. Assessing Trump’s National Security Record
defenseone.com · by Joseph J. Collins
How has he done against four main threats our nation faces?
4. Short-term tax cut for service members must be repaid in early 2021
NBC News · September 9, 2020
All service members beware.
5. The Air Force Isn’t Dominant Anymore … Says Air Force Chief of Staff
Popular Mechanics · by Kyle Mizokami · September 9, 2020
A bucket of cold water is right: “Writing in Accelerate Change or Lose, Brown dumps a cold bucket of water on his service, saying the Air Force can longer count on the dominance it has enjoyed since the early 1990s, and that threats to the nation won’t always be faced thousands of miles from the country’s borders.”
6. China Detains 23 in Crackdown on Inner Mongolia Protests
thediplomat.com · by Associated Press · September 9, 2020
The government is taking a heavy handed approach to protests over a new Mandarin-language education policy.
7. Opinion | This is who Joe Biden should nominate as defense secretary
The Washington Post · September 9, 2020
If Vice President Biden wins I would bet on Ms. Flournoy being the SECDEF.
8. As Investigators ID Big Problems, U.S. Navy Blames “Fat Leonard”
Forbes · by Craig Hooper · September 5, 2020
Damaged USS Fitzgerald limps home.
9. Under multiple investigations for crime ‘climate,’ Fort Hood command shakeup came fast
expressnews.com · September 9, 2020
All the services are having problems.
10. China Rips Into Trump Order Revoking Visas Of 1,000 Chinese Students
Barron’s · by AFP – Agence France Presse
Well maybe China should end its 1000 grains of sand and 1000 talents program. Is there a message in the number?
11. National Cyber Power Index 2020 Methodology and Analytical Considerations
An interesting excerpt here on north Korea. It is a special case in a lot of ways.
For the DPRK we could not find reliable measurements for many of the capabilities listed in our index. We have therefore asked several experts to provide us with their assessments of the different capabilities as they relate to the DPRK to inform the NCPI. Researchers and practitioners should bear in mind that the DPRK is a special case when referencing its NCPI score in comparison to the other countries in this index.
12. Hyten: New Warfighting Concept to Erase Battlefield Lines
nationaldefensemagazine.org · by Connie L
Excerpt:
The development process is still in the experimentation phase, Hyten said Sept. 9 at the Department of Defense Artificial Intelligence Symposium and Exposition, which was held virtually due to COVID-19 safety concerns. However, the upcoming concept is beginning to take shape, he noted.
“We’re about there and we’re starting to understand what that [concept] really is,” he said.
The upcoming document – which is slated to be released in December – will be unique in that it changes the way the military will operate by eliminating lines on the battlefield such as fire support coordination lines, he noted. Instead of designating areas for each of the service’s operations, fires will come in from multiple domains, he said.
13. Africa spec ops commander warns of al-Qaida’s growing influence
militarytimes.com · by Meghann Myers · September 9, 2020
AQ borrows from Mark Twain – “reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
I could challenge the CSA and offer him some examples of our work in the Philippines that included a lot more than tactical training (to include logistics, joint operations, interagency integration, and more):
“Special Forces is very good at training tactical-type units; they’re very good at accompanying tactical-type units,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said. “But SFABs build a professional military force, which is different. How do you do logistics? How do you maintain vehicles? How do you build a professional military that will provide security?”
14. The Law of (Future) Armed Conflict: LOAC, Technology, and the Changing Character of Warfare
mwi.usma.edu · by Robert Lawless · September 10, 2020
15. Most Americans support athletes speaking out, say anthem protests are appropriate, Post poll find
The Washington Post · September 10, 2020
This will not go over well in many areas on social media. But you have to reflect on what it means to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. How you understand that determines how you feel about these issues.
16. Philosophy for a Time of Crisis
WSJ · by Eric Weiner
We need the wisdom of philosophy now more than ever! I think Stoic philosophy is particularly useful.
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“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
“Radical groups with distant goals could find comfort in an isolated purity, while those who tasted success saw the value of accommodating the views of others.”
– Lawrence Freedman, Strategy: A History
“A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader.”
– Samuel Adams
