By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 30, 2011 -- President Barack Obama announced his choices as chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a Rose Garden ceremony today.
Obama intends to nominate Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey as chairman and Navy Adm. James A. "Sandy" Winnefeld Jr., as vice chairman. Dempsey currently is the Army chief of staff and Winnefeld is the commander of U.S. Northern Command.
Dempsey will replace Navy Adm. Mike Mullen when his term ends Sept. 30, and Winnefeld will replace Marine Gen. James "Hoss" Cartwright when his term ends in July.
The president intends to nominate Gen. Raymond T. Odierno to succeed Dempsey at the Army post.
The Senate must approve the nominations and the president called on the body to act expeditiously so the military transition will be "seamless."
"The men and women of our armed forces are the best our nation has to offer," Obama said during the ceremony. "They deserve nothing but the absolute best in return -- that includes leaders who will guide them, support their families with wisdom and strength and compassion."
The president said the men he has chosen will make an extraordinary team at the Pentagon. "Between them, they bring deep experience in virtually every domain -- land, air, space, sea, cyber," he said. "Both of them have the respect and the trust of our troops on the frontlines, our friends in Congress, and allies and partners abroad. And both of them have my full confidence."
The president called Dempsey one of America's most respected and combat-tested officers. "In Iraq, he led our soldiers against a brutal insurgency," the president said. "Having trained the Iraqi forces, he knows that nations must ultimately take responsibility for their own security. Having served as acting commander of Central Command, he knows that in Iraq and Afghanistan security gains and political progress must go hand in hand."
Dempsey has a reputation of pushing his forces to change and adapt and the president said he expects that, as chairman, Dempsey will do the same for all forces, "to be ready for the missions of today and tomorrow."
Winnefeld led the USS Enterprise carrier battle group in some of the first strikes against al-Qaida in 2001. "Having served as a NATO commander, Sandy is well-known to our allies," Obama said. "Having served on the Joint Staff, he is known and trusted here at the White House. Most recently as the head of Northern Command, Sandy has been responsible for the defense of our homeland and support to states and communities in times of crisis, such as the recent tornadoes and the floods along the Mississippi."
Obama called Odierno one of the Army's most accomplished soldiers. Currently serving as the commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command, Odierno served three defining tours in Iraq, the president said. They included commanding the troops that captured Saddam Hussein, partnering with Army Gen. David H. Petraeus to help bring down the violence, and then transferring responsibility to Iraqi forces, allowing the United States to redeploy more than 100,000 troops and end the combat mission in the country.
"After years on the frontlines, Ray understands what the Army must do: to prevail in today's wars, to prepare for the future, and to preserve the readiness of the soldiers and families who are the strength of America's families," Obama said.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates gave an enthusiastic endorsement of the three nominees. "General Dempsey, Admiral Winnefeld and General Odierno have all excelled in key command and staff roles within their services and in the joint arena," the secretary said in a prepared statement.
"They possess the right mix of intellectual heft, moral courage and strategic vision required to provide sound and candid advice to the president and his national security team," Gates continued. "Above all, they are proven leaders of men and women in combat operations over the past decade, and are uniquely qualified to guide and shape our military institutions through the challenging times ahead."
Obama said he's been grateful for the advice and leadership of the current chairman and vice chairman. "Like President Bush before me, I've deeply valued Mike's professional steadiness and his personal integrity," he said. "On his watch, our military forces have excelled across the whole spectrum of missions, from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan to relief efforts after the Haiti earthquake."
Mullen has helped revitalize NATO, helped re-set relations with Russia, and has helped steer important relationships with China and Pakistan, the president said. "I believe that history will also record Mike Mullen as the chairman who said what he believed was right and declared that no one in uniform should ever have to sacrifice their integrity to serve their country," Obama said, referring to Mullen's public support for supporting repeal of the law that prevented gays from serving openly in the military.
Obama called Cartwright a rare combination of technical expert and strategic thinker. The general has lead U.S. thinking on cyber, space and nuclear issues. "I'll always be personally grateful to Hoss for his friendship and partnership," the president said. "And as he concludes four decades of service in the Marine Corps that he loves, he can do so knowing that our nation is more secure, and our military is stronger, because of his remarkable career."
Gates echoed Obama's testimonials of the two men. "I have enjoyed working with Admiral Mullen and General Cartwright and benefited greatly from their wise counsel," he said. "All Americans owe these two fine officers and their families a debt of gratitude, and I look forward to paying fuller tribute to their accomplishments at the appropriate time."
Afghanistan
Haqqani Insurgent Group Proves Resilient Foe - WP
US Soldiers in Afghanistan Mark Memorial Day - S&S
'Ones That Have a Lot to Offer are the Ones You End Up Losing' - S&S
Taliban's New Tactic: High-profile Inside Jobs - AP
Civilian Casualties Alleged in Afghanistan - WP
Civilians Are Killed In Airstrike By NATO - NYT
Afghan Officials Say NATO Strike Killed 14 in Residential Area - LAT
Afghan Official: NATO Airstrike Kills 14 - AP
Karzai Warns NATO After 14 Civilians Killed in Afghanistan Airstrike - VOA
Afghan Leader Karzai Issues 'Last Warning' to NATO - BBC
NATO Apologizes for Afghan Civilian Deaths - AP
NATO Apologises for Afghan Strike - BBC
Insurgents Attack Base in West Afghanistan - Reuters
Kabul Bank Gave Milions in Undocumented Loans - VOA
Bank Commission Absolves President's Brother in Fraud Case - NYT
Pakistan
Amid Recent Bombings, Pakistan Turns to Conspiracy Theories - AP
Pakistan to Launch Offensive in N. Waziristan - Reuters
Blast Injures 10 in Pakistan's North Waziristan - Reuters
Israel / Palestinians
Israel Seeks to Tighten Grip on Jerusalem - VOA
Israel Braces for Border Clashes in Coming Days - AP
Syria
Syrian Forces Struck Northern Villages, Activists Say - NYT
Syrian Forces Kill 9 During Attacks on Towns - LAT
Syrian Forces Fire on Protesters, Killing 2 - VOA
Restive Towns 'Surrounded' by Tanks - BBC
Boy's Apparent Torture Spurs Protests - WP
Syria to End Nuclear Secrecy - AP
Libya
Kadafi Tries to Rally Allies - LAT
Libya's Misrata Rebels Face Tough New Fight - AP
Zuma to Seek Peace Deal in Libya - BBC
Zuma's Libya Trip a Chance to Redeem African Union - AP
NATO's Rasmussen Says Gaddafi Rule Coming to an End - Reuters
Lawyers Offer to Defend Gaddafi - WP
French Ex-Minister in Libya, Would Defend Gaddafi - Reuters
Young and Bored, Behind the Wheel - NYT
War Powers: Is Obama Above the Law? - WP opinion
Yemen
Islamists Seize a Yemeni City, Stoking Fears - NYT
Militants Gain Ground in Yemen - WP
Yemeni Soldiers Killed Near Al Qaeda-Held City - Reuters
Yemen Leader Accused of Allowing Islamist Takeover - AP
Yemeni Troops Battle Militants Who Seized Southern Town - VOA
Yemen's Security Forces Kill 20 at Protest Camp - LAT
Abyan Town of Zinjibar Seized by Armed Men - BBC
Yemeni Troops Fire on Protesters, Kill at Least 20 - AP
Yemen Forces 'Kill 20 Protesters' - BBC
Iraq
Iraqi Leader Reconsiders U.S. Troop Withdrawal - NPR
Bomb Kills Iraqi Soldier, Firefighter Near Baghdad - AP
Middle East / North Africa
Can Turkey Unify the Arabs? - NYT
Iran's Supreme Leader Backs Ahmadinejad - LAT
Egypt Releases Iranian Diplomat Accused of Spying - AP
Morocco Police Violently Disperse Protests - AP
Morocco Police Use Truncheons to Break Up Protest - Reuters
Latest Developments in Arab World's Unrest - AP
U.S. Department of Defense
DOD: No 'Adverse Effect' for Lockheed Cyber Attack - WP
Army, Senate Panel Discuss Service Size Cuts - AT
Next Aircraft Carrier Will Be Named After John F. Kennedy - DP
Officials: Military May Deploy F-35 Early - AFT
Artillery Test Aims Without Using Compass - MCT
United States
US Remembers Its War Dead - VOA
Face of Defense: War Veteran Hangs Up Wings at Age 90 - AFPS
Raid on bin Laden Compound Avenged CIA Deaths - AP
US Cracks Down on Companies That Hire Illegal Workers - NYT
How Much US Can Afford to Help? - McClatchy
Among the Graves This Memorial Day - NYT editorial
Forgetting Why We Remember - NYT opinion
War Powers: Is Obama Above the Law? - WP opinion
Africa
Sudan Threatens to Occupy 2 More Disputed Regions - NYT
North Sudan Forces Commit War Crimes, Group Says - AP
Goodluck Jonathan Inaugurated as Nigerian President - VOA
Nigeria: Goodluck Jonathan Sworn in as President - BBC
Blast at Barracks Kills 12 in Nigeria - Reuters
Mugabe Ally Escalates Push to Control Anglican Church - NYT
Americas
Mexican Gangs Turn to Movie and Music Piracy - WP
Colombia: Land Theft Put at 7m Hectares - BBC
Peru Presidential Race Remains Tight - Reuters
Zelaya: Honduras Coup Was International Conspiracy - AP
Younger Castro Brother Turns 80 in Aging Regime - AP
Asia Pacific
China Tries to Avert Inner Mongolia Protests - LAT
Chinese Try to Appease Mongolians - NYT
China's Inner Mongolia Region Under Heavy Security - AP
Poll: Most Japanese Distrust Gov't on Nuke Crisis - AP
Japan Voters Want PM to Go as No-Confidence Vote Looms - Reuters
Japan Considers Export of SM-3 Block IIA Missiles - DN
EU Officials to Visit N. Korea for Aid Talk - AP
Graft Scandal Signals Lame Duck S. Korea Presidency - Reuters
S. Korean Officers Probed Over Online Memberships - AP
Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute at UN Court - AP
Central Asia
Feud in Kazakh President's Family Spills Into US - NYT
Europe
Serb Fugitive Slowly Starved of Friends and Cash - NYT
Thousands Protest Mladic Arrest - VOA
Serbia: Nationalists Protest Over Ratko Mladic Arrest - BBC
Demonstrators Rally Against Mladic Extradition - NYT
Ultranationalist Serbs Protest Mladic's Arrest - LAT
Clashes Erupt in Belgrade to Protest Mladic Arrest - AP
Serbian Police Detain 180 in Pro-Mladic Violence - Reuters
Mladic to File Extradition Appeal - BBC
Obama Picks New US Ambassador to Russia - AP
Russian Sub To Join NATO Exercise for 1st Time - DN
US will Dispatch F-16s to Poland for Training - McClatchy
Germany Pledges Nuclear Shutdown - BBC
Greeks Vent Anger at Entire Political Class - Reuters
South Asia
South Asia Rivals Hold Siachen Glacier Talks - BBC
Voice of America
Americans are observing Memorial Day weekend, a time meant to honor the nation's war dead, with ceremonies, parades, sporting events and picnics.
The last Monday in May of each year is designated as Memorial Day, a time to place flowers on military gravesites and honor the U.S. servicemen and women who gave their lives in service of the country.
At Arlington National Cemetery near Washington and many other national cemeteries, volunteers place a small American flag on every military grave. Thousands of motorcycle riders from a nationwide group called "Rolling Thunder" stage a ceremonial ride into the nation's capital, to call attention to veterans' issues and to remember service members who went missing in action.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and military Joints Chiefs' chairman Admiral Mike Mullen are scheduled to speak to the group.
Public television and radio will broadcast a Sunday evening concert from the National Mall featuring retired Army General and former Secretary of State Colin Powell as well as other prominent public figures.
Ceremonies also will be held at several of the war memorials in the nation's capital and around the country.
Because many people have the day off from work on Memorial Day, the long weekend is seen as the unofficial start of the summer vacation season, celebrated with picnics and weekend trips to the beach, a park or a campground. Some Americans say they are concerned that the day has become more of a recreational holiday than a time to reflect and honor the dead.
Thanks to those who answered my recent SOS - but we could use more, much more... - and the coin really is a nice item - only 500 were struck and of those only 350 were set aside for our 2011 funding drive. If and when we produce another coin it will be of a new design. - Dave D.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan's Nawa District a Model of 'Transition'- S&S
Suicide Blast Targets Afghan, NATO Leaders - WP
Taliban Bomber Infiltrates Meeting, Killing Police Official and Others - NYT
Suicide Bomber Strikes at Top NATO, Afghan Leaders - AP
Suicide Bomber Kills Northern Afghanistan Police Commander - VOA
Suicide Blast Kills Top Police Commander - BBC
NATO Air Strike 'Kills 14 Civilians' in Afghanistan - BBC
Pakistan
Newspaper: Pakistan's Military Concerned About Infiltration - VOA
Israel / Palestinians
Arab League Backs UN Recognition of Palestine - VOA
Arab Boost for Palestine UN Call - BBC
Egypt Eases Restrictions on Gaza Border Crossings- VOA
Egypt Lifts Blockade, Along With the Gazans' Hopes - NYT
Egypt Opens Gaza Border Crossing, Easing Four-year Blockade - WP
Egypt Eases Gaza Border Blockade - BBC
Libya
In Libyan Rebel Capital, Shouts of Thanks to America and the West - NYT
NATO Targets Tripoli Facility - VOA
NATO Planes Target Gaddafi's Tripoli Compound - BBC
Residents of Misurata Begin to Rebuild - WP
Tensions Remain High in Refugee Camp Near Tunisia-Libya Border - VOA
Yemen
Yemen President, Tribal Chief Agree to End Clashes - VOA
Yemen Forces Agree on Ceasefire - BBC
President, Powerful Tribal Chief Agree to End Fighting - AP
Iraq
Kurdistan: The Other Iraq - WP
What Will Our Iraq War Memorial Look Like? - WP opinion
Middle East / North Africa
The Whiff of Revenge Taints the Arab Spring - WP opinion
U.S. Department of Defense
Cartwright, Poised to Lead Joint Chiefs, Shot Derailed by Critics - WP
Warriors Who Became Walking Libraries- CNN
United States
Washing the Wall to Remember Vietnam Vets - WP
After Combat, the Perils of Coming Home - NYT
Africa
North, South Sudanese Envoys Start Abyei Talks - VOA
Sudan: 150,000 Flee Abyei Clash, Says Southern Minister - BBC
Nigerian President to be Sworn In - BBC
Protesters Absent as Ethiopia Marks Anniversary of Meles Rule - VOA
Americas
Mexico Police Raid 'La Familia Drug Cartel', Killing 11 - BBC
Former President Zelaya Returns to Honduras - VOA
Honduras: Ousted President Manuel Zelaya Returns - BBC
Asia Pacific
Fukushima Nuclear Plant in Japan 'Unready for Typhoon' - BBC
Europe
Obama: Poland A Model for New Democracies - VOA
Obama Wraps 4-nation European Tour - WP
Serbia Alert Over Mladic Protests - BBC
In Russia, Prisons for Police Thrive - NYT
Latvian President Moves to Dissolve Parliament - VOA
South Asia
Thanks to those who answered my SOS yesterday - but we could use more, much more... - and the coin really is a nice item - only 500 were struck and of those only 350 were set aside for our 2011 funding drive. If and when we produce another coin it will be of a new design. - Dave D.
Afghanistan
War 101: Don't Bring a Motorbike to a Tank Fight - S&S
Marines Move Into a Tough Neighborhood in Helmand - S&S
Attacks Kill 3 NATO Personnel in South Afghanistan - AP
Taliban Suspected of Burning Two Alive - BBC
Afghan Army Salary Theft Shows Fraud Widespread - AP
Combined Force Captures Haqqani Leader in Afghanistan - AFPS
Forces Kill Senior Taliban Leader in Baghlan Province - AFPS
It's Time to Get Out of Afghanistan - LAT opinion
Pakistan
Top Military Officials Worried About Militant Collaborators in Ranks - WP
Clinton Seeks Firm Action on Pakistan's Extremists - NYT
Clinton Exonerates Pakistan over Osama Bin Laden - BBC
Pakistan Rejects US Appeal, Plans to Review Drone Campaign - LAT
Clinton Visits Pakistan to Firm Up New Ties - WP
Clinton, Mullen Meet With Pakistani Leaders - AFPS
Clinton Urges Pakistan to Act Decisively Against Militancy - VOA
Clinton Calls on Pakistan to Do More Against Militants - Reuters
Clinton: Bin Laden Raid a Watershed for Pakistan - AP
Pakistan Shuts Down US 'Intelligence Fusion' Cells - LAT
Bomb Kills 8 Tribesmen in Northwest Pakistan - AP
Bomb Blast in NW Pakistan Kills Five - Reuters
Israel / Palestinians
Israel Waits and Worries Before Gaza Border Opening - NYT
Egypt Eases Gaza Border Blockade - BBC
Egypt Permanently Opens Gaza Border Crossing - AP
Prominent Israelis Urge Europeans to Support Palestinian Statehood Bid - VOA
Palestinian State Requires UN Council Support - AP
Abbas: Palestinians Have No Wish to Isolate Israel - Reuters
Canada Takes Strong Pro-Israel Line at G8 Summit - Reuters
Turkey: Israel Should Avoid Flotilla Face-off - AP
UN Chief Urges Governments to Discourage New Gaza Convoys - Reuters
Syria
Security Forces Restrained as Syrian Protests Spread - NYT
Syrian Troops Open Fire on Protesters - WP
Syrian Forces Fire on Protesters, At Least 8 Dead - VOA
Eight Killed in Syria Protests, World Pressure Grows - Reuters
Report: Iran Aiding Syrian Crackdown - WP
Libya
Russia Offers Help in Mediating Gadhafi's Exit But Says No Asylum - VOA
Russia Agrees to Try to Talk Qaddafi Into Leaving - NYT
Russia Offers to Mediate Ex-Ally Gadhafi's Exit - AP
As Goal Shifts in Libya, Time Constrains NATO - NYT analysis
Rare Daytime NATO Air Strike Rocks Tripoli - Reuters
Yemen
Yemen Edges Closer to Civil War - WP
Airstrikes Reported East of Yemen Capital - NYT
Yemen Tribal Loyalists Say Cease-Fire in Effect - VOA
Chaos, Fatal Battles Spread Outside Yemeni Capital - AP
Egypt
Egyptian Activists Stage 'Second Revolution' Rally - VOA
Egypt Protesters Gather for 'Second Revolution' - LAT
At a Protest In Cairo, One Group Is Missing - NYT
Iran
Tanker Sale to Iranian Company a Sore Spot for Israel - LAT
Report: Iran Aiding Syrian Crackdown - WP
Iran Says Nuclear Bomb Would Be 'Strategic Mistake' - Reuters
Middle East / North Africa
Saudi Arabia Scrambles to Limit Region's Upheaval - NYT
In Yemen and Syria, 25 Slain as Violence Continues - LAT
World Leaders Pledge $40 Billion to Bolster 'Arab Spring' - LAT
Aid Pledge by Group of 8 Seeks to Bolster Arab Democracy - NYT
Obama Seeks Polish Help on Arab Uprisings - AP
G8 Back $40 Billion Aid for Tunisia and Egypt - Reuters
Tunisia Says It May Delay Election on Technicality - Reuters
Latest Developments in Arab World's Unrest - AP
UN Convoy Targeted in Lebanon - WP
Roadside Bomb in Lebanon Wounds 6 UN Peacekeepers - AP
Italian UN Soldier Killed in Lebanon - Reuters
Bombing in Lebanon Adds Another Jolt to a Region in Upheaval - NYT
Anti-Baath Party Official Killed in Iraq - LAT
U.S. Department of Defense
Military Spent $32 b Since '95 on Abandoned Weapons Programs - WP
GAO: DOD Hasn't Fully Calculated Cost of Shifting Pacific Forces - S&S
USMC Head: Services Must Better Oversee Programs - DN
An Emotional Cycle as Soldiers Return Home - WP
Gates Offers Leadership Lessons to Naval Academy Grads - AFPS
Overhauled San Antonio Deemed Fit for Duty - VP
'Empire Challenge' Promotes Intelligence Interoperability - AFPS
Activists Seek Ban on Military Participation in Gay Weddings - WP
United States
Ties that bind Defense, State - Politico
Data Breach at Security Firm Linked to Attack on Lockheed - NYT
Senate Gadfly Who Isn't Shy About Buzzing - NYT
Making Legislative History, With Obama Nod and Stroke of Autopen - NYT
Torture is Wrong, But it May Work - WP opinion
Group of Eight
G8 Summit Ends with Harsh Words, Promises - VOA
Africa
Thousands Flee Violence in Sudan's Abyei Region - VOA
Sudan: Invasion of Abyei Raises Fears - WP
South Sudan Says 80,000 Flee After North Takes Abyei - Reuters
Another War in Sudan? - NYT editorial
Nigerian President Faces Security Challenges in New Term - VOA
Congo Officials: Rwanda Genocide Suspect Arrested - AP
Americas
Mexico Gang Violence Displaces Thousands in Michoacan - BBC
Mexico Law Aims to Reduce Risks to Migrants Passing Through - LAT
Criminal Deportees Worry Mexican Border Mayors - AP
Mexico Charges 12 Prison Officials in Jailbreak - AP
Ousted Leader's Return Ends Honduras' Long Crisis - AP
Salvadoran Army: Soldiers Tried to Steal Grenades - AP
Asia Pacific
China Police Seal Off Restive Inner Mongolia Towns - AP
Blast at Bus Company Kills 1 in Central China - AP
North Korea Frees American Held Since November, Reports Say - NYT
N. Korea Freed American Without Aid Promise, US Says - AP
North Korea Releases American as US Envoy Visits - Reuters
American Arrested for Insulting Thai King - NYT
Europe
Obama Meets With European Leaders In Poland - VOA
Obama to Wrap Up Tour of Europe - BBC
Moment of Reflection in Poland Turns to Current Events - NYT
Obama in Poland to Honor History, Boost Ties - AP
Reset in U.S.-Russian Relations Paying Off, Obama Says - AFPS
Mladic Arrest Follows Serbia's Uneven Path to Break With Its Past - NYT
Serbia: Judge Says Mladic Fit Enough to Face Hague Trial - VOA
Serbia to Probe Mladic 'Network' - BBC
Mladic Could be Extradited as Early as Monday - AP
Lawyer Seeks Medical Evaluation of Mladic - NYT
Serb Court Says Mladic Fit for Genocide Trial - Reuters
Bosnia Tensions Live on Despite Mladic Capture - AP
Protest Planned Against Arrest of Accused War Criminal Mladic - VOA
Greek Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Austerity - NYT
Generals Questioned as Turkey's Pre-Poll Tensions Show - Reuters
South Asia
Here is a great 2 minute video ("Rival gunmen clash in Nayarit: 28 deaths reported") from a Mexican news station posted on YouTube via Borderland Beat. The video displays an engagement aftermath - that would be dead cartel foot soldiers in body armor/tactical gear.
We don't usually see many such body armor images. Since we are getting armored cars showing up more and more in Northern Mexico along with all the military infantry weapons (frag grenades et al) the need for body armor should come as no surprise.
Also -- apparently a Mexican Federal Police helicopter was engaged by Knight's Templar small arms fire and forced to land yesterday. See "Knights Templar attack Federal Police helicopter in Michoacan".
Dr. Robert J. Bunker
Here is the latest edition of my column at Foreign Policy:
Topics include:
1) Policymakers get 11th-hour second thoughts on the Joint Strike Fighter
2) Defense cuts will mean more risk. Is the Marine Corps the Pentagon's best hedge?
Policymakers get 11th-hour second thoughts on the Joint Strike Fighter
The troubled and long-delayed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program came under renewed scrutiny this week. The Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and many foreign partners plan to buy thousands of the fighter-attack jets over the next two decades to replace a variety of aging aircraft, but the development schedule of the stealthy fighter has slipped five years to 2018 and the projected cost to the Pentagon for 2,457 aircraft has ballooned to $385 billion, making it by far the most expensive weapons program in history.
The Government Accountability Office reported that although Pentagon management of the program is improving, developers have only completely verified 4 percent of the F-35's capabilities. The program received another blow this week when the Senate Armed Services Committee learned that the Pentagon will likely have to spend $1 trillion over the next 50 years to operate and maintain the fleet of F-35s. Evidently reeling from sticker shock, Sen. John McCain demanded that "we at least begin considering alternatives." But is it too late to prevent the F-35 program from devouring the Pentagon's future procurement budgets?
Air Force officials themselves may now doubt the wisdom of the size of the commitment to the F-35. According to a recent Aviation Week story, Air Force Undersecretary Erin Conaton placed new emphasis on the importance of the Air Force's next-generation long-range bomber. With procurement funds sure to be tight in the decade ahead, Conaton hinted that the Air Force may have to raid the F-35's future budgets in order to help pay for the new bomber.
The rapidly changing strategic situation in Asia and the western Pacific should compel policymakers to reexamine the size of the commitment to the F-35. Yet another critical report on the F-35 from the Pentagon's acquisition office dated Dec. 31, 2010, revealed that the Air Force version of the attack jet would have a combat mission radius of 584 miles, just short of the original stated requirement of 590 miles, and significantly less than a recent expectation by program officials that the jet would be able to strike targets 690 miles away without midair refueling.
A combat radius of 584 miles leaves planners with few options when contemplating operations over the vast distances in the Asia-Pacific region. As I discussed in a recent column, China's growing inventories of ballistic and cruise missiles are already capable, according to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, of striking the U.S. Air Force's main bases in the region. These missiles are also putting the Navy's aircraft carriers increasingly at risk, which could compel the Navy to move the vessels out of the F-35's strike range.
The solution is combat aircraft with much longer ranges, which would operate from distant bases less vulnerable to missile attack. This would explain Conaton's increased emphasis on the new long-range bomber and the Navy's interest in a long-range combat drone that would launch from its aircraft carriers and some of its amphibious ships.
There are still significant roles for the F-35 and many of its leading-edge stealth and electronic capabilities. The F-35 can defend against enemy aircraft, can collect and distribute intelligence from over a battlefield, and can attack heavily defended targets within its range. In any case, the program is "too big to fail," or at least "too big to kill," and it is far too late in the day to now consider alternatives. But it seems increasingly likely that the Air Force and Navy will eventually truncate their planned purchases and redirect those savings into new long-range platforms. Doing so would cause the unit cost of the F-35 to spike even higher which would likely lead many foreign partners to drop out. But that regrettable consequence may be necessary if the Air Force and Navy are to have the money to buy capabilities that will actually be useful in the vast stretches of the Pacific.
Defense cuts will mean more risk. Is the Marine Corps the Pentagon's best hedge?
At remarks delivered at a recent dinner sponsored by the Center for a New American Security, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos asserted that the Marine Corps will be one of the country's principal risk management tools in the decade ahead. Inevitable cuts to the Pentagon's budgets will require policymakers to take greater security risks, but Amos argued that the Marine Corps's unique attributes will provide a useful hedge against some of the added risks policymakers will have to assume. Amos argues that the Marine Corps's broad portfolio of capabilities and organizational culture make it particularly well-suited to respond to unknown risks. Is the Marine Corps a good hedge against strategic risk? And what can Amos and his colleagues do to improve the Corps as a risk management tool?
In an earlier column, I discussed the Marine Corps's plan for its post-Afghanistan future. That plan calls for cuts to many of its conventional frontline combat capacities and increased investments in some specialized and irregular capabilities. Marine Corps planners are betting that they won't get bogged down in another large, open-ended campaign such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan. Neither will they have to fight another big tank battle as they did against Saddam Hussein in 1991. With the new force structure, the planners are optimizing the Corps for rapid crisis response, dust-ups with murky but dangerous "hybrid" non-state actors, and for assisting and partnering with allied military forces around the world.
Hedging and risk management are all about preparing for surprises. Although a seemingly oxymoronic concept, leaders can promote attributes that enhance an organization's ability to rapidly adapt to surprises. Surprises are by definition unknowable. But organizations can prepare for surprise by improving their ability to adapt.
Amos asserts that the Marine Corps has a balanced portfolio of wide-ranging capabilities, which its planners can tailor to meet a variety of contingencies. The Marines train in many climates and terrain, also preparing them for numerous possibilities. And Amos explained how the Corps plans to become lighter and more mobile after Afghanistan, improving its response time during crises.
These are all helpful attributes for rapid adaptation. But the most powerful attributes of adaptation are intangible and are found within an organization's culture and human capital. For example, organizations that are "confidently paranoid" respect the threats posed by their competitors while retaining the confidence to devise effective solutions. Adaptable organizations decentralize decision-making and expect subordinates to take responsibility for solving problems with little guidance from above, even when this results in "learning mistakes" and inefficiencies. Adaptable organizations reward subordinates for creativity and resist punishing those whose ideas failed or wasted resources. Adaptable organizations tolerate "organizational entrepreneurs" and the messy organization charts that can result.
Perhaps most notably, adaptable organizations require seemingly wasteful redundancy, healthy budgets for education and rotational assignments, and experimentation, much of which will go awry. Preparing for surprise requires a willingness to accept failed approaches, recruiting and then letting go people who aren't suitable, and what will appear to be much wasted overhead.
The Marine Corps takes pride in the development of its junior leaders and in the amount of responsibility it places on them. But how much the Marine Corps has tolerated the inevitable learning mistakes, inefficiencies, and messiness required for effective adaptation has varied over time. Building an adaptable organizational culture for the Marine Corps may not be cheap. But it may be cheap if it avoids a future military disaster.
First, Freier discusses what the death of Osama bin Laden might mean for U.S. defense policy. Perhaps not as much as some might think.
An excerpt:
[T]hough forcible regime change might have come off the table, the potential for large-scale irregular warfights has not. There is a high probability that U.S. forces will be needed to defeat a range of irregular and hybrid challengers and disrupt hostile networks. This means that U.S. ground troops might again be required to deploy to a foreign theater by the tens of thousands, engage in intense combat action on arrival, and then stay in place for some period of opposed stabilization. Such operations will not necessarily be confined to the Middle East or be undertaken in response to terrorist threats alone.
Second, Freier asserts that the latest version of the Pentagon's Unified Command Plan (UCP) is a missed opportunity. Freier says:
The most recent UCP was a missed opportunity. Significant change has already come to DoD. More changes—likely smaller budgets and fewer forces—appear on the horizon. However, with the exception JFCOM's closure, no substantial change to COCOM structure appears under consideration. This is puzzling given the current SECDEF's desire to wring further efficiencies out of the tail without sacrificing the tooth. The new SECDEF and CJCS would be well advised to make UCP transformation a priority. With one war ending and another headed in that direction, there is an opportunity for fundamental UCP change at very low risk.
Freier goes on to recommend some mergers and consolidations in the regional commands.
Click here to read these essays:
by Michael Clauser
It's time for national security conservatives and soft power advocates to call a truce and stand shoulder to shoulder. This new approach to the budget debate means working together to make public arguments for the importance of each other's top line budget numbers — as Gates has — and ending bureaucratic budget sniping.
Much more over at Politico
