Resources
- 9/11 Commission
- AEI: Of Men and Materiel
“The men and women of the Army are exhausted. We are now in the sixth year of the global War on Terror. Sustaining operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world has come at a high cost. It is increasingly difficult to keep 150,000 soldiers in the field, fighting year after year, with an active duty force of some 500,000--and not wear out that force. By not expanding the Army’s numbers significantly, the Pentagon now has on its hands a force whose overall readiness is faltering. Faced with continual rotations into and out of the theaters of conflict, the Army reportedly has no more than 10,000 soldiers who are not currently deployed and who are at the level of readiness necessary to handle a new military crisis should one occur.” - AEI: The U.S. Military's Manpower Crisis
The long-term neglect of U.S. ground forces has caused serious problems in the Iraqi and Afghan campaigns. If not corrected, this neglect will cause even worse problems in the future. War is fundamentally a human activity, and attempts to remove humans from its center--as recent trends and current programs do--are likely to lead to disaster, according to AEI’s Fred Kagan - All Eyes on Gustav
ST. PAUL — The mood here in Minneapolis-St. Paul is quite somber on what is going to be a radically scaled down first day of the Republican National Convention. All eyes are on the Gulf Coast region and the approaching Hurricane Gustav. John McCain summed up the feelings of many when he said from St. Louis yesterday, “It’s time to take our Republican hats off and put our American hats on.” - As Gustav Lands, There Are Lessons to Be Learned
Hurricane Gustav is the largest and most dangerous storm to make landfall in recent years. No doubt, politicians and pundits will be quick to make comparisons to the disaster response three years ago after Hurricane Katrina ravaged millions of square miles over three states and devastated coastal areas, including the city of New Orleans. Yet, if Katrina’s mistakes are not to be repeated, Washington will have to be more sober in assessing federal responsibilities for dealing with large-scale national disasters. - Beltway-Centric Approach to Disaster Response Is a Recipe for Disaster
On June 11, 2008, the House Homeland Security Committee (HHSC) held a hearing to examine whether the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is ready to lead relief efforts in the event of a major U.S. catastrophe. Despite the vast amount of resources dedicated to improving DHS's disaster-response capacity, the consensus of the hearing was that the organization is unprepared to provide adequate post-disaster leadership. - CENTCOM
- Combating Terrorism in Pakistan: Going on the Offensive
Military Commanders insist that Pakistan’s lack of an effective strategy against the militants in the northwest is directly undermining coalition efforts in Afghanistan. - Department of Defense
- Department of Homeland Security
- Detention of the Enemy During Wartime
- Federalism and Domestic Disasters: Promoting a Balanced Approach
In response to the widespread devastation wrought by hurricane Katrina, many people have called for strengthening the federal government’s involvement in responding to catastrophic emergencies. Although enhancements to federal capabilities are necessary, such steps should not obscure the principle that any homeland security system must be national, not just federal. The federal government can assist in many areas, but its programs should aim to supplement, not supplant, national homeland security efforts. - Four Percent for Freedom
- GAO Report: “Global War on Terrorism: Reported Obligations for the Department of Defense”
From fiscal year 2001 through fiscal year 2007, and for the first quarter of fiscal year 2008 through December 2007, Congress has provided DOD with a total of about $635.9 billion for its efforts in support of GWOT. As part of GOA's ongoing work, they are reviewing DOD's rationale for reporting its GWOT related obligations. - GITMO Research Page
- Gustav slams better-prepared Gulf
A mighty hurricane slammed into Louisiana's Gulf Coast on Monday but this time was greeted with a response well-versed in the lessons of Katrina. - Happy Anniversary: Celebrating 35 years of the All-Volunteer Force, July 1, 2008
Three days before the nation celebrates its independence, another celebration will be taking place. On July 1, 2008, the United States military will be celebrating 35 years of an all-volunteer force. - Hit-to-Kill: Intercept Test Goes 5 for 5
In the most realistic test yet, the THAAD defense system makes it a perfect five for five. Off the coast of Hawaii, a mock warhead was successfully intercepted after it separated from its booster rocket. - House Armed Services Committee
- House Committee on Homeland Security
- Iran Briefing Room
- JCS Chairman Says Setting Iraq Withdrawal Timetable 'Dangerous'
America's top military officer says setting a fixed timeline for getting U.S. troops out of Iraq would be a dangerous move. Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says any withdrawal must be based on conditions on the ground. - Missile Defense Agency
- Missile Defense in Europe: The Window of Opportunity Is Closing
Despite a number of positive signals regarding America's plan to field a U.S. missile defense system in Europe, two setbacks now threaten the possibility of concluding a final deal before the end of the Bush Presidency. - Paying for America's All-Volunteer Military: Reform Is Not a Dirty Word
The pay and benefits of U.S. military personnel represent a sizable portion of the annual defense budget. Almost 25 percent of the President's fiscal year (FY) 2009 core defense budget request is allo¬cated for military personnel. Since 2000, personnel costs have increased by more than 40 percent. Keeping these costs under control is essential to maintaining today's highly professional all-volunteer force and is required to pay ever-deferred and grow¬ing military modernization bills. - Pigs Fly, Politician Wants Risktakers To Pay Their Way, and News Article on a Disaster Doesn't Mention FEMA
In what can only be described as a rare occurrence, two events occurred that show there is still hope when it comes to disaster management in the United States. In an article titled, "California Ponders Who Should Pay Firefighting Bill," in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, July 9, 2008, readers learned that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed placing an insurance surcharge on every California home and business that would raise roughly $130 million each year to pay for wildland firefighting. A sign of hope that can be gleaned from the article is the total failure to mention FEMA or the federal government at any point in the 1,000 word disaster story. - Playing Politics with the Global War on Terror
Congress has decided to play politics with a troop-funding bill, and the Senate used confirmation hearings to, as Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) stated, criticize the "wisdom of the policy that took us to Iraq in the first place and has kept us there for over five years." - Presidential Management Initiative
PARTNERSHIP FOR PUBLIC SERVICE aims to provide a framework for federal workforce management and recommendations for an effective transition to the next presidential administration. - Progress in Iraq
- RAND Corporation: Publications by Angel Rabasa
Dr. Angel M. Rabasa is a RAND Corporation Senior Policy Analyst. He is the lead author of The Muslim World After 9/11 (December 2004) and has just completed a project on the future of global terrorism: “Beyond Al Qaeda: Countering Terrorist and Other Non-Traditional Threats.” This page lists all of his published work with RAND. - Recruiting for the Long War: Has Military Recruiting Reached its Efficient Frontier?
View this event, hosted by The Heritage Foundation in March, which featured The Honorable David S. C. Chu, Ph.D., Under Secretary of States for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense, speaking on military recruiting and what it might take to preserve America’s all-volunteer force. - Reflecting and Projecting: U.S. Land Power from the Past to the Future
The all-volunteer U.S. military force was born thirty-five years ago this week. By almost all accounts, it has been an overwhelming success. Today, however, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan pose unprecedented challenges to our forces. These conflicts have highlighted the structural changes that will be necessary to retain land force superiority, which is essential for maintaining security and effectively responding to future threats. - Reports from the Terror Front
There is lots of news in the battle against transnational terrorism—a lot of it not good. - Rice Meets Polish Counterpart on Missile Defense
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met her Polish counterpart, Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, for more talks on a possible Polish role in a U.S. regional missile defense system in Europe. Rice leaves Washington late Monday on a European mission to conclude a missile defense deal with the Czech Republic. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department. Heritage experts comment on missile defense in Europe.(see... http://www.heritage.org/Research/BallisticMissileDefense/wm1966.cfm - Risk and Resiliency: Developing the Right Homeland Security Public Policies for the Post-Bush Era
Dr. James Carafano's testimony before the Sub-Committee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, Committee on Homeland Security United States House of Representatives. - Russia’s Sabre-Rattling
There is a famous Russian quote that goes something like this, “The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.” The U.S. and her allies on missile defense need to take a page from their Russian friends and stand tough in the face of aggressiveness. - Senate Armed Services Committee
- Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- State Department
- Terrorists Rising?
The State Department recently put out its annual report on global terrorism, described in an article in the Financial Times. The report highlights al-Qaeda’s increased propaganda efforts and the continuing strength of al-Qaeda throughout the Iraq-Afghanistan-Pakistan region. - The Commission on the National Guard and Reserves: Reforming the Reserve Component
The independent Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, chartered by Congress in 2005, submitted its third and final report on January 31. The extensive review offers an exhaustive list of thoughtful and necessary recommendations to sustain America's "operational reserve." - The Local Role in Disaster Response: Lessons from Katrina and the California Wildfires
The increasing tendency since 9/11 to look to Washington for every answer regarding disaster response is troubling. The insistence that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) play an ever-expanding role in addressing day-to-day emer¬gency responses is hindering, not strengthening, the agency’s ability to prepare for the next national cata¬strophic disaster. Even worse, as the federal govern¬ment pledges to improve its response, state and local governments are getting a false sense of security, rely¬ing on Washington rather than preparing proper emergency responses themselves. - The War in Afghanistan: More Help Needed
The United States and the young Afghan government need more international support in their efforts to secure and stabilize Afghanistan, which is a crucial front in the global war against al-Qaeda and its radical allies. Washington and Kabul need greater cooperation from Pakistan in controlling the border and from NATO, which is leading the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). - The White House
- U.S. Should Defy Chinese-Russian Attack on Missile Defense
During their meeting in Beijing on May 23, 2008, Chinese President Hu Jintao and new Russian President Dimitry Medvedev issued a joint statement criticizing the establishment of a global missile defense system. Specifically, the statement said that such defenses are "not conducive to the maintenance of strategic balance and stability." Despite this, The Heritage Foundation argues that America must push forward with Missile Defense.(see... http://www.heritage.org/Research/Europe/wm1694.cfm - Wartime Detention
- Who Serves in the U.S. Military? The Demographics of Enlisted Troops and Officers
Who serves in the active-duty ranks of the U.S. all-volunteer military? This study looked at the demographics of the enlisted and officer corps of the U.S. military to see who volunteers and help explain why they do so. Despite the conventional wisdom that would say otherwise, this study found that members of America’s all-volunteer force are more likely to come from high-income neighborhoods than from low-income neighborhoods, are more educated than their peers, and disproportionately attracts those that do not come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
