Tag Archives: military

05/11/21

Military Diversity and Inclusion Is NOT a National Security Issue

Recently the Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III (a former General and West Point gradate) made comments indicating the current status of diversity and inclusion in the American military at the general officer strata rises to the level of a “national security risk.”

In the military when they want to scare the civilians or they want to suggest that something rises to a level such that America might not win a war, they call it a “readiness risk.”

This picture is for all you West Pointers, you ring knockers. Note Sec Def Austin and his WP ring. It is an Army thing.

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07/6/19

The Militarization of Independence Day

Your Big Red Car was finishing his third all-beef, mustarded, and relished hot dog on a brioche bun of the holiday weekend when he noted a reporter decrying the “militarization of Independence Day.”

The thesis of the report was that the militarization of Independence Day was inappropriate. This thought was driven by the static display of American armor at the 4 July celebration on America’s national mall — the area from the US Capitol to the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Monument.

The immediate thought that crossed your Big Red Car’s transmission was: “What the Hell is this person talking about?”

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05/1/16

Military Shrinking, Danger Ahead

The United States of America has always enjoyed a national security and military advantage not afforded to other countries by virtue of being separated from much of the world by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It has provided both safety and a temporal barrier that has given us time and space in which to plan for war.

Other than the War of 1812 and some Mexican border escapades, the US mainland has never really been threatened in a meaningful way. We have never suffered the fate of London or Paris or Berlin.

The Germans in WWII were able to bring the fight to our home waters on the Atlantic with their subs and the Japs shelled the west coast but other than that, these oceans have served us well.

The terrorists of 9-11 broke that safe barrier with their attack.

We live in a different world. That world has a resurgent traditional military threat (Russia, China) and an asymmetrical warfare threat. It has become more, not less, complicated.

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12/24/13

Keeping Faith With The American Soldier

Big Red Car here.  So The Boss is back for Christmas.  Not like him to leave Steamboat when the snow’s still good but the babies — the Investment Banker and the Perfect Daughter — are coming home so he had to be there to greet them.  Still, the snow was damn good.

So The Boss is exercised about the recent budget deal and the provision to reduce the military pensions contained therein.  [The Boss is a Veteran and his Old Man is a retired Sergeant Major, so he comes by his interest honestly.]

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