Brad Duplessis

Strike-as-strategy ≠ a comprehensive theory of success for favorable war termination.

Beautiful!

This webcam looks west from the edge of the Giant Forest. Part of a network of air-quality-monitoring sites, it often shows effects of air pollution such as visibility impairment.

Giant Forest, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks


#NPS #NationalParkService #Sequoia&KingsCanyon

JFC!

Used to see him frequently in Baghdad. When McGurk resigned during Trump 1.0 a guy approached me in the embassy dining facility asking if I was “Mr. McGurk.” I wasn’t familiar with his game!

To further elaborate, this guy almost always exists in tactical units (BN and below) and is almost always:

1. Home schooled E-4
2. Home schooled O-2
3. A universally reviled O-4. Probably the S-3, the BN CSM wants to kill him
4. The BC, if you're very unlucky

Trump’s lies are often a tell, addressing something he’s feeling vulnerable about.

Under that interpretation, “virtually unlimited supply of weapons” means the depletion is real and serious, most likely with air defense interceptors the biggest concern.

The administration’s OEF plan. 😂

Believe so, but would have to do some research on it.

And Pete “taught” at the COIN Academy in Kabul.

As the laid off Middle East News Editor, I concur. Management eliminated the positions of every single staff correspondent and bureau chief in the Middle East.

Wait — IRGC control of the country was the plan?!?

I have to take a second here as a pedantic civ-mil person that while Powell's standards were, um, swell, they were also a problematic effort by the head of the military to box in the civilians.

Still, yeah, none of what Trump is doing here fits any sense of strategic or planning or US interest

WT in the ever living F?

for real. Missing is very much a family notification event, right? hell, they just last week adopted new rules on how fast they call family if they're Missing at PT formation on Monday morning at home!

Had 2 from the attack in Kuwait that killed 4 soldiers early yesterday. No DUSTWUN was put out; 2 KIAs were added to the 4 today. Complete BS from the most transparent….

It’s not just you.

Security Updates for Americans in the Middle East (Updated March 2, 4pm EST) DEPART NOW VIA COMMERCIAL MEANS DUE TO SERIOUS SAFETY RISKS • Bahrain • Egypt • Iran • Iraq • Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza • Jordan • Kuwait • Lebanon • Oman • Qatar • Saudi Arabia • Syria • United Arab Emirates • Yemen Americans who need State Department assistance arranging to depart via commercial means can call us 24/7: +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad) and +1- 888-407-4747 (from the U.S. and Canada).

‼️ STATE DEPARTMENT ‼️

US citizens should “DEPART NOW” from countries in the Middle East due to “SERIOUS SAFETY RISKS”:

Not in my experience. For the 2 reported today, yes. The first four generally would’ve been released by now as long as there wasn’t an issue notifying their families

*beating

Maybe watch a PBS Frontline from OIF.

Agree. Announcing DUSTWUNs (Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown) is appropriate and better informs the public of the cost of the campaign.

Incredibly poor messaging by Rubio. The administration is not bearing the charges that it is attempting to figure out its objective/s in contact.

U.S. Central Command says six U.S. service members have been killed in action as of 4 pm ET, March 2, after forces recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted troops from a facility struck during Iran’s initial attacks. #US

If there's one person with absolute job security right now, it's Colin Jost.

Hegseth has offered more clarity on his war on the Boy Scouts than on the current war with Iran.

I literally learned this would happen a few weeks in to International Politics 110

Keep hearing commentators/Hegseth saying a version of "this is not Iraq, we are not doing nation-building, it's a decapitation, the people will handle it."

That's what Iraq 2003 was supposed to be! Nation-building, de-Baathification, disbanding of Iraqi army, it all came *after* things went wrong.

Iran fired 1200+ projectiles at 5 countries in the first 48 hours. Most were drones. These saturation attacks aim to overwhelm air defenses and drain interceptors. $20-50K Shaheds vs. $4.19M air defense interceptors put US partners on the wrong side of the cost curve.

Extraordinary moment in Hegseth/Caine presser just now-- Hegseth is asked about boots on the ground in Iran and does not rule it out.