Maneuver Ghoul of Excellence 👻

A couple years ago a popular tv host on a certain network made just that request to the public affairs office on that post. The query asked to have cameras following along in each phase. It was denied.

Being a columnist is so cool. You can have absolutely no experience whatsoever and still drop whatever takes you want. Serve in the military? No? Work in natsec? No? Have an academic background in defense? No? Have any government experience at all? No?

Who cares! Fire that column off anyways!

What’s more is currently Fort Jackson is at capacity and non-combat job female and male trainees are being sent to Fort Benning inf/armor OSUT brigades for the BCT portion of basic training.

I desperately needed to laugh the way this has me laughing.

Proverbs 8:2: Don’t start no shit won’t be no shit.

So, sending troops to Chicago or Baltimore would be much more complicated than either LA or DC.
🧵

That includes briefings on local law, limits on use of force, and social media policy.

Troops were issued cards summarizing rules of engagement. They’re reminded that visibility does not equal enforcement authority.

What the commander of the National Guard in DC wants the public to know “We want to make sure that everyone around us, no matter how they feel about this or what they’re doing, they feel safe."

The National Guard is on patrol in Washington, D.C.

More than 2,000 troops deployed this month—despite no uptick in crime—under an order from President Trump.

Their commander? Col. Lawrence Doane.

Col. Doane’s approach is a model worth noticing.
taskandpurpose.com/news/nationa...

Facts. We always hated it.

Thank you for your service, said the nice lady at the airport, while the nation was obsessed with Honey Boo Boo, and I was burying my people.

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This is a good discussion to be had. I think its not quite as binary as this, but expected the military to solve it IS a potential threat to civ control. (See #OnObedience and linked article)

It was a pleasure to facilitate media and plan for this competition. Kevin Maurer has reported on this community and others during GWOT since the early aughts.

Oh yeah Incheon has always been great for me. Don’t even mind the 3 massive smoking rooms you have to walk past it’s so efficient.

Pentagon plan would create military ‘reaction force’ for civil unrest Documents reviewed by The Post detail a new National Guard mission that, if adopted, would require hundreds of troops to be ready around-the-clock.

I’m quoted in this story and would like to expand on what I’m talking about in terms of this not being how the NG has been used, historically.
Though first I should note that Joe Nunn is right on all counts. I’m just adding a little historical context.

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

who's ready for a medium hot philosophical take about the army and risk management?

too bad you're getting it anyway:

The Army risk management methodology directly places commanders, especially O-6 and above, in a moral hazard

Laura Loomer is attacking Flo Groberg for being the wrong kind of Medal of Honor recipient—he’s a French-Algerian immigrant—and suggesting the Army posting about him today is an act of disloyalty to Trump.

…The Army posted about Flo today because 8/8/2012 was the day he tackled that suicide bomber.

I love this reflection piece that originally ran in @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social. Also might be the first time I’ve seen Albert Camus referenced in this type of military context.

Art historian weighing in to say instead of using AI to make sh*t up about Hopper's work, you could instead look at the actual sketches he made for a painting like Nighthawks—freely available online—& use your own brain to get real insight into his artistic process whitney.org/collection/w...

This Palmer article/speech pissed me off so much that I decided to scrap my original article. It’s entirely clear to me that defense VC scammers have literally no idea how war works or why why military technology evolves the way it does secretaryrofdefenserock.substack.com/subscribe?si...

The Freshman - This American Life Writer Sarah Vowell explains why she watched The Godfather every day while she was in college.

Revisited books I read 20+ years ago lately. Sarah Vowell’s Take the Cannoli stands out. Her essay on This American Life Ep. 76: Mob| The Freshman is some of her best www.thisamericanlife.org/76/mob/act-o...

We’re in serious trouble if 300 Bradley’s and 50 Abrams are “introducing an unacceptable level of risk to U.S. Military readiness”

2025 MRE Journalism Contest Details - Military Reporters and Editors Contest details for military news reporters, broadcasters, photographers, podcasters, videographers sponsored by Military Reporters & Editors

OPPORTUNITY: Military Reporters and Editors has opened their annual competition for military news reporters, broadcasters, photographers, podcasters, and videographers. Enter your best work today! Details here ⤵️
t.ly/QfKaM

On the radio this weekend: Summer is a time when change seems more possible than ever. But can people actually reinvent themselves in the warmer months? bit.ly/2ArNc0W

I was so happy to be able to indulge my inner geek in this “Why We Fight” episode w/ @motheroftanks.bsky.social. WWII sightings of “foo fighters” were real; were really weird; & remain unexplained:

open.spotify.com/episode/1T0P...

www.audible.com/pd/B0FC8RCFQ...

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...

none of this is making us more lethal or secure. It’s the opposite. Due to schemes like this (which are really just opportunities for grift) and defunding State and DOD programs, the country is increasingly vulnerable.

(answering work cell) Bill Wonka.

my similar boomer opinion is that i think “home economics” or whatever the equivalent is ought to be mandatory for students in middle and high school.

Taurus: Success is just around the corner that you are nowhere near.