Articles by: Bradley Peniston

Protecting whistle-blowers

To the Office of Special Counsel, for its work in protecting whistle-blowers.

In 2007, Marine Corps science adviser Franz Gayl criticized military leaders for moving too slowly in deploying mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles …

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0 commentsDecember 1, 2011Features

Perspectives: A better way to buy IT security

Hint: Get the entire U.S. government onboard, and don’t test first

By the time the federal government buys an IT security product, it is several generations obsolete.It takes the Pentagon an average …

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0 commentsDecember 1, 2011Features

Perspectives: A French idea worth stealing

The U.S. should create its own version of the military coopérant, which would furnish better understanding of local processes, dynamics, possibilities and limitations

The U.S. would do well to emulate France in …

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0 commentsDecember 1, 2011Features

Cutbacks and crises

How the military must adapt to an era of shrinking budgets and growing threats

The subject of the hour in defense circles is guessing how deeply the defense budget is going to …

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0 commentsDecember 1, 2011Features

Try before you buy

To the Army, for its Network Integration Evaluations (NIEs).

After years of high-profile acquisition failures — Future Combat Systems was only the most spectacular — the service is trying a different approach. …

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0 commentsDecember 1, 2011Features

2011 in commentary

A look back at the year’s most intriguing and influential pieces

Two decades after the Cold War and 10 years since 9/11 “changed everything,” strategists are still casting about for the next …

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0 commentsDecember 1, 2011Features

Losing sleep

A Ranger argues that prolonged stress and sleep deprivation undermine training — and even troops themselves

At the U.S. Army Ranger School, one of the military’s most renowned courses for combat arms …

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0 commentsDecember 1, 2011Features

Slow learners

How Iraq and Afghanistan forced Britain to rethink COIN

John Nagl, with his book “Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife,” seemed to be ahead of his time in contrasting the British …

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0 commentsNovember 1, 2011Features

Expedited audit

To Leon Panetta for speeding up the effort to ready the Pentagon’s books for a proper audit.

In congressional testimony Oct. 13, the defense secretary called the Department of Defense’s plan for …

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0 commentsNovember 1, 2011Features

Polyglot dragon

What the PLA’s language school says about China’s strategic direction

China watchers searching for clues to Beijing’s strategic direction generally look for changes in government policy, diplomatic liaisons or force realignment. Here’s …

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0 commentsNovember 1, 2011Features