Author Archives: Daniel Gouré, Ph.D.
Both Sides Are At Least Partly Right About Afghanistan
With President Obama’s decision on a revised strategy for Afghanistan imminent, both sides in the debate have heated up their rhetorical warfare. On the one side, there are those who view Afghanistan as the central front in the war on [Read More...]
The President Should Double Down in Afghanistan
The White House announced that the president will unveil his new strategy for Afghanistan next Tuesday night. When he goes before the Nation he will own the war in Afghanistan. By all accounts, the president will come close to providing [Read More...]
Logistics And Sustainment Will Suffer In Future Budgets
Defense budgets are going to decline, even as the United States continues to fight two wars. In addition, there are critical modernization programs such as the F-35 joint strike fighter, expanded Stryker deployments, additional Virginia-class attack submarines and new DDG-51 [Read More...]
Long-Term Defense Budget Trends Are Problematic
Last week, the House Armed Services Committee held hearings on the implications of long-term U.S. defense budget trends. The common conclusion reached by four witnesses, including senior analysts from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Congressional Research Service (CRS), [Read More...]
Pentagon Must Act To Preserve Industrial Base
As a life-long believer in free-market capitalism and someone who opposed TARP, the stimulus package, the pay czar and cap-and-trade, it pains me to say that it is time for the government to take responsibility for one sector of the [Read More...]
Disunity Of Command Poses Problems In Afghanistan
Unity of command is one of the basic principles of war. It means that the forces employed for a given operation, regardless of its magnitude, complexity or duration, must be under a single command and be guided by one plan. [Read More...]
Virginia Class Sub: A Model for Acquisition Reform
Weapons systems cost too much, take too long to be designed and built, and then are often a nightmare to modernize and maintain. This is why the Obama Administration has made acquisition reform one of its top management priorities. However, [Read More...]
Is The War On Terror Over?
Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision Friday to try the alleged 9/11 conspirators in U.S. federal court would seem to be yet another piece of evidence that the Obama Administration considers the war on terror to be over. Holder’s action was [Read More...]
Gates Strategy Could Mean Demise Of Jointness
Since he was reappointed as Secretary of Defense by the Obama Administration, Robert Gates has been on a crusade to reshape the U.S. military. As he has said repeatedly, his dominant strategic concern is to be able to win the [Read More...]
Report: U.S. Ability To Put People In Space May Die In Next Decade
With all the media’s attention being focused on health care legislation, strategies for Afghanistan and rampaging shooters in Texas, it is not surprising that virtually no one noticed the publication of yet another report by a government-sponsored commission. But this [Read More...]