On Combat

Clausewitz defined war as a trinity of violence in pursuit of a political purpose, affected by chance.
The possibility of death or injury from violent action is a powerful element of battlefield realities WWII soldier and author James Jones (From Here to Eternity, and The Thin Red line, among others) wrote that soldiers had to […]

[Read more →]

The Air Force Chief of Staff announced on 8/28/07 that the Air Force would expand Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE) training to more airmen. (see CSAF’s Scope highlights SERE training ) This move is tremendous step to better prepare American Airmen for what could be the gravest challenge of their lives: capture in […]

[Read more →]

In 1999, Korean War civilian deaths at No Gun Ri (click for an in-depth summary) captured prominent media attention. After a joint US-ROK investigation, President Clinton formally apologized for the incident.
Although the investigation did not find any USAF or USN tacair involvement, a contemporary memo was found in the National Archives within the 5th AF […]

[Read more →]

Recent news on America’s use of torture has resurfaced a searing debate that defines who we are, what we stand for, and what price we’re willing to pay for security:
“Secret U.S. Endorsement of Severe Interrogations”
New York Times
October 4, 2007
By SCOTT SHANE, DAVID JOHNSTON and JAMES RISEN
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 — When the Justice Department publicly declared […]

[Read more →]