On Combat

Some interesting contrasts have appeared in the week following Sgt Evan Vela’s murder conviction for killing an Iraqi non-combatant captive during a patrol south of Baghdad:
The Washington Times published the Rules of Engagement used by US Army MPs. (see U.S. Military’s Restraint Not Al Qaeda’s War Code) This look at normally classified rules indicate […]

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Sunday 10 Feb, Army Sgt van Vela was sentenced to 10 years in the killing of an Iraqi his patrol had detained. This is an affirmation that the US places a heavy emphasis on the distinction between lawful conduct of war, and the unlawful use of violence against non-combatants.
Just Conduct in War (jus in belo) […]

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Recent Washington Post coverage of Army suicide rates suggest the force is unravelling under the strain of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan:
Suicides among active-duty soldiers in 2007 reached their highest level since the Army began keeping such records in 1980, according to a draft internal study obtained by The Washington Post. Last year, 121 soldiers […]

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An interesting article has made the rounds on Small Wars Journal and Government Executive: Let Soldiers Blog, Post YouTube Videos, General Says By Greg Grant
Soldier and Commander access to digital media may be part of redefining maneuver warfare. Getting inside the enemy’s decision cycle now means time from observe-orient-decide-act-and now, report (i.e. put the story […]

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As the volunteer US military is heavily deployed around the world fighting insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan, the need to recruit and keep soldiers is getting more difficult. Organizational incentives are oriented towards each end of the motivation chain. At the front end, money and eduicational benefits are aimed at attracting potential recruits. At the […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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