“Arlington is full of our comrades, and we understand absolutely full well the hazards of our chosen profession … and we are not going to be intimidated into making stupid decisions. We will give our best military advice, regardless of the consequences to ourselves.”

Mark Esper got on a plane to NATO just 24 hours after taking over at the Pentagon. There are two main reasons why.

As the three most powerful civilians in the Army Department, Esper, McCarthy, and Jette have formed by all accounts a tight-knit and effective team. That’s particularly remarkable because they’ve had abundant opportunities for conflict as they turned the Army bureaucracy upside down.

The Acting Defense Secretary, with less than two years of national security experience under his belt, is poised to take over a department in the throes of a rapid modernization project, while rattling sabres with Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, China, and Russia.

Addressing topics from modernization to millennials, Trump’s pick for Army Chief of Staff sailed through his confirmation hearing — except for six bitter minutes.

SPACE SYMPOSIUM: For the first time, the United States is sharing its space war plans, known as Olympic Defender, with a small number of allies, says the head of Strategic Command. Gen. John Hyten told us in a Monday evening interview that a new version of the plan was published “last December,” he said. “Everything that… Keep reading →

No Army vice-chief has won the top job since Eric Shinseki. But Gen. McConville brings some unique credentials.

The White House defense budget for 2020 falls short of commitments made and actual requirements to meet the military’s strategy, but it begins to shift priorities and start the long process of investing in long-term competition with China and Russia. Washington still lacks the budget details for another week, but here are some initial reflections… Keep reading →

Insiders were blindsided by her departure. So who fills her seat in the Pentagon?

“We need to have a secretary of defense; we’ve always had one, so I anticipate we will,” Inhofe told the Defense Writers Group, directly contradicting Trump’s predilection for acting officials. “I think he’s going to nominate someone.”