This is a good idea.

Don't make me tap the sign.

❗️The US military has lost 11 MQ-9 Reaper drones during Operation Epic Fury in Iran, worth over $330 million in total, CBS News reported, citing US officials. #Iran

“The war with Iran is little more than the joint targeting process unleashed. The Frankenstein’s monster that is the operational level of war, unsatiated after eating strategy, is now feasting on policy”. @bafriedman.bsky.social

At a minimum, this should open up the spigots of US support to Ukraine so Russia loses the war it caused.

Wrote up some thoughts on the current war with Iran. You can't have a strategy if you don't even have a policy. open.substack.com/pub/bafriedm...

MCUP read my mind, restocking “Snowmobiles and Grand Ideals” just as my first box ran out! It’s the definitive John Boyd—600 pages of him in his own words that you won’t find anywhere else. Download for free here: www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/... Order here: forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

A lot is also the fault of the Howard and Paret. In Boyd’s marginalia he argues with “Carl” but it’s actually the translation (terminological inconsistency, begging the question with contemporary concepts, etc.)

It really shouldn’t have taken so long.

"The belief in push-button war is fundamentally a fallacy. But it is not a new fallacy. It is simply an age-old fallacy in modern dress. There is one controlling truth from all past wars which applies with equal weight to any war of tomorrow. No nation on earth possess such limitless resources... /1

Spectacular. Thinking about Odysseus‘ slaughter of the Suitors and how the only reason the Odyssey doesn’t become the Iliad at the end is Athena’s intervention and then Zeus’ bolt from the blue. In other words the problem of 1.1.9 in On War: the result is never absolute.

For years on my old blog I published the names of servicemembers who died in Iraq & Afghanistan. No other outlets were. These are the first 4 Americans to die in the Iran War. Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35 Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42 Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39 Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20

* Taps sign *

This is such a sick burn if you know you know.

Oldie: The Psychology of Military Incompetence by Dixon Critique: Pois and Langer’s Command Failure in War. Carl was already there. The primary fault of the commander is Eigensinn — lit. “own sense,” aka unresponsive to the actuality of the world; “authoritarianism” (D) or ”inflexibility“ (P&L)

Had some friends ask if they need to watch the last two World Wars to catch up before this one, but I told them they can probably stick to the Gulf War spin-off series if they're short on time

they should rename it in OVERCOM

h/t to the political scientists who still cannot classify this as war until we reach 1000 battlefield casualties

War is the continuation of changing talking points about political objectives, but also awesome. #Winning - Carl von Clausewitz

The Chinese are watching, learning.

If amateurs study tactics, and professionals study logistics, someone, anyone really, should pay attention to munitions (magazine depth).

To continue a theme from yesterday, if we’re going to send officers to higher education send them literally anywhere that doesn’t teach the three levels of war and strategy as ends-ways-means. All we’re really doing is reinforcing the same failed ideas.

Vet 1: "I was in OEF" Vet 2: "Which one?"

So, war.

Oh, word?

Need more Boyd for your #weekend #reading? Then grab “Snowmobiles and Grand Ideals” w/ @Osinga10–it’s the definitive work capturing John Boyd’s ideas on survival & conflict. Also free from Marine Corps University Press Download: www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/... Order: forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

Your Google Doc has new comments to review:

The narrative that eighteenth-century soldiers were slow moving, ineffective automata who were only capable of engaging the enemy at insanely close range and quickly moved into hand-to-hand combat is one of the most widespread and damaging myths in military history. 1/6

“We begin to be philosophers by recognizing our masters: too often we are confirmed as philosophers by quarreling with them.” - W. B. Gallie, Philosophy and The Historical Understanding

What do awards look like now? Likes and reposts?!

High recommend. It’s like Forrest Gump but for China and WWII.

Shameless self promotion, but hopefully forgivable, given the moment we’re in right now. Military ethics is under grave threat. SecDef Hegseth is perverting the “warrior ethos” and putting the mental, moral, and spiritual health of all U.S. service members in jeopardy.

On “modern so-called incomprehensible poetry”: “it's like it's something you have to understand with something other than intelligence, or your mind,”

Fascinating. www.quantamagazine.org/a-new-bridge...

!!!!

Such “heart“ would have helped in Clausewitz translations!

What’s better than a great read? A great read that also counts as dissertation work.

Happy Birthday Devil Dogs! 250!!!

REVEILLE REVEILLE REVEILLE

BRO JUST ONE MORE AIRSTRIKE BRO PLEASE TRUST ME DUDE COME ON BRO THIS TIME AN AIR CAMPAIGN WILL COERCE A POLITICAL OUTCOME COME ON DUDE

This is excellent.

A phenomenal reflection that will resonate with many veterans. Many of my Marines were repeatedly fired upon but did not return fire due to loss of PID, and the ensuing risk of hitting noncombatants. They did the right thing, but will never rate a combat action ribbon, and that became a burden.

NEW: Anonymous donor gives Pentagon 130 million cans of Skoal Wintergreen to pay troops www.duffelblog.com/anonymous-do...

Life imitating art stealing art. (From the Economist)

Clausewitz looking at you being surprised that domestic politics affects the military.

Who walked in first?