Monthly Archives: April 2016
SHOCK: Congress is finally doing something RIGHT, except…
This post originally appeared at allenbwest.com. One of the responsibilities I take very seriously as a result of having this platform is to keep y’all informed, especially my brother and sister veterans. Right now the House and Senate Armed Services … Continue reading
Use the NDAA Against Iran
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual bill that sets the military budget, is in the markup phase. As Congress begins to review and edit the content of the bill, now is the time to make our voice heard. The urgency … Continue reading
The Hidden Enemy
This post originally appeared in my townhall column: “There is a Chinese proverb that states, “May you live in interesting times,” which has become a defining character of these times in which we are living. This new 21st century battlefield has … Continue reading
The Military, Nation-Building and Counterterrorism in Africa
“History does not repeat itself, as the old adage goes, but it surely rhymes. What began in 2002 as an antiterrorism assistance program for a handful of impoverished African countries at risk from violent extremist groups has since expanded into the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership. … Continue reading
The Decline of American Regard
This post originally appeared in West’s Townhall column: “When I was a Congressional representative from South Florida, one of the major concerns was beach re-nourishment, the process of pumping sand back onto eroded beaches. The district I represented was all coastline, from … Continue reading
Is the U.S. Military Falling Apart?
The following video from Foxnews should should concern us all: “Fox Exposes Military Readiness Crisis” Planes are falling apart and those that maintain them have reached a point of exhaustion. But what does this mean? Spend more money? Keep making … Continue reading
Budgeting Alternatives for the Department of Defense
The United States careens from one budget crisis to another while the national debt — now $20 trillion — continues to rise. This trend is a stark reminder that the federal budget process needs a complete overhaul. And, with one of the largest … Continue reading
The Cost of Military Education Benefits
Military spouse and volunteer contributor Nadeen Wincapaw suggests reforming U.S. military education programs could be one method towards Building a capable and fiscally responsible military — one of the five points of our Provide for the Common Defense petition, which you can sign here. She … Continue reading
Plenty of generals and few soldiers
We learned today in a recent report at the Daily Beast that our U.S. armed forces, “is notably short on soldiers, but apparently not on generals.” The report explains that “There are at least 12 U.S. generals in Iraq, a stunningly high number … Continue reading