Longread #447 -- Silent War -- 2/4/14

Thanks to Ross, who helped provide information used in the article and who has served immensely in raising my awareness about the emerging world of cyberwarfare.

"Silent War" by Michael Joseph Gross
Published in Vanity Fair, July 2013

Eric

Longread #394 -- The Shadow Commander -- 10/24/13

"The Shadow Commander" by Dexter Filkins
Published in the New Yorker, September 30, 2013

Eric

Longread #333 -- The Thin Red Line -- 6/14/13

Over the last few days, reports have come out of Syria that U.S. and international investigators have concluded that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons -- sarin gas, in particular -- against anti-government forces (and potentially civilians as well). The crossing of this so-called "red line" from the Obama administration raises again the questions about what the U.S. can and should do in Syria. This article from the New Yorker reviews the complex and challenging issues behind the "upward trajectory" of U.S. involvement in Syria.

"The Thin Red Line" by Dexter Filkins
Published in the New Yorker, May 13, 2013

Eric

Longread #328 -- Veterans’ struggle -- 6/4/13

I first read this article well over a year ago, but for some reason, it has been continually pushed down in the queue for the blog. Sadly, it's largely with how Veterans' issues have been handled in our society. The tremendous challenge of supporting former soldiers is one that it appears our country will struggle with for many years to come.

"Veterans’ struggle" by Anna Fifield
Published in the Financial Times, January 20, 2012

Eric

Longread #273 -- Hackers of Damascus -- 3/13/13

For civilians like myself, it's easy to think of war and combat in specific ways, many of which are framed by well-known war movies about World War II or Vietnam. But it is clear that the nature of the battlefield is changing, and cyberwar is becoming increasingly relevant to conflicts of all kinds. This article looks at how control of information and online communication has played a central role in the ongoing conflict in Syria.

"The Hackers of Damascus" by Stephan Faris
Published in Business Week, November 15, 2012

Eric

Longread #271 -- The Force -- 3/11/13

Some of the largest effects of the budget sequestration are on the military. In light of these budget cuts, this longread felt especially relevant as it looks at the changing dynamics of military spending and the role of the U.S military in global politics.

"The Force" by Jill Lepore
Published in the New Yorker, January 28, 2013

Eric

Longread #200 -- A Soldier of Kindness -- 11/21/12

Today's longread is one of the more moving pieces that I have read recently. As we approach tomorrow's Thanksgiving holiday, stories of people like Army Lt. Col. David Cabrera remind me of how important it is to be thankful and to turn that gratitude into meaningful and positive interactions with other people.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"As first military social work officer killed in action, Army Lt. Col. David Cabrera was a ‘soldier of kindness’" by Jim Sheeler

Published in the Washington Post, November 8, 2012

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/as-first-military-social-work-officer-killed-in-action-army-lt-col-david-cabrera-was-a-soldier-of-kindess/2012/11/02/0dce8cf4-e1a6-11e1-98e7-89d659f9c106_print.html

Eric

Longread #196 -- Paradise With An Asterisk -- 11/15/12

As short days and cold, rainy weather descends on Seattle, I have found myself daydreaming a lot recently about finding a tropical beach and relaxing in the sunshine. In some ways, Bikini Atoll is the exact type of place where I would want to be. Unfortunately, this tropical paradise was subject to years of American nuclear testing with substantial impacts on the local environment. More problematic than the environmental problems, though, is how the people native to Bikini Atoll were treated during this period. In some ways reminiscent of the transgressions made in the name of "Manifest Destiny" in the colonization of the American west, native Bikinians were relocated on multiple occasions, permanently altering the social and cultural fabric of the Bikinian people. This longread examines how the U.S. quest for nuclear weapon supremacy turned Bikini Atoll into a paradise with an asterisk.

"Paradise With An Asterisk" by S.C. Gwynne
Published in Outside Magazine, October 17, 2012
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/nature/Paradise-With-An-Asterisk.html?page=all

Eric

Longread #193 -- General Failure -- 11/12/12

Even though today isn't a business day for me, I'm going to go ahead and post a longread. The reason that I'm not working is because yesterday was Veteran's Day, and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has served on behalf of the U.S. So many people have made sacrifices in the name of our country, and to me, that is all the more reason why we should strive to make this country as great as it can be. Hopefully in that process we can move toward a world where we will no longer need so many people to serve in the military but instead to serve in other capacities (education, health, etc.).

Since this holiday is about the military, though, I thought this longread was appropriate. It is critical of the leadership in today's Army, arguing that the culture of promotion does not properly reward the most effective leaders. While it may seem odd to post an article critical of the military on this holiday, it is an important discussion and one should never confuse constructive criticism with a lack of respect.

"General Failure" by Thomas Ricks
Published in the Atlantic, November 2012
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/11/general-failure/309148/?single_page=true

Eric

Longread #184 -- The Last Tour -- 10/30/12

Despite being a few years old, today's longread still highlights a crucial challenge for a society that has spent over a decade involved in foreign conflicts. PTSD is increasingly being recognized as systemic problem for service members, and its impact can be devastating. This story of a highly-decorated soldier whose life was lost as a result of PTSD is a reminder of the gravity of this issue and is yet another cost of war that is often unaccounted for.

"The Last Tour" by William Finnegan
Published in the New Yorker, September 29, 2008
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/09/29/080929fa_fact_finnegan?currentPage=all

Eric

Longread #103 -- America's Last POW -- 6/28/12

There are so many dimensions to this story that it is hard to know where to start discussing it. At its most basic level, it is a simple case of a POW being held hostage in Afghanista. But the backstory of how he wound up walking off the base in Afghanistan and the deliberations about getting him back bring up many larger issues of American military strategy, politics, and the War on Terrorism.

Thanks to Leanne for recommending this article!

"America's Last Prisoner of War" by Michael Hastings
Published in Rolling Stone, June 7, 2012
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/americas-last-prisoner-of-war-20120607

Eric

Longread #80 -- The Hunter Becomes the Hunted -- 5/24/12

This article is an in-depth profile of one of the most important people for the U.S. military operation in Iraq -- a man given the fake name Omar, who is a senior officer in the Iraq Counterterrorism Unit. This is a valuable piece for anyone interested in better understanding the challenges of counterterrorism and the people who take on those challenges.

"The Hunter Becomes the Hunted" by Daniel Voll
Published in Esquire, February 17, 2011
http://www.esquire.com/print-this/iraq-terrorist-hunter-0311?page=all

Eric

Longread #69 -- Snipers -- 5/9/12

Snipers, who are typically portrayed as hyper-efficient killing machines, are a central character in many combat films. However, these stories of snipers rarely delve deeper into the psyche of the people behind the rifles. This story tries to fill in the gaps and discusses the difficult emotional challenge of serving as a sniper. While at times I feel that this article itself delves into the glorification of the sniper through its tone, it nevertheless raises important questions and helps to bring light to the sniper as a person and not simply as a robotic killing machine.

"The Distant Executioner" by William Langewiesche

Published in Vanity Fair, February 2010

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2010/02/sniper-201002?printable=true

Eric

Longread #56 -- Final Dispatch from Syria -- 4/20/12

This article is the last one written by journalist Marie Colvin, who died soon after in the midst of fighting inside Syria. The article illustrates the dire situation in the country and the ways in which thousands of civilians have been killed, injured, or displaced by the fighting. I saw a documentary last year about the newspaper business, and I thought one of the more compelling points was that alternative media sources (like blogs or twitter) would have a difficult time filling the void on things like conflict reporting if major newspapers continued to die off. Reading an article like this one is a compelling reminder of the importance of this type of journalism and the sacrifices that journalists make in producing it.

"Final dispatch from Holms, the battered city" by Marie Colvin
Published in the Sunday Times, February 19, 2012
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/public/news/article874796.ece

Eric

Longread #55 -- Drones -- 4/19/12

U.S. military operations abroad have increasingly incorporated the use of drone aircraft. As drones have become more sophisticated, some have envisioned a future in which drones completely replace human-operated fighter jets. This article outlines a number of reasons why drones continue to be limited and are unlikely to overcome those limitations to displace the role of human pilots. It is a reassuring article for those of us who were big fans of the Terminator movies.

"Drones Won't Be Taking Over Our Wars Anytime Soon" by C.J. Chivers
Published in Popular Science, April 3, 2012
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-04/human-element

Eric