Morgan O'Brien's WiGO 04.23.09

Tom Ricks at the Best Defense

Tom Ricks is hosting two very interesting discussions on his blog over at Foreign Policy:

- He's questioning the value of service academies vis a vis OTS/OCS/ROTC
- He has some interesting commentary on Ivy League military officers

Take a few minutes and check out the link here.

Drop the Air Force

While Ricks' blog deals more with the Army, Navy and Marines, the Air Force has received more than enough love in the pages of the New York Times.

On Monday, Paul Kane fired the opening salvo, calling for the end of the Air Force as an independent service:

Yes, air power is a critical component of America’s arsenal. But the Army, Navy and Marines already maintain air wings within their expeditionary units. The Air Force is increasingly a redundancy in structure and spending. (link)

Oh, and don't think he doesn't take a shot at the Air Force regarding recent reports that 12 percent of the Air Force was obese.

Today, there were some great letters regarding the topic. Air Force Chief of Staff, General Norton Schwartz (a morganobrien.com favorite) dutifully chimed in:

Today’s Air Force brings specific capabilities to the joint fight to defend the homeland, deter aggression, help those in need and defend the freedoms we all enjoy. This resonates with the American people because they recognize the vital importance of Air Force global vigilance, reach and power.

We proudly secure our nation’s skies and our sister services from attack, any time and any place. Airmen will be there when America needs them, and every serving member of the Army, the Navy and the Marines knows it. (more here)

As always, with my greatest respect,
xOxO
Morgan