To put it mildly, Turkey has been substantially involved in Syria since the eruption of the Arab Spring in 2011. After Turkish F-16s recently downed a Su-24 Russian tactical bomber over the region where Turkmen anti-Assad groups are based, Turkish President Erdogan tacitly confirmed Turkey’s covert support for Syrian rebels fighting against Damascus, stating that “anyone…
Category: Military History
WW1 History: 1916, A Most Terrible Year
This year I am going to start reading in earnest, a chronological history of The Great War: World War One.-SF BOOKS that focus on what happened in a particular year have become a publishing phenomenon. So Keith Jeffery, a British academic historian whose last work was a fascinating, if slightly plodding, official history of Britain’s…
China’s Military Intelligence System is Changing
As American families dined on turkey and stuffing, China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) was hard at work in Beijing hammering out military reforms. These reforms were then announced to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) by President Xi Jinping, who also serves as the CMC chairman. The proposed organizational changes may make this round of reform…
Coolest Military Tech for 2016
America’s troops have cool gear coming their way in 2016. Here’s a look at some of it: 1. The first Ford-Class supercarrier will take to the seas Photo: US Navy Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Aidan P. Campbell The PCU Ford will join the fleet in 2016. It will be the largest and most expensive warship to ever…
Mosul: Turkey’s Fulda Gap
With all the hoopla lately between Russia and Turkey, this is an interesting article to consider. As I have been studying the history of the Middle East this year, I have added The Fall of the Ottomans to my 2016 reading list. -SF “Our national borders pass through Antioch and span east-ward, containing Mosul,…
The Lessons of Debaltseve: Armored Vehicles Still Matter
After nearly fifteen years of counterinsurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan, American advocates of heavy armored forces interpreted Ukrainian forces’ defeat at the battle of Debaltseve as an indication that “tanks still matter.” But the key lesson of the Debaltseve fight is a broader one: Combat vehicles of whatever kind must provide the mobility, protection,…
Cold War Files: John F. Kennedy was the Absolute Worst U.S. President of the 20th Century
As I studied the Vietnam war over the last 14 months, I began to think that John F. Kennedy probably was the worst American president of the previous century. In retrospect, he spent his 35 months in the White House stumbling from crisis to fiasco. He came into office and okayed the Bay of Pigs…
Military History: The Forgotten Task Force of the Forgotten War
The Korean War has often been referred to as the forgotten war. Sandwiched between WWII and Vietnam the Korean War is often lost in our histories and remembrances. There is very little in this war that is “sexy” for historians. In the end the final lines end pretty much where they started and nothing was…
The Curse of the Filipino Moro’s Return; 7 Christian Farmers Murdered in Philippines on Christmas Eve
For those of you familiar with 20th century Military History, you know the story of General “Blackjack” Pershing and the Filipino Moro Rebellion that lasted from 1899-1913. This was America’s first brush with militant islamist, and now, the Moro’s descendants are carrying on the same legacy of murder and mayhem. Just another example of islam…
USMC Ingenuity At It’s Best: The Ribbon Bridge
Much of the equipment the United States has given to the Iraqi army has ended up in the hands of the Islamic State. But now, with Iraqi troops fighting to take back Ramadi from the terror group, there’s finally a feel-good story about American-provided military supplies, and it involves a floating bridge. On Tuesday, Army…