Why the Army Should Replace its One-Size-Fits-All Infantry Model
By Steven Head, Modern War Institute: T"he push to broaden soldiers’ professional experiences and create a “one size fits all” infantryman has resulted in soldiers that are constantly shifted across various weapons systems and vehicle platforms, and leaders who find themselves in front of formation types they have little experience with."
By Dan Gouré, RealClearDefense: "Earlier this year, the Army declared General Electric (GE) the winner of the competition for the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP), which will replace the existing power plants on Black Hawk and Apache helicopters and potentially power the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA). Yet, the award was based on a preliminary design review, essentially a paper description of the proposed engine."
By Kevin Benson, Modern War Institute: "I believe history does not repeat itself, but as Mark Twain pointed out at times it does rhyme. Once again in my life our Army is reassessing how it will fight large-scale ground combat operations against peer and near-peer adversaries, possibly while outnumbered."
By Loren Thompson, Forbes: “Last week, Army Secretary Mark Esper delivered what sounded like the definitive service position on planned upgrades to the Chinook helicopter. They aren’t going to happen, because the money is needed for other things. As a result, the most powerful helicopter in the Army’s fleet will be unable to lift its next-generation jeep, known as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)."
By Paul McLeary, on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 5:15 PM
he Army’s rebuilding to face China and Russia. That may leave programs designed over the past decade for COIN operations in the dust.

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By Loren Thompson, Forbes: "A once-vast fleet of U.S.-flagged commercial ships has declined precipitously since the Reagan Administration eliminated construction subsidies three decades ago, and meanwhile the sealift vessels owned by the government have aged to a point where their availability in a crisis cannot be assured."
By Wesley Morgan, Politico: "A quarter of the Pentagon's most senior civilian posts remain filled by temporary personnel who are unconfirmed by the Senate – a high number that has slowed decisions, handicapped the department in policy disputes and shifted more power to the White House, according to recently departed Pentagon officials."