09/03/2011 By Robbin Laird Labor Day is a transition from the summer to the fall; it is a turning of the page as we go into a new academic year. Those of us who have been students or have children who are students understood a new year is in front…
09/03/2011 by Robbin Laird In a recent piece, Ed Timperlake discussed the strategic significance of moving on from older paradigms to ensure US national security. He argued that One of the great plot devices in suspense and horror movies is the surprise ending, just name the threat; zombies, aliens, vampires…
09/02/2011 by Ed Timperlake One of the great plot devices in suspense and horror movies is the surprise ending, just name the threat; zombies, aliens, vampires or the bunny boiling Glenn Close, whatever the threat is, it comes back to attack after being vanquished. Sadly it is over used and…
09/01/2011 by Robbin Laird Second Line of Defense sat down with Col. Laura Sampsel shortly after her departure from Eglin and retirement from the USMC. During her time at Eglin, Col. Laura Sampsel, 33rd Maintenance Group commander, was responsible for the bed-down and operational readiness of the three variants of the Joint…
08/31/2011 by Ed Timperlake Just as Washington begins its political dive into 2012 and the budget drill, Northern Edge 2011 provides a focal point for the restructuring of U.S. power projection forces. In a robust jamming operating environment, the F-35 radar and distributed aperture system (DAS) separated themselves from the…
[caption id="attachment_23125" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Italian Carrier Guiseppe Garibaldi Credit: Italian Navy[/caption] 08/27/2011 The Libyan operation has highlighted the use of maritime bases for conducting air operations. In a recent interview with Col. Mark Desens, the Commanding officer of 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit involved in the initial Libyan operations, the…
08/27/2011 by Robbin Laird The hurricane pounding the East Coast is a reminder of the reliance Americans have on the USCG for search, rescue and safety in extreme circumstances. But it is time to pay the USCG back for such centrality to the American way of life. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/post-report-hurricane-irene-hits-north-carolina/2011/08/27/gIQA0XKniJ_video.html The entire…
08/19/2011 We have interviewed several F-35 pilots. Most recently, we sat down with pilots at Pax River. Comments from these pilots focused on easy of operations, and the ability of the pilot to operate as a deployed decision-maker. Among the pilots we have interviewed, Lt. Col. Fred “Tinman” Schenk underscored…
