Our History and Lessons Learned Corner: Bagram Nightmares (Part Three)

01/10/2010
By Fred H. Allison (U.S. Marine Corps History Division) [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Mountains Surrounding Bagram"][/caption] Harriers Sortie Rate Double the Norm Making a globe-spanning flight from home field at Yuma, Arizona, the Marine aviators arrived on 15 October and began flying missions within 48 hours.  The squadron deployed with…

Speaking from Experience: Ken Miller on FFP Contracts

01/09/2010
Challenges Facing Widespread Use of Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) Contracts in the Defense Sector A Way to Shape Acquisition Reform The Obama Administration seeks to apply firm-fixed price contracting in a number of sectors, including defense.  Indeed, it appears that the Administration equates the use of this contract vehicle with the…

General Hawley on: Why Weapons Systems Cost So Much – the 101 Version (Part Two)

01/05/2010
By Richard E. Hawley, General (Ret), USAF General Hawley served as the Commander, Air Combat Command and Commander US Air Forces in Europe.  Additionally he was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. *** PART TWO This is not an easy question to answer.  There are three…

Business as Usual in Bangladesh: The Global Armed Robbery Hotspot

01/04/2010
A Guide to MaRisk: Risk Intelligence’s online threat monitoring solution, MaRisk, uses zoomable maps with multiple icons for more enhanced threat classification. Please refer to the reference chart for MaRisk icons in order to better utilize the accompanied maps. The World Third "Hottest" Hotspot Bangladesh is the third highest-ranking country for…

Afghan Ops and the Logs Bite of the DOD Apple

01/03/2010
A Surge in Cost Per Troop The President has committed to a major new phase of the Afghan campaign.  Although called a “surge,” it is much more of an expansion of the engagement.  And with that expansion comes a significant demand for new resources to deal with the most neglected…

Preparing for Withdrawal from Iraq

12/28/2009
[caption id="attachment_3167" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="ISTFF Status of Funds"][/caption] One of the major budgetary challenges for 2010 and 2011 will be providing for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq and the training and support for Iraqi security forces. These costs will be variable, notably they depend upon events and are…

A new Civil War Is Brewing Over Aircraft Production

12/21/2009
By George Talbot, Political Editor for the Mobile Press Register The economic battle for jobs and capital investment pits the Pacific Northwest against a rising challenger in the Southeast. The regional fight is fiercest over the U.S. Air Force tanker contract, a potential 179-plane order that could deliver thousands of aircraft assembly jobs either to Mobile, Alabama, or Everett,…