09/06/2011 By Maj. General Tim Hanifen, Rear Adm. Sinclair Harris and Robert Holzer Global demand for amphibious forces outstrips resources. When a crisis erupts the first question U.S. leaders often ask is, “Where are the aircraft carriers?” This historical axiom, however, has expanded over time and now regional commanders also…
09/06/2011 by Ed Timperlake On Monday November 8, 2010 the Southern Chester Weekly (Pa.) published an obituary for a fallen Marine. “William McCurdy DeMarino, 20, died suddenly on October 24, 2010, in an automobile accident where he was stationed in North Carolina. He was serving as a Lance Corporal in…
08/17/2011 by Ed Timperlake Ejecting out of a fireball from a two engine fire in my Navy jet below 500 feet at night showed me the difficulty of extracting a pilot surround by fire on the ground for a Search and Rescue Helo team. The weight of the seat pan…
The Future Naval Service Posture and the Need for a Reinvigorated Revolt of the Admirals By Vince Martinez Here we go again… 07/25/2011 - It seems we are in familiar territory again—collectively diving head first into a looming post-war era of demobilization, retrofit and reset. Coupled with a decreasing defense…
Or, How to Build the Honeycomb 07/19/2011 - The F-22 and F-35 have sophisticated sensors and self defense capabilities, which, in and of themselves, when combined with stealth enable these aircraft to become true game changers. But in and of themselves is not where the real game changing capability comes…
04/27/2011 - In late March 2011, Second Line of Defense visited San Diego to discuss the evolution of the USN-USMC team as seen by key members of the staff of Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. At a time when the nation is remembering the 100 years of Naval Aviation,…
04/27/2011 - In late March 2011, prior to the christening of the LPD-24 at the Ingalls Shipyards in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Second Line of Defense interviewed the LPD 17 program manager, Doug Lounsberry. Lounsberry provided an overview to the challenges of building this class of ship and the advantages, which the…
How Amphibious Forces Create Strategic Options By Vince Martinez 03/06/2011 - The world is changing. For many who have studied the subject over the last decade, the Arc of Instability is coming to fruition. Old powers are beginning to falter under the pressures of collapsing economies, the lack of resources,…
