Security and Democracy Forum

This op-ed argues that extremism and insider threats—ranging from January 6 sympathizers to figures like Eddie Gallagher and Jack Teixeira—pose a serious risk to military readiness, unit cohesion, and public trust. It calls for a renewed approach to military discipline that balances civil liberties with the need for ethical leadership and institutional accountability.

The Pentagon doesn’t have a lethality problem. It has a logistics problem.

On January 11, 2007, China destroyed one of its own satellites with a direct-ascent anti-satellite missile, demonstrating its ability to impair foreign space systems. The international community issued stern statements, but they did not implement significant consequences. As a result, more demonstrations followed. In 2019, India conducted its own anti-satellite test; then, in 2021, Russia 'killed' its own satellite: Kosmos 1408. For military strategists and policymakers, the lesson was clear:...