defense dept.

Rather than devote heaps of money and lots of brainpower to traditional state-on-state conflicts, the Pentagon should better prepare for such asymmetrical challenges as Iraq and Afghanistan. But some critics of the reappointed Gates wonder if the U.S. should move away from expensive but technologically superior weaponry toward programs to develop the military’s counterinsurgency skills.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan – Outside the media operations center this morning, four Afghan workers on the base stared exhaustedly at a few large pieces of lumber, arranging the wood to form the basis for what appeared to be a roof. One of the men knelt over the arrangement and took a DeWalt circular [...]

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Lots of soldiers walk through Bagram’s main strip, Disney Drive, in various stages of uniform.
Then there’s a contingent that’s out of uniform and wearing neither contractor lanyards nor carrying Defense Dept. civilian badges. They’ve got beards – thick, grody ones – and tattoos, their heads covered with baseball caps, outfitted [...]