RETHINKING SECURITY

My friend Rob Caruso has been adapting and achieving for a while as national security Twitter provocateur, defense contractor, and a constant voice for innovative practices in defense (like making the Intelligence Community take a look at how gangs practice operational security). However, most are unfamiliar with Rob’s newest role: blogger. They shouldn’t be—Rob brings an valuable perspective to the table.

Lately, Rob, building some ideas he’s discussed with me, Dan Trombly, and Rei Tang, (usually at 2AM somewhere in Adams-Morgan), has put pen to paper and produced a very interesting first draft of what a new military concept for an age of austerity could look like. Like many of our conversations, the piece is less akin to a concerto than a rolling jazz improvisation.

While Rob discusses some themes that have surfaced in the blogosophere—sovereignty, American exceptionalism, and offshore balancing among others, he also adds an important set of ideas of his own gained from his practical experiences. First, Rob talks about the need to retain capabilities to, when needed, project American power, not simply “influence” events (something I will comment on later).

Having said this, however, Rob also quite rightly concludes that the US military and intelligence services will have to change to accommodate the more thrifty times.Some of Rob’s solutions include Afloat Forward Operating Bases, the creative uses of barges and small local bases, and putting Joint Interagency Task Forces (JITFs) on carriers, and synthetic capabilities for counter-network operations.

Agree or disagree, Rob is starting a conversation that needs to be had—how to make the logistical nuts and bolts of America’s wars fit changing strategic ends.