History – Suez 1956: A Successful Naval Operation Compromised by Inept Political Leadership

Naval War College Review – The British and French forces that saw action during the abortive Suez invasion of 1956 produced a “copybook” performance in military terms. But flawed political decisions are likely to lead to flawed operational strategy, and today the entire episode is remembered as an embarrassing failure.
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US Marines – Top Marine: Troops under too much strain

CNN – The new Marine Corps commandant said Wednesday that the longer than anticipated pace of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is putting an unacceptable strain on his troops. Gen. James Conway said the service is unable to meet its goal of giving Marines twice as much time at home as in a war zone. He said unless the demand on the corps eases, he may have to propose increasing the size of the force.
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US Navy – U.S. Navy says it will replace frigate with Aegis destroyer in Japan

Associated Press – The U.S. Navy will deploy its guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell at Japan’s Yokosuka naval base, taking over from frigate USS Gary as the navy moves to replace some of its aging fleet. The deployment of McCampbell is to increase missile defense capabilities around Japan. The U.S. Navy will have nine Aegis-equipped vessels at Yokosuka.
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Geopolitics / Rules of War – How We Fight

Foreign Affairs – Reports that U.S. troops may have killed 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq, last November have renewed fears that the U.S. military routinely violates the laws of war. But is the Haditha incident the exception or the rule? In fact, U.S. compliance with noncombatant immunity in Iraq has been relatively high by historical standards, and it has been improving since the beginning of the war.
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History – Fort Fischer: Amphibious Victory in the American Civil War

Naval War College Review – The first attack on Fort Fisher, during the American Civil War, failed utterly; the second succeeded magnificently. The commanders of the latter learned from the experience of the former; the lessons of both attempts were valuable for the great amphibious operations of the mid-twentieth century, and they remain instructive today.
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