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Articles by Brian Petit
When the world's at stake, go beyond the headlines.
It is conceivable that in one blistering campaign, the People’s Republic of China could invade, occupy, and forcibly annex Taiwan. One question would dominate the post-occupation debate: “What more could have been done?” The obvious answers will be better intelligence, bigger exercises, more weapons. One underexamined answer is a different model for U.S. special operations forces advising. The United States has spent decades using rotational military teams to train foreign partners.
Wilcox graduates from Air Force
Salidan Elijah Wilcox graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on May 28 and earned his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. Wilcox has been selected to be an Air Force pilot. After a summer break, he will begin pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. Wilcox, 22, is a 2022 graduate of Salida High School. He is the eldest of Kenny and Sara Wilcox’s four sons.
Wilcox graduates from Air Force Academy
Salidan Elijah Wilcox graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on May 28 and earned his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. Wilcox has been selected to be an Air Force pilot. After a summer break, he will begin pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. Wilcox, 22, is a 2022 graduate of Salida High School. He is the eldest of Kenny and Sara Wilcox’s four sons.
What Would Have Happened If the Green Berets Helped Ukraine?
In 2024, Brian Petit wrote, “Send in the A Team: A Graduated Response for Ukraine,” where he argued for sending the Green Berets into Ukraine for training and assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces. We asked Brian to revisit his argument after talks of a peace deal have yet to produce fruitful change.Image: Sgt.
Of Fists and Fathers: A Remembrance
Maj. Jim Mauldin, a U.S. Army special forces officer of mammoth size and prodigious strength, stood in my office doorway, blocking all light. He wanted something from me, his battalion commander. Jim spoke in a southern Virginia drawl with an unhurried cadence that matched his temperament. He got right to the point: “Sir, I would like permission for Master Sgt.
Rewind and Reconnoiter: Niger and the Risk Versus Reward of Remote Operations with Brian Petit
In 2017, Brian Petit wrote “Playing Zone Defense: Niger and the Risk Versus Reward of Remote Operations” for War on the Rocks, in which he argues for a “zone defense” in Niger that involves a small, persistent U.S. special operations presence to support counterterrorism operations in the country. Seven years later, in response to the 2023 coup in Niger and the junta’s recent revocation of the status of forces agreement with the United States, we asked him to look back on his article.
Send in the A-Team: A Graduated Response for Ukraine
National security. For insiders. By insiders. Of all the symbols of American power abroad, the U.S. special operations soldier occupies a unique place in the public’s imagination. The public appetite for tales of derring-do and gutsy ventures is limitless, and U.S. special operations provide enough of these, routinely and visibly, to propel that mystique. Such publicity obscures a less splashy type of special operations that work in a different meter.
Why Ukraine Is Not a Universal Resistance Model
Ukrainian national resistance, incontestably lethal and strikingly durable, provides an enticing blueprint for small nations threatened by aggressive powers. The rush to learn lessons, mimic actions, and draw conclusions from Ukraine is an established industry. It should be. Ukraine’s response to Russian conquest serves up an innovative and gutsy trove of tactics and methods to adopt for national defense strategies.
U.S. Special Operations and the Shadowy Promise of Irregular Campaigns
American special operations forces, 70,000 strong and drawn from four services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps), are engaged on a dizzying number of fronts. These forces are called on to counter Russia’s hot and cold wars in Europe, to bolster allied forces on the Korean peninsula, to deter Chinese expansionism in the Indo-Pacific, to contest violent extremist organizations, to fight intractable wars in Syria and the Levant, and to patrol vast spaces with African security forces.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Stay-Behind Force Decision-Making
The grinding Ukrainian military offensive during the summer of 2023 has been a frightful sight for undersized nations fashioning their own defensive strategies against Russia or China. Small nations invaded by numerically superior foes simply do not have the combat power to win a combined arms fight. To nullify this overmatch, out-gunned states require asymmetric options to deter and defend.
In Brief: The Coup in Niger
August 9, 2023 A lot happens every day. Alliances shift, leaders change, and conflicts erupt. With In Brief, we’ll help you make sense of it all. Each week, experts will dig deep on a single issue happening in the world to help you better understand it. *** On July 26, 2023, a faction within Niger’s military overthrew the country’s president, Mohamed Bazoum, establishing a military junta under the leadership of General Abdourahmane “Omar” Tchiani.
Can Ukrainian Resistance Foil a Russian Victory?
The plans of a country facing invasion by a larger foe rest on a fragile hope: Once a nation’s conventional defenses are defeated, a pre-planned, citizen resistance will arise and contest the occupying invaders. Partisan warfare will impose costs on the occupiers, prevent the enemy from consolidating gains, and create the time and space required to receive external support for liberation. If Russia launches a fresh invasion, Ukraine will surely seek to fall back on such a strategy.
Scouts trek high on Colorado Trail
Salida Troop 60 and Buena Vista Troop 67 scouts backpacked more than 35 miles on the Colorado Trail West, starting at Cottonwood Pass west of Buena Vista and finishing below Monarch Mountain near Garfield. The four-day, three-night hike was an unsupported backpacking trip. The scouts were not externally resupplied and thus carried all their food and gear, resupplying only water. Seven scouts and four adults completed the hike.
Otis Shin completes Eagle project
by Brian Petit Salida Troop 60 Salida High school sophomore and aspiring Eagle Scout Otis Shin, 15, recently completed his Eagle project benefiting the Southwest Conservation Corps headquarters property at 701 E. U.S. 50 in Salida. Shin led more than 15 volunteers on a full-day project to install a 40-foot-long retaining wall consisting of 8-foot-long railroad ties.
Architecting for Azure Cloud Resiliency with Equinix Fabric
Redundant, diverse Azure ExpressRoute and Equinix Fabric interconnections help ensure highly available global cloud resource access Our enterprise customers continue to experience increasing pressure to pursue expanded strategies for cloud transformation and adoption. It’s a trend that has been widely documented across nearly every core industry as the demand for high availability and instant access drives the pursuit of enhanced cloud capabilities.
エクイニクス、SAP S/4HANA on Microsoft Azureを加速
Equinix FabricとAzure ExpressRouteを介した高速クラウドオンランプにより、ERP導入を加速 SAPのCEOであるクリスチャン・クライン氏が、新型コロナウイルス感染症が世界的に大流行する直前に、同社のお客様のオンプレミスSAPアプリケーションをクラウドに移行する計画を発表してから1年以上が経過しました。最近発表されたドイツ語圏SAPユーザーグループ（DSAG）の投資レポートによると、パンデミックの経済的影響にもかかわらず、ドイツ、オーストリア、スイスに拠点を置くDSAGの企業の39%が2021年にIT予算を増加しています。[i] このブログは下記の言語でもお読みいただけます。 英語 DSAGの調査レポートは、SAP S/4HANA®へのSAPのお客様の移行が徐々にではあるが着実に進んでおり、お客様の40%近くが今後3年以内での切り替えを計画していることも示しています。 40% SAPのお客様の40%近くが今後3年以内でのSAP S/4HANAへの切り替えを計画しています。...
Equinix Speeds SAP S/4HANA on Microsoft Azure
Fast on-ramp to the cloud via Equinix Fabric and Azure ExpressRoute accelerates ERP deployment It has been over a year since SAP CEO Christian Klein announced his plans for customers’ to migrate their on-premises SAP applications to the cloud, just prior to the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
An Irregular Upgrade to Operational Design
Irregular warfare is an enduring, economical contribution to America’s national security, and will remain an essential core competency of the U.S. Department of Defense. – Summary of the Irregular Warfare Annex to the National Defense Strategy Operational design — the analytical framework that underpins U.S. military planning — has a relevance problem.
Scouts backpack in fall colors
Salida’s Troop 60 Scouts backpacked more than twenty-one miles across the Gunnison National Forest from the summit of Cottonwood Pass to the base of Mount Huron. The trip included crossing over the Lake Ann pass at an elevation of 12,550 feet above sea level. Twelve scouts completed the early October trip. Of the twelve scouts, seven were sixth graders. Two were high school upper classmen and the rest fell somewhere in between.
Scouts trek Wilderness areas
Salida’s Troop 60 Scouts backpacked more than thirty-seven miles of the Colorado Trail, traversing portions of the Holy Cross and Mount Massive Wilderness areas at elevations up to 11,400 feet. The four-day, three-night trip was an “unsupported” backpacking trip, meaning that no support or resupply was available. Thus, all food was carried in and water was procured along the route. Seven scouts, two Eagle Scout mentors and two adults completed the trip.
Jake Vold earns Eagle Scout
Salida High senior Jake Vold has a new entry on his resume: “Eagle Scout.” Vold was officially awarded his Eagle rank in March by the Boy Scouts of America national office. He is the son of Michele Vold of Salida and Ben Vold of Buena Vista. He has a younger brother, Caleb, 12. In light of social distancing restrictions, Vold agreed to answer some interview questions (lightly edited) via email about his journey to Eagle. How long have you been scouting? I have been in scouts since I was 6 years old.
Scouts conduct cold weather camp
by Brian Petit Salida Scout Troop 60 Salida Scout Troop 60 conducted a two-day January campout focused on cold weather field skills and expedition planning. Eleven scouts camped in a juniper-rich forest west of Salida near Big Bend. “We planned some potential multi-day backpacking trips for the summer,” senior scout Talmage Trujillo Jr. said. “We planned a 42-mile route that follows the Colorado Trail in the Leadville area,” he said.
Scouts snow cave in subzero
Salida’s Scout Troop 60 braved subzero temperatures at 10,700 feet of altitude during the troop’s annual year-end snow caving campout. Fifteen scouts and nine adults camped in nine snow shelters constructed near the Continental Divide off Old Monarch Pass road. “This was my third year in a row. It’s my favorite campout of the year,” senior patrol leader Ben Johnson said.
Scouts conduct archery campout
by Brian Petit Scout Troop 60 Sixteen scouts from Salida Scout Troop 60 earned the archery merit badge during a three-day, two-night November campout focused on archery on the Arkansas River near Big Bend. “We shot indoors and outdoors using recurves, longbows and compound bows. These scouts shot very well,” adult archery mentor Len Baldini said. The troop started the campout by visiting Western Archery in Poncha Springs.
Scout project installs park benches
Salida Boy Scout Talmage Trujillo Jr., a sophomore at Salida High School, led a team of 12 scouts and adult volunteers in the installation of two park benches in Salida. The bench installation was Trujillo’s Eagle Scout project. One bench is on the east bank of Frantz Lake. The second bench is overlooking the Arkansas River just below Frantz Lake.
Scout builds solar system
by Brian Petit Salida Scout Troop 60 Salida Scout Elijah Wilcox recently led 16 volunteers in constructing a solar system scale model on the grounds of Longfellow Elementary School. The project was Wilcox’s Eagle Scout project, so named because it is the major project that a scout must plan, coordinate and lead to qualify to be an Eagle Scout.
Salida scouts start their fall season
The Salida Boy Scout Troop 60 “fall season” is here. In truth, there are no scouting seasons: Scouting is a year-round activity. Fall is simply a good time for prospective scouts to see if the Salida scouting experience interests them. The first scout meeting of the year (for ages 11-17) is at 7 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Salida Rotary Scout Hut. Here are five things to inform your decision on whether scouting is a fit for your child. No. 1: age.
Scouts complete Eagle project
Salida Scout Jake Vold led 15 scouts and five adults in constructing a new “ga-ga ball” pit for the Salida Boys & Girls Club. The project was Vold’s Eagle Scout project, so named because it is the major project that a scout must plan, coordinate and lead to qualify to be an Eagle Scout. The project was conducted in two phases. On Friday night, scouts painted the wooden panels that would later form the circular walls of the pit.
Scouts beat the cold in snow caves
The scouts of Salida Troop 60 conducted their annual high-altitude snow caving trip during the coldest weather system of the winter season. Ten scouts, three Eagle Scout mentors and two adult leaders successfully spent the night in snow shelters in temperatures hovering at zero degrees Fahrenheit at 11,000 feet above sea level. “Snow caving at the end of the year puts all our skills to the test,” said Troop 60 Senior Patrol Leader Luke Johnson.
Scouts navigate in the cold
The scouts of Salida Troop 60 walked ridge and gulch, day and night, to earn their orienteering merit badge on a cold weather campout near the “crater” north of Salida. Ten scouts and three adult mentors camped for two nights at 9,000 feet altitude, with nighttime temperatures dipping to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, to qualify scouts on a core Scouting skill: navigating using a map and compass.
Too Late For Cheek Meat, But Just in Time for the Tongue Tacos
Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que is an understated temple to barbacoa in Brownsville, Texas. When two friends and I arrived at 10:45 one hot morning, Armando Vera, the owner, was turning customers away. They were sold out. Barbacoa has roots in the pre-colonial Americas and is prevalent throughout modern Mexico and the southwestern U.S., including the ranchlands of South Texas. Different animals are used in different regions, and many preparations now rely on contemporary kitchen technology.
Playing Zone Defense: Niger and the Risk Versus Reward of Remote Operations
The aftershocks of the combat deaths of four U.S. special operations soldiers in Niger on Oct. 4 are still shaking the Pentagon two months later. The deaths prompted a familiar refrain from the American public: “Why are we there?” This expected, if fair, question reminds us of the precisely opposite question asked about Afghanistan after the shock of 9/11: “Why aren’t we there?” To be there or not to be there? Either way you answer, you’ll find risk.
Scouts train in first aid - TheMountainMail.com: News
The Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared” acknowledges that when operating in the backcountry, things don’t always go as planned. True to that premise, 14 Boy Scouts from Salida’s Troop 60 and Buena Vista’s Troop 67 conducted three hours of first aid training Friday at the American Legion Hut. kAm$4@FED H9@ DF3>:EE65 HC:EE6? AC6\H@C< 2?5 4@>A=6E65 E96 92?5D\@? D6DD:@? 62C?
Scouts hike above 11,000 feet - TheMountainMail.com: News
Eight Boy Scouts from Salida Scout Troop 60 hiked, camped and fished above 11,000 feet for the troop’s final summer backpacking trip Sunday and Monday near Waterdog Lakes. The focus of the outing was to establish a camp near the Continental Divide and catch fish at a high-altitude lake. All the Scouts and adult mentors caught brook trout using either flies or lures. kAmt249 $4@FE H2D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 9:D @H? 6BF:A>6?E[ 7@@5[ H2E6C AFC:7:42E:@?
There is No Distance Too Far to Travel for the Perfect Lobster Roll - Roads & Kingdoms
From the moment I drive off the ferry onto Îles-de-la-Madeleine—seven small islands in the Gulf of the Saint-Lawrence in Quebec, six of which are connected by a road—my goal is to find the best lobster roll on the islands. Lobster has been an obsession of mine since I was a teenager. A treat I would enjoy once or twice each summer, when my dad received a crate of live lobsters from a customer in Prince Edward Island, resulting in an impromptu lobster feast in our backyard.
The Breakfast Staple That Transcends All Borders - Roads & Kingdoms
Across Africa and its diaspora, certain recipes and techniques stretch across borders. The most famous diasporic staple is likely West Africa’s okra stew, which shares similarities with New Orleans’ gumbo and caruru in Brazil’s Bahia, the hub of the Afro-Brazilian culture. But less well-noted are African and diasporic variations of fritters. Louisiana has its beignets. Kenya, its mandazi.
Embracing Flaky, Turkish Pastries and Gluttony at Dawn - Roads & Kingdoms
A rogue wind swept past the street and left my teeth clattering. My hands were numb, and I couldn’t feel my feet. March in Cappadocia can be unforgiving, especially for someone from the plains of southern India. I was in dire need of a warm cup of coffee. We had been up early that morning, hot-air ballooning. It was magical; we soared precariously over fairy chimneys against a gloomy dishwater sky that miraculously turned a tinge of fiery orange as the first rays of the sun strained its way in.
Too Late For Cheek Meat, But Just in Time for the Tongue Tacos - Roads & Kingdoms
Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que is an understated temple to barbacoa in Brownsville, Texas. When two friends and I arrived at 10:45 one hot morning, Armando Vera, the owner, was turning customers away. They were sold out. Barbacoa has roots in the pre-colonial Americas and is prevalent throughout modern Mexico and the southwestern U.S., including the ranchlands of South Texas. Different animals are used in different regions, and many preparations now rely on contemporary kitchen technology.
Ordering the Wrong Drink at Al Capone's Favorite Bar - Roads & Kingdoms
Al Capone drank here, back when Prohibition made liquor trafficking a risky and highly profitable business, best handled by mobsters. The Green Mill was a speakeasy, one of Chicago’s many. Capone did a damn good job keeping the city, and his favorite bar, wet. The waitress came around, one of those petite servers you wouldn’t want to meet in a darkened alley. She carried a crammed tray of drinks and asked in the clipped, perfect way that bar servers do what we wanted.
When You Don't Want the Day to End, Keep Driving - Roads & Kingdoms
It was five o’clock in the afternoon and while some were already drinking cocktails, we were sitting in a bar drinking cañas, small glasses of ice cold pilsner beer, on a street of low-roofed buildings leading up to the Alcazaba, the huge Moorish fortress that dominates the city. It was one of those typical Andalusian bars with tiles that reached halfway up the walls and a sign above the door reading tapas y raciones, or snacks and meals.
Salida Boy Scouts learn first aid - TheMountainMail.com: Education
The Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared” means having the skills to handle emergencies in the backcountry, around town or even at home. Three scouts from Salida’s Boy Scout Troop 60 worked toward that goal by earning their first aid merit badge Dec. 8 at the Scout Hut. Scouts Jackson Karls, Craig Dickson and Jed Green completed the merit badge training during a hands-on, 3-hour session taught by senior scouts and scout leaders. kAm“x =62C?65 9@H E@ 2AA=J 2 4@>AC6DD:@?
Scouts tackle Great Sand Dunes - TheMountainMail.com: News
Salida’s Troop 60 Boy Scouts experienced snow, sand and sun during their fall campout Sept. 23-25 at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. The sun and sand were expected, but the Friday night snow showers signaled the bracing arrival of autumn and gave the Scouts some challenges in setting up camp. kAm“(6 D6E FA @FC E6?ED :?
It Ain’t a Speakeasy, It’s a Hideaway - Roads & Kingdoms
There is a New Orleans restaurant that quietly opened last winter that is, for lack of a better term, (and for lack of my imagination), so hipster that in describing it, one must evoke the spirit of Bill Hader’s beloved SNL character, Stefon.
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