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Articles by David Barno
America is Not Prepared for a Protracted War
The gruesome ongoing war in Ukraine should have shattered any remaining illusions that the U.S. military can count on swiftly and decisively defeating any capable adversary in a future war. History is filled with examples of states that planned to fight a short, sharp war, only to become ensnared in conflicts that dragged on inconclusively for weeks or months or years — and which consumed vast quantities of munitions, equipment, and lives in the process.
How to Talk to a Veteran
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in War on the Rocks to honor Veterans Day in 2017. Seven years later, its message of fostering meaningful communication between servicemembers and civilians is more important than ever. This Veterans Day, the country will pause to honor those that have served in the U.S. military — including more than 2.7 million veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Drones, the Air Littoral, and the Looming Irrelevance of the U.S. Air Force
Today, the U.S. Air Force faces an almost-existential crisis. During the past several years, the service has been battered by the loss of its prestigious space mission to the nascent U.S. Space Force. It has also struggled to balance the continued acquisition of stunningly expensive new manned aircraft with the rapid developments in unmanned technologies, which are making pilots increasingly superfluous. What a difference a few years makes.
Strategic Outpost Brings You Santa’s 2023 National Security Gift List
Greetings from the North Pole! Santa here, once again giving you a sneak peek into my holiday gift list for some of the movers and shakers in the U.S. national security world. When I started working on my list this season, I discovered that nearly all of my favorite four-stars from the past few years have now left the building. I hope they’re enjoying their retirement, as their successors toil endlessly on all the problems of today’s world.
Learning from Real Wars: Gaza and Ukraine
The U.S. military spends untold time, energy, and effort preparing for its future wars. Yet periodically, real wars intrude to shatter hypothetical concepts and show how the ever-changing interaction of doctrine, technology, and leadership affects the character of war.
Strategic Outpost Goes to the Movies
Every summer since 2016, we have dutifully crafted a summer vacation reading list for our loyal readers. But this year, the utterly bizarre yet somehow appealing phenomenon known as Barbenheimer inspired us to do something a bit different.
Strategic Outpost Brings You Santa’s 2022 National Security Gift List - War on the Rocks
Happy holidays to all you national security nerds out there! This is red-nosed Rudolph checking in for Santa this year. The old man has asked me to share his gift list for the season with you while he and Mrs. Claus battle all the leaks in their gingerbread house.
Strategic Outpost’s Seventh Annual Summer Vacation Reading List
How can the summer be ending already??
Big Lessons for the U.S. Army From Ukraine
The war in Ukraine is the first major land war between two modern militaries equipped with advanced conventional weapons in decades. Its emerging lessons could fundamentally upend our understanding of conflicts that are primarily fought on land, and thus dramatically reshape the future of the U.S. Army. But the U.S. Army risks missing the most important lessons from the conflict, or, even worse, learning the wrong lessons entirely.
The Other Big Lessons That the U.S. Army Should Learn from Ukraine
National security. For insiders. By insiders. The war in Ukraine is the first major land war between two modern militaries equipped with advanced conventional weapons in decades. Its emerging lessons could fundamentally upend our understanding of conflicts that are primarily fought on land, and thus dramatically reshape the future of the U.S. Army. But the U.S. Army risks missing the most important lessons from the conflict, or, even worse, learning the wrong lessons entirely.
Strategic Outpost Brings You Santa’s 2021 National Security Gift List
Happy Christmas to all my favorite national security nerds! Sadly, it’s been yet another “year from you-know-where” with troubles and tragedies seemingly gripping us at every corner. Even Santa’s “ho-ho-ho” is getting a little shaky. But that’s why we have to step back at this time of year, take a deep breath, and find some ways to help each other smile, and maybe even chuckle out loud a bit during this special season.
Grenada, the Evacuation of Afghanistan, and the Future of War
Last month, our graduate students taught us an important lesson about the future of war. We examined the 1983 invasion of Grenada, in which one of us participated as a 29-year-old Ranger company commander. Our class includes about a dozen U.S. military officers, and after listening to the first-hand account of the confusion and missteps that characterized the operation, many of them were shocked.
When America’s All-Volunteer Force Loses a War
The sudden fall of Afghanistan marks the very first time that the U.S. military has clearly lost a war fought solely by volunteers. This defeat will have many strategic consequences, but it also may have a deeply corrosive effect on the nation’s all-volunteer military. Losing a war can be debilitating for any military organization and can deeply erode morale and confidence.
Fixing Oversight of Special Operations Forces
U.S. special operations forces have leapt out of the shadows during the last 20 years of war. They have become the best known and most acclaimed part of the U.S. military, and their capabilities will remain crucial in an era of great-power competition and strategic uncertainty. Yet their growth in prestige, size, and importance has come at a cost.
Why the United States Needs an Independent Cyber Force
Cyber is now the oxygen upon which the U.S. military depends for almost literally every element of its vast warfighting capabilities. No military service today can function without reliable, resilient cyber capabilities for everything from command and control, to intelligence analysis, to the routine functioning of every weapon system from tanks and ships to aircraft and satellites.
This neighborhood’s residents call it ‘the real America.’
By Rachel Hatzipanagos Email As D.C. has rapidly gentrified, one neighborhood has proven stubborn to efforts to change its character and uproot its residents: Mount Pleasant. Activists there have banded together to resist a CVS that could have pushed out a locally owned pharmacy. While 2,000-square-foot homes in the area have started selling for $1 million, community leaders and city officials have also retained affordable housing for lower-income residents.
Biden lifts military trans ban, but there's still more work to do - The Washington Post
Giselle Donnelly is a resident fellow in defense and national security at the American Enterprise Institute. David Barno, a retired Army lieutenant general, and Nora Bensahel are visiting professors of strategic studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. President Biden on Monday fulfilled one of his earliest campaign pledges, to lift the restrictions on military service for openly transgender Americans.
Civil-Military Relations from Trump to Biden
December 18, 2020 This episode of Horns of a Dilemma features a panel discussion on prospects for civil-military relations in the Joe Biden administration. The discussion brings a wealth of knowledge on civil-military issues, as well as a wealth of experience in administering defense programs.
Elf Confidential: Santa’s 2020 National Security Gift List
Ho ho holy smokes! What a year! You try to get out a delivery order for every little boy and girl all around the world with your elves working at 25 percent capacity! Thanks a bunch, County of North Pole! Does anyone know where I can get a COVID-19 test in time to travel on Christmas Eve? But — the holidays must go on. Last week, I held a Zoom meeting with the elves to figure out the right presents for the hard-working folks in the U.S. national security community.
War on the Rocks
November 10, 2020 The successful military is the one that adapts and innovates. Dave Barno, Nora Benhahel, and Frank Hoffman join Ryan to talk about how the U.S. military changes, or fails to do so. They have two new books on the subject between them: Adaptation under Fire: How Militaries Change in Wartime, by Dave and Nora is out now. And Mars Adapting: Military Change During War, by Frank, will be out soon. (This was recorded before the election results were projected)
Headwinds Looming for the U.S. Army
David Barno & Nora Bensahel War on the Rocks October 28, 2020 The U.S. Army is facing a stormy period that will be marked by wrenching change in the coming years. In the early weeks of the COVID-19 shutdown, we argued that the defense budget would decline as a result of the simultaneous health and economic crises facing the nation. Seven months later, the effects of the pandemic are already worse than we could have predicted, and show no signs of abating as the virus continues to spread.
The Headwinds Looming for the U.S. Army
The U.S. Army is facing a stormy period that will be marked by wrenching change in the coming years. In the early weeks of the COVID-19 shutdown, we argued that the defense budget would decline as a result of the simultaneous health and economic crises facing the nation. Seven months later, the effects of the pandemic are worse than we could have predicted, and show no signs of abating as the virus continues to spread.
Falling into the Adaptation Gap
David Barno & Nora Bensahel War on the Rocks September 29, 2020 Is the U.S. military adaptable enough to prevail in the wars of the 21st century? We’ve spent the last four years thinking about this question, first teaching a class on military adaptation and now, at long last, publishing a book on the topic. We reviewed numerous cases of adaptation from the 20th century, examined the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and assessed the most pressing security challenges ahead. Our conclusion?
Falling into the Adaptation Gap
Is the U.S. military adaptable enough to prevail in the wars of the 21st century? We’ve spent the last four years thinking about this question, first teaching a class on military adaptation and now, at long last, publishing a book on the topic. We reviewed numerous cases of adaptation from the 20th century, examined the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and assessed the most pressing security challenges ahead. Our conclusion? We are deeply concerned that the answer is no.
Strategic Outpost’s Fifth Annual Summer Vacation Reading List
Welcome to the summer of 2020, and a vacation season like no other! Some of you readers may be furtively planning to escape to isolated cabins hidden away in the mountains for a week or two. But most of us will be spending our summer breaks wishing we could do something more than a “staycation” with the very same people we have been trapped with enjoying quality time with since the late spring.
Daily Legal News
Domestic Relations 381649 Date Filed June 26, 2020 Case Number DM 381649 Judge Plaintiff Filed by. David A. Barno 3421 Jewel Circle Plaintiff's Attorney Defendant Tracy A. Barno 1105 Stone Ridge Circle Berea OH 44017 About your information and the public record.
Reflections on the Curse of Racism in the U.S. Military
The new cadets at West Point had only been at the academy for a few short weeks when they were shuffled into the boxing section of the gym one evening for a lesson that had nothing to do with academics, physical fitness, marching, or inspections. Over the next hour and a half, an officer instructor patiently explained the realities of institutional racism, the inevitability of individual prejudice and bias, and the dangers of racial discrimination.
Five Ways the U.S. Military Will Change After the Pandemic
The global pandemic is about to profoundly change the U.S. military’s role in defending the United States — even if Pentagon leaders don’t know it yet. As we noted in our last column, many Americans will look at the immeasurable damage wrought by the pandemic and conclude that defending the homeland from catastrophic threats is far more urgent than defending against foreign threats far from American shores.
After the Pandemic: America and National Security in a Changed World
The novel coronavirus pandemic is upending life in every corner of the world and its worst effects are just now beginning to spread throughout the United States. Most of the nation has been essentially shut down for weeks, markets have experienced enormous losses and wild volatility, and health systems in some regions are on the verge of being overwhelmed. The next few weeks promise more of the same, with the number of infections likely to rise even more precipitously before they reach the peak.
How to Fix U.S. Special Operations Forces
The wars of 9/11 have taken a significant toll on the U.S. military, but special operations forces have arguably shouldered this burden most deeply. For almost two decades, special operations forces have been constantly engaged in a wide range of missions, and demand for these elite troops seems endless. Yet the growing strains on this insular and elite cohort are showing, and it may be nearing a breaking point.
The Drone Beats of War: The U.S. Vulnerability to Targeted Killings
The fiery explosions from the recent U.S. drone attack that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani have sent shock waves reverberating across the Middle East. Those same shocks should now be rippling through the American national security establishment too. The strike against the man widely considered the second-most powerful leader of a long-standing U.S. adversary was unprecedented, and its ultimate effects remain unknown.
Santa’s Classified National Security Gift List for 2019
Classification: CLOSEHOLD//NOHUMAN//ELFONLY To: The Elves From: Santa Date: December 10, 2019 Re: Gifts for the National Security Community Thank you all for your excellent suggestions at last week’s staff meeting! By this time of year, after spending months pulling my beard out watching these people, I usually feel like giving everyone involved in national security a giant lump of coal.
Revisiting the Vietnam War at Home — And What It Means for Today - War on the Rocks
Just before Veterans Day, we participated in an unusual staff ride that examined the domestic front of the Vietnam War. We joined our students and colleagues from the Strategic Studies program at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in portraying the presidents and protesters, the generals and journalists, and the senators and students who shaped the course of the war here at home.
A Striking New Vision for the Marines, and a Wakeup Call for the Other Services (excerpt)
A Striking New Vision for the Marines, and a Wakeup Call for the Other Services (excerpt) Military planning documents rarely draw more than a yawn in Washington, but the new Marine Corps Commandant’s Planning Guidance is proving an exception. Crafted by newly appointed Gen. David Berger, it lays out a striking new vision for the Corps — and jettisons a sizable number of long-held Marine articles of faith along the way.
A Striking New Vision for the Marines
David Barno & Nora Bensahel, War on the Rocks October 1, 2019 Military planning documents rarely draw more than a yawn in Washington, but the new Marine Corps Commandant's Planning Guidance is proving an exception. Crafted by newly appointed Gen. David Berger, it lays out a striking new vision for the Corps — and jettisons a sizable number of long-held Marine articles of faith along the way.
A Striking New Vision for the Marines, and a Wakeup Call for the Other Services
Military planning documents rarely draw more than a yawn in Washington, but the new Marine Corps Commandant’s Planning Guidance is proving an exception. Crafted by newly appointed Gen. David Berger, it lays out a striking new vision for the Corps — and jettisons a sizable number of long-held Marine articles of faith along the way. Berger’s guidance is both hard-hitting and remarkably well-written, all the better for a document meant to be widely read and disruptive.
Military Brain Drain
In his recent book Bleeding Talent, Tim Kane joins a growing chorus of serving and former junior officers to deliver a wake-up call to today’s military leadership in the face of a major drawdown. Their message: If you ignore the expectations of today’s young, combat-experienced leaders as you shrink the force, your most talented officers and sergeants will exit, stage left. The military bureaucracy’s response?
Strategic Outpost’s Fourth Annual Summer Vacation Reading List
When normal people go on vacation, they try to get as far away from work as possible. When national security nerds go on vacation, we like to take more work with us! In that spirit, we offer you our fourth annual list of the best books, podcasts, and shows to catch up on during your summer break. Like our lists from 2016, 2017, and 2018, these juicy items can all be consumed on your iPad, Kindle, or iPhone while you hide out at the beach, in the mountains, or at your favorite coffee shop.
The Increasingly Dangerous Politicization of the U.S. Military
The U.S. military has been America’s most trusted institution for decades. It has managed to remain above the partisan political fray that has consumed many once-trusted cornerstones of American public life, from the church to schools to the Supreme Court. Yet the military has also become increasingly politicized over the past few years, in ways that profoundly threaten its reputation for nonpartisanship — as the recent imbroglio over the USS McCain demonstrates all too well.
The Other Stolen Valor: Unrecognized Heroism in Our Recent Wars
According to the U.S. military, relatively few heroes have fought in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although more than 2.7 million servicemembers have served on more than 5.4 million deployments since 2001, the number of military awards for valor has reached historic lows.
Powerful Lessons from Spring Break in World War II France
Instead of traveling to Daytona Beach or Puerto Vallarta over our spring break this year, we traveled back in time. We joined nearly 50 of our graduate students at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies on a week-long staff ride to Paris and Lyon to explore the French Resistance in World War II. But what we learned was less about sabotage, spycraft, and surveillance than about soul-wrenching moral dilemmas.
Loyalty and Dissent: Getting Flag Officers to Hear the Truth
Newly selected one-star generals and admirals in the U.S. military are often jokingly warned that pinning on their new rank means “you will never again have a bad meal, and you will never again hear the truth.” It’s not surprising that many of the unvarnished truths well-known to privates, lance corporals, lieutenants, and captains rarely make it to the ears of generals and admirals.
Debunking the Myths of the War in Afghanistan
All militaries craft narratives to help them understand and explain their wars. At their best, these stories can help divine important lessons learned, capturing hard-won battlefield wisdom. But at their worst, they can evolve into myths that distort reality and dodge accountability. In failing or inconclusive wars, such myths can also help a military avoid culpability and protect its deep-seated belief in its ultimate competence, honor, and professionalism.
Strategic Outpost Exclusive: Santa’s 2018 NatSec Gift List
To celebrate the long-awaited holiday season, Strategic Outpost continues its annual holiday tradition by taking you inside Santa’s North Pole workshop! This year we managed to break into his inner sanctum and snag a copy of his gift list for the high flyers and the heavy hitters who help make up the U.S. national security landscape.
What We Owe the Vietnam Veterans Who Stayed
As Veterans Day approaches this weekend, there will be a well-deserved outpouring of support for all those who have served the United States in uniform. After almost two decades of war, public support for veterans and those serving in today’s all-volunteer force remains extremely high. Yet few among us, including those currently in uniform, truly understand how much we owe to a special group of veterans: those who fought in Vietnam and chose to continue serving in the military afterwards.
Dumb and Dumber: The Army’s New PT Test
The U.S. Army’s leaders have made many impressive changes recently. They have increased the number of armored formations, created new security force assistance brigades, and established Futures Command to streamline byzantine acquisition processes. Perhaps most importantly to soldiers, they have started slashing the overwhelming numbers of regulations and mandatory training requirements, including the much-despised weekend safety brief.
Are You Enough? Our Speech to the PME Class of 2019
It’s back-to-school time! If we could give an opening address to the military leaders attending every mid-level and senior service college class this year, here’s what we’d say. Congratulations to each and every one of you for being selected to attend one of the U.S. military’s most prestigious programs of advanced education! You represent the best and brightest among your contemporaries, and your ranks include the future generals and admirals of the U.S. military.
Strategic Outpost’s Third Annual Summer Vacation Reading List
Okay, fellow nat sec nerds — we know that you really don’t want to take a summer vacation. But we also know that to keep up your relationships, satisfy your significant other, or maintain harmony in the family, you have to go — and even pretend to love it. So once again this year, we are publishing our best ideas for your summer vacation reading, listening, and watching.
War in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Sunday, July 08, 2018 12:01AM | MENU ACCOUNT SECTIONS CLASSIFIEDS CONTACT US / FAQ
War in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Retiring Chinese general He Lei recently made news by suggesting that China’s greatest military weakness compared to the United States was that it has never fought a real war. He noted none of Beijing’s increasingly advanced weapons, jets, and ships have been tested in combat. Moreover, the large People’s Liberation Army continues to rely upon conscripts rather than the long-serving professionals in the U.S. military.
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