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Articles by R.D. Hooker
Defense Spending Is out of Control
“Defense spending is out of control … a bottomless pit of need with no design and little assessment between competing platforms and above serious oversight.” That recent assessment by noted defense expert Joseph Collins is, or should be, a clarion call. The growth of federal spending and an exploding national debt have been cause for concern for decades.
Defense Spending Is out of Control
“Defense spending is out of control … a bottomless pit of need with no design and little assessment between competing platforms and above serious oversight.” That recent assessment by noted defense expert Joseph Collins is, or should be, a clarion call. Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments
Airpower, Landpower, Seapower – What Wins Wars
In “Armies Can’t Win Wars Alone,” (RealClearDefense June 1st 2026) airpower advocate David Deptula argues against the ”categorical” proposition that “only armies can deliver strategic success.” The fact is that no one of prominence – not Army generals, not congressional supporters, not leading academics – makes that claim.
Airpower, Landpower, Seapower – What Wins Wars
In “Armies Can’t Win Wars Alone,” (RealClearDefense June 1st 2026) airpower advocate David Deptula argues against the ”categorical” proposition that “only armies can deliver strategic success.” The fact is that no one of prominence – not Army generals, not congressional supporters, not leading academics – makes that claim.
Airpower, Landpower, Seapower – What Wins Wars
One hopes that the tedious back-and-forth about which service is paramount and under what circumstances may give way to a more balanced dialogue.
Bring Back the Jedi Knights
A generation ago, the Army’s “Jedi Knights,” graduates of the elite School of Advanced Military Studies, enjoyed an international reputation as perhaps the world’s best campaign planners. Carefully selected and exceptionally talented, these officers played major roles in the stunning success of the Gulf War. Since then, the program has lost much of its swagger. What happened? The short answer is that SAMS got too big.
Bring Back the Jedi Knights
A generation ago, the Army’s “Jedi Knights,” graduates of the elite School of Advanced Military Studies, enjoyed an international reputation as perhaps the world’s best campaign planners. What happened? Read Full Article » Show comments Hide Comments
Bring Back the Jedi Knights
A generation ago, the Army’s “Jedi Knights,” graduates of the elite School of Advanced Military Studies, enjoyed an international reputation as perhaps the world’s best campaign planners. Carefully selected and exceptionally talented, these officers played major roles in the stunning success of the Gulf War. Since then, the program has lost much of its swagger. What happened? The short answer is that SAMS got too big.
Bring Back the Jedi Knights
A generation ago, the Army’s “Jedi Knights,” graduates of the elite School of Advanced Military Studies, enjoyed an international reputation as perhaps the world’s best campaign planners. Carefully selected and highly talented, these officers played major roles in the stunning success of the Gulf War. Since then, the program has lost much of its swagger. What happened? The short answer is that SAMS got too big.
Bring Back the Jedi Knights
A generation ago, the Army’s “Jedi Knights,” graduates of the elite School of Advanced Military Studies, enjoyed an international reputation as perhaps the world’s best campaign planners. Carefully selected and highly talented, these officers played major roles in the stunning success of the Gulf War. Since then, the program has lost much of its swagger. What happened? The short answer is that SAMS got too big.
Why the Joint Force Isn’t Very Joint The U.S. Department of Defense makes much of the Joint Force, stressing its overriding importance Read Full Article »
Why the Joint Force Isn’t Very Joint
The U.S. Department of Defense makes much of the Joint Force, stressing its overriding importance. Particularly since the advent of the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols legislation, “jointness” became a mantra, amplified by reams of joint doctrine and scores of “joint” organizations. The importance of a truly joint approach to warfighting is, or should be, obvious.
Building a Warrior Ethos
The new administration has made much of the need to “build a warrior ethos” in the U.S. military, a worthy goal if pursued rationally and thoughtfully. A good place to start is with the U.S. Army Read Full Article »
The new administration has made much of the need to “build a warrior ethos” in the U.S. military, a worthy goal if pursued rationally and thoughtfully. A good place to start is with the U.S. Army, which in every war suffers the highest casualties and, in the end, takes and holds the ground that usually determines victory. In today’s Army, how do we encourage and incentivize our warrior leaders? The answer is surprising.
The U.S. Army Is Too Light To Win
The U.S. Army Is Too Light To Win Too much of its force is under-armored and under-gunned
The US Army is too light to win
How can we have forgotten the terrible lessons of the early 2000s, when losses in Iraq and Afghanistan prompted a scramble to deploy up-armored HMMWVs and Mine Resistant Armor Protected Vehicles? Today’s Army, far lighter than the one that took such damage in so-called “low-intensity combat,” is ill-equipped to deter or contend with the likes of China or Russia. Let’s take roll of the Army’s 31 active maneuver brigades. Eleven are heavy brigades equipped with tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.
It's time for a new Key West agreement
Roles and missions for the U.S. military were laid down in 1948 at Key West at a conference chaired by James Forrestal, the first Secretary of Defense. Subsequently approved by President Truman, these accords have remained in place ever since, despite extraordinary changes in the national-security environment.
It’s Time for a New Key West Agreement
It’s Time for a New Key West Agreement Airpower, air defense, Marines’ role—all need revisiting, three-quarters of a century after the seminal roles-and-missions pact. Read Full Article »
It's time for a new Key West agreement
Roles and missions for the U.S. military were laid down in 1948 at Key West at a conference chaired by James Forrestal, the first Secretary of Defense. Subsequently approved by President Truman, these accords have remained in place ever since, despite extraordinary changes in the national-security environment.
The Army is too top-heavy
With its many missions, the U.S. Army is hard-pressed to meet the requirements of the National Defense Strategy at its current authorized end strength. A major part of the problem is that the Army is awash in staffs, many of which did not exist during World War II, or even in the 1990s. After 9/11, the Army Staff grew by 60 percent, while headquarters and staffs Army-wide ballooned. All of these headquarters consume resources withheld from the warfighting Army.
The Alphen Group
By R.D. Hooker, Jr. a shorter version of this article first appeared in The Atlantic Council’s Ukraine Alert on August 22nd, 2022 So far in the conflict in Ukraine, the Ukrainian armed forces have conducted a stout and stirring defense, inflicting heavy casualties on Russian units and contesting every foot of ground.
The Alphen Group
How This Ends 13th June 2022 Uncategorized By R.D. Hooker, Jr. The magnificent resistance of the Ukrainian people has drawn the admiration of the whole world, but we must have no illusions. Without a clear shift in policy by the US, NATO and the EU, Ukraine will not win, and the consequences will be severe, not only for Ukraine but for the West – and the world – as a whole. All strategy begins with a simple question: what is the political aim? The answer here is straightforward.
Make U.S. Army Aviation More Lethal
A few tweaks-and one big move-could dramatically increase the combat power available to commanders.
A Potentially Deadly Blow to NATO
Former NSC Senior Director for Europe and Russia September 29, 2020 11:35 AM ET Commentary White House NATO Europe President Trump’s recent announcement of large troop reductions in Germany should be seen for what it is: a potentially deadly blow to NATO’s solidarity.
Make US Army Aviation More Lethal
Former NSC Senior Director for Europe and Russia June 18, 2021 10:00 AM ET Commentary Army Air Force For speed, lethality and decisive influence on the land battle, Army Aviation is the Army’s crown jewel. Yet a few changes could dramatically increase the aerial force’s lethality and survivability, and do so without breaking the bank. First, a primer of sorts.
I can think of no more honorable soldier than Alexander Vindman – HotAir
The parallels between the Dreyfus affair and the treatment of Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman are striking. As a senior director on the National Security Council staff early in the Trump administration, I recruited Alex based on his brilliance, language skills and remarkable military record. Alex is a Jewish immigrant from the former Soviet Union, and Russian was his first language. His is a quintessential American story.
Chapter 5 | National Security Reform
Dec. 12, 2016 — National security reform is more necessary now than ever, but some critics have exaggerated the costs and scope of the required changes. Actually, the system’s most egregious limitations can be inexpensively fixed in three straightforward steps. These reforms would be politically and bureaucratically challenging and require knowledgeable and determined leadership, but they are not expensive, hopelessly complicated, or overly broad in scope or scale.
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