This is a thread about US military readiness.
It’s not specifically about what’s happened in Iran and Iraq.
While we published these stories last year, they’re arguably even more crucial now as we enter into what may be another armed conflict:
It’s not specifically about what’s happened in Iran and Iraq.
While we published these stories last year, they’re arguably even more crucial now as we enter into what may be another armed conflict:
The stories are part of a series focused on three deadly, avoidable incidents in 2017 and 2018:
- two collisions between U.S. destroyers and civilian cargo ships
- the third a midair collision of two American aircraft
In all, 23 Americans were killed in these mishaps.
- two collisions between U.S. destroyers and civilian cargo ships
- the third a midair collision of two American aircraft
In all, 23 Americans were killed in these mishaps.
Of even more immediate concern right now are the stories we published in June about how 10 U.S. sailors strayed into Iranian territorial waters in 2016…
propub.li/39IhpXb
propub.li/39IhpXb
….and in August on deficiencies in U.S. minesweeping capabilities in the Persian Gulf.
propub.li/39PYaej
propub.li/39PYaej
There are two common themes in all of these stories:
1. Our armed forces appear to be frequently undertrained, understaffed and ill-equipped.
W/ too much money gone into purchasing expensive ships and planes, and too little into providing the men and women who must employ them with the time, training and tools to make them work.
W/ too much money gone into purchasing expensive ships and planes, and too little into providing the men and women who must employ them with the time, training and tools to make them work.
2. The tendency in recent years, when things do go wrong, to blame those on the front lines for mistakes while absolving higher-ups of responsibility for systemic issues that may have made such mistakes inevitable.
propub.li/2Ghjo6L
propub.li/2Ghjo6L
This is not a picture of how effective fighting forces are maintained at peak readiness.
It may collide with your sense of the U.S. military, which is almost invariably described as the world’s most effective.
It may collide with your sense of the U.S. military, which is almost invariably described as the world’s most effective.
But stories like this one 👇, and countless emails we’ve received from active-duty personnel around the world, indicate that these stories have struck a chord in the ranks of the services themselves.
Some will say now is not a time to question the readiness or proficiency of our armed forces.
“In a democracy," our prez @dicktofel writes, “it is precisely when force may be employed that oversight by citizens and ultimately by their elected representatives is most essential.”
“In a democracy," our prez @dicktofel writes, “it is precisely when force may be employed that oversight by citizens and ultimately by their elected representatives is most essential.”
@dicktofel Most of this 👆 text was adapted from a weekly email @dicktofel writes called NOT SHUTTING UP. You can sign up for that here: propub.li/2N8wZBz
Or, get you can get notified when we publish big investigations: propub.li/2LdoRh6
Or, get you can get notified when we publish big investigations: propub.li/2LdoRh6
