Most Awesome Week Ever

To compliment Adam Weinstein's "This Week in National Insecurity", and the "Most Dangerous Week Ever" roundup from Spencer Ackerman, I present the "Most Awesome Week Ever".


Secretary Robert Gates gave a poignant speech on the state of the All-Volunteer Force, and we learned that WikiLeaks' top leadership is ripping itself apart over an upcoming release of Iraq War documents.  Two reviews of "Obama's Wars" are now in, Thomas Rid analyzed the mysterious Stuxnet virus, and Adam Elkus and I caused quite a stir with a new piece at Small Wars Journal.  Fortunately, for our sake, Joseph Fouche came to our rescue:

Elkus-Burke, a super-empowered Voltron-like entity composed of one defense analyst, one Army aviator, and 8.65 LOLcats, has produced another article for Small Wars Journal.

(By the way, don't forget to catch Adam's latest in the HuffPo)


We also tackled news of the most critical importance:  the possibility of IDF Girls aboard submarines, international politics and zombies, the difference between helicopter pilots and jet pilots, and the world's wackiest micronations.


Yet, all is not entirely awesome.  Pakistan's increasingly unstable government has cut off a vital supply link into Afghanistan, and militants destroyed a large convoy of fuel trucks headed for ISAF troops shortly thereafter.  We've also seen the headquarters for Soldiers' Angels vandalized, and another battle between a Gold Star father and the jackals from the Westboro Baptist "Church".  US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) also Tweeted several links regarding the Army's ever-growing suicide numbers (Update:  four suicides in one weekend at Fort Hood alone).  Not to mention, there's the chilling story of the Afghan "Death Squad", whose ringleader collected fingers from dead Afghans to string into a necklace.


It's quite a somber end to the week.  The highs and lows have given me ample reason to drink this weekend at the Volksfest in Stuttgart.  


(I've already gotten bored of Oktoberfest, you see...)


Picture courtesy Mother Jones and the US Army.