War Strategies of General James Mattis, Trump's Secretary of Defense Nominee

USMC Major Michael L. Valenti from the US Army Command and General Staff College Press published a report in 2014 about the strategies General James Mattis, President-elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense, employed in war. The abstract on p. iii of The Mattis Way of War: an Examination of Operational Art in Task Force 58 and 1st Marine Division, summarizes his "way of war":

A “Mattis Way of War” is postulated in the conclusion which draws from his use of history, commander’s intent, and leadership to build up a capacity, or potential energy, for action in his unit. Once built up, he unleashes this energy utilizing explicit trust in his staff and subordinates.

Access a pdf of the full report including a three-page bibliography at http://armypress.dodlive.mil/files/2016/09/Mattis-WayofWarFinal.pdf.

DoD Releases Fiscal Year 2014 Defense Spending by State Report

From a September 28, 2015 DoD Press Release:

The Defense Spending by State Fiscal Year 2014 report examines U.S. defense spending in FY 2014, at the state and local levels, for all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

According to the budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2015, national defense spending is expected to decline 28 percent from FY 2011 to 2019 in real terms, after increasing by more than 65 percent from FY 2000 to 2010. Sequestration went into effect in March 2013 and required across-the-board cuts to defense and non-defense programs from FY 2013 to 2021. Over this period, defense spending will be reduced by a total of $454 billion.

The impact of these cuts depends in part on the number of defense personnel and amount of defense contract revenue in each state and region. This report highlights factors, such as the regional expenditures from military bases or private contractors, which can be used to evaluate each state's potential exposure to projected declines in defense spending.

View the FY2014 Defense Spending by State Report - Part 1 of 2.

View the FY2014 Defense Spending by State Report - Part 2 of 2.

DoD Releases Report on North Korea's Military and Security Developments

On March 5, 2014 the Department of Defense released a congressionally mandated unclassified report entitled Military and Security Developments Involving the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 2013. The report is posted at http://www.defense.gov/pubs/North_Korea_Military_Power_Report_2013-2014.pdf.

Congress asked that the report address:

an assessment of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, the goals and factors shaping North Korean security strategy and military strategy, trends in North Korean security, an assessment of North Korea’s regional security objectives, including an assessment of the North Korean military’s capabilities, developments in North Korean military doctrine and training, an assessment of North Korea’s proliferation activities, and other military security developments.

Counterinsurgency Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operations

The Report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Defense Intelligence Counterinsurgency (COIN) Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Operations is now available. The Department of Defense asked the task force to "identify how Department of Defense (DoD) intelligence can most effectively support COIN [counterinsurgency] operations." According to an introductory memorandum, the Task Force "examined the multi-phase COIN challenge, which includes the need to continue to support COIN operations in Afghanistan; prepare for emerging and urgent COIN ISR operations that will have to be met using current resources, and building a capability to deal with long-term COIN scenarios using new concepts of operations (CONOPS) and resources."

Fiscal Year 2011 Budget of the United States Government & DOD Budget Proposal

The Budget of the United States Government Fiscal Year 2011 is now available. Budget documents are available as PDFs digitally signed to ensure authenticity.

The Department of Defense also released its 2011 budget proposal along with a summary containing charts. The summary ends with a chart showing the 2010 war funding supplemental request. Strategic defense reviews including the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), the Ballistic Missile Defense Review (BMDR), and the Space Posture Review (SPR) are also posted.

New Department of Defense Web Portal

According to an Aug. 17, 2009 news release, the Department of Defense (DoD) launched a new home page, www.defense.gov, "designed to invite participation from the public and make military news and information more accessible." A new feature called "We Want to Hear From You" allows users to ask Department of Defense leaders questions and vote on policy issues they would like to have explained. It also includes a frequently asked questions section. The site provides quick access to the most popular DoD sites including DoD news, the Pentagon Channel, and DoD social media sites.

The former portal, http://www.DefenseLink.mil, will now serve as a news Web site and will be accessible from Defense.gov.