A Slavish Devotion to Presence? 

Chris, Melanie, and Zack debate U.S. global posture. How can the
National Defense Strategy bring resources and requirements into
alignment? With the Defense Department having just completed its
global posture review, is Bob Work right that the U.S. Navy needs
to shed its attachment to presence? Is Bryan McGrath correct that
the answer is more resources? Or can new approaches — like the
Marine Corps’ A Concept for Stand-in Forces — square this circle?
Chris and Zack hope their holiday presents will include a clear
U.S. strategy on China. Melanie hopes for a nuclear power
revolution. And all three wish listeners a happy holiday season.


Links:


Jim Garamone, “Biden Approves Global Posture Review
Recommendations,” DOD News, Nov. 29,
2021, https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/2856053/biden-approves-global-posture-review-recommendations/.


U.S. Marine Corps, “A Concept for Stand-In Forces,” December
2021, https://www.hqmc.marines.mil/Portals/142/Users/183/35/4535/211201_A%20Concept%20for%20Stand-In%20Forces.pdf?ver=MFOzu2hs_IWHZlsOAkfZsQ%3d%3d.


Robert O. Work, “A Slavish Devotion to Forward Presence Has
Nearly Broken the U.S. Navy,” Proceedings, December
2021, https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2021/december/slavish-devotion-forward-presence-has-nearly-broken-us-navy.


Bryan McGrath, “What Is The Navy For?,” The Conservative Wahoo,
Dec. 1,
2021, https://conservativewahoo.substack.com/p/what-is-the-navy-for.


Mara Karlin, The Inheritance: America’s Military After Two
Decades of War (Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution
Press,
2021), https://www.brookings.edu/book/the-inheritance/.


Christopher A. Preble, “The Cold War Navy in the Post War World,”
Cato Institute Policy Analysis No. 195, Aug. 2, 1993,
https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa195.pdf.


“The Discreet Charm of Nuclear Power,” The Economist, Nov. 13,
2021.


CDR Salamander, “The Global Posture Review: Strategic Vapor
Lock,” Substack, Nov. 30, 2021.


Jack Detsch, “‘No Decisions, No Changes’: Pentagon Fails to Stick
Asia Pivot,” Foreign Policy, Nov. 29, 2021.


Dan Lamothe, “After Extraordinary Sacrifice—and Years of
Delay—Alwyn Cashe Gets His Medal of Honor,” Washington Post, Dec.
15, 2021.