The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Testing the Future of Joint All-Domain Operations in Africa
English Summary
The article argues that the U.S. must establish 'battle labs' in Africa to test modern Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO), as current domestic ranges cannot accommodate the vast spatial requirements of multi-domain warfare (e.g., drones, EW, cyber). Africa, particularly Morocco, is identified as a prime location due to its open terrain, growing drone sectors, stability, and developing indigenous defense industrial base. Strategically, establishing these labs allows the U.S. to validate advanced operational concepts, accelerate military modernization, and build resilient partner supply chains. Ultimately, this capability serves as a powerful deterrent signal to China, demonstrating the ability to project power and impose costs on rival interests globally.
中文摘要
本文論述美國必須在非洲建立「戰場實驗室」（battle labs），以測試現代的聯合全域作戰（JADO）。由於現有的國內射擊場域無法滿足多域戰場（例如無人機、電子戰、網路戰）所需的巨大空間要求，因此設立外部測試基地至關重要。文章指出，非洲，特別是摩洛哥，因其開闊的地形、蓬勃發展的無人機產業、穩定性以及正在發展的本土國防工業基礎，成為理想的選址。從戰略角度來看，建立這些實驗室能使美國驗證先進的作戰概念、加速軍事現代化，並構建具韌性的夥伴供應鏈。最終，此項能力將作為強大的威懾訊號，向中國展示美國投射力量和對競爭對手施加全球成本的能力。
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