Rowan Scarborough
Articles by Rowan Scarborough
Defense Secretary Hagel reduces buy on Navy’s futuristic littoral ship
One of the Navy's prized futuristic ships has been put on probation by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. Published February 24, 2014
Army historian says report on deadly Afghan battle was altered to absolve faulty gun
A former Army historian who chronicled the infamous Battle of Wanat in Afghanistan, where nine U.S. soldiers died after their M4 carbines jammed, tells The Washington Times that his official account was altered by higher-ups to absolve the weapons and senior officers. Published February 20, 2014
Troops left to fend for themselves after Army was warned of flaws in M4 carbine assault rifle
Army Senior Warrant Officer Russton B. Kramer, a 20-year Green Beret, has learned that if you want to improve your chances to survive, it's best to personally make modifications to the Army's primary rifle — the M4 carbine. Published February 19, 2014
Soldiers say intel tool is too difficult; Congress cuts funds for Army’s system
An internal memo from the U.S. command in Afghanistan says soldiers are voicing strong complaints about the Army's battlefield intelligence network, for which Congress just slashed spending by 60 percent. Published February 9, 2014
Army mulls funding for controversial intel network
The Army is assessing development plans for its battlefield intelligence network after Congress made it one of the largest budget-slashing victims in the new defense budget. Published February 4, 2014
Terrorist attacks up in Russia as Winter Olympics near
Russia has suffered a huge increase in terrorists attacks the past 10 years, says a new report that underscores the threat athletes and tourists face at next week's Winter Olympics in Sochi. Published January 30, 2014
Delta Force commando who saved ‘numerous lives’ in Benghazi seige honored
An Army Delta Force commando who infiltrated Benghazi to rescue U.S. diplomats, spies and security officers during a 2012 terrorist attack “was critical to the success of saving numerous lives,” according to a citation awarding him the military’s second-highest honor. Published January 25, 2014
Gen. Dempsey is a failed leader, scathing Senate review found
Members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, led by Vice Chairman Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, have issued a blistering criticism of Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, who as Joint Chiefs chairman is the nation’s highest-ranking officer and chief military adviser to President Obama. Published January 23, 2014
Olympics host Sochi remains a volatile region
Russia has erected a "ring of steel" and the U.S. military is planning for evacuations, but the fact remains that Sochi, the site of next month's Winter Olympics, is within striking distance of Dagestan and Chechnya — volatile regions that form a caldron for Islamic militants. Published January 20, 2014
NY TIMES WRONG: Jihadists from at least four Al Qaeda groups in on Benghazi attack
The militants who gathered on the night of Sept. 11, 2012, to torch and kill inside the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, were a who's who of the modern al Qaeda movement, newly declassified documents show. Published January 19, 2014
China encroaching on U.S. military dominance in Pacific, says top admiral
While Adm. Sam Locklear said it was obvious Chinese military power is growing, he suggested it remains unclear whether China will seek in the long-term to be a hard adversary to the U.S. — so Washington should be working overtime on steering Beijing toward a cooperative security posture. Published January 16, 2014
State Department chose flight over fight in Benghazi, Senate report says
Armed State Department security agents retreated rather than fire on terrorists who were invading the U.S. mission in Benghazi, says a Senate Intelligence Committee report. Published January 15, 2014
Chaos in Iraq could be omen for Afghanistan without U.S. troops
Afghanistan's war planners trying to picture their country without U.S. troops next year might want to cast an eye toward Iraq. Published January 12, 2014
In new poll defense leaders see China rising, U.S. declining
Most defense leaders believe the United States is weaker today than five years ago, according to a poll by Gannett's Defense News. Published January 8, 2014
U.S. troops prevented from helping even as al Qaeda overruns Iraqi cities
The U.S. has inserted 200 troops in Iraq since 2012, but they cannot directly help the Iraqi military repel a surge of al Qaeda fighters, even as the country succumbs to sectarian violence and insurgents claim control of two key cities. Published January 5, 2014
Pentagon pivots to social issues; providing for common defense a lower priority
As the armed forces shrink and withdraw from some global hot spots, their agenda for the battle of the sexes grows. Published January 1, 2014
With demise of Pentagon’s ‘Early Bird,’ military readers hunt bootleg copies of ‘Morning News’
The Pentagon has killed its "Early Bird" compilation of news and opinion stories, and now provides "Morning News" only for the top brass. Published December 24, 2013
Pentagon to review case of Marine who defied general in Taliban defilement case
A Marine Corps whistleblower says the Pentagon is investigating whether higher-ups retaliated against him for filing complaints against the Marine commandant. Published December 22, 2013
Robert O. Work to be named Pentagon’s No. 2 official
A former top Navy official is the leading candidate to become the next deputy defense secretary. Published December 20, 2013
Medal of Honor: General orders review of tracking battlefield awards
The top U.S. commander for the Persian Gulf has ordered a review of how recommendations for battlefield awards are tracked by the Afghanistan command, which lost the paperwork for a Medal of Honor nominee and for other heroes. Published December 18, 2013
