Rowan Scarborough
Articles by Rowan Scarborough
House panel to probe Army’s IED software report
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee announced Wednesday it has opened an investigation into why the Army destroyed a test report that favored an off-the-shelf software program that troops say has helped them find deadly explosives in Afghanistan. Published August 1, 2012
Army may train women for rigor of front lines
To graduate from boot camp, soldiers must perform 35 pushups and 47 situps and run two miles in at least 16 minutes and 36 seconds — but that's only for male soldiers. Published July 30, 2012
Army campaigns to defend current detector of bombs
The Army has started a behind-the-scenes campaign to defend its homegrown battlefield intelligence system against critics in the field and in Congress. Published July 29, 2012
Russia seeks sea power with decrepit fleet
Russia's boast that it plans to extend its naval forces to bases in Cuba, the Seychelles and Vietnam poses little strategic threat to U.S. interests in Latin America, the Indian Ocean or the Pacific, analysts say. Published July 29, 2012
Probe sought of military software scandal
A member of the House Armed Services Committee is calling for a congressional investigation into the Army's handling of a software program the Pentagon opposes but U.S. combat troops in Afghanistan say saves their lives by detecting roadside bombs. Published July 25, 2012
Soldier battling bombs irked by software switch
The Army ordered the destruction of a report that praised the performance of an off-the-shelf software program that finds buried explosives in Afghanistan and replaced it with a revised less-favorable assessment, according to internal Pentagon documents. Published July 22, 2012
Military has to fight to purchase lauded IED buster
U.S. commanders increasingly are turning to a relatively obscure battlefield detective to find buried bombs, a major killer of Americans in Afghanistan. Published July 16, 2012
Navy admiral hints at jettisoning F-35 fighter
The chief of naval operations has penned an opinion column that has military analysts buzzing over whether it signals the Navy may be the first military branch to jettison the costly F-35 stealth fighter jet. Published July 10, 2012
Army looks for global partnerships
To maintain its relevance in a post-Afghanistan world, the U.S. Army is learning to make new friends. Published July 2, 2012
Pentagon holds first gay pride event
The Pentagon on Tuesday saluted open gays in the ranks, with a civilian lawyer calling on fellow homosexuals to "stretch a little" and become more visible inside the military in the drive for benefits for same-sex couples. Published June 26, 2012
Panetta not ordering gay pride events
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is not requiring commands and agencies to hold gay pride events this month, even as the Pentagon prepares for its first celebration on Tuesday of gays serving openly in the ranks. Published June 24, 2012
Congress won’t let Panetta close bases
Congress is poised to deliver a defeat to the Obama administration on one of its main defense policies in the new budget — base closings. Published June 20, 2012
Russia clings to a crucial power base in Syria uprising
Russia would lose a source of revenue and a Middle East power base if Syrian President Bashar Assad falls — two reasons why Moscow has armed the regime and blocked votes to let the United Nations punish Damascus. Published June 17, 2012
Pentagon weapon systems can survive spending cuts
The Pentagon could hold on to its crown-jewel weapon systems even though looming automatic federal spending cuts would inflict a $54 billion gash in the 2013 defense budget, military budget analysts say. Published June 10, 2012
Pentagon could keep big weapons despite automatic spending cuts
The Pentagon could hold onto its crown jewel weapon systems even though looming automatic federal spending cuts would inflict a $54 billion gash in the 2013 defense budget, military budget analysts say. Published June 10, 2012
Dogs outdone by electronic sensors in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, a soldier's best friend is no longer a bomb-sniffing dog, but an electronic sensor. Published June 6, 2012
Delta Force: Army’s ‘quiet professionals’
As Navy SEALs bask in the limelight for daring missions, some in the Army are wondering whether the other half of the nation's counter-terrorism covert warriors — Delta Force — is being upstaged and left in the shadows. Published June 3, 2012
Ex-Obama aide’s think tank hits defense budget
A Washington think tank founded by President Obama's first Pentagon policy chief has issued a report criticizing the administration's defense budget, which the think tank's founder played a role in developing. Published May 25, 2012
U.S. troops winning war against IEDs of Taliban
The U.S. military is on a path toward significantly fewer battlefield deaths in Afghanistan this year because it has become better at detecting the No. 1 killer of U.S. troops: the improvised explosive device (IED). Published May 24, 2012
Pentagon planners ordered to keep potential budget cuts from Congress
For Pentagon planners, automatic spending cuts slated to begin in January have become the $600 billion contingency they can't plan for. Published May 20, 2012
