Rowan Scarborough
Articles by Rowan Scarborough
Pentagon insiders preferred another over Hagel
Military officers assigned to the Pentagon do not vote on who becomes secretary of defense, but if they did, former Sen. Chuck Hagel might finish in second place. Published January 14, 2013
Pentagon begins campaign to bust ‘myths’ about nominee Hagel
The Pentagon has begun a campaign to rebut what it calls "myths" about Defense Secretary-designate Chuck Hagel and is sending to senators documents purporting to show that he is pro-Israel and tough on Iran. Published January 13, 2013
Hagel’s group sees Iran as a future ally
The think tank overseen by President Obama's defense secretary-designate predicts that Iran one day will be a "natural partner" for the U.S. and could possess nuclear weapons. Published January 8, 2013
Hagel is in for tough challenge to lead the Pentagon
As White House officials confirmed Sunday that the president plans to nominate Chuck Hagel on Monday as Pentagon chief, Republicans made it clear that the former senator from Nebraska will face a tough confirmation battle. Published January 6, 2013
Senate balks at promotion for Navy officer who shot down Air Force jet
A Senate committee has refused to approve a promotion to admiral for a Navy officer who, as a young fighter pilot during a training mission, deliberately shot down an Air Force plane whose flier has suffered a life of pain from his forced ejection. Published January 3, 2013
Pentagon undeterred by sex scandals; policy on women proceeds
The Pentagon is pushing ahead with its campaign to move women closer to the battlefield, despite a series of sex scandals involving senior officers and a report showing an increase in sexual assaults among the troops. Published January 3, 2013
Army gets geographical command, at last
The Army stepped to the fore last month, winning one of the armed forces' most coveted commands after having seen Marine Corps generals selected in recent years to head operations in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Europe. Published December 31, 2012
Hagel’s foreign policy record could doom chances for top Pentagon post
In his journey from conservative Republican to de facto Democrat, Chuck Hagel advocated several fundamental foreign policy positions while in the Senate that have not survived the test of history, an examination of his statements shows. Published December 30, 2012
Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, a man for his times
The twist in the long military career of Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf is that a 35-year Army soldier is remembered more for what he did in the air than on land. Published December 28, 2012
Army rolls out brass to defend anti-IED software
The Army presented two two-star generals and three intelligence specialists Thursday to defend its $2.5 billion battlefield intelligence processor, which has failed operational tests and has been criticized by soldiers as being too slow to analyze the enemy and help find buried bombs in Afghanistan. Published December 20, 2012
Marines’ new alcohol policy strictest in U.S. military
The Marine Corps' new on-duty standard for drinking alcohol is so strict that less than one drink at lunch would trigger a "positive" and get a warrior in hot water. Published December 20, 2012
U.S. arms to Gulf allies hint of strategy
The largest infusion of U.S. arms ever for Persian Gulf allies has shifted more toward offensive weapons at the same time that President Obama's military strategy says it will rely more on allied firepower in any future war. Published December 16, 2012
Marines to test for drunkenness on duty
The Marine Corps has issued new rules for randomly testing its warriors twice yearly with a Breathalyzer to make sure they are not drunk on duty. Published December 14, 2012
Muslim Brotherhood inherits U.S. war gear
For Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood-dominated government, more battle tanks and jet fighters are on their way from the United States. Published December 6, 2012
What is the Pentagon’s policy on artistic aid? It depends …
The Navy's special warfare command granted permission for two SEALs to advise filmmakers for an upcoming movie about a doomed commando mission in Afghanistan. Published December 3, 2012
Army’s own data mining system fails test
The Pentagon's top weapons tester has given a failing grade to the Army's premier battlefield intelligence processor, which troops in Afghanistan have criticized as being too slow and unreliable in sifting data to find the enemy. Published December 2, 2012
Report clears Army brass evaluating battlefield data processor
An in-house Army investigation into why its own independent test report on a battlefield intelligence system was ordered to be destroyed and a new one written has cleared officials of any wrongdoing. Published November 30, 2012
Pentagon report defends ouster of military instructor
A military college course taught by a decorated Army officer "was overtly negative with respect to Islam" and used "extreme" hypothetical situations to discuss war options, says a Pentagon report sent to Capitol Hill. Published November 29, 2012
MacDill AFB checking its ‘friends’ after Petraeus affair
MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., is scrubbing its list of 800 civilian "friends" to head off any future embarrassments in the wake of former CIA Director David H. Petraeus' sex scandal. Published November 15, 2012
Libya timeline suggests cover-up in attack
The Obama administration's public versions of events in the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya have been riddled with discrepancies, starting soon after the American dead and survivors left behind a charred diplomatic compound and bullet-scarred CIA building in Benghazi. Published November 14, 2012
