Rowan Scarborough
Articles by Rowan Scarborough
Pentagon is planning ‘contingency’ for Iran and North Korea
The U.S. military is discussing significant changes in its war plans to adhere to President Obama's new strategic guidance that downplays preparing for conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and counts on allies to provide additional troops. Published May 1, 2012
Pentagon preps chopping block for next round of base closures
Defense Department officials are quick to say the formal process of selecting U.S. military bases for closure will not begin until Congress says so. Published April 26, 2012
Doubts of victory surface in war on Afghan poppy crops
The other war in Afghanistan — the one to reduce the opium poppy crop by eradication, crop trade-offs and threats — has made substantial gains over the past five years as cultivation has dropped 32 percent. Published April 22, 2012
Official says military personnel violated curfew in Colombia sex scandal
Military personnel sent to Cartagena, Colombia, to set the stage for President Obama's recent visit violated a strict 11 p.m. curfew, a Pentagon official said. Published April 22, 2012
U.S. forces make gains after trading static Afghan outposts for mobility
Afghanistan's harsh and isolated Korengal Valley two years ago this month served as the setting for an unlikely U.S. military maneuver — a retreat. Published April 15, 2012
Being ‘Army strong’ gets weak backing with Obama’s strategy
The Army is coming out of a decade of war beat up and strapped for cash. The force that arguably did most of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and suffered the most casualties, now finds itself in a new conflict. Published April 8, 2012
Army’s ‘chilling trend’ puts women at risk
The Army is pushing more women closer to the front lines and in closer contact with men even as the number of sexual attacks on female soldiers has surged during the past six years. Published April 1, 2012
Afghan Local Police key to success against Taliban
A small, little-noticed counterinsurgency force that was created in the ninth year of the Afghanistan War is proving to be the key for U.S. troops to leave the country in victory. Published March 29, 2012
Budget gridlock imperils national defense
Defense analysts and Capitol Hill insiders are anticipating that automatic federal budget cuts will occur Jan. 1 and force the armed forces to scrap plans for new weapons systems. Published March 25, 2012
Troops stressed to breaking point
A recent Army health report draws an alarming profile of a fighting force more prone to inexcusable violence amid an "epidemic" of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the mental breakdown attracting speculation as a factor in a massacre of Afghan civilians this month. Published March 20, 2012
Same-sex benefits a powder keg in Pentagon
The Obama administration is withholding medical and other benefits from same-sex spouses of military members, but Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. says he can no longer defend the law that authorizes the practice. Published March 18, 2012
Plotting against Iranian nuke sites
The first indication that Israel has resorted to military action against Iran's nuclear program would be explosions across the Islamic republic. Published March 14, 2012
Culture clash, bribes prod Afghans to turn on NATO
The post-Koran-burning slayings in Afghanistan have put focus on one of the most pressing questions facing U.S. commanders: Why do Afghan troops suddenly turn their weapons on NATO personnel and kill them? Published March 8, 2012
Al Qaeda in Iraq mounts comeback
Al Qaeda in Iraq, the Osama bin Laden-inspired terrorist group that sank the country into sectarian violence five years ago, is trying to make a comeback in post-U.S.-occupied Iraq, analysts and intelligence officials say. Published March 4, 2012
Gay Marine’s kiss sparks praise, anger
Marine Corps Sgt. Brandon Morgan's passionate kiss with his boyfriend at an on-base military-family homecoming was photographed and posted on the "Gay Marine" Facebook page, triggering an outpouring of support — and some dissent. Published March 1, 2012
‘Act of Valor’ accomplishes mission of educating public
The Hollywood movie "Act of Valor" — the nation's No. 1 box-office attraction, starring real Navy SEALs — has put the spotlight on the U.S. military's post-Sept. 11, 2001, love affair with the media. Published February 26, 2012
Navy aviator’s career soars; pilot he downed suffers
When retired Air Force pilot Mike Ross learned this month that the Navy aviator who shot him down is on a nomination list for the rank of admiral, he had a visceral reaction. Published February 23, 2012
Military gay group growing, aiming for more rights
An association of gays in the military has more than doubled its membership since last year, is setting up more on-base chapters, and plans to hold its next national conference at a Defense Department resort at Walt Disney World. Published February 20, 2012
Admiral nominee rose through ranks despite ‘illogical act’
When Lt. j.g. Timothy W. Dorsey intentionally fired his fighter jet's missile at an Air Force reconnaissance plane, nearly killing its two aviators and destroying the aircraft during a training exercise, it was hard to imagine then how his Navy career would wind up 25 years later. Published February 16, 2012
Navy: 3 new ships to be named after war heroes
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, criticized by Congress and veterans for some of his untraditional ship-namings, took the old-school route on Wednesday by naming three destroyers after war heroes. Published February 15, 2012
