Forward Observer: A 'Buy Everything' Budget

Congress has not forced Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to make tough choices on Pentagon spending priorities.

• George C. Wilson
• February 27, 2006

Forward Observer: Homeward Bound?

A withdrawal from Iraq would leave Bush with the challenge of securing adequate funding to back Iraqi forces.

• George C. Wilson
• December 6, 2005

Forward Observer: Tortured Logic

If Sen. John McCain's anti-torture amendment fails, brutal foreign governments will be less inclined to observe the narrow firebreak between life and death when abusing U.S. prisoners.

• George C. Wilson
• November 14, 2005

Forward Observer: Distant Replay

The newest administration strategy for winning in Iraq is similar to one that was tried early on in the Vietnam War--and failed.

• George C. Wilson
• October 31, 2005

Forward Observer: Suiting Up for the Next Katrina

Paul McHale, assistant secretary of Defense for homeland security, seeks to apply the lessons of the hurricane response to the next crisis.

• George C. Wilson
• October 17, 2005

Forward Observer: People, Not Paper

Nobody is looking into the faces of those serving in the military as they parse in bloodless reports and pork-driven congressional hearings the base closing recommendations of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his Pentagon team.

• George C. Wilson
• May 23, 2005

Forward Observer: Penetrating Debate

Debate is about to heat up on President Bush's request for money to study building a nuclear weapon that could penetrate the earth to kill enemy commanders in their bunkers deep underground.

• George C. Wilson
• March 14, 2005

Forward Observer: A New Arms Race

Europe's plan to resume selling arms to China already has generated the beginning of a backlash in Congress.

• George C. Wilson
• February 28, 2005

Forward Observer: Lost at Sea

The debut of a biweekly column by veteran defense writer George C. Wilson.

• George C. Wilson
• February 17, 2005

Tilting at the Pentagon

Bulldog legislator Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is taking on a new target: the Defense Department.

• George C. Wilson
• May 27, 2003

Bottom up

The Marine Corps got good press during the war in Iraq because lower-ranking men and women—not the top brass—were so impressive.

• George C. Wilson
• April 29, 2003

Failure to fight

Why did Saddam Hussein do almost nothing to try to stop the invasion of his country?

• George C. Wilson
• April 22, 2003

Iraq is not Vietnam

The equipment, terrain and tactics of war have changed dramatically in 35 years.

• George C. Wilson
• April 15, 2003

Marine Corps evolves into sophisticated, fluid fighting force

• George C. Wilson
• April 4, 2003

War Diary: A week in the life of a Marine unit

• George C. Wilson
• March 28, 2003

As U.S. forces advance, visible violence of war emerges

As U.S. troops sweep into Iraq and run into determined pockets of opposition, the war is beginning to yield discomforting images of death and destruction.

• George C. Wilson
• March 23, 2003

For young Marines on the verge of war, a puzzling suicide

• George C. Wilson
• March 16, 2003

Soldiers ready, but uneasy about chemical, biological weapons

Soldiers in a platoon deploying to the Middle East are ready to charge into Iraq. But they have some nagging doubts about being attacked by chemical and biological weapons.

• George C. Wilson
• March 7, 2003

Foot soldiers

An Army platoon leader prepares his men for combat.

• George C. Wilson
• March 4, 2003

Military families wait, wonder, worry

Few Americans who would be in harm's way in Iraq come from America's ruling class. They have parents like Phil and Barbara Hall—parents who wonder whether war is justified.

• George C. Wilson
• February 21, 2003