Recommended Reading:

Afghanistan: The War for Hearts and Minds
Robert Young Pelton | Really sells that working on an Afghan PRT...
Great article by the master of adventure journalism, and an interesting reivew of an increasingly powerful (and remarkably contentious) program.


Mullen Releases Concept for Future Joint Operations
US Joint Forces Command | It's pronounced "jiff-com"
Ah so you're the hearty type, ready for some real reading, rather than something a journalist cobbled together over gin and tonics?  Well then the 49-page Capstone Concept for Joint Operations, a document the military will use to help determine future capability development for the joint force in 2016 through 2028, is for you.  The capstone concept details the main security challenges facing the joint force: winning the nation’s wars, deterring adversaries, developing cooperative security, defending the homeland and responding to civil crises.  "Today’s challenges and threats are not strictly military in nature, solved or countered by military means alone.  We owe future generations a longer-term view of security. The concept is designed to help military and other national security leaders think about challenges and opportunities.”