Brandon Carr

In the April edition of Proceedings, I examine the difficulty of amphibious operations against Iran in the Persian Gulf. These issues facing amphibious power projection are symptomatic of broader shifts in the changing character of war. usni.org/magazines/proc…

I can't emphasize enough how important this @CSISDefense brief is in assessing the readiness gaps the US faces in a potential war with China. Urgent action is required to maintain deterrence and execute a strategy of denial. csis.org/analysis/unite…

@CSIS @CSISDefense As the CSIS report states, many of the issues the US faces have been known for years. Progress to fix these issues and maintain a favorable balance of power have been nowhere near significant enough.

NEW DATA: The U.S. would face serious challenges in a protracted war with China due to a lack of long-range munitions, air defense systems, & unmanned systems, along with vulnerable bases & critical infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific, finds @CSISDefense. csis.org/analysis/unite…

"what they’ve seen so far underscores some of the lessons they’d already learned about the need for large magazines for these very sophisticated weapons." Agree. Trends in changing character of war have been clear for some time. US not adapting enough. washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/…

@USNINews Extremely important and favorable developments in righting the military balance in the western Pacific. These improvements are nowhere near enough but they are still positive nonetheless.

Sinking Ships in the South China Sea: Japan, the Philippines and the U.S. are Redefining Western Pacific Alliances During a Missile-heavy Balikatan — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/05/12/sin…

The state of Mississippi is a far different place when it comes to race relations than the rest of the country thinks. I believe that of Oxford, Starkville, pretty much everywhere in Mississippi. The perception of our state by some is very outdated.

I can’t believe I’m doing this. I think Lane Kiffin is full of it with what he said today. He’s a great coach but he’s a better button pusher. Ole Miss’s past with certain stuff isn’t great but that has nothing to do with present day.

Eighty-one years ago today, Victory in Europe was declared, marking the end of World War II in Europe. From the Battle of the Atlantic to the beaches of Normandy, naval power proved decisive in securing victory. Today, we remember those who served at sea, ashore, and in the air—and the enduring legacy of Allied cooperation that secured victory in Europe on 8 May 1945. Read more: “The Invasion Fleet that Liberated Europe” from Naval History: usni.org/magazines/nava…

@TheEconomist An important piece. Submarines are one of the most important weapons in achieving sea control and executing a strategy of denial.

And underwater drones may supplant them all economist.com/international/…

@USNINews An important development in the balance in the Indo-Pacific.

U.S. Tomahawk Hits Target 390 Miles Away in Land Test of New Launch System — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/05/07/u-s…

@John_Hudson Land-based missiles remain among the most difficult to locate and thus survivable forces in modern warfare. The age of denial.

U.S. intel also indicates that Iran retains about 75% of its pre-war inventories of mobile launchers & about 70% of its pre-war stockpiles of missiles, per a U.S. official. The regime has also been able to recover underground storage facilities & repair damaged missiles

SCOOP: A confidential new CIA analysis delivered to policymakers this week concludes that Iran can survive the U.S. naval blockade for at least 3 to 4 months before facing more severe economic hardship, a finding that contradicts those hailing an imminent collapse

On this day 84 years ago, the seemingly unstoppable wave of the Imperial Japanese Navy's advance crested in the Coral Sea. In the first naval battle where the participating ships never sighted or fired directly at one another, the #USNavy stalled Imperial Japan's planned invasion of Port Moresby and set the stage for its historic victory at Midway.

Fascinating example of how social media works today… (LONG POST) Saw a display in the BHM airport honoring the Tuskegee Airmen. Like 99.999% of Americans, I’m Team 🇺🇸… especially over Nazis. Posted it. Most responses were what you’d expect likes, RTs, patriotism. Then the algorithm shifted. Started seeing a wave of replies saying: “Tuskegee success was a myth. Just PR. DEI BS” The argument? They had fewer aerial kills than other escort groups, so therefore it was all BS. So I paused and did a real deep dive looked for actual historical data from the official Air Force accounts and historians. Here’s what I found…. They were right. They did have less aerial kills the other fighter groups. However….. The SAME data being used to discredit them tells a completely different story if you read the whole reports. Yes, they had fewer kills. But here’s the data that they omitted: Bombers lost under escort (same theater, same aircraft): • Tuskegee Airmen: 27 • Other groups: ~49, 68, 88 That’s not spin. That’s the mission. Escort fighters weren’t there to run up kill counts, they were there to protect bombers. And by that measure, the 332nd was one of the most effective groups in the war. Why did they have less aerial kills? Was it because they were less skilled? Historians pointed out the 332nd was known for staying disciplined and stuck with the bombers while others groups tended to often peel off chasing kills. So both things can be true: • Fewer kills • More bombers protected But here’s the social media lesson: Same report. Same data. One side cherry-picks “lowest kills” = “they weren’t good” But they “conveniently” left out the part where they protected bombers better than anyone. What I observed? 2 things. 1) Most of the accounts pushing the “myth” angle? Burner accounts, fake names…,people that hid behind a vague account names 2) Setting the record straight wasn’t the goal of the “myth” posters, it was for them to get their personal beliefs off without the actual information they claimed to have used. Anyway… Team America 🇺🇸🫡

@AdamArchuleta But if defs are so hard to ID pre-snap due to disguise (hence the off emphasis on pure progression concepts where coverage ID is irrelevant) how do you emphasize Brady-era 'processing' in QB dvlpmt? B/c so much of the 'processing was presnap and relied on static d w/ clear rules

Insightful post from Ben. This is spot-on. From production meetings & film study this year, the QBs thriving are the ones whose coaches are piling MORE at the line—killing/canning runs, checking protections, dual play calls and can play the game at the line of scrimmage. Coaches oversimplified for too long, made the game look more like college to get the QB’s on the field. The elite athleticism was NECESSARY because they really truly didn’t know how to beat an NFL defense consistently. Not blaming the players, it’s more on coaching. Now we’re getting back to real NFL offenses: under center, PA, shotgun, kills/cans, dual calls. Trevor Lawrence and Caleb Williams two great examples. Coaches demanding an extreme mental load and we can see it’s starting to pay off. It’s is A LOT on the QB and takes a special kind of discipline and WANT TO from the player - but for the ones that want the work - it will pay off.

Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson on WFAN the day after Glazer showed the "Spygate" tape on FOX: "That's exactly how I did it in Dallas." And: "I know for a fact lots of coaches were doing this. The opposing players bitching about this don't even know what their own coaches are doing."

A special team and a season we will never forget. Thank you, Rebel Fans, for your support all season long. Back to work 💪 #HottyToddy

PLAYOFF PETE #CFBPlayoff x #HottyToddy

VICTORY IS SWEET #hottytoddy x @CFBPlayoff

Spot. The. Ball. #GOLDingERA | @CoachGolding