The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Marines Stage Hornet Maritime Strike Package off Japan
English Summary
The U.S. Marine Corps recently conducted advanced maritime strike drills off Japan using F/A-18 Hornets equipped with live Harpoon anti-ship missiles, demonstrating significant combat power projection from forward bases like Iwakuni. This exercise is part of a broader pattern of increased US and allied military readiness across the Western Pacific, including B-2 and B-1B bomber deployments. Strategically, these maneuvers signal an escalating commitment to countering China's rapidly modernizing naval forces, particularly its advanced destroyer classes (Type 055/052D) and growing carrier capabilities. The drills reinforce alliance security architectures in response to regional military tensions.
中文摘要
美國海軍陸戰隊近期在日本附近進行了先進的海上打擊演習，使用配備實彈“魚雷矛”（Harpoon）反艦飛彈的F/A-18獵鷹戰機。這展示了從岩國（Iwakuni）等前沿基地投射的顯著戰力。此次演練是美國及其盟友在西太平洋地區提高軍事準備度的一環，範圍涵蓋B-2和B-1B轟炸機的部署。從戰略角度來看，這些軍事機動行動表明了美方加強應對中國快速現代化的海軍力量的承諾，特別是其先進的驅逐艦級別（如055/052D型）和不斷增長的航空母艦能力。這些演習進一步鞏固了聯盟的安全架構，以回應區域日益升高的軍事緊張局勢。
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