The Big Bailout

Before my final signoff for the three-day weekend, let me call your attention to this post by Abu Muqawama on the withdrawal from Joint Base Balad in Iraq, which in turn links to this New York Times article. Key phrase: "It is the largest movement of soldiers and matériel in more than four decades, the military said." Forty years would make it the biggest movement since the buildup in Vietnam.

As for Andrew Exum's title "Amateurs and Professionals, Tactics and Logistics," I'm sure he's referencing the old saw that "Amateurs talk about strategy [sometimes, "tactics"]; professionals talk about logistics."