As a former service member, particularly those who are retired, do you try to stay current on military and geopolitical affairs? If so, how?

2016-01-07T19:20:42-05:00

If you try to stay current - what professional or serious publications in the area of military and geopolitical affairs do you read / subscribe to.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 7 at 2016 7:29 PM

2016-01-07T19:29:15-05:00

I devour all news that is military-related. I subscribed to several military magazines, either through membership in a military organization or simply out of long-term subscriber status. I'm not sure how anyone who spent two-thirds of their entire life in the military could just walk away and NOT feel a need to stay connected in some way. My way is life membership in several national military organizations (VFW, AL, DAV, VVA), plus paying very close attention to all activities of the House Armed Services Committee and its Senate counterpart.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 7 at 2016 8:28 PM

2016-01-07T20:28:56-05:00

I only strive to stay tuned into the VA and associated matters / organizations. I read about much of the rest between here, Facebook, and a few reputable sources.

Response by MAJ Matthew Arnold made Jan 7 at 2016 8:35 PM

2016-01-07T20:35:21-05:00

Really my response is in between yes and no. I do not make an effort to stay up to date on current affairs, but there are areas of interest that I read about as they catch my interest. It is more of an interest, and therefore more pleasurable, than a duty, as it was in the past. (Just try staying up with the FAA and USAACEN on flying and safety procedures, it is a pain in the ... brain.)

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 7 at 2016 9:00 PM

2016-01-07T21:00:53-05:00

I read the paper daily, along with the VFW magazine. RallyPoint also helps keep me current on all things military.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 8 at 2016 4:54 AM

2016-01-08T04:54:43-05:00

Yes, I have a subscription to Air Force Times, read Stars and Stripes also receive my email of the Military Times Early Bird Brief. And of course here on RP!

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 8 at 2016 8:50 AM

2016-01-08T08:50:53-05:00

I probably keep more "up to date" now than I did then...I suppose it's easier to form opinions when you aren't so "close" to the flagpole.

I tend to look at two to three sources for any news item before I start putting together "facts"...one from the "Right", one from the "Left", and usually, I'll run it through a foreign news source to get an "outside" opinion.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Jan 8 at 2016 9:51 PM

2016-01-08T21:51:23-05:00

CTO1 USN(R) 21 Years in Military Intelligence working as a Communicator for Big Daddy, You just don't walk away from it. My Newspaper used to be the President's Daily Intelligence Brief from the CIA and Big Daddy. Yeah I still religiously follow the BBC.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 9 at 2016 4:35 PM

2016-01-09T16:35:23-05:00

Aaah! Give me your sources and I'll tell you who you are ;-)
I spent half of my life and more than half of my military career overseas. The infotainment called "news" in the US is not enough for my appetite. FA, WSJ, BBC, AJ and some foreign language periodicals provide me with the food for thought I need to digest to stay current.

Response by SSG Carlos Madden made Jan 11 at 2016 11:09 PM

2016-01-11T23:09:34-05:00

I try to read as much as I can and stay away from Facebook. The journal, Foreign Affairs, has always been good resources as have the magazines "Foreign Policy" and "The Economist." The WSJ can have some good pieces too. Also, if you're inclined to use Twitter, there are always good people to follow who are on the ground closest to the news before it hits the blogs and mainstream news.

Response by MSgt Ken "Airsoldier" Collins-Hardy made Jul 12 at 2016 1:54 PM

2016-07-12T13:54:02-04:00

I subscribe to Daily State Department Press Briefings and Defense News' Early Bird Brief, using both as jump-off points to set up Google Alerts on related U.S. National Security doctrines, Think Tanks (Non-state Actors) and keywords (i.e., Carter Doctrine, Center for Security Policy, Council on Foreign Relation, International Monetary Fund, Globalization, Rand Corporation, Sustainable Development, etc.). And since Sun Tzu said 'All warfare is deception,' I tend not to take sources literally, probing for deeper meaning and/or contrarian narratives.