Great @wsj piece by my friends and former colleagues @kwheelbarger and @dustinrwalker on why @DeptofDefense should focus conventional assets on deterring China/Russia rather than surging to the Middle East on a flawed theory of deterrence vis-a-vis Iran. https://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-isnt-afraid-of-b-52s-and-aircraft-carriers-11608593380

All too often, we discuss military assets and deterrence as if what works in one theater is equally compelling in another. But a.) this isn't the case and b.) even if it were, doing so degrades readiness amid other pressing priorities.

The answer is not to ignore threats from Iran or neglect planning and posture in the Middle East but to recognize that different situations call for different measures, military and otherwise. Sending carriers, bombers, or Patriot batteries is unsustainable and ineffective.

To that last point, we need to talk about where and what kinds of military power work with greater specificity, where we expect too much from conventional military forces, where we should expect them to do more, and how other instruments of statecraft fit into the equation.

Working the CENTCOM portfolio (among others) in tandem with @dustinrwalker at SASC and @kwheelbarger at DoD was always great because we were able to focus on these problems across theaters. Glad to see them fostering candid, timely conversations here.