Space Case

Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, the former drug czar and commander of the 24th Infantry Division during Operation Desert Storm, has done another in a series of after-action reports, this one on Air Force Space Command.

His main point? The new president and his advisers, whoever they may be, have some work to do, and that right quick. From our story:

Because the existing Air Force space strategy is "under-resourced and severely constrained," the next president will have "at most a year" to make critical decisions regarding the United States' global superiority in space before it starts "rapidly eroding," according to a retired Army general.

Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey -- an adjunct professor of International Affairs at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY -- visited Air Force Space Command last month and met with the command's leadership in order to provide an independent operational assessment of Air Force capabilities and requirements. His "after action report" -- obtained by Inside the Air Force -- was submitted to Cols. Mike Meese and Cindy Jebb of West Point on Sept. 2.

McCaffrey has taken good long looks at Iraq and Afghanistan in recent months, too:

• McCaffrey Report on Iraq and Kuwait Visit (March 28)
• McCaffrey 'After-Action Report' on Afghanistan Trip (Feb. 26)