Search Documents and Resources

    • Mission and Vision
    • Board & Staff
    • Financials
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Donor Privacy Policy
    • Explore our work
    • Center for Defense Information
    • The Constitution Project
    • Congressional Oversight Initiative
    • Policy Letters
    • Reports
    • Testimony
    • For Oversight Staff
    • Whistleblower Resources
    • Report Corruption
  • Take Action
  • Sign Up
  • Donate
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
    • Mission and Vision
    • Board & Staff
    • Financials
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Donor Privacy Policy
    • Explore our work
    • Center for Defense Information
    • The Constitution Project
    • Congressional Oversight Initiative
    • Policy Letters
    • Reports
    • Testimony
    • For Oversight Staff
    • Whistleblower Resources
    • Report Corruption
Project On Government Oversight
  • Take Action
  • Sign Up
  • Donate
  • Afghanistan
  • More Topics
  • About
  • Mission & History
  • Board & Staff
  • Financials
  • Take Action
  • For Federal Employees
  • COVID-19: Tips
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
Project On Government Oversight
    • Mission and Vision
    • Board & Staff
    • Financials
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Donor Privacy Policy
    • Explore our work
    • Center for Defense Information
    • The Constitution Project
    • Congressional Oversight Initiative
    • Policy Letters
    • Reports
    • Testimony
    • For Oversight Staff
    • Whistleblower Resources
    • Report Corruption
  • Take Action
  • Sign Up
  • Donate

Military intelligence for the rest of us, from POGO's Mark Thompson, every Wednesday. More

Waste

Introducing: The Bunker

Military Intelligence for the Rest of Us, in Your Inbox

By Mandy Smithberger | Filed under analysis | January 29, 2020

(Illustration: CJ Ostrosky / POGO)
If you want a cheat sheet for what you need to know about the Department of Defense, how we’re waging our wars, and how the Pentagon spends our taxpayer dollars, sign up for The Bunker.

After nearly 20 years of winless wars following 9/11, and a Pentagon budget that is well above the Cold War average, U.S. national security spending has never been a more target-rich environment. That is why the Project On Government Oversight’s Center for Defense Information has launched The Bunker, a precision-guided e-newsletter targeting your inbox most every week. You can sign up to receive it here.

So much of today’s military debate has boiled down to spend-more-to-make-us-safer vs. spend-less-and-invite-attack, when reality, as it tends to be, is much more nuanced. In fact, we would likely be safer if we spent significantly less. The roughly $20 trillion we’ve spent on national security since 9/11 might be worth it if Afghanistan and Iraq were now stable countries allergic to terrorists, if weapon systems were delivered on time and on budget, or if the U.S.’s toxic alliance with Saudi Arabia didn’t risk expanding endless wars in the Middle East.

Written by POGO national security analyst Mark Thompson, The Bunker is both pro-troop and pro-taxpayer; skeptical but never cynical. While Thompson didn’t cover the War of 1812, he has spent more than 40 years covering the Cold War, the promising decade that followed, and the frustrating wars in the Middle East. The Bunker takes aim at a flabby and fusty national security establishment ill-suited for the 21st century. POGO invites you to enlist so you can get The Bunker guided your way each week.

Sign up to receive The Bunker!

Military intelligence for the rest of us, from POGO's Mark Thompson. Sent every Wednesday morning.

Sign Up

Center for Defense Information

The Center for Defense Information at POGO aims to secure far more effective and ethical military forces at significantly lower cost.

Author

  • Author

    Mandy Smithberger

    Mandy Smithberger is the former Director of the Center for Defense Information at POGO.

Related Tags

    Waste National Security Military-Industrial Circus

Related Content

  • Oversight

    Introducing Indispensable

  • Accountability

    Adding up the Cost of Our Never-Ending Wars

  • Waste

    Pentagon Procurement and the Laws of Physics

  • Accountability

    Will Third Time Be the Charm for Pentagon’s Star Wars Bullet?

Site Footer

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • Press Center
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Briefing
  • Newsletters
  • Publications
  • Report Corruption
Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity CharityWatch Top Rated Charity Great Nonprofits 2021 Top-Rated Charity Navigator Four-Star Charity

©2023 POGO | Privacy Policy

Project On Government Oversight logo

Project On Government Oversight

Oversight in your inbox.