Author Archive

Kevin Baron

Executive Editor

Kevin Baron
Kevin Baron is the founding executive editor of Defense One. Baron has lived in Washington for more than 20 years, covering international affairs, the military, the Pentagon, Congress, and politics for Foreign Policy, National Journal, Stars and Stripes, and the Boston Globe, where he ran investigative projects for five years at the Washington bureau. He is a frequent on-air contributor and previously was national security/military analyst at NBC News & MSNBC. Baron cut his muckraking teeth at the Center for Public Integrity and he is twice a Polk Award winner and a former vice president of the Pentagon Press Association. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Baron earned his M.A. in media and public affairs from George Washington University, B.A. in international studies from the University of Richmond, and studied in Paris. Raised in Florida, Baron now lives in Northern Virginia.
Ideas

Another Killer Dressed Up Like a Special Operator

The SOF community could do more to protect what they’ve earned and shame wannabes who dress to kill.

  • Kevin Baron
Ideas

A Swedish Compromise Won’t Solve NATO’s Turkey Problem

As two Nordic nations bid to join, Erdogan’s hostage-taking should force the alliance to reckon with a member that is increasingly a security risk.

  • Kevin Baron
Ideas

Does the West Want Ukraine to Win or Not?

The relative trickle of advanced weapons to Kyiv suggests Western leaders would be fine with a stalemate.

  • Kevin Baron
Threats

How Much Can US Howitzers Help Ukraine?

Everybody’s talking about the fabled long-range guns. Here’s why.

  • Kevin Baron and Caitlin M. Kenney
Ideas

Putin’s Propaganda Machine Is What America’s Far-Right Wants

National security leaders must learn to fight disinformation at home, too.

  • Kevin Baron
Threats

NATO Deploys Response Forces; Warns Russia ‘We Will Defend Every Inch’ of Alliance

Rare emergency summit produces unprecedented order to activate a wide range of ready capabilities.

  • Kevin Baron
Threats

The Battle for Ukraine: What We Know So Far

Ukrainians fought back as Russian armor pushed toward cities, U.S. says. And more Americans are deploying to NATO’s eastern front.

  • Kevin Baron and Caitlin M. Kenney
Threats

World Leaders Vow Retribution as Russian Forces Press Deeper into Ukraine

"This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe,” says Ukrainian president, as NATO, UN members begin to enact responses.

  • Kevin Baron
Threats

An Exiled Russian Dissident Watches Putin Invade Ukraine

“Russia doesn’t need to invade Ukraine for there to be justification for sanctions today,” said a confidante of Alexey Navalny on a low-profile visit to Washington.

  • Kevin Baron
Threats

Putin Orders Russian Troops to Invade Eastern Ukraine

Declaring two Ukrainian regions “independent,” Putin dispatched “peacekeepers” and warned Ukraine not to fight back. The White House issued immediate sanctions.

  • Kevin Baron and Patrick Tucker
Ideas

What’s Taking So Long? Rename Those Confederate Bases

It shouldn’t be this hard or require this political theater to do what’s right, right now.

  • Kevin Baron
Featured eBooks
Joint All Domain Command & Control (JADC2)
Special Operations Technology
Extremism vs. Equality: Building Diversity in Defense
Ideas

Can I Watch the Olympics or Does That Make Me a Communist?

New polls show there’s still time to shape how Americans feel about China, while still rooting for Team USA.

  • Kevin Baron
Ideas

It’s Macron’s Moment to Move Europe Beyond NATO

Russian threats, Normandy talks, and the EU presidency give the French leader a golden chance to advance his new European security arrangement.

  • Kevin Baron
Ideas

Biden Just Gave France Something More Valuable than a Submarine Contract

The White House endorsement of European defense apart from NATO is worth more than a $66 billion deal with Australia.

  • Kevin Baron
Threats

Army Chief Calls for Afghanistan Review: ‘Let the Cards Fall Where They Fall’

McConville says lessons must be learned because “terrorism is not going away.”

  • Kevin Baron and Elizabeth Howe
Ideas

The Forever War is Dead. Long Live the Forever War

The fight against terrorism will continue, yet our body politic is weakened by double-speak.

  • Kevin Baron
Threats

Today's D Brief: Afghanistan worsening; Taliban control a border now; Largest ransomware ever?; C-130 goes down; And a bit more.

  • Kevin Baron and Jennifer Hlad
Ideas

Mark Milley, Anti-Racist

The Joint Chiefs chairman’s defense of anti-racism education continues his support for American values he says are the heart of the U.S. military.

  • Kevin Baron
Ideas

Putin Suddenly Looks Very Small

With Trump out of office, the Russian leader has nobody else. Biden has NATO, the G-7, and the upper hand.

  • Kevin Baron
Policy

Is the Biden Administration Proud of its Pentagon Budget?

If the White House wanted to boast about its spending plans, it wouldn't have buried the news on Memorial Day weekend and given reporters just 10 minutes to ask questions.

  • Kevin Baron