Brian Kerg
@briankerg.bsky.social
Writer | Atlantic Council Fellow | Irregular Warfare Initiative Fellow | Military Writers Guild Board Member | Naval Institute Editorial Board alumnus | Krulak Center alumnus | Pacific Forum alumnus | School of Advanced Warfighting alumnus | Views My Own
Pinned
Brian Kerg
@briankerg.bsky.social
· Jul 10
South Korea is the ideal anchor for the first island chain
Discussion of the first island chain largely overlooks South Korea, an ideal "anchor" that could prove decisive in a US-China conflict involving Taiwan.
www.atlanticcouncil.org
My latest for the @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social.
BLUF: Peninsular stability is linked directly to Taiwan Strait stability. Military planners should approach the simultaneous threats of the #PRC and #DPRK with this fact in mind. #WriteFightWin
www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...
BLUF: Peninsular stability is linked directly to Taiwan Strait stability. Military planners should approach the simultaneous threats of the #PRC and #DPRK with this fact in mind. #WriteFightWin
www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res...
My latest with the Irregular Warfare Initiative, discussing #Taiwan's latest National #Defense Report and its emphasis on resisting coercion and #cognitive warfare:
irregularwarfare.org/articles/res...
irregularwarfare.org/articles/res...
Resistance is Victory: Taiwan’s 2025 National Defense Report and Resisting Cognitive Coercion
Explore how Taiwan’s 2025 National Defense Report strengthens national resistance, counters PRC cognitive warfare, and builds resilience against gray zone threats.
irregularwarfare.org
November 20, 2025 at 1:04 PM
My latest with the Irregular Warfare Initiative, discussing #Taiwan's latest National #Defense Report and its emphasis on resisting coercion and #cognitive warfare:
irregularwarfare.org/articles/res...
irregularwarfare.org/articles/res...
Reposted by Brian Kerg
This is the date we should actually celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday.
Nov. 19, 1775: Gen. Washington writes to Congress warning that their recent decision to raise two battalions of Marines will “entirely derange” his Army if the officers and men are taken from there. He urges recruitment be done in Philadelphia so as not to cannibalize his strength in Massachusetts.
November 19, 2025 at 5:35 PM
This is the date we should actually celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday.
Reposted by Brian Kerg
Cartoon on Japan‘s Takaichi Sanae take on China’s aggression
November 16, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Cartoon on Japan‘s Takaichi Sanae take on China’s aggression
Reposted by Brian Kerg
Beijing launches new initiative to massively expand Japanese tourism to Taiwan😀. www.cnn.com/2025/11/15/c...
China warns citizens against Japan travel as Taiwan spat escalates | CNN
China has warned its citizens against traveling to Japan as it escalates a backlash over comments by the country’s prime minister about the island of Taiwan.
www.cnn.com
November 15, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Beijing launches new initiative to massively expand Japanese tourism to Taiwan😀. www.cnn.com/2025/11/15/c...
This is critical. So many of the recent pieces from US think tankers calling to appease China by abandoning Taiwan don't account for the rest of the countries in the region that will be placed at great risk by such a move and a subsequent Chinese invasion. They will act in their own defense.
If China were to impose blockade on Taiwan, existential crisis could be triggered, Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae says – The Yomiuri Shimbun: ‘an existential crisis for Japan, as stipulated in the security-related legislation’
If China Were to Impose Blockade on Taiwan, Existential Crisis Could Be Triggered, Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi Says
<p>Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has asserted that if China were to impose a naval blockade on Taiwan, it could constitute an existential crisis for Japan, as stipulated in the security-related legisl...
japannews.yomiuri.co.jp
November 9, 2025 at 2:59 PM
This is critical. So many of the recent pieces from US think tankers calling to appease China by abandoning Taiwan don't account for the rest of the countries in the region that will be placed at great risk by such a move and a subsequent Chinese invasion. They will act in their own defense.
I've been attacked:
November 9, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I've been attacked:
"Hey when it's time to wake up, why do #Marines scream 'REVEILLE REVEILLE REVEILLE!' like their lives depend on it?"
Because apparently it does:
Because apparently it does:
Nov. 8, 1925: A Marine corporal, furious at a private for failing to wake up at Reveille, shoots him to death. Cpl. John Kulick is arrested for murder in the killing of John Ban at their Washington base. He will be sentenced in 1926 to 20 years to life in prison.
November 8, 2025 at 8:06 PM
"Hey when it's time to wake up, why do #Marines scream 'REVEILLE REVEILLE REVEILLE!' like their lives depend on it?"
Because apparently it does:
Because apparently it does:
Reposted by Brian Kerg
Ok here's the thing about the carrier debate. Both sides are right and both sides are wrong (thread).
Ya’ll are going to make write a thread on carriers on a day off in my birthday weekend huh?
a horse in a field with the words y'all gon make me lose my mind
ALT: a horse in a field with the words y'all gon make me lose my mind
media.tenor.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Ok here's the thing about the carrier debate. Both sides are right and both sides are wrong (thread).
Reposted by Brian Kerg
Hard copies of "Orchestrating Power" are in the wild! I hear those that pre-ordered should be getting them soon. You only have a month left to pre-order and get your copies before the official release date: www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...
November 8, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Hard copies of "Orchestrating Power" are in the wild! I hear those that pre-ordered should be getting them soon. You only have a month left to pre-order and get your copies before the official release date: www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...
Is this a recommendation for a ... US pressure campaign in the Fourth Island Chain?
I'm all about studying our adversary but this might not be the right takeaway.
Oh no next someone will call for gray zone tactics by our American Liberation Army Maritime Militia!
I'm all about studying our adversary but this might not be the right takeaway.
Oh no next someone will call for gray zone tactics by our American Liberation Army Maritime Militia!
November 7, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Is this a recommendation for a ... US pressure campaign in the Fourth Island Chain?
I'm all about studying our adversary but this might not be the right takeaway.
Oh no next someone will call for gray zone tactics by our American Liberation Army Maritime Militia!
I'm all about studying our adversary but this might not be the right takeaway.
Oh no next someone will call for gray zone tactics by our American Liberation Army Maritime Militia!
My latest in @warontherocks.bsky.social, discussing the debate around the MEF Information Group (MIG).
I critique some of the ways this discussion was previously framed, and recommend a more sound approach for assessing the #MIG's utility. #WriteFightWin
warontherocks.com/2025/11/thin...
I critique some of the ways this discussion was previously framed, and recommend a more sound approach for assessing the #MIG's utility. #WriteFightWin
warontherocks.com/2025/11/thin...
Thinking First, Adapting Fast: Debating the Marine Corps’ Need for the Information Group
A decade into the effort to concretely integrate information warfare into its operations, the Marine Corps appears to be in the thick of another
warontherocks.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:00 PM
My latest in @warontherocks.bsky.social, discussing the debate around the MEF Information Group (MIG).
I critique some of the ways this discussion was previously framed, and recommend a more sound approach for assessing the #MIG's utility. #WriteFightWin
warontherocks.com/2025/11/thin...
I critique some of the ways this discussion was previously framed, and recommend a more sound approach for assessing the #MIG's utility. #WriteFightWin
warontherocks.com/2025/11/thin...
In other #election news... I'm absolutely honored to be a new board member for @milwritersguild.bsky.social! I'm looking forward to developing the community of writers across the defense ecosystem. Congrats to the other new leaders, I'm eager to get after it alongside you. #WriteFightWin
Welcome to the new Military Writers Guild members! Learn more about the new members at the link below:
milwritersguild.substack.com/p/welcoming-...
milwritersguild.substack.com/p/welcoming-...
Welcoming New Members to the Guild
Strengthening the writing community for over a decade
milwritersguild.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:15 PM
In other #election news... I'm absolutely honored to be a new board member for @milwritersguild.bsky.social! I'm looking forward to developing the community of writers across the defense ecosystem. Congrats to the other new leaders, I'm eager to get after it alongside you. #WriteFightWin
This weekend's read is Dean Chen’s excellent "US-China Rivalry and Taiwan's Mainland Policy: Security, Nationalism, and the 1992 Consensus."
November 2, 2025 at 7:36 PM
This weekend's read is Dean Chen’s excellent "US-China Rivalry and Taiwan's Mainland Policy: Security, Nationalism, and the 1992 Consensus."
Reposted by Brian Kerg
My running list of fellowships and other opportunities has been updated, including a veteran fellowship recently highlighted by Jason Galui - the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program at the Bush Presidential Center.
nathankfinney.com/fellowships-...
nathankfinney.com/fellowships-...
Fellowships and Seminars
nathankfinney.com
November 1, 2025 at 6:55 PM
My running list of fellowships and other opportunities has been updated, including a veteran fellowship recently highlighted by Jason Galui - the Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program at the Bush Presidential Center.
nathankfinney.com/fellowships-...
nathankfinney.com/fellowships-...
My latest for @usniproceedings.bsky.social:
"Han Kuang 41 demonstrated a forceful commitment by Taiwan to realistic and complex defense training. The threat of a Chinese invasion looms large, but Taiwan is showing heightened resolve, capability, and a will to protect its sovereignty."
"Han Kuang 41 demonstrated a forceful commitment by Taiwan to realistic and complex defense training. The threat of a Chinese invasion looms large, but Taiwan is showing heightened resolve, capability, and a will to protect its sovereignty."
Sharpening the Sword of Han Kuang
Taiwan’s latest annual exercise takes a more comprehensive and realistic approach to the island’s defense against a potential future invasion.
www.usni.org
October 31, 2025 at 5:22 PM
My latest for @usniproceedings.bsky.social:
"Han Kuang 41 demonstrated a forceful commitment by Taiwan to realistic and complex defense training. The threat of a Chinese invasion looms large, but Taiwan is showing heightened resolve, capability, and a will to protect its sovereignty."
"Han Kuang 41 demonstrated a forceful commitment by Taiwan to realistic and complex defense training. The threat of a Chinese invasion looms large, but Taiwan is showing heightened resolve, capability, and a will to protect its sovereignty."
If the author reviewed the oath he took when he commissioned, and that he likely retook upon each promotion, he would see a powerful riposte to his entire argument.
Hard to imagine a more sinister & dangerous argument, couched in euphemism & high-minded language. "This essay does not argue liberalism will collapse, only that [US] military officers should be intellectually (and spiritually) prepared for alternatives." warontherocks.com/2025/10/the-...
The American Military Officer After Liberalism
Across academia, government, and Silicon Valley, on social media, and in leading journals, intellectuals and political leaders are openly debating what
warontherocks.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:21 AM
If the author reviewed the oath he took when he commissioned, and that he likely retook upon each promotion, he would see a powerful riposte to his entire argument.
Victory in Los Angeles Day, 27 Oct 2025:
October 28, 2025 at 6:53 AM
Victory in Los Angeles Day, 27 Oct 2025:
Baseball
Imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Baseball my holding cell
Imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Baseball my holding cell
October 28, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Baseball
Imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Baseball my holding cell
Imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Baseball my holding cell
That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even Baseball may die.
October 28, 2025 at 6:23 AM
That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even Baseball may die.
The Wheel of Baseball turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.
October 28, 2025 at 5:56 AM
The Wheel of Baseball turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.
A phenomenal reflection that will resonate with many veterans.
Many of my Marines were repeatedly fired upon but did not return fire due to loss of PID, and the ensuing risk of hitting noncombatants.
They did the right thing, but will never rate a combat action ribbon, and that became a burden.
Many of my Marines were repeatedly fired upon but did not return fire due to loss of PID, and the ensuing risk of hitting noncombatants.
They did the right thing, but will never rate a combat action ribbon, and that became a burden.
October 27, 2025 at 4:27 AM
A phenomenal reflection that will resonate with many veterans.
Many of my Marines were repeatedly fired upon but did not return fire due to loss of PID, and the ensuing risk of hitting noncombatants.
They did the right thing, but will never rate a combat action ribbon, and that became a burden.
Many of my Marines were repeatedly fired upon but did not return fire due to loss of PID, and the ensuing risk of hitting noncombatants.
They did the right thing, but will never rate a combat action ribbon, and that became a burden.
The recent spat of articles from US think tankers arguing to give away Taiwan like it's an American bargaining chip consistently fail to account for Taiwanese agency.
People tend to fight for their existence and when you bomb them their resolve tends to rise significantly.
People tend to fight for their existence and when you bomb them their resolve tends to rise significantly.
October 27, 2025 at 12:22 AM
The recent spat of articles from US think tankers arguing to give away Taiwan like it's an American bargaining chip consistently fail to account for Taiwanese agency.
People tend to fight for their existence and when you bomb them their resolve tends to rise significantly.
People tend to fight for their existence and when you bomb them their resolve tends to rise significantly.
Reposted by Brian Kerg
Experts review Why Taiwan Matters, and other new and noteworthy books. usni.org/magazines/p...
Book Reviews | Proceedings - October 2025 Vol. 151/10/1,472
Experts review Why Taiwan Matters, and other new and noteworthy books.
www.usni.org
October 24, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Experts review Why Taiwan Matters, and other new and noteworthy books. usni.org/magazines/p...
A comprehensive strategy for maritime statecraft.
This is the strategy pursued by the prior SECNAV. For the first time, the authors offer an open discussion on its logic and path forward in @cimsec.bsky.social, authored by @hunterstires.bsky.social and Steve Brock:
cimsec.org/maritime-sta...
This is the strategy pursued by the prior SECNAV. For the first time, the authors offer an open discussion on its logic and path forward in @cimsec.bsky.social, authored by @hunterstires.bsky.social and Steve Brock:
cimsec.org/maritime-sta...
October 23, 2025 at 6:20 AM
A comprehensive strategy for maritime statecraft.
This is the strategy pursued by the prior SECNAV. For the first time, the authors offer an open discussion on its logic and path forward in @cimsec.bsky.social, authored by @hunterstires.bsky.social and Steve Brock:
cimsec.org/maritime-sta...
This is the strategy pursued by the prior SECNAV. For the first time, the authors offer an open discussion on its logic and path forward in @cimsec.bsky.social, authored by @hunterstires.bsky.social and Steve Brock:
cimsec.org/maritime-sta...