Thanks to journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, Americans know some intimate details about an air attack on rebels harassing shipping in the Red Sea. He took pains to not only provide mission details, but identify discussion participants.

Let me offer two observations about what was reported. These deal not with the nature of what was discussed; that content is “secret” or more restrictive. Rather it’s who was participating and the nature of the discussion.

In the days when I worked in the defense industry, one test we consistently applied was simply “a need to know.” We weren’t included in the discussion if we didn’t need to know. Did all the participants need to know the intimate details? Certainly Mr. Goldberg didn’t and maybe the secretary of the treasury could have been culled from the group.

Reading the details that unfolded in that Signal chat, including comments and emojis, it seemed more like a bunch of grade school kids on recess than adults in high government positions. The planning for the mission was a credible exercise done professionally. The “need” to offer comments on how it was to be executed seemed to be an exercise in “chest thumping” and “high-five” sharing.

I don’t remember doing any of that. It was enough to quietly do my job.

F. Gerard Nault
Windsor