Ackerman on Odierno

"Odierno’s evolution, with luck, mirrors that of the Army," said Erin Simpson, a counterinsurgency expert and professor at the Marine Command and Staff College at Quantico. "We can’t win these wars by waiting for the next Dave Petraeus. [Odierno is] a great example of how you can come to learn from your mistakes, learn from your peers and make this stuff work on the ground."

Ace journo Spencer Ackerman -- who looks a lot like Lyon's Brazilian midfielder Juninho, only shorter -- has written a much more nuanced and intelligent profile of Gen. Ray Odierno than either the Kagans or Ralph Peters were able to offer. Check it out. (Pictured: Spencer, right, battles for the ball with Manchester United's Christiano Ronaldo.)