SPARE CHANGE: MY TWO CENTS ON ... by David J. Aland. Dave Aland is a retired Naval Officer with a Master's Degree in National Security Affairs from the U. S. Naval War College. A 1977 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he pursued a nearly three-decade career in the Navy, commanding two ships, and participating in operations in the South China Sea, Indian Ocean, Lebanon, Arabian Gulf, and Gulf of Mexico. He currently works as a Defense consultant, and is an avid reader in political science and national security issues. His weekly column, "Spare Change", was started in 2004 on a dare.

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