The military's response to the Japanese earthquake, turmoil in the Arab world, gas prices spiking, China's military coming out of the shadows, and START treaties are bouncing around.

Could there be a better time for a full hour with one of our regular guest, Mackenzie Eaglen., Research Fellow for National Security Studies, Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation? I don't think so. Remember to adjust for daylight savings time and join us this Sunday!

As piracy continues to be in the news and by popular demand - todays Episode of Midrats will be a best of. We're going to replay the 30JAN11 episode with Captain Alexander Martin, USMC - the leader of the team that took back The Magellan Star.

Join Navy milbloggers Sal from "CDR Salamander" and EagleOne from "Eagle Speak" as they discuss the tactical and operational steps mariners can take to defend themselves and their ships from pirates - and if their ship is taken - what they can do to best enable coalition forces to re-take the ship.

Our guest will Kevin Doherty, former Marine and owner of Nexus Consulting Group of Alexandria (http://www.ncga.us/Maritime.htm).

Join Sal from the blog "CDR Salamander" and EagleOne from "Eaglespeak" as they touch both ends of the national security reality, from the person to the policy.

Our first guest will be Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, USA for the first half of the hour where we will focus on the work Soldiers' Angels/Valour IT does to keep wounded warriors in touch and wired-in while they recover. For the second half of the hour, we will pivot with our second guest, Seth Cropsey, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute to review the future of American sea power.

Join milbloggers Sal from "CDR Salamander" and Eagle One from "EagleSpeak" this Sunday with their guest, Dr. Dmitry Gorenburg, Senior Analyst at CNA and an Associate at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.

You can follow his lastest thoughts on Russian Military Reform at his blog at:

(http://russiamil.wordpress.com)

For the full hour we will look at where Russia stands in the 21st Century and how its domestic politics, demographics, the rise of China, and the evolution of its relationships in its near abroad will challenge this important nation.

What is coming down the line? Join Sal from the blog "CDR Salamander" and Eagle one from "Eagle Speak" as they look though the national security glass with Nathan Hughes, Director of Military Analysis at the global intelligence company, STRATFOR.

Much of the conversation about the USMC over the last decade has been about its "Second Land Army" status .... well .... Marines are still second to none at their core skill set. In case someone forgot that - our next guest and his Marines reminded everyone of not just that - but the power of the Navy-Marine Corp team.

Over a 48 hour period , the 15th MEU/PELARG team conducted offensive air operations in Afghanistan resulting in the deaths of 5 confirmed enemy fighters, provided disaster relief in Pakistan to 120 victims who had been without aid since July, and seized a pirated vessel, rescuing a crew of 11 hostages and detaining 9 suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Our guest will be Captain Alexander Martin, USMC - the leader of the team that took back The Magellan Star.

The last few decades have seen the growing quality and quantity of the People's Republic of China's Navy. Along with this rise has been a maturing of their maritime strategy and their view of what to do with their growing sea power.

Join Sal from "CDR Salamander" and EagleOne of "Eagle Speak" as they discuss this topic with United States Naval War College Associate Professors Toshi Yoshihara & James R. Holmes, the authors of the book, Red Star over the Pacific: China's Rise and the Challenge to U.S. Maritime Strategy.

A decade as a land army, its future combat systems either cancelled, delayed, or under pressure, and a Navy that finds itself getting shore-shy, what is the next step for the USMC? Our guest to discuss will be Dakota Wood, Lt. Col., USMC (Ret), a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. He is currently involved in studying the operational challenges of irregular warfare, complex contingencies under high-technology conditions, and proliferated nuclear environments. Before his retirement, LtCol Wood served in a wide variety of operational and staff assignments, including the Corps’ Military Assistant to the Director of the Office of Net Assessment and, provided defense issues analysis support to the Commandant of the Marine Corps on assignment to the Strategic Initiatives Group. Following his retirement, he provided support to the DHS as Operations Officer for the National Biosurveillance Integration System.

Join "Sal" from the blog "CDR Salamander" & "EagleOne" from the blog "EagleSpeak" for the one year anniversary special of Midrats.

Mark your calendars; we are going to have a live expanded panel discussion you will not want to miss. In addition to EagleOne and me, we'll have some of your favorite guest hosts and regulars; Galrahn from "InformationDissemination," along with Bryan McGrath, Jerry Hendrix, and Claude Berube.

Global security, maritime strategy, the future of the defense budget, and the general direction of the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and all things maritime.