Photo, left: The testudo formation in a Roman military reenactment. See Hour 1, Block c, and Hour 2, Blocks A & B.
In Ancient Roman warfare, the testudo or tortoise formation was a formation used commonly by the Roman Legions during battles, particularly sieges. Testudo is the Latin word for "tortoise". The Greek term for this formation is "chelone" and during the Byzantine era, it seems to have evolved to what military manuals of the era call the "foulkon".
In the testudo formation, the men would align their shields to form a packed formation covered with shields on the front and top. The first row of men, possibly excluding the men on the flanks, would hold their shields from about the height of their shins to their eyes, so as to cover the formation's front. The shields would be held in such a way that they presented a shield wall to all sides. The men in the back ranks would place their shields over their heads to protect the formation from above, balancing the shields on their helmets, overlapping them. If necessary, the legionaries on the sides and rear of the formation could stand sideways or backwards with shields held as the front rows, so as to protect the formation's sides and rear; this made the formation slow and they covered very little ground
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Hour One
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 1, Block A: Francis Rose, Federal News Radio, in re: Breaking News: OPM says 21.5M affected by second cyber breach. The Office of Personnel Management announced today that 21.5 million people were affected by the second data breach, which involved agency background investigation records. This breach affects current and former federal employees who sought security clearances, along with family members and others whose personal information was included on clearance applications.  Read the full story.
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 1, Block B:  Paul Gregory, Hoover, in re: Ukraine is fighting an uphill war against Russia on many fronts, including simmering hot war in east Ukraine, its uneven battle against Putin’s propaganda machine, and its attempts to neutralize hostile Yanukovich oligarchs who are still on the loose. Add a new one to the list: Ukraine’s impotence against Russia’s all-star roster of lobbyists that include a former German chancellor and former US Senate minority leader. I had thought Ukraine was outgunned in Europe by a coterie of German and French Putin-Versteher, but I now learn that Ukraine is outgunned on Washington’s K Street as well. If you want to be convinced, just read John Conyers anti-Ukraine remarks made on the floor of Congress. They could have been written by Vladimir Putin himself.
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 1, Block C:  Peter Feaver, Foreign Policy & Shadow Government, in re: How to Read the New National Military Strategy This week Gen. Martin Dempsey, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, released a new National Military Strategy (NMS). The NMS is prescribed in law (Title 10.153) as one of the top-level documents that outline how an administration sees the global challenges and opportunities it faces, and what it intends to do about them. In theory . . .  
Peter D. Feaver is a professor of political science and public policy and Bass Fellow at Duke University, and director of the Triangle Institute for Security Studies and the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy.
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 1, Block D:  Tunku Varadarajan, Hoover, in re: http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/voices/nikki-and-bobby-come-to-town
Hour Two
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 2, Block A:  Michael Vlahos, Naval War College, in re: How to Read the New National Military Strategy  This week Gen. Martin Dempsey, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, released a new National Military Strategy (NMS). The NMS is prescribed in law (Title 10.153) as one of the top-level documents that outline how an administration sees the global challenges and opportunities it faces, and what it intends to do about them.
In theory, the documents all fit together in a logical way. At the highest level is the National Security Strategy (NSS), signed by the president; it outlines the broadest-level goals and discusses how to integrate all elements of national power in pursuit of those goals. One step down is the National Defense Strategy (NDS), signed by the secretary of defense; it focuses on the defense role in implementing the strategy outlined in the NSS. The NDS is sometimes published as a stand-alone document, but it is prescribed as part of the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which I’ll talk about more below. One further step down is the NMS, which . . .   These points in particular
•       That some states, however, are attempting to revise key aspects of the international order and are acting in a manner that threatens our national security interest.” Then it names them: Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China. This is not quite an “axis of evil” moment, but that grouping is striking and noteworthy, especially for a public document.
•       “Today, the probability of U.S. involvement in interstate war with a major power is assessed to be low but growing.” The “but growing” caveat is a remarkable admission from the top military officer.
It acknowledges the importance of allies, but not the fact that our relations with our allies are frayed and in need of repair and it does not specify how we can restore our alliances without assuming a greater burden than President Obama has been willing to bear.  . . .  (1 of 2)
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 2, Block B: Michael Vlahos, Naval War College, in re: : How to Read the New National Military Strategy  (2 of 2)
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 2, Block C:  Josh Kraushaar, National Journal, in re:   President Obama cheered the Supreme Court’s ruling on Obamacare, but the biggest test for his health care law’s sustainability is next year’s presidential election.
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 2, Block D:  Charles Gasparino, FoxBusiness, in re: http://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/2015/07/09/jeb/
Hour Three
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 3, Block A:  Robert Zimmerman, behindtheblack.com, in re: New image of Pluto and Charon
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 3, Block B:  Chuck Blahous, Hoover via e21,, in re: Repealing Obamacare Would Lower Federal Deficits, in Economic Policies for the 21st Century
 
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 3, Block C:  Richard A Epstein, Hoover Institution, Chicago Law, in re: Every time the defenders of the traditional view of marriage argue against same-sex marriage, they lose the support of neutral third parties. The problem is that they are trying to tell other people how they should lead their own lives, and are using the power of the state to do it. Their justifications are far from compelling. They talk about the need for procreation in marriage, though many straight married couples use contraceptives. They talk about the risks of gay couples raising children, when there is no evidence that suggests that gay and lesbian couples are worse parents. Their arguments against same-sex marriage thus fall flat to modern ears, so that the basic support for same-sex marriage only grows. As a libertarian, I support same-sex marriage. However, as a libertarian, I also fear the totalitarian overtones sounding from the next round of gay rights initiatives. Yes, gays and lesbians have rights, but what about the rights of religious adherents and institutions?  (1 of 2)
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 3, Block D: Richard A Epstein, Hoover Institution, Chicago Law, in re: Every time the defenders of the traditional view of marriage argue against same-sex marriage, they lose the support of neutral third parties. . . .  (2 of 2)
Hour Four
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 4, Block A:  Daniel Henninger, WSJ, in re: Can Chris Christie Compete?   Chris Christie is the Republicans’ Terminator: The guy just keeps coming.
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 4, Block B:  Henry I Miller, M.D., Hoover & Forbes.com, in re: "When Bureaucrats Get Away with Murder"  Breaking News: OPM says 21.5M affected by second cyber breach  The Office of Personnel Management announced today that 21.5 million people were affected by the second data breach, which involved agency background investigation records.  This breach affects current and former federal employees who sought security clearances, along with family members and others whose personal information was included on clearance applications.
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 4, Block C: Gregory Copley, StrategicStudies director; GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs; & author, UnCivilization, in re:    (1 of 2)
Friday  10 July 2015 / Hour 4, Block D: Gregory Copley, StrategicStudies director; GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs; & author, UnCivilization, in re:    (2 of 2)