The Military Times today wrote about concerns expressed by retired Adm. James Stavridis that the United States is not currently equipped to handle a military confrontation in the U.S. Arctic.  Stavridis said that the Arctic is “absolutely vital — not only nationally but in the context of NATO — [as] all Arctic nations, save only Russia, are NATO members, and Russia is building real military muscle in the high north,” and said that with only two icebreakers and an overall lack of preparedness, the U.S. is lagging behind its competitors in protecting its interests in the region.