I quite enjoyed your article about military-to-military relationships between the American military personnel and their brethren around the world, known as “mil-mil” among the cognoscenti (“The Ties that Bind,” February 26, 2011). Indeed, the close ties between the American and Egyptian military personnel may well have calmed things down in Cairo a short while ago, when the military refused to use lethal force against the crowds in Tahrir Square. After all, many of the Egyptian officers have been trained in America. Given at least seven-hundred tightly-networked bases, the American military spans all continents minus Antarctica. At least half-a-million personnel is involved, too. Overseen by a handful of generals responsible for joint military command, the American military is an awesome international organization, no doubt. With all the schmoozing in military circles, it could have quite a calming effect on many a country with reasonably close ties, including Russia and perhaps even China. Come to think of it, if things go awry even in America itself, the American military will be there to calm things down. Once again, mil-mil relationships will be of the essence in any imaginable dire situation, as well. To put it bluntly, I can only hope that the ties that bind are binding enough.