An Army Couple Had Their Daughter at a Military Hospital. Then the Collections Calls Started for $600,000.
Army Spc. Daysha Cartagena and her husband, Staff Sgt. Isaiah Cortez, were looking forward to the birth of their daughter in October 2021. The pregnancy hadn’t been easy; Cartagena’s legs and ankles were swollen, and her blood pressure had been erratic. When she began feeling contractions, Cartagena went to Womack Army Medical Center at Fort […]
Soldier Crashed Helicopter Before Running to and Crashing a Second in 2022 Suicide, Investigators Find
An Army officer appears to have crashed one Black Hawk helicopter, then run to another that he subsequently crashed, triggering a large explosion and killing himself, according to the service’s investigation into a 2022 incident — parts of which were obtained by Military.com. Investigators ruled the death a suicide. Just before 2 a.m. on March […]
Gender Neutral Standards, Return to Old Fitness Test: Congress’ Dueling Ideas for the Army
Both chambers of Congress have competing ideas to reinvent the Army’s new fitness test, an ongoing effort by legislators to alter fitness standards for the service that only last year received their first major update in decades. As part of the draft of the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which directs policy and […]
Supreme Court Accepts GI Bill Case That Could Affect 1.7 Million Veterans
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear a case on the handling of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs — a proceeding that could provide additional education benefits for roughly 1.7 million veterans. The court announced Monday that it would hear the case, Rudisill v. McDonough, which argues that service […]
Lawmakers Look to Make Military Housing More Livable with Annual Defense Bill
Barracks would legally have to be considered habitable under one version of an annual defense policy bill advanced last week by the Senate Armed Services Committee, a move that could set a new higher standard of quality for the housing. The on-base military housing is now exempt from the legal requirements of basic habitability imposed […]
Congress’ Move to Scrap the ACFT Sparks Outcry from Army Leadership
If the Army were a TV show, this would be the end-of-season cliffhanger. Congress is seeking to kill the Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT, and revert to the service’s previous fitness test. A move that, if successful, would surely draw the ire of senior leadership and confusion across the rank and file. On Friday, […]
UK Village Marks Struggle Against US Army Racism in World War II
BAMBER BRIDGE, England (AP) — The village of Bamber Bridge in northwestern England is proud of the blow it struck against racism in the U.S. military during World War II. When an all-Black truck regiment was stationed in the village, residents refused to accept the segregation ingrained in the U.S. Army. Ignoring pressure from British […]
Military in Alaska Struggles With ‘Constant Strain’ of Child Care Shortage
The U.S. military is struggling to provide child care to its service members in Alaska, which is directly affecting operations and putting a strain on those serving in uniform. Alaska child care providers have reported that the system statewide is in crisis, with long waitlists, low wages and high enrollment costs. While most of the child care challenges facing […]
Army Ranger Charged with Killing 2, Injuring 3 in Music Festival Shooting
Prosecutors have charged a 26-year-old member of the U.S. Army with killing two women and injuring three other people during an electronic dance music festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre. James M. Kelly faces two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault and one count of first-degree domestic violence assault in the shooting at the Beyond Wonderland festival, […]
The Military Recruiting Crisis Is Getting Worse
The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. At a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing, leaders from the Army, Navy, and Air Force all dutifully reported that […]