Army Report Shows Increase in Suicides by Active-Duty Soldiers in 2023
As senior leaders work to reduce the stigma of seeking mental health care, the active-duty Army had one of its worst quarters for suicide in six years. Between January and March, the Army saw suicides in its active component increase from 37 in the same time frame last year to 49, according to Pentagon data […]
Army National Guard Can’t Retain Enough Soldiers, Even as Active Duty Meets Goals
It was a celebratory moment for the Army in April when it hit its retention goal for the fourth year in a row. The achievement signaled that, despite a historic recruiting slump, once soldiers are in, they like the service and tend to stay. “I do love our soldiers. They joined a great team, and […]
Pearl Harbor Sites Free This Weekend for Army Soldiers, Families
In honor of the U.S. Army’s 248th birthday, guests affiliated with the branch will get free admission this weekend for Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. There also will be a special 4 p.m. USS Arizona Memorial boat program on the “free pass days.” While Pearl Harbor National Memorial is free to all visitors, certain historic sites and services at Pearl Harbor are […]
Army Wants Confederate Names Gone from National Ranger Memorial. Retired Soldiers Object
More than 100 retired U.S. Army Rangers signed a letter sent to Congressional leaders to “strenuously object to the defacement and desecration of the National Ranger Memorial.” That’s how those veterans describe the decision to remove from the memorial the names of Rangers associated with the Confederacy. The May 23 letter the National Ranger Memorial Foundation sent to Speaker of the […]
Army Secretary to Remind Commanders They Can’t Deny Soldiers’ Parental Leave
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth plans to issue a servicewide reminder that soldiers are broadly entitled to parental leave and that the time off can be denied only by a general, according to an unsigned draft copy of the memo reviewed by Military.com. The memo comes after Military.com in recent months interviewed two soldiers who say […]
100 Soldiers Awarded Recruiting Ribbon as Army Struggles to Find New Recruits
More than 100 soldiers have earned the Army’s new recruiting award as the service leans on existing troops to bring enlistees into the ranks and help fill gaps amid a historic recruiting slump. The Army recruiting ribbon has been given out to 104 soldiers, according to internal service documents reviewed by Military.com. In addition to […]
Special Forces Soldiers Reveal First Details of Battle with Russian Mercenaries in Syria
Explosions flashed in the fog hanging over the Euphrates River like a coming summer storm. The continuous thunder of Russian guns pounded the American positions in a burned-out natural gas refinery in eastern Syria. Tracers crisscrossed the Syrian sky. The Special Forces soldiers felt the rumble of the explosions through the armored cabins of their […]
Texas Public Records Loophole Lets Cities Keep Suicide Reports from Families of Dead Soldiers
This article is co-published with ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for ProPublica’s Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox as soon as they are published. Also, sign up for The Brief, Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. […]
These Soldiers Say Mold in Barracks Isn’t Just Disgusting, It’s Making Them Sick
Difficulty breathing. Nose bleeds. Asthma. The Army has struggled with moldy conditions in its barracks for decades, with reports of infestations blanketing soldiers’ rooms and possessions at some installations becoming a frequent topic in the media. But those conditions aren’t just unsightly, they’re seemingly having a serious impact on the health of America’s front-line troops. […]
2 Soldiers Suspected of Painting Racial Slurs, Lighting Fire in Fort Hood Barracks
Editor’s Note: This story contains imagery that includes racist and profane language. Two soldiers are suspected of lighting fires and spray-painting racial slurs and a penis on the walls of a Fort Hood barracks over the weekend, Military.com has learned. Firefighters were dispatched to the barracks at the Texas base at 1 a.m. Saturday and […]