Horse-Drawn Funerals at Arlington Suspended Until Mid-2024
The Army has extended its suspension of providing horse-drawn caissons for military funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery through June 2024, a decision service officials said Wednesday is necessary to rehabilitate 27 horses and reset the troubled program. The 3rd Infantry Regiment’s Caisson Platoon, which provides horses and wheeled platforms to transport fallen service members […]
Bad Air: Military Across East Coast Deals with Smoke Pollution from Canada
As the eastern U.S. grappled with smoke from Canadian forest fires, the military across the region adjusted training or changed planned events to deal with the acrid air pollution. Springtime winds carried the massive trail of smoke across parts of the continental U.S. on Wednesday and Thursday — and directly over large military installations including […]
Kentucky Chemical Weapons Disposal Program Nearly Done as US Eliminates Final Stockpiles
RICHMOND, Ky. — A Kentucky facility built to dispose of deadly Cold War-era chemical weapons is nearing the end of its mission to destroy its 520-ton stockpile, a milestone that will likely mark the end of chemical weapons destruction projects in the U.S., officials said Wednesday. The facility at the Blue Grass Army Depot is […]
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 Pre-Boot Camp Course Expanded as Recruiting Challenge Looms
The Army is expanding its pre-basic training course this month so that soldiers who fall below the service’s physical fitness and academic standards can try to clear both hurdles at once — rather than choosing one or the other track — before entering boot camp. And a new Army pilot program that is part of […]
2023 Ain’t 2022: More Americans Signing Up with Army Guard, Internal Docs Show
The Army National Guard is behind on its recruiting goals for this year but is bringing more people into the ranks compared to last year, the worst recruiting year since the military went to an all-volunteer force. The service component has come up about 10% short of its goals on recruits for each month between […]
Army Avoids War Hero Names as Fort Bragg Instead Becomes Fort Liberty
Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was redesignated as Fort Liberty on Friday, marking it as the only major Army base not having a namesake honoring a significant figure in the force’s history. Fort Liberty is broadly considered one of the Army’s highest-profile installations, serving as the home of the service’s 82nd Airborne Division — set to […]
VMI’s Chief of Diversity Quits Amid Debate Over DEI
The chief diversity officer of the nation’s oldest state-supported military college, Virginia Military Institute, has turned in her resignation amid a debate among alumni over the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Jamica Love took on the new role in July 2021 — a month after a state-sanctioned report found VMI failed to address institutional […]
650 Military Promotions Threatened as Senator Shows No Signs of Relenting
About 650 general and flag officer promotions could be delayed this year by a legislative hold on Capitol Hill imposed by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., over military abortion policies, according to the Pentagon. Tuberville’s hold could not only hold up the promotions of rank and position — the vast majority of the 852 total officers […]
Gen. Mark Milley Awarded France’s Highest Medal of Honor
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron awarded France’s highest medal of honor to the U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. Mark Milley, on Friday for his role in coordinating support for Ukraine and for his more than 40-year military career spent in defense of democracy. Milley, who is traveling in France to attend ceremonies at Normandy […]