Recruiting Boost: How US Army's Big Gains in 2025 Translate to New Year
America’s Army rewired itself in 2025 with border support missions, global exercises, and a modernization push as commanders prepare for broader challenges in a constantly evolving world. That was highlighted by a sizable recruiting uptick. The Army marked its 250th birthday this year and hit its active-duty 61,000-member recruiting goal with weeks to spare, the […]
Army's Head of Aviation, Who Faced Questions over Deadly Midair Collision, Has New Role
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army’s head of aviation has changed jobs to become chief of the branch’s enterprise marketing office, a move that comes before the National Transportation Safety Board holds hearings next week on January’s midair collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial jet that killed 67 people. Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman became […]
Upcharging on Food, Selling Booze: The Army's Plan to Privatize Dining
The Army is preparing to overhaul its food service system in a move that could strip away government-run dining facilities and hand operations to private, for-profit companies. Framed as a modernization effort, the plan could saddle enlisted soldiers, many of whom already struggle with low pay, with even greater costs for meals they are effectively […]
Veterans Are Divided over the Army's Big Parade, Being Held on Trump's Birthday
NORFOLK, Va. — James McDonough served in the U.S. Army for 27 years, fighting in Vietnam and delivering humanitarian aid to Rwanda. For him, Saturday’s military parade in Washington for the Army’s 250th anniversary — coinciding with President Donald Trump’s birthday — is about the resilience of a vital institution and the nation it serves. […]
Army's Nonprofit Goes Digital: New Online System Speeds Financial Assistance
Army Emergency Relief, the service’s de facto nonprofit, has launched a new online portal that allows soldiers and their families to apply for support without visiting a physical office — a significant digital upgrade aimed at improving speed and access to aid. The online portal allows soldiers across the active duty, National Guard and reserve […]
Tweaks to Army's Physical Fitness Test Are Relatively Modest
The Army has approved a series of revisions to its physical fitness test, recalibrating performance benchmarks in a modest and symbolic move that reflects mounting internal and political pressure over how the military measures fitness. What began as an initiative to introduce gender-neutral standards for combat arms roles has gradually evolved into a servicewide adjustment. […]
Army's M10 Booker Gets Nixed Leaving Question Mark for Future Infantry's Firepower
The Army is canning the short-lived M10 Booker, an armored fighting vehicle, amid concerns over its deployability and relevance on future battlefields — but the move could also leave infantry units with significantly less firepower in the next war. The decision reflects a broader pivot by the service toward high-tech warfare and away from legacy […]
Army's Use of Soldier Food Allowances Spurs Bipartisan Inquiry from Congress
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for answers on the Army’s handling of meal funds as questions mount over the apparent misallocation of tens of millions of dollars intended to feed soldiers. The scrutiny follows a Military.com investigation revealing that the Army cannot account for more than $151 million deducted […]
Soldiers Give the Army's New Rifle Optic Low Ratings
The Army has officially fielded its brand-new rifles to soldiers, but the service is apparently still working out the kinks with the systems’ advanced optic, according to a new assessment from the Defense Department’s top weapons tester. The fiscal 2024 report on the Army’s Next-Generation Squad Weapon program from the Pentagon’s Director, Operational Test and […]
The Army's Fitness Standards May Shift in 2025. But How Much Tougher Will They Be?
The Army is poised to recalibrate its fitness standards, redefining the physical expectations for combat-arms roles in 2025. Yet, where those minimum requirements will ultimately land remains an open question — one that could present an early test for President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Army leadership. The proposed changes stem from a congressionally mandated study conducted […]