Command Crisis on Saipan: The Only Time a Marine General Ever Fired an Army General
On the afternoon of June 24, 1944, a messenger entered Maj. Gen. Ralph C. Smith’s command post on Saipan and handed him a brief message. Smith read it, pocketed it, and continued to direct the battle that continued around him. The message informed him he was fired. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Holland M. “Howlin’ Mad” […]
Army Leaders Embrace AI for Command Decisions as Pentagon Accelerates Technology Race With China
The Pentagon is racing to deploy artificial intelligence across military operations before adversaries gain an irreversible edge, driven by lessons from Ukraine, where cheap drones powered by AI are destroying million-dollar tanks as well as China’s push to dominate military AI. The Department of War launched a $100 million AI program in December 2024 to […]
AI Is About to Radically Alter Military Command Structures that Haven’t Changed Much Since Napoleon’s Army
Despite two centuries of evolution, the structure of a modern military staff would be recognizable to Napoleon. At the same time, military organizations have struggled to incorporate new technologies as they adapt to new domains — air, space and information — in modern war. The sizes of military headquarters have grown to accommodate the expanded […]
Space Command Move to Huntsville Will Be Announced Very Soon, Congressman Says
A top Alabama congressman is predicting U.S. Space Command will announce its pending relocation to Huntsville this month. In an interview Tuesday with Auburn University’s “Cyber Focus” podcast, Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said contractors are “ready to turn dirt” the day the announcement is made. “I expect sometime during […]
Top US General Argues Against Giving Up Command of NATO at Senate Hearing
Giving up American military leadership of the NATO alliance would be “problematic,” the top U.S. general in Europe told senators Thursday. At an annual hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gen. Christopher Cavoli was asked about reports that the Trump administration is considering relinquishing the U.S. role as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, or […]
In Her Final Days in Office, Army Secretary Formally Establishes Service's Command Review Program
The Army is doubling down on its centralized screening program, which was established in 2020 to reduce bias during the selection process for the service’s command leadership. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth issued a directive Thursday permanently establishing the Command Assessment Program, introduced as a pilot nearly five years ago to review officers and senior enlisted […]
More than Half of Senior Army Officers Are Turning Down Command Consideration
More than half of the Army’s senior officers are turning down opportunities to command, choosing instead the stability of staff roles over the high-stakes demands of leadership, or retiring, according to internal service data. The Battalion Command Assessment Program, or BCAP, a cornerstone of the Army’s effort to evaluate leadership readiness, assesses 800 to 1,000 […]
Denis Leary Plays an 'Arrogant Loudmouth' Combat Officer Exiled to a Peacetime Command in Fox's 'Going Dutch'
It could happen to any officer of any rank: an otherwise routine public speech goes off the rails, things are said that shouldn’t be said, and the Army has a public affairs nightmare on its hands. That officer has to be disciplined somehow. That’s exactly what happens to U.S. Army Col. Patrick Quinn in Fox’s […]
Army Investigating Gen. Kurilla, Head of Central Command, over Allegations He Shoved an Airman
One of the Pentagon’s top generals is under investigation for allegedly shoving an airman on a flight in early September, a defense official and a spokesperson for the Army Criminal Investigation Division confirmed to Military.com. Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, who oversees U.S. Central Command, allegedly put his hands on an airman during a C-17 Globemaster […]
Suspended Army 4-Star Asks for Command Back After Pressuring Panel to Prop Up Career of Unfit Subordinate
A top Army general suspended earlier this year following a Military.com investigation into his attempts to influence a subordinate officer’s promotion is asking Army Secretary Christine Wormuth to be placed back into command. Gen. Charles Hamilton, who as head of Army Materiel Command oversaw much of the service’s logistics operations, wrote a letter to Wormuth […]