Military Review of Fitness Standards Will Find Array of Tests, But Higher Requirements for Combat
WASHINGTON (AP) — The defense secretary’s decision to review military standards on combat and physical fitness and appearance opens a Pandora’s box of widely differing rules among the services. And it will raise a crucial question: Should there be a cookie-cutter approach, or should service differences, evolving social norms and recruiting realities play a role […]
Army, US Allies Battling Swampy Terrain to Find 4 Soldiers Missing Since Tuesday in Lithuania
A significant search operation was underway Thursday in Lithuania for four U.S. soldiers who went missing two days ago during a military training exercise, with both American and Lithuanian forces scrambling to navigate the treacherous landscape. The troops, assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, were last seen aboard […]
Do Air Shows Really Help Military Readiness and Recruiting? Congress Plans to Find Out.
Lawmakers want the secretary of defense to brief Congress on how sending military aircraft to air shows affects recruiting and readiness, as well as study the effect of bringing those planes to smaller rural communities. As part of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, Congress has asked the next defense secretary to brief […]
Traumatized Soldiers Find Solace Grooming Horses in the Black Forest
FRANKFURT — In a remote corner of Germany’s Black Forest, the echoes of war linger in the minds of Bundeswehr soldiers, grappling with trauma years after their withdrawal from Afghanistan. Mike, a military captain and specialist in imaging reconnaissance, is among those affected. He provided crucial coordinates in mid-July 2013 that led a US Air […]
St. Louis Veteran, Once a Bank Robber, Works to Find a New Life After Prison
ST. LOUIS — Kirk Hough enjoyed his first cup of Starbucks coffee in 16 years. The store on South Grand Boulevard was out of the dark roast he craved, so the barista gave him another coffee for free. He put $3 in the tip jar. Hough doesn’t have many vices. He doesn’t drink or smoke […]
Mental Health Tops List of Reasons Troops Were Hospitalized in 2023, New Reports Find
Mental health disorders were the top reason that active-duty U.S. military personnel were hospitalized in 2023, a trend that began in 2009 but has shown signs of easing in the past three years, according to two new reports from the Defense Health Agency. Musculoskeletal injuries remain the No. 1 reason service members visit a medical […]
Army Eyes Privatized Barracks as It Struggles to Find a Solution to Poor Living Conditions for Soldiers
The Army is hoping privatization can fix the myriad quality-of-life issues facing its barracks, at least partly because it has few other ideas. In December, key service leaders had a barracks summit to draw up plans to get soldier housing back up to standards following months of media reports on rampant mold and other problems, […]
The Army Recruiting Ad Featuring a Soldier with 2 Moms Just Got Harder to Find. Here’s Why.
The Army has delisted its advertising campaign titled “The Calling” on YouTube, making it harder to find the videos on the platform. The 2021 effort to court potential applicants from LGBTQ+ and other diverse backgrounds sparked a backlash from conservative lawmakers and pundits. “The Calling” was delisted from the service’s YouTube channel last week, hiding […]
Too Heavy to Fight? How the Army Is Combating the Obesity Crisis to Find Recruits
FORT JACKSON, South Carolina — Pvt. David Dean weighed 320 lbs. when he went to visit a National Guard recruiter. A West Virginia plumber by trade, he wanted to prove to himself that he could serve, and he’d always wanted to put on the uniform. “I could never get in because I was overweight,” Dean […]
New Army Program Helps Some Reserve Soldiers Find Child Care
The Army has launched a program in two locations to help reserve members find child care services and help ease the burden of searching for qualified, licensed providers. Service officials said Thursday that Army Reserve members in West Liberty, Iowa, and Clay County, Missouri, would now have access to WeeCare Company, a child care matching […]