Defense Health Agency Director Ends 32-Year Career with Unceremonious, Abrupt Retirement
Army Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, the Defense Health Agency’s top official, retired last week, according to a surprise announcement from the Pentagon on Friday. Dr. Stephen Ferrara, acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said Crosland, who had served as the agency’s director for two years, was “beginning her retirement” effective Friday. No reason […]
Hegseth Scraps Fort Moore Name in Latest Move to Undo Congress' Base Renamings
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday announced that he is renaming Fort Moore — the name chosen to honor decorated Vietnam Army commander Hal Moore and his wife Julia — less than two years after the base was scrubbed of its previous name honoring a Confederate general. The Army will return the famed Georgia base […]
With Chemical Weapons Destroyed, Hundreds of Layoffs Begin at Army Depot In Kentucky
Their mission nearly accomplished, government contractors have begun layoffs at a Central Kentucky plant where 523 tons of chemical weapons were destroyed. The Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant in Madison County is in the “closure phase,” said Mark York, communications manager for Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass, the joint venture that built and operates the […]
VMI Board Opted Out of Extending First Black Superintendent's Contract
RICHMOND, Va. — Retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins will step down in June from his post as the first Black superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute after the school’s board voted against extending his contract Friday. In a 10-6 vote, the school’s Board of Visitors, an advisory group appointed by the governor, opted […]
Army Deleting Online Content Related to Women, Minorities Using Key Words Like 'Respect' and 'Dignity'
“Justice.” “Dignity.” “Respect.” Those words are now considered red flags by the Army as it does a wide-ranging scrub of the massive amount of digital content the service has created online over the years — a purge that is leading to the removal of images and videos featuring women and minority soldiers from official platforms. […]
On Sale for $2: A Soldier's Act of Heroism, Right Next to Used Books and an Old Toaster
Every Sunday, a swap meet takes over the parking lot of the VanBuren Drive-In movie theater in Riverside, California. During one visit, I had wandered away from my friends, who were combing through old dishes, looking for rare midcentury china to add to their collection. As I strolled through aisles past folding tables and blankets, […]
Annapolis Mass Shooting Trial: Gunman Takes Stand for Contentious Cross-Examination
Taking the stand Tuesday, Charles Robert Smith claimed all three men he killed in June of 2023 had firearms when he shot them, but said they were taken away before authorities arrived. In a police interview the night of the mass shooting, however, those weapons were not mentioned. “Did I leave that out?” Smith asked, […]
How the Trump Administration Is Erasing History and Ignoring the Wishes of Descendants of Confederate Leaders
Jennifer Barnhill is a columnist for Military.com writing about military families. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently renamed Fort Liberty, North Carolina, choosing the name Fort Bragg. Not that Bragg, though. The base had long been called Fort Bragg in honor of a Confederate general, but it was changed in 2023 following a congressional mandate to […]
Senate Confirms Driscoll, a Veteran and Financier with Little Leadership Experience, to Be Army Secretary
Financier Dan Driscoll, an Iraq War veteran who is close with Vice President JD Vance, has been confirmed by the Senate to be the next Army secretary. The Senate voted 66-28 on Tuesday to approve Driscoll to be the Army’s top civilian, putting a little-known and relatively inexperienced figure in charge of the military’s largest […]
Army Is Breaking its Own Body Fat Standards to Meet Recruiting Numbers, Watchdog Says
The Army has been recruiting applicants who far exceed its body fat standards and not providing them the necessary medical services as they try to shed the weight and come into compliance, according to a new Defense Department inspector general report. The Army’s Future Soldier Preparatory Course was designed to expand enlistment eligibility for those […]