'He's Going to Have to Explain It': Surprise Defense Secretary Pick's History Takes Center Stage
He has repeatedly called to ban women from serving in combat roles in the military. He advocated extensively to gain pardons for troops accused and convicted of war crimes. And he was one of a dozen troops turned away from serving on the National Guard mission to defend the Capitol, allegedly over tattoos that are […]
'Army Brat' Michael Strahan Honors Veterans a Day After National Anthem Controversy
LOS ANGELES — Michael Strahan has not yet publicly responded to critics who said he disrespected military members during Fox Sports’ NFL coverage on Sunday. At least not directly. He may have done so indirectly, though, with a Veterans Day-themed Instagram post Monday morning. The Pro Football Hall of Fame player and current analyst for […]
Jury Awards Abu Ghraib Detainees $42 Million, Holds Contractor Responsible
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A U.S. jury on Tuesday awarded $42 million to three former detainees of Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib prison, holding a Virginia-based military contractor responsible for contributing to their torture and mistreatment two decades ago. The decision from the eight-person jury came after a different jury earlier this year couldn’t agree on whether […]
Army Recruiters in Miami Will Pass Off Paperwork Duties as Service Tests New Strategy to Boost Enlistment
The Army is set to launch a pilot program in January at two recruiting stations in the Miami area designed to cut through the red tape bogging down military recruitment. Recruiters there will concentrate exclusively on pitching the benefits of military service, leaving the paperwork and administrative tasks to other support staff. The dramatic change […]
On Veterans Day, Harriet Tubman Gets Formal Recognition of Her Military Service
The state of Maryland marked Veterans Day by commissioning one of its own, Harriet Tubman, as a brigadier general in the Maryland National Guard in recognition for her service to the Union during the Civil War as an operational leader and spy. Nicknamed the “American Moses,” Tubman is best known for shepherding 70 family members […]
‘I Wasn’t Afraid to Die. I Was a Soldier’: Veteran Asks Heart Surgeon to Save Sentimental Tattoo During Transplant
Before his heart transplant, Louis Smith was prepared for death. In Saudi Arabia right after the Gulf War, the 66-year-old veteran helped lead a missile platoon that guarded aircraft. He served his country for more than two decades in the Middle East, South Korea and Europe. “I wasn’t afraid to die. I was a soldier,” […]
The Army's Answer to a Lack of Recruits is a Prep Course to Boost Low Scores. It's Working
FORT JACKSON, S.C. (AP) — Index cards taped to a large board on the wall at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, reveal the sometimes blunt and gritty reasons that new recruits took a chance at a last-ditch program to get into the Army. “Eviction notices motivate me,” one said. Others talked about getting free college, a […]
Army Says the US Will Restart Domestic TNT Production at Plant to be Built in Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The U.S. Army awarded a $435 million contract on Friday to build a TNT production plant in western Kentucky that will become the first domestic source for the explosive material in decades, officials said. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, a key player in securing the funding, said the new facility in […]
Fort Bliss Soldier Drank ‘a Lot’ Before Crash that Killed Engaged Couple, Texas Cops Say
A U.S. Army soldier is facing charges after a late-night car crash left a Texas couple dead, officials told news outlets. The crash happened before midnight Nov. 2, at an intersection in El Paso, McClatchy News reported. Rick Ballard, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene, while his 28-year-old fiance, Dalia Olivas, died from her […]
Army Major Accused of Sexually Assaulting 20 Victims Released as Service Weighs Court-Martial
A highly decorated Army officer who has been accused of sexually assaulting 20 victims and faces more than 70 sexual assault-related charges was released from pre-trial confinement last week as his case begins to make its way through the military justice system. A military judge decided that “the government had not demonstrated that lesser forms […]