Trump Tested the Limits on Using the Military at Home. If Elected Again, He Plans to Go Further
WASHINGTON (AP) — During his first term as president, Donald Trump tested the limits of how he could use the military to achieve policy goals. If given a second term, the Republican and his allies are preparing to go much further, reimagining the military as an all-powerful tool to deploy on U.S. soil. He has […]
Ex-US Army Soldier Asks for Maximum 40 Years in Prison But Gets a 14-Year Term for IS Plot
NEW YORK — A judge rejected a former U.S. Army soldier’s surprise sentencing-day request for a maximum 40-year prison term for trying to help the Islamic State group kill American troops, giving him 14 years behind bars instead. Cole Bridges, 24, of Stow, Ohio, was sentenced Friday after a nearly five-hour Manhattan federal court proceeding […]
Army Veteran Found Guilty in Wife's 2021 Strangulation
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Jurors deliberated less than three hours Thursday morning before finding Lee Cuellar guilty of first-degree murder for strangling his wife in 2021. The 2nd Judicial District Court jury reached the verdict following eight days of trail before Judge Britt Baca. A first-degree murder conviction requires Cuellar, 45, to serve at least 30 […]
National Guard Black Hawks Reach Residents in Remote Mountain Areas Cut Off by Helene
RAMSEYTOWN, N.C. — As the Black Hawk helicopter slowly descends in Ramseytown, North Carolina, a plume of sand kicks up. When the dust settles, the sprawling sea of stones and twisted metal beams becomes clear. Several people gather near Byrd’s Chapel Baptist Church, watching National Guard members carry out essentials for them. The muddy embankment […]
Prep Courses, Policy Tweaks Largely Drove the Military's Recruiting Success in 2024
After years of negative recruiting news and headlines, all the military branches managed to eke out wins this year and meet their recruiting goals — largely aided by new programs and policies that allowed them to sign up recruits who would have been disqualified in previous years. However, despite the wins this year, between ambitious […]
Army Says Soldiers Should Avoid Poppy Seeds in Updated Regulation over Drug-Testing Concerns
A new Army regulation is advising soldiers to avoid eating foods with poppy seeds over concerns that troops could inadvertently fail a drug screening. While poppy seeds are often an ingredient in baked goods and pastries, they also — depending on how they are harvested and processed — can contain opium alkaloids such as morphine […]
Army Reserve Suicide Prevention Programs Need Study, Maine Senator Says After Mass Shooting
U. S. Sen. Angus King is urging the federal government’s watchdog agency to conduct a study of suicide prevention policies for reservists in the U.S. military. King, I-Maine, in a letter sent this week to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, also asked the agency to review the investigations into last […]
How an Active-Duty Commander Could Help with Helene, According to the General Who Led Katrina Response
Hurricane Helene, the deadliest hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. mainland since Katrina, has brought thousands of National Guardsmen and more than a thousand active-duty troops to states across the Southeast to help deliver supplies, clear roads and rescue trapped survivors. There’s another thing the military could be doing in the eyes of the […]
Trump Vows to Restore Fort Liberty's Old Name Honoring Confederate General
Fort Liberty in North Carolina could revert to its former name honoring an unsuccessful Confederate general if former President Donald Trump is reelected in November. At a campaign event in Fayetteville on Friday evening, Trump vowed to bring back the name Fort Bragg, which was changed to Fort Liberty last year as part of a […]
National Guard, Deployed Across Southeast, Sees 'Long Recovery' Ahead as Helene Death Toll Rises
The National Guard said Thursday it has fanned out across states and communities hard hit by Hurricane Helene but warned that recovery from the deadly storm will take time. Guardsmen were assisting in opening up roadways for emergency crews, rescuing families and pets from flooding, delivering food and water, and other key tasks as the […]