Transgender Troops, Confronting Shifting Policies of Acceptance, Just Want to Serve

Bree Fram was an Air Force major in 2016 when word came down that the Obama administration would soon be lifting its ban on transgender troops serving in the military following a yearlong study and orders for commanders to educate themselves and their units on integrating transgender personnel. It was during President Barack Obama’s first […]
Big Bonuses, Relaxed Policies, New Slogan: None of It Saved the Military from a Recruiting Crisis in 2023

Despite a barrage of hefty bonuses, loosened and more progressive enlistment requirements, and even the creation of innovative pre-boot camp programs, the U.S. military mostly fell short in efforts to bring more Americans into the services over the past year — and it’s unclear how or when that will change. Of the five Defense Department […]
After 3 Years of Delays, Army Has Again Paused Rewriting Suicide Prevention Policies

Despite a website with vague guidance, PowerPoint presentations and at least five separate policies referencing behavioral health, the Army offers relatively few clear resources for how units are supposed to respond to soldiers who are at risk of suicide. The service has been promising to rewrite its suicide prevention policy for three years, but the […]