Archbishop says it’s ‘morally acceptable’ for troops to defy orders
The Catholic archbishop responsible for U.S. military personnel said it is “morally acceptable” for service members to disobey an order if it is against their own conscience, as the Trump administration weighs possible troop deployments to Minneapolis, and the use of force to seize Greenland. Timothy Broglio — who has served as the archbishop for the military services since 2007 — admitted in a BB...[Read More]
US military to expand by more than 30,000 troops this year
Congress is backing increases to the size of the U.S. armed forces this year, having passed and proposed final legislation that will raise and fund rises in end strength by more than 30,000 troops. The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law Dec. 18, allowed the defense and homeland security departments to increase the size of their services. The departments’ respective app...[Read More]
No tax on troops’ $1,776 ‘warrior dividend,’ IRS says
The 1.5 million troops who received an unexpected $1,776 so-called “warrior dividend” payment in December won’t have to pay taxes on that money, the Internal Revenue Service has confirmed. In a Dec. 17 speech, President Donald Trump announced the payments, which he described as a “warrior dividend,“ would be made to 1.5 million troops, and said they were funded by revenue from tariffs and $2.9 bil...[Read More]
US lawmakers release $839B compromise defense spending bill
The House and Senate’s conferenced version of a fiscal 2026 defense budget would restore funding for the Navy’s next-generation F/A-XX fighter and up the Pentagon’s spending request on the Air Force’s F-47. In materials released Monday, the House Appropriations Committee said the compromise $839 billion spending bill would provide $3.9 billion for the military’s sixth-generation aircraft. That wou...[Read More]
Patients must be offered chaperones for ‘sensitive’ exams, DOD says
The Defense Health Agency has clarified the U.S. military’s policy regarding chaperones during medical exams following several prominent cases of Army doctors taking indecent liberties with patients behind closed doors. In a memo sent last month to military health system leadership, including military hospitals and dental facilities and support offices, acting DHA Director David Smith said patient...[Read More]
This Marine’s furious fight on Tarawa helped to seal the battle’s fate
After the U.S. Marine raid on Makin Island on Aug. 17-18, 1942, Japanese garrisons in the Gilbert and Marshall islands got to serious work reinforcing their commands. These took different natures, with differing effectiveness. In the case of Tarawa Atoll in the Gilberts, the defenses focused on some 500 positions, combining solid concrete, resilient coconut logs and the sand that made up the islan...[Read More]
US completes withdrawal from al-Asad airbase, Iraq says
The United States has quietly completed its withdrawal from al-Asad air base in Iraq’s Anbar Province, the Iraq Defense Ministry said Saturday, bringing to a close more than two decades of American military presence in the western part of the country. Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah oversaw the transfer of responsibilities at the base, according to the Defense Ministr...[Read More]
Army readies 1,500 soldiers for possible Minnesota deployment: sources
The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active duty soldiers to be ready in case of a possible deployment to Minnesota, where federal authorities have been conducting a massive immigration enforcement operation, two defense officials said Sunday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans, said two infantry battalions of the Army’s 11th Airborne Division ha...[Read More]
Operation Teardrop: The Secret Navy Mission to Stop German Submarines From Launching Rockets on New York City
In the final weeks of the war, the Navy hunted down and sank five German submarines in the North Atlantic. They stopped what they believed was an imminent attack on the East Coast.
Pentagon Brushes Off Request to Understand How Wind Turbines Threaten National Security
Whatever the reason for its latest concern, the Pentagon won’t talk about it, even when pressed by members of Congress with seats on committees that control the defense budget and weapons procurement.
US forces kill terror leader linked to ambush on Americans in Syria
U.S. forces on Friday killed a terror leader in Syria who officials say had ties to the ISIS insurgent who carried out a Dec. 13 ambush there that killed two Iowa National Guardsmen and one U.S. civilian, U.S. Central Command announced. Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, who U.S. officials called “an experienced terrorist leader” who also had ties to al-Qaida, was killed in a Jan. 16 strike in northwest Syria,...[Read More]
US forces kill terror leader linked to ambush on Americans in Syria
U.S. forces on Friday killed a terror leader in Syria who officials say had ties to the ISIS insurgent who carried out a Dec. 13 ambush there that killed two Iowa National Guardsmen and one U.S. civilian, U.S. Central Command announced. Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, who U.S. officials called “an experienced terrorist leader” who also had ties to al-Qaida, was killed in a Jan. 16 strike in northwest Syria,...[Read More]