Paper or plastic? Military commissaries to charge for single-use bags
This article was updated to include the commissary agency’s confirmation of its annual cost to provide free bags. Commissaries will soon start charging shoppers for paper and plastic single-use bags. Starting April 6, customers will pay 5 cents each for plastic bags and 10 cents for paper bags. The move will save the commissary system money, officials stated in their announcement about the change....[Read More]
Sending a military care package to the Middle East? Check this list first
Before sending care packages to service members involved in Operation Epic Fury, check the U.S. Postal Service list of military post offices where mailing services have been temporarily suspended. With the U.S. and Israel attacks against Iran in their third week, Americans’ thoughts and actions have been turning toward sending care packages with various hygiene products, snacks and a host of other...[Read More]
Trump Threatens To ‘Obliterate’ Iran Oil Hub Due to Strait of Hormuz Closure
More than 20 ships have been hit and tankers are backing up outside a key global chokepoint, confounded by hesitance surrounding a U.S. ground invasion.
House Republicans seek new strategy for passing VA policy bills
The chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee wants to develop a “must-pass” authorization bill process for the Department of Veterans Affairs similar to the legislative procedure used to approve the National Defense Authorization Act. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., kicked off a series of hearings Wednesday on legislation that would reauthorize several significant VA programs and said he wants to ...[Read More]
CMDCS(AW) ZACHARY M. SUMMY
Senior Chief Zachary Summy is from Slatington, PA, and graduated from Northern Lehigh High School in 2003. He joined the U.S. Navy in June 2003 and completed recruit training at RTC Great Lakes, IL. After RTC Great Lakes, he attended Aviation Electronics Technician “A” School in Pensacola, FL.
US assesses China not planning to invade Taiwan in 2027
WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) — China does not currently plan to invade Taiwan in 2027 and seeks to control the island without the use of force, the U.S. intelligence community said on Wednesday, striking a measured tone on one of the world’s biggest potential flashpoints. The assessment in the intelligence agencies’ annual report on global threats comes as Beijing has stepped up pressure on Taiw...[Read More]
The Pentagon wants to field laser weapons at scale within 3 years
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared on Laser Wars, a newsletter about military laser weapons and other futuristic defense technology. Subscribe here. For decades, the U.S. military’s dream of high-energy laser weapons has been perpetually “five years away.” Now, the Pentagon says it wants to finally make them an operational reality within the next three. Speaking on a panel at the Nation...[Read More]
Shelter-in-place order lifted at MacDill Air Force Base
Editor’s note: This report has been updated. MacDill Air Force Base in Florida has lifted a shelter-in-place order that was enacted earlier Wednesday after officials said a threat had been made against the Tampa-based installation. “Shelter in place has been lifted and the gates are open and will resume normal FPCON Charlie operations,” the base, home of U.S. Central Command, said in a Facebook po...[Read More]
USS Gonzalez Departs Norfolk for Deployment
Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) got underway from Naval Station Norfolk March 16, 2026, to begin operations in support of its scheduled deployment.
‘Sip to Remember’: How Four Veterans Blend Bourbon With Military Sacrifice
Rick Franco and his old service buddies are changing the narrative on how bourbon brings veteran and first responder communities together.
VA awarded authority to appoint legal guardians for impaired veterans
An agreement between the Justice Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs allows the VA to put veterans under guardianship if they are unable to make their own health care decisions. A memorandum of understanding announced last week by the department gives VA attorneys the legal authority to enter into state court guardianships or conservatorship proceedings in cases where veterans don’t ...[Read More]
US carrier Ford to go to port temporarily after fire
WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) — The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, deployed in operations against Iran, is expected to temporarily pull into port after a fire on board, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, the 18th day of the war with Tehran. The carrier, America’s newest and the world’s largest, is currently located in the Red Sea. It is expected to temporarily go to Souda Bay on the Greek...[Read More]