News
‘Infrastructure is the weapon’: Inside the race to build portable interceptor factories
KYIV, Ukraine — While interceptor drones have become one of the most sought-after commodities of the Iran war, Ukrainian officials and defense practitioners are cautioning allies to recognize that the pace of today’s battlefield requires them to buy into an entirely new system of production alongside the endpoint weapon. “Expertise is not a drone, but a skill, a strategy, a system where a drone is...[Read More]
‘It takes money to kill bad guys’: Pentagon seeks $200 billion in new funding for war in Iran
The Pentagon on Thursday said it is seeking roughly $200 billion to sustain its war in Iran, as senior military officials acknowledge that the Islamic Republic retains “some capability” to attack American assets and allies in the Middle East. Asked about the figure during a press briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “that number could move,” before adding in a blunt aside: “It takes money...[Read More]
‘Light recipes’ tested to combat sailor fatigue at sea
Anyone who’s ever sat under a special daylight lamp to combat the winter blues knows that strategically applied light can have a dramatic impact on exhaustion levels and overall mood. But can that effect also work for sailors standing watches at all hours in dark ship corridors and compartments? That’s what researcher Eliza Van Reen is on a mission to prove. Van Reen, whose company Circadian Posit...[Read More]
‘Light recipes’ tested to combat sailor fatigue at sea
Anyone who’s ever sat under a special daylight lamp to combat the winter blues knows that strategically applied light can have a dramatic impact on exhaustion levels and overall mood. But can that effect also work for sailors standing watches at all hours in dark ship corridors and compartments? That’s what researcher Eliza Van Reen is on a mission to prove. Van Reen, whose company Circadian Posit...[Read More]
‘Marines’ doc focuses on purpose amid shifting Pacific landscape
Netflix on Tuesday released its four-episode documentary series on the U.S. Marine Corps. Coinciding with the service’s 250th birthday, “Marines” follows the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit — one of just seven Marine expeditionary units and the only permanently forward-deployed Marine expeditionary unit — “as they conduct high-stakes combat exercises in the Pacific,” according to the streaming serv...[Read More]
‘Maverick Act’ saves last 3 F-14 Tomcats from destruction
Four decades after Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell first felt the need for speed in the cockpit of an F-14 Tomcat, new legislation is keeping hope alive that the iconic swept-wing fighter could someday fly again. In late April, the U.S. Senate, led by sponsor Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., unanimously approved the “Maverick Act,” introduced by freshman U.S. Rep. Abraham Hamadeh, an Illinois Repub...[Read More]
‘Militarily stupid to insult your allies’ — and other advice from 1942
“Don’t try to tell the British that America won the last war or make wise-cracks about the war debts or about British defeats in this war,” came the sage advice from the U.S. War Department in 1942. A then-seven-page pamphlet, issued to American GIs about to travel overseas to Britain, was intended to ease any friction between the young servicemen and the local populace. According to librarian Joh...[Read More]
‘My God what have we done’: Enola Gay pilot’s combat notebook is for sale
In a United States War Department-issued “Line of Position” notebook, Capt. Robert A. Lewis begins like many service member letters, with a “Dear Mom + Dad.” But this log, dated Aug. 6, 1945, is unlike any other entry from World War II. Lewis, the co-pilot of the B-29 Enola Gay, was en route to Japan from the Pacific island of Tinian when he began recording. Now, his account, written during and in...[Read More]
‘Nuremberg’ to capture cat-and-mouse game between Göring, captors
On May 8, 1945, “der dicke Hermann,” or “Fat Herman” to the German public, stepped out of his vehicle. With the writing on the wall, Hermann Göring, the leader of the Luftwaffe, had surrendered to the Americans. “Twelve years,” he purportedly muttered. “I’ve had a good run for my money.” Now, based on Jack El-Hai’s book “The Nazi and the Psychiatrist,” director James Vanderbilt is bringing Göring’...[Read More]
‘Our veterans deserve better’: Inside the VA nursing shortage
The line at the Wendy’s drive-thru barely moved as Hailey Richards sat behind the wheel during her lunch break, staring into the rear-view mirror beneath a pair of dark sunglasses. The driver behind her had pulled close enough that she found herself wondering whether they could tell she was crying. “I just broke down,” Richards said. In a few minutes, she would wipe away the tears, drive back to t...[Read More]
‘Outcast’: the recruiting scandal that followed one soldier for years
Editors Note: This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service, under the headline “A Massive Fraud Probe, a Botched Investigation, and the Thousands of Soldiers Who Paid.” Subscribe to their newsletter. He lost his job and was kicked out of the Army. The stress cost him his marriage and relationship with his kids. ...[Read More]
‘Prepare your family’: Marine Reserve commander gives warlike safety brief
In a weekend address to his troops as news headlines trumpeted the possibility of upcoming combat deployments, the three-star head of Marine Corps Reserve command had a message: Get your cammies ready. In a March 26 message on his official letterhead, Lt. Gen. Leonard F. Anderson IV asked his troops to consider whether they were ready for the possibility of being called up in the Iran war. “I ask ...[Read More]