Department of Defense News
Austin Female Veterans Weigh in on Draft Registration Proposal
Tuesday, February 2, 2016 | Category: Department of Defense - Texas
Two women veterans from Austin, Texas share their continued pride of serving in the U.S. military. Regarding women's eligibility for the draft, one fully supports the change and believes it is a duty of citizenship. The other offers that it depends on an individual's interests and motivations.
The Problem With This New Step For Women
Tuesday, February 2, 2016 | Category: Department of Defense - National
Author Sally Kohn offers her perspective about equality and how it is applied to the requirement of men and women registering under a military selective service act and an active draft. She notes that while freedom isn't free, the decision of whether or not someone should risk their life to defend it should not be forced on them any more than the military being forced on men and women "because of a lack of meaningful alternatives--whether for a livable wage, college funding, or access to immigration."
1st of 9 Defendants Sentenced in Massive Navy Bribery Case
Friday, January 22, 2016 | Category: Department of Defense - International
A petty officer first class, the first of nine defendants in a far reaching U.S. Navy bribery case, was sentenced. He provided classified information to a Malaysian defense contractor. The defense contractor, Fat Leonard, "admitted to bribing numerous Navy officials with lavish gifts, including prostitutes, luxury hotels, and Cuban cigars." With the bribes Fat Leonard "beat out the competition to get Navy captains to steer ships to Pacific ports where he overcharged the Navy." Three admirals were censured but never charged.
Meet the Veterans invited to the State of the Union
Tuesday, January 12, 2016 | Category: Department of Defense - National
Six women and men currently serving along with military veterans were honored at President Obama’s final State of the Union address s guests of the White House.
West Point Names Diana Holland as First Woman Commandant of Cadets
Wednesday, December 16, 2015 | Category: Department of Defense - National
Brigadier General Diana Holland will become the 76th Commandant of Cadets at a January 5, 2016 ceremony at West Point. She is an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran and the first woman appointed to this position.
70 Years of Military Mediocrity: The Shared Failings of America’s Military Academies and Senior Officers
Thursday, August 20, 2015 | Category: Department of Defense - National
William Astore, retired military officer and service academy instructor, examines institutional flaws within the U.S. military service academies. Mr. Astore states: "We need a new generation of cadets--and a few renegade generals of my generation as well--who want to serve us by not going to war, who know that a military is a burden to democracy even when victorious, and especially when it’s not. Otherwise, we’re in trouble in ways we haven’t yet begun to imagine."
Thousands of .mil Addresses Potentially Leaked in Ashley Madison Hack
Wednesday, August 19, 2015 | Category: Department of Defense - National
Numerous military and government e-mail addresses were used to sign up for the Ashley Madison affair-seeking web service. According to a report first published in Wired, substantial personal information, including sexual fantasies, was leaked online after the extramarital affair web site Ashley Madison was hacked in July. An initial analysis revealed 6,788 army.mil, 1,665 navy.mil and 809 usmc.mil, including addresses linked to every destroyer and amphibious assault ship in the U.S. Navy.
Women Describe Their Struggles With Gender Roles in Military
Sunday, May 24, 2015 | Category: Department of Defense - National
More than 150 women with military service responded to The New York Times 2014 request to share their experiences in the military. A selection of their quotes are shared in this article.
Six More Women Qualify to Attend Ranger School
Wednesday, April 1, 2015 | Category: Department of Defense - National
Six more female soldiers qualified to attend Ranger School this spring, bringing to 12 the number of women who have qualified for the grueling two-month course.
Army Apologizes to Troops Exposed to US-Designed Chemical Weapons in Iraq
Friday, March 27, 2015 | Category: Department of Defense - National
The undersecretary of the Army apologized in response to a New York Times investigation for the military’s mishandling of more than 600 service members who reportedly suffered from chemical exposure in Iraq. After being exposed to potentially lethal amounts of sulfur mustard and sarin gas, US troops often received inadequate medical treatment, gag orders, and found themselves ineligible for Purple Heart medals.