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Opinions, editorials and columns


If you’ve visited our news channel, you know what’s going on in your neighborhood and around the military. But do you know what your peers think about what’s going on? Here, you’ll find our views on the news of the day, along with views from your friends, co-workers and neighbors.

Army Times: Opinions & Columns


  • Fix this broken system
    The shootings that left five dead at Camp Liberty in Baghdad last May could have been avoided.
  • VA needs bold change
    When it comes to the vast and stubborn backlog of veterans benefits claims, Congress seems all too content to take a flyswatter to an elephant.
  • From our forums
    When I first came in, I thought the Army was so organized to be able to accomplish all it does on a given day. Now that I have been in a while, I am even more amazed that we accomplish what we do on...
  • Letters
    Does Army leadership ever read these letters that soldiers write in, maybe think about them, and take action? Or do they just discount them as mere complaints?
  • McHugh can do good
    “What makes your life miserable because of our actions?”
  • Letters
    In the Oct. 12 issue there was an entry titled “Forget R-E-S-P-E-C-T” and I would like to comment on the views expressed.
  • From our forums
    “Don’t ask, don’t tell” means we already have gays serving alongside single males. I recently went through an open bay barracks-style training environment when I went through...
  • Turf war hurts families
    The 2010 defense authorization bill, on a fast track to final passage at press time, included two important improvements in legal and financial protections for troops and their families.
  • Snipers deserve tabs too
    Snipers are valuable assets to combatant commanders, serving in dual roles as force multipliers and reconnaissance experts. Their mission requirements and training are so rigorous that only highly...
  • Bonus overhaul unfair
    The Army last week started giving out re-enlistment bonuses again, but gave soldiers barely two weeks notice that it is overhauling the way bonuses are calculated.
  • From our forums
    I’ve been in the Army more than 19 years and cheating on correspondence courses was an issue when I first came in. But, why is this topic an issue ... again?
  • Letters
    I have been deployed to Iraq four times now. Each time I go, I get new uniforms issued to me, as well as other new gear.
  • Limit Feres’ reach
    With little fanfare, the House Judiciary Committee has approved landmark legislation that would override a 59-year-old Supreme Court ruling barring active-duty members from suing the government for...
  • A familiar VA pattern
    Veterans Affairs Department officials told Congress in late June that preparations for the Aug. 1 launch of the Post-9/11 GI Bill were going swimmingly.
  • Crack down on cheaters
    Soldiers have been cheating on Army Correspondence Course Program tests for nearly 10 years in order to gain points for their promotion scores. It’s the worst-kept secret in the Army.
  • Letters
    I just want to make a statement about the state of political discourse appearing not only in the country, but also showing up in our military. The military has traditionally been a nonpolitical...
  • From our forums
    I do not agree with, or see the sense in, “forcing” soldiers to attend the promotion board when they do not have the time left in to pin on the next grade. Counsel them on their...
  • No excuse for fielding ineffective camo
  • Send loved ones to Dover
    Family members who lost loved ones overseas have always been allowed to attend the “dignified transfer” ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
  • Good intention, bad plan
    The House version of the 2010 defense authorization bill would place problematic new mandates on support programs serving military family members with autism.
  • Letters
    I just read the article in the Sept. 14 issue [“Plan would shrink raises to pay for other programs”]. I do not see how the Congressional Budget Office can even entertain a thought of...

  • Anyone stupid enough to kill themselves or someone else by doing illegal/stupid crap like this deserves to have their benefits yanked, including a military funeral.
  • Letters
    No one camouflage pattern will work for the entire planet. This global Army must be prepared to fight and win in a multi-theatre environment.
  • Acquisition fix a tall order
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates has made it clear that he intends to change how the world’s richest military buys its gear.
  • Field effective camo now
    If you pick up a book on leadership you’ll find a recurring theme: Listen to your employees. After all, they are the ones on the front lines, face to face with the customers.
  • Smart, safe giving
    Some small charities that support troops and their families are having a bit of heartburn over new vetting rules handed down by Defense Department officials.
  • End-strength increase eases new officers’ wait
    For most Americans, Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ decision to increase the Army’s end strength by 22,000 soldiers is designed to relieve some of the pressure of repeated combat...
  • Letters
    Personally, I believe that the Army needs to adopt something similar to the Marine Corps’ camouflage patterns. The Marine Pattern is the way we need to go. Having two uniforms and two-different...
  • More accountability at VA
    The Veterans Affairs Department has proposed rules to make it easier for veterans to link their diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder to their military service and become eligible for disability...
  • Get plate carriers moving
    Soldiers in Afghanistan were now to have begun receiving the first of 100,000 lightweight armor plate carriers — an alternative to the heavier, bulkier Improved Outer Tactical Vest.
  • From the forums
    Regarding the article “NCOs charged with mistreating subordinates,” [Aug. 31] we are at war. Men and women die on the battlefield and in training. If we start a touchy feel-good attitude...
  • Letters
    On Aug. 20, the people of Afghanistan held their second presidential election since coalition forces liberated this country from the Taliban. Afghanistan’s election day was marred by widespread...
  • Letters
    While I do agree that there should be a program in place to remove problem noncommissioned officers, I think this witch hunt that the Army is embarking on is an outrage [“Ousting...
  • From the forums
    Soldiers go to war, fight, save lives, turn wrenches and collect data at a high tempo that never ends, even when they get home. I am a noncommissioned officer and my aviation unit has not stopped...
  • Fully fund the military without using tricks
    The White House has made clear that it intends to halt the use of supplemental funding bills, those “emergency” measures that critics have long contended obscure the true scope of the...
  • Obama can help vets
    President Barack Obama and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki met in early August with Military Times and other military journalists in a bid to restore confidence in the administration’s...
  • Get real on social media
    The Pentagon has a growing problem — the phenomenon called social networking.
  • Letters
    The current Army Combat Uniform camo is ineffective not only in Afghanistan, but also here in Iraq.
  • Time for Pentagon to do more with less
    If there remains any doubt that the Defense Department and services need to overhaul the way they develop and buy weapons systems, look no further than the Navy’s 15-year effort to build a...
  • Soldier feedback
    We asked you, our readers, to weigh in on the camouflage debate, and the response was staggering. The following letters are just a sample:
  • From the forums
    Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti deserves this honor [“Generous in life and death,” Aug. 3]. He earned it. I’m not taking away from the service of this soldier, however, this seems to...
  • Allow spouses to choose
    Service members can claim state residence in any state in which they are permanently assigned during a military career, for as long as they stay in uniform and no matter how many subsequent permanent...
  • Letters
    I wanted to add my thoughts on the recommended smoking ban [“Just quit,” July 13]. Defense Department regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice hold service members to a...
  • From the forums
    I unknowingly became our company’s first volunteer coordinator when I first suggested increasing our visits to a local children’s orphanage from once a year to once a month. This quickly...
  • Review NCOs fairly
    The Army is restarting an effort to flag the records of noncommissioned officers for all types of flaws and misbehavior, and to boot them out of the service.
  • Letters
    There has been a lot of news recently in Army Times about the stop-loss pay, which “provides $500 monthly to soldiers who have been extended beyond their enlistment or voluntary separation or...
  • From our forums
    You honestly believe that Kim Jong-Il really cares if his country’s people get wiped off the face of the earth? The only thing Kim cares about is going out with a bang. Just like terrorists, he...
  • End unfair offsets
    One reason Congress gets such routinely low approval ratings from the American people is that lawmakers often are seen as quick to break their promises.
  • From our forums
    By far the stupidest rule I have seen in my 18.5 years in the Army has to be the “hands in the pocket” rule. Standing in formation in Fort Lewis, Wash., can be very cold October through...
  • Letters
    The ancient Army tradition against carrying umbrellas [“No brainer,” June 1] has a very practical basis. They scare the horses.
  • Letters
    The article discussing lighter and more mobile gear for use in Afghanistan is dead on [“Lighter, more mobile gear,” March 23]. I have walked the streets of Baghdad and spent 15 months in...
  • From our forums
    I hope our president and Congress will see the value in maintaining our forward posture at current levels in Europe. I believe that our strategic presence is essential to stability on the continent,...
  • Time to put NCOs in the spotlight
    We are rapidly approaching the halfway point of the “Year of the NCO.” I would like to offer six points to consider during the second half:
  • Much work awaits new Army secretary
    Cynics might say that President Obama nominated Rep. John McHugh as the next Army secretary in order to move a senior Republican out of the House of Representatives and open a New York district to a...
  • Don’t rush ‘don’t ask’
    As a candidate, President Barack Obama suggested he would work to overturn the law governing homosexuals in the military as well as the Pentagon policy that spun out of the law, known as...
  • Shed light on pay data
    Having led the fight to close the gap between average military and private-sector pay — once as high as 13.5 percent and now under 3 percent — advocacy groups are setting their sights on...
  • From our forums
    The installation commander at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is absolutely right [to ban 11 school-age dependents from all U.S. military installations in Europe due to a rash of drug use and...
  • Letters
    What a poorly titled cover [“Deployment fairness. New rules mean no more hiding at: schools, recruiting, drill duty,” May 4].
  • Listen and learn
    “Stupid is, as stupid does,” said the title character in the popular movie, “Forrest Gump.”
  • From our forums
    Military leadership is overly concerned with perception and expends a great amount of resources to combat problems not unique to the military. The fact is that the vast majority of service members do...
  • Letters
    I sincerely hope the Army does not submit to the two Sikh doctors [appealing Army policy] as described in the article “Religion vs. regulations” [April 27].
  • Time for fairness, action
    Five years ago, Congress finally decided to kill a century-old law that forced disabled military retirees to forfeit a dollar of retired pay for every dollar they received in disability compensation.
  • Budget needs to balance personnel, weapons
    The unveiling of President Barack Obama’s first defense budget was anticlimactic, coming weeks after Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced major program cuts and after Congress had approved...
  • Letters
    I joined the Army in October 1991 and I’ve been looking forward to the transferability of GI Bill benefits for almost 15 years now. I decided to stay in the Army after my first enlistment for...
  • From our forums
    While I believe that state community property laws are dysfunctional and need to be changed, I don’t believe that the battle should be limited only to state community property laws. There are...
  • Letters
    As the Army restructures its modernization programs, careful consideration should be given to improving our simulations of unmanned ground vehicles.
  • From the forums
    The black beret should be canned now. The regular hat should be the hat of the Army. I always liked a hat that would shade my eyes and absorb sweat — the black embarrassment did neither. I work...
  • Signs of stress
    When the invasion of Iraq took place in 2003, the serious effects of PTSD were not widely discussed, despite the fact that the disease has existed in many forms over the past century. Once I learned...
  • Don’t stand by, stand up
    Service members pride themselves on being stand-up people, with more integrity than the average civilian. The self-image runs deep: “The few, the proud.” “Aim high.”...
  • Make fee raise manageable
    “Hit us over the head with a two-by-four three times, and we’re beginning to get the message.”
  • Army committed to JLTV
    Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway may appear to be throwing a wrench into the Army’s plans for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle — but then again, maybe he’s doing the Army a favor.
  • Pattern of misconduct
    The Pentagon and the services have come far in fixing the many flaws in the disability review process for combat-injured troops. But Congress often has had to push them — sometimes hard —...
  • Letters
    With regard to the issue of religious proscriptions interfering with the proper wear of the uniform [“Religion vs. regulations,” April 27], the problem is not one of religious intolerance...
  • From the forums
    The beret, Combat Action Badge and rules/regulations regarding wear of the fleece jacket are among the Army’s most embarrassing decisions.
  • Time to spread burden
    This summer, the numbers of soldiers deployed will spike, with about 10,000 more in war zones than there are now.
  • Nonlethal options needed
    Despite millennia of investment in developing better weapons, the options remain staggeringly binary — kill or not kill.
  • Letters
    Throughout my career, I have never met the requirements stated in AR-600-9, The Army Weight Control Program. I am an African-American trying to meet these requirements; however, my body structure...
  • Raising the bar back up
    For the past five years or so, Army leaders have insisted they were not lowering the bar by signing up recruits who were felons, drug offenders and high-school dropouts.
  • Letters
    I just watched the new music video from the rap artist Eminem, “We Made You,” and I was very disappointed at what I saw. During the segment of the video that spoofed “Star...
  • Don’t stand by, stand up
    Service members pride themselves on being stand-up people, with more integrity than the average civilian. The self-image runs deep: “The few, the proud.” “Aim high.”...
  • The time is right
    “Black Hawk Down” was a hit on the bookshelves and in the movie theaters because of its riveting portrayal of the deadly 1993 battle between elite U.S. Army forces and Somali bandits....
  • Readiness groups critical
    I just finished reading the letter from Sgt. 1st Class Robert “Lucky” Arnold [“Think before calling,” April 13] and have concerns on a number of levels.
  • From the forums
    As a military member with a stable income, I view [the current economy] entirely different. I am loving it.
  • Letters
    There are many soldiers who have served their active duty, National Guard and Army Reserve contracts, left the military and were subsequently called back to active duty from Individual Ready Reserve...
  • From the forums
    Machine guns going across the border from the U.S. to Mexico are being legally sold by U.S. manufacturers/exporters to Mexican government officials.
  • Toby Keith cares
    I’ve been a huge fan of Toby Keith’s for a long time now, but I think he really won my heart when my husband deployed to Korea.
  • New VA reality: women
    The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are forging a new place in history for military women, who now make up more than 10 percent of the deployed force.
  • Lighten the bureaucracy
    The office of the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisitions has clumsily thrown a wrench into a promising effort to lighten soldiers’ combat loads.
  • Letters
    Where will the Army and Defense Department be four years from now? Hopefully, we will be wrapping up in Afghanistan.
  • Among the locals
    In Afghanistan, we are in the process of adding 17,000 soldiers to the 38,000 already there. Before we get carried away with the idea that simply adding more and more troops in Afghanistan is going...
  • No love for ACU
    I am writing in response to the letter [“ACU = can’t see you,” March 23] about the effectiveness of the Army Combat Uniform as camouflage.
  • From the forums
    You do not want to merge the two, for once you do you no longer have agencies that can check and bal¬ance each other should corruption evolve or a for¬eign intelligence agency were to...
  • Letters
    The gains by our brave troops in Iraq over the past six years were recognized by President Barack Obama in his speech at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
  • From our forums
    Who approved the use of a commercial off-the-shelf package for a military pay and personnel system? The rules and regulations that guide military pay are very complex things. Any civilian package...
  • Stryker success story
    Just a few years ago, there were many questions being raised regarding the viability and utility of the Stryker — both the individual vehicles and the idea of a highly mobile, medium-weight...
  • 2 sides to Dover debate
    On Feb. 26, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the repeal of a policy dating to the 1991 Persian Gulf War that prohibited media coverage of flag-draped coffins of U.S. war casualties coming...
  • End stop-loss pay delay
    Congress and President George W. Bush in September signed off on a special monthly pay of up to $500 for stop-lossed soldiers.
  • Continue closing pay gap
    President Barack Obama’s first defense budget calls for a military pay raise of 2.9 percent next year, which sounds generous when many Americans are losing jobs.
  • Editorial: Troops deserve truth
    Military officials say no known long-term health effects can be linked to heavy, lengthy exposure to the smoke from open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • Expect respect
    Our Army is still dealing with a problem that most soldiers “wear” every day: respect. It should be common knowledge that respect is one of our seven Army values. But what may not be...
  • Letter: Non-selects need more
    I think it is time, considering today’s technology, for the Department of the Army to provide details to soldiers recommended non-select for promotion.
  • Letter: Repeal ‘don’t ask’
    The statements of the officials opposing the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” in your recent article [“Troops oppose repeal of ‘don’t ask,’”...
  • From the forums
    Our true fight is, and always was, Afghanistan, and I’m glad we are finally getting over there to do what should have been done so long ago. We’ll probably never catch Osama bin Laden...
  • Letters
    I commend Spc. Christopher G. Burlee on his letter [“Wear beret proudly,” Dec. 15]. I have been in the Army for 15 years, and I am very proud to wear the beret.
  • Letters
    My issue with the $30,000 Career Status Bonus is the taxing of it. My bonus was paid a few months short of my deployment. I could not control when I deployed, nor when the bonus was paid. I...
  • From our forums
    My personally owned weapon is an H&K 416 carbine. Piston powered, which is far more reliable, lower maintenance and higher quality than the 40-year-old gas-powered technology in the Colt we carry...
  • Appreciation, every day
    Retired Sgt. Maj. Robert Winstead seems to have forgotten some key things in his letter about Veterans Day and the lack of military recognition [“Monthly remembrance,” Dec. 1].
  • Misconduct isn’t tolerated
    Your editorial related to the Dec. 15 article about our Army’s drill sergeants, entitled “Sex, Lies and Basic Training,” was disappointing.
  • Military groups most deserving of government ‘bailout’
    If the United States can afford to spend almost $1 trillion in bailouts for companies whose financial troubles were caused by their own mismanagement, what about those in the military community who...
  • Shinseki as VA secretary
    Nominating retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki as secretary of veterans affairs is the latest bold move by President-elect Barack Obama to reassure troops and veterans that he intends to look out for...
  • Editorial: Job plan too generous
    President Bush has signed an executive order that gives a huge advantage to military spouses seeking federal government jobs.
  • Letters
    Chief Warrant Officer 4 Douglas Womack’s letter hits right on target [“Recognize past service,” Aug. 11]. One of our Army values is the obligation to do what’s right, legally...
  • Editorial: Fair review of disability claims is needed now
    Once the process of evaluating troops for disability claims had become so Byzantine, backlogged and unfair that it could no longer be ignored, Congress sprang into action and mandated reforms.
  • Editorial: Allow paternal leave
    The Senate Armed Services Committee has proposed giving new dads in uniform a benefit already widely available in the private sector: a little time off to bond with baby and care for mom.
  • An inspiration for all
    In the June 9 issue, a reader in the Opinion section stated that the memorial photo for Sgt. Merlin German was “tasteless” and that it “hurt morale” [“Tasteless...
  • Editorial: Expedite Warrior Pay
    The political fortunes of the Army’s campaign to implement Warrior Pay of up to $1,500 a month to reward soldiers for cumulative time served in a war zone have come up against a hard deadline...
  • Editorial: Exchange bill off base
    The issue of adult magazine sales in military exchanges has again reared its ugly head.
  • Choose better weapon
    If the H&K 416 is a better weapon, as opposed to the M4 carbine, the Army should reverse its decision and give the H&K 416 back to the Asymmetric Warfare Group.
  • Editorial: Test marks the spot
    The question is not whether the new marksmanship qualification test now under review at Fort Benning, Ga., should go Army-wide, but how fast can leadership make it happen?
  • Letters
    An article about Military Financial in the Dec. 31 issue of Army Times, “A 584 percent loophole in loan regulations,” has given certain readers the impression that the financial services...
  • A million boots on the ground
    As we continue to learn from Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans, the southern borders of the U.S., peacekeeping operations and the expanding commitment of U.S. land forces to capacity-building tasks...
  • Editorial
    For the third consecutive year, the Pentagon’s budget request for fiscal 2009 calls for big hikes in enrollment fees, deductibles and pharmacy co-pays in its Tricare health insurance program.
  • What a Democratic president could mean for the military
    With voters unhappy about the economy and Iraq, and Republicans seemingly unable to unite behind one candidate, there is a high likelihood the Democratic Party will win the White House in November....
  • Brain-injured troops cheating on tests to stay in combat
    Troops in Iraq and elsewhere have tried to avoid being pulled out of combat units by cheating on problem-solving tests that are used to spot traumatic brain-injuries, military doctors say.
  • Letters
    A subject I may have missed in past issues of Army Times is that of the general order prohibiting the use of hand-held cellular telephones while driving on military installations.
  • Backtalk
    A group of battle-hardened enlisted infantrymen from the 82nd Airborne Division wrote an opinion piece for The New York Times recently that provided an assessment of the effectiveness of American...
  • Sense of urgency needed
    The two-year-old Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization has the critical — and so far, elusive — mission of living up to its own name. The insurgent networks that build and...
  • Pass wounded warrior bill
    On the list of military issues on which Congress has shown a breathtaking mismatch between rhetoric and action, few examples loom larger than taking care of troops wounded in the wars in Iraq and...
  • Editorial
    We’ll probably never know exactly what happened Sept. 16, when private security contractors protecting a State Department convoy in Baghdad opened fire.
  • Editorial
    On Sept. 17, the Web site for the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project — which has spent the past seven years collecting the oral histories of tens of thousands of combat...
  • Letters
    In reference to the June 25 article “New dress blues not finished yet,” in my opinion, this is the worst uniform-related decision the Army has come up with since the black beret fiasco.
  • An indelible legacy
    Consolidation and modernization of Defense Department medical capabilities in Washington, D.C., will go forward using Bethesda Naval Hospital as the geographical location of both Walter Reed and...
  • Editorial: Establish valor database to honor national heroes
    After watching the film “Saving Private Ryan,” which showed scenes of the U.S. cemetery in Normandy, France, Monty McDaniel became curious about the grave of his uncle, who is buried...
  • Letters
    As a veteran who received a Purple Heart for combat wounds, I felt compelled to respond to the letter by retired Col. Richard Mosco in the Sept. 3 issue of Army Times.
  • Letter: The blues over ACUs
    The Army Combat Uniform is a flop. The negative climate around this uniform is so high it almost outweighs the outrage encountered when we went to the beret.
  • Message accomplished
    You can’t turn on the news these days without having coverage of the latest celebrity miscreant interrupted by the endless debate over pulling out of Iraq. OK, it’s not really debate,...
  • Public affairs jobs too important to contract out
    This summer, the Army, National Guard and Defense Department issued requests to industry to hire contractors to analyze and monitor media reporting and make recommendations to the highest ranks of...
  • Army Times Letters
    In response to “Building soldiers” in the Aug. 20 Letters section, I must take issue with the letter writer’s suggestion for NCOs to do something about witnessing a lack of...
  • Letters: New names for FCS
    Army leaders have announced that the Future Combat System will be renamed and that a new name has been selected, but they’re not going to announce the name until further notice. In the Aug. 13...
  • Editorial: Cut back moral waivers
    One of the hallmarks of the Army as a society within a society is that soldiers agree to live by the stricter rules of conduct, appearance and personal choice that come with being a member of a...
  • Editorial: Congress can fix Feres
    After 21-year-old Nathan Hafterson died during a routine medical procedure in March 2006, his family might well have expected they could sue the doctors and hospital whose negligence they say killed...
  • Editorial: Acquisition in limbo
    No-bid contracts, bribery, fraud — that’s just the start of the alleged improprieties under investigation by the Army, which has launched two investigations into contracting problems...
  • Command and control
    I’m going to go out on a limb and recommend a radical move in order to win in Iraq and, subsequently, defeat Islamic terrorists: Turn Iraq into an American protectorate. Iraq as a U.S.,...
  • Letters
    I’m a Reserve/Guard soldier about to leave. Five months from now, I quit.
  • Letters
    Ask what soldiers want
  • ‘Serve, support and simplify’
    For many people in our country, Iraq is a headline, a subject of a TV news segment, a topic of debate in Congress. For many others, Iraq has become a focal point in their lives, a place of heroism...
  • Editorial: More dwell time needed
    Soldiers are being deployed too often, for too long.
  • ‘Chest full of lies’
    I knew Richard McClanahan when we were stationed together at Fort Sam Houston, Texas [“Chest full of lies,” July 30].
  • Health care must focus on patients and support the family
    April 16, 2005, will live in my memory forever. One minute I was mowing the lawn with my precocious 3-year-old son, Riley, by my side; the next, I was given the devastating news that my husband,...
  • Editorial: A simple solution
    The Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act provides troops with legal protections for breaking apartment and auto leases upon receiving deployment orders.
  • Inappropriate message
    A charitable group that enjoys at least tacit official support from the Pentagon is embroiled in a controversy that is proving too hot for defense officials.
  • Letters
    As one of 10 noncommissioned officers selected to compete in last year’s Armywide Best Warrior Competition, the NCO of the year for one of the Army’s major commands and a decorated...
  • Taking techno-warfare too far
    When machine replaced man in the Industrial Revolution of the early 1800s and threatened the centuries-old caste of the English artisans, they rose up in protest.
  • Editorial: Start with the truth
    The Army, Pentagon and now the White House have turned the tragic death of Cpl. Pat Tillman into a national disgrace without end.
  • Letters
    In a letter published June 18, Sgt. Maj. Lewis W. Worrell suggested that the Army should “get rid of items on the uniform that do not match the color of the rest of the uniform” in an...
  • Unmatched dedication
    When you step back and disregard the political motivations and public opinion surrounding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, you will find some of the best men and women America has to offer.
  • Editorial: An empty gesture
    Last week’s vote in the House to pull out most U.S. troops from Iraq by April 1 may have been a well-intentioned effort by Democrats to support the troops by bringing them home. Or it may have...
  • Editorial: Right plan for reservists
    Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., is the latest lawmaker with a plan to lower the age at which reserve and National Guard members can begin drawing retirement pay.
  • Letters
    I disagree with Sgt. 1st Class James Mixon’s belief that a soldier who is a junior or senior noncommissioned officer must have to first deploy prior before being able to training anyone...
  • Editorial: Tell stories of valor
    Four Army aviators made the news July 2 for amazing combat bravery and a daring rescue. Chief Warrant Officers 2 Mark Burrows and Steven Cianfrini, their OH-58 Kiowa helicopter shot from the sky...
  • To young disabled veterans: Don’t let VA bully you
    Twenty years ago, I was nearly killed in a parachute training accident during Joint Training Exercise Gallant Eagle 82.
  • Rural America answered the military’s call, deserves better care
    The government goes to great lengths to recruit young men and women to enlist in the military. Recruiters often travel the extra mile to convince young people from rural America that the military is...
  • Editorial: The price of war
    In early July, perhaps before, perhaps soon after you read this, the U.S. military will reach a somber wartime milestone: 4,000 troops...
  • Army’s adaption to counterinsurgency gives hope for work that remains
    Lost amid the clamor and din of our national debate on Iraq is the story of how our amazing, overworked Army is taking on the mission of counterinsurgency, or COIN.
  • Editorial: Budget for construction
    If the House and Senate appropriations committees have it right — and there’s no reason to doubt them — the Pentagon is headed for rough water on military construction that could...
  • Editorial: Balance home, away time
    Many soldiers have deployed three, four and more times to Iraq, Afghanistan or both. But you won’t hear much in the way of complaints, because a shared sense of honor and duty overrides most...
  • Letters
    I read the piece “Armor feud” in the June 11 Army Times that compares the current Interceptor body armor to the Dragon Skin variety. The first thing I looked at was the weight — 28...
  • Blog: Tales from the Sandbox
    Military Times staff writer Kelly Kennedy shares her...
  • Editorial: More growth needed
    Acting Army Secretary Pete Geren appears to have a lock on confirmation for the job. The generally gentle nature of questioning he got from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 19...
  • U.S. needs a unified, diplomatic approach to Iran
    If you’re in the armed forces, you may wonder whether our nation’s leaders are preparing to send you into a war with Iran.
  • Letters
    According to Army Regulation 670-1 (Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia), Body piercing: “When on any Army installation or other places under Army control, soldiers may not...
  • Editorial: Give troops their leave
    On April 18, Pentagon personnel chief David S.C. Chu announced details of a new plan to compensate combat troops who are deployed longer or more often than Pentagon policy permits.
  • Necessary limits
    Some media question a recent change to embed ground rules in Iraq. The requirement states that images of wounded service members “will not be released without the service member’s prior...
  • Editorial: Photo rules hide the truth
    Some of war’s most memorable images include the wounded and the dead. It is impossible to chronicle a war without including that defining characteristic. But if the most current ground rules...
  • Letters
    Bonuses for captains is a great first step [“O-3s could soon get $20,000 retention bonus,” April 30].
  • ‘Army wives’ far from reality
    As an Army wife, I waited with bated breath to view the first episode of the new Lifetime series “Army Wives.” My mind was abuzz with all the trials and tribulations that surely must be...
  • Reporter’s notebook: Patrolling Adhamiyah
    The day started out calmly enough. But it wouldn’t stay that way long.
  • LETTERS
    Insurgent snipers are getting more effective, but little has been put out that is useful in helping prevent or reduce the effectiveness of sniper attacks.
  • Editorial: Keep individual honors
    For most Americans, the recent Memorial Day holiday was a three-day weekend of fun and leisure. A relative few took time to reflect on America’s war dead.
  • Journalists’ hands are tied
    Every day, thousands of American men and women perform untold acts of bravery and drudgery on behalf of what our leaders have defined as vital American interests in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • Editorial: Award pay, not leave
    After more than five years at war, reservists continue to answer the call to arms, deploying at an unprecedented pace.
  • The road to returning to service
    Many Army retirees feel they could contribute a lot to the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan by returning to service, but say they’ve had mixed experiences in trying to get back into uniform.
  • Editorial: Fixing the death gratuity
    In 2005, Congress raised the so-called “death gratuity” paid to survivors of service members who die on active duty from $12,000 to $100,000 — a generous gesture of wartime support.
  • Letters
    Having seen several photos of soldiers in the new service blues, I am not too thrilled with it as our service uniform.
  • Dragon skin vs. Interceptor
    Has Army-issued body armor served you well? Tell us about your experiences, your views on its effectiveness, comfort and weight. Have you or a buddy worn Dragon Skin? Tell us about that, too. Write...
  • Editorial: Prorate danger benefits
    It’s no secret that you can qualify for a full month’s danger pay — $225 — and a month’s federal tax-exclusion benefits — worth far more — for spending even...
  • LETTERS
    “Stretched thin: Deployments to leave only 4 stateside BCTs combat ready” [May 21] quoted Col. Edge Gibbons saying, “All of the brigades slated to deploy this fall will have had 12...
  • A closer look
    Despite widespread warnings that the Army is the sickest of our armed services and in danger of dying from overwork in Iraq, the Pentagon’s latest budget projections show the Army getting less...
  • Editorial: Openly test the vests
    Are soldiers going into combat with the world’s best body armor?
  • On the road to ruin
    News that the White House is now, more than four years into the Iraq war, seeking a “czar” to oversee policy implementation is a long-overdue admission that the administration has failed...
  • Letters
    The troops have spoken concerning the Army Combat Uniform.
  • Editorial: In the end, war’s truth cannot be contained
    One battlefield lesson seemingly never learned is how fundamentally wrong it is to be anything less than fully open and truthful about what is taking place in the war zone.
  • Letters: Withdrawal deadlines
    Congress confronted the White House over Iraq war policy by including a timetable for withdrawing troops in the most recent war funding bill [“Republicans seek quick veto of bill pushing troops...
  • Editorial: Money, not task forces
    A committee drawn from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council has produced a report that discusses how the Department of Veterans Affairs could better serve the rising number of...
  • Letters
    “Split solution: Breaking Iraq into three nations could be best chance at success” [Back Talk, April 30] contributes to the debate about solutions to the Iraq problem, but is optimistic...
  • An eternal bond
    The moist air envelopes me as I head for the Tombs of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. I walk quickly to escape the hustle and bustle of the visitor center. Gradually I slow, taking in...
  • Editorial: An overwhelming need
    Strip away the political fighting about how long or whether the U.S. should continue fighting the war in Iraq, and one is left with this disturbing fact: After the upcoming rotation of brigade combat...
  • Letters
    More money should be allocated to the Joint IED Defeat Organization [“Divert funds to vehicles,” Letters, April 23, and “IED team: Little to show,” Editorial, April 2].
  • Editorial: Pay proposal is fair
    For more than a century, disabled military retirees were required by law to forfeit a dollar in retirement pay for every dollar received in disability compensation.
  • New perspective on recruiting needed
    For too long, armed forces recruiting has seemed to follow this order of criteria when courting potential candidates for enlistment:
  • Serving in silence
    Many mornings, I am at the post walking when the flag is being raised. I wouldn’t be here at this moment if it were not for my spouse’s chosen profession, the military.
  • Editorial: Half-staff salute in May
    In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings, where 32 students and teachers died at the hands of a highly disturbed gunman last month, the media published lengthy profiles of every victim and...
  • Letters
    I am a former Apache helicopter mechanic.
  • Editorial: Discipline the deceivers
    Nine officers, including four generals, face possible discipline for their roles in twisting the truth about the death of Cpl. Pat Tillman into the “utter fiction” that his brother told...
  • FROM the FORUMS
    “I’m a civilian ... It is true that troop deaths are statistics that get a one-minute mention, but please know that there are many, many Americans who feel deeply for the families of the...
  • Honoring the fallen
    BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — Following the deaths of 32 Virginia Tech students, the President of the United States ordered that all American flags be flown at half-staff for one week.
  • Split solution
    President Bush has asked that the critics of the war in Iraq produce their own plan rather than just criticize the current plan. Having served in Iraq, I can offer one possible alternative to the...
  • Editorial: More for Army families
    the new order to deploy active-duty soldiers on longer combat tours is sure to cause hell and heartache on the home front. Just as weary soldiers will have to suck it up and stick out a 25 percent...
  • Editorial: VA owes veterans more
    Lawmakers are watching with alarm the exploding backlog of veterans’ benefits claims, now estimated at 600,000 cases and growing as troops return from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • Letters
    There is confusion among the ranks about what does and does not qualify a soldier for the Purple Heart, as well as which soldiers are authorized the Combat Action Badge and the Combat Medical Badge....
  • Editorial: Amend ex-spouses' law
    The Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act -- which allows for the court-ordered division of military retired pay between service members and former spouses when they divorce -- has...
  • Editorial: Sensible plan needed
    On Jan. 11, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that he wanted to come up with a way to compensate combat troops whose deployments are involuntarily extended or who are redeployed without...
  • Letters
    The chart accompanying “Pentagon gives go-ahead for 2,200 support troops” [March 19], which identified several Army brigades deployed for second, third and fourth tours in Iraq or...
  • Gen. Casey provides a ‘clear, steady and unwavering leadership’
    Gen. George Casey can hold his head high and keep his optimistic attitude as he takes over the leadership of our great United States Army.
  • War stories
    From my foxhole-view as a tactical battalion commander in western Baghdad in 2006, the American press, although not perfect, has reported the reality of the Iraq war.
  • British troops fed Iran’s propaganda
    “Duty is the great business of a sea officer; all private considerations must give way to it, however painful it may be.”
  • Editorial: Casey must go to bat for good of his soldiers
    Gen. George Casey will assume command April 10 as the Army’s new chief of staff, the 36th general to do so in the history of the Army. He does so with war on two fronts and a force that’s...
  • Field the best weapon possible
    War fighters fight and die the same way, whether they are special operations or conventional forces. They should all have the best weapon available [“The Army's best carbine: Better than...
  • Letters
    Did you ever stop and think why 92R (parachute rigger) is a shortage military occupational specialty? [“Jump to a money job,” March 19]
  • On the o f f e n s i v e
    The editorial in Army Times' April 9 issue, “Bomb team isn't producing,” did not give an accurate summary of what the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization has...
  • 2 plans for Iraq
    How do I serve the military and my nation with integrity as both an active-duty airman and an American citizen? Are they mutually exclusive endeavors? I don’t think so.
  • Letters
    ‘This feels like America’
  • Letters
    Show respect for Rangers
  • Editorial: Honor Tillman with truth
    Pat Tillman was a hero. But not for his work on the battlefield.
  • Editorial: Level with troops
    President Bush’s Iraq surge plan announced in January called for extending some current deployments and accelerating some others, enabling the military to increase the number of troops in Iraq...
  • Letters
    Help for tough decisions
  • Editorial: IED team: little to show
    In the often surreal world of federal Washington, a billion dollars is a drop in the ocean.
  • Editorial: Fixing fractured reserves
    Almost all of the 13 members of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserve have military experience. Several served in uniform for decades.
  • Editorial: Service members and the freedom of speech
    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech Â…
  • A dose of perspective
    I have followed with great interest the events involving Walter Reed Army Medical Center that have dominated the news recently. As a wounded warrior from Operation Iraqi Freedom III, I spent roughly...
  • Letters
    DON’T BLAME RECRUITERS
  • Editorial: System cheats troops
    The moldy walls and leaking pipes at Walter Reed Army Medical Center will surely be fixed — the whole world is watching.
  • Editorial: Kiley must step down
    Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley’s performance in back-to-back congressional hearings about the treatment of wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center did nothing to support the contention that he...
  • The firestorm surrounding Walter Reed
    The conditions for soldiers in medical holding units at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and alleged deficiencies of the disability rating system have caused turmoil in the Army and on Capitol Hill....
  • Straight shot: Next rifle should be tested, selected by soldiers who’ll use it
    I read the Feb. 26 article in Army Times about the H&K 416 and the problems we face with our current issue Colt M4/M16. I just left United States Army Special Operations Command after serving as the...
  • Letters
    UNIFORMITY IN UNIFORMS
  • The real heroes: An NFL star sees a new measure of toughness and courage while in Iraq
    Maybe you remember us. My name is Kevin Greene, aka “Salt.” Lamar Lathon, aka “Pepper,” and I played for the Carolina Panthers in 1996 when we helped the Panthers reach the...
  • Editorial: Blame at Walter Reed
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates got his first big test last week and showed exactly what kind of secretary he is.
  • Army Times Letters
    M4 vs. H&K 416: Readers fire back
  • Army Times Letters
    Need more maternity leave
  • Army Times Editorial: VA investigation needed
    According to his family, when former Pvt. Jonathan Schulze told a Department of Veterans Affairs psychologist that he was feeling suicidal, he was told that the earliest appointment he could get was...
  • Army Times Editorial: Fix disability system
    Recent news reports by this newspaper, The Washington Post and others have highlighted the plight of hundreds of injured and wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
  • Turning the tide: Maybe Wal-Mart can lead the way to nation-building in war-torn Iraq
    Let’s consider a “what if” scenario: The president orders 20,000 more troops to Iraq. However, these troops don’t come from the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps.
  • Editorial: Who’s to blame at Walter Reed
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates got his first big test last week and showed exactly what kind of secretary he is.
  • Army Times Editorial: Question vaccine policy
    Just as the Pentagon is set to resume mandatory anthrax shots for troops, the vaccine’s sole manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions, says it is testing its product as a treatment after anthrax...
  • Army Times Letters
    Protect helicopters
  • Guiding principles
    Recent discussion of basic trainees’ poor discipline and lack of respect is directly proportionate to the rate we are promoting our enlisted soldiers to noncommissioned officers.
  • Army Times Editorial: Field the best weapon
    The harsh terrain of Iraq and Afghanistan have served as proving grounds for the U.S. Army, putting to the test virtually all that soldiers wear, carry and operate.
  • Marine Corps boot camp trains — and transforms — recruits
    As a product of the Marine Corps’ Parris Island boot camp at age 17 who returned there years later as a general officer, I have some observations in response to the article “Basic...
  • Army Times Editorial: Don’t skimp on standards
    A Marine officer scorched Army basic training, labeling it soft and, of course, inferior to that of the Corps.
  • Army Times Editorial: Empty posturing on Iraq
    Having been AWOL on its Iraq war oversight duties for the first four years of the conflict, the Senate seemed poised in early February to stage a debate on the conflict.
  • Army Times Editorial: Empty posturing on Iraq
    Having been AWOL on its Iraq war oversight duties for the first four years of the conflict, the Senate seemed poised in early February to stage a debate on the conflict.
  • Army Times Letters
    Medical disorganization
  • Beef up our brigades
    Among the reports that U.S. forces are short on manpower was an article by a redeployed soldier who said his infantry company had the strength to hold their particular area, but not completely...
  • Army Times Letters
    ACUs: I’m lovin’ ’em
  • Army Times Editorial: First things first
    At the initial meeting of the Task Force on the Future of Military Healthcare, it quickly became evident that Pentagon officials want the panel to get behind a proposal to boost fees for some Tricare...
  • Army Times Editorial: One is too many
    Like thousands of America’s youngest generation of veterans, former Marine Jonathan Schulze came home from Iraq, hung up his uniform and tried to move on.
  • Readiness & recovery
    Individual soldiers are best thought of as a weapon system. As Army leaders, we train soldiers to become optimized weapon systems in their military occupational skills, weapons proficiency and...
  • Army Times editorial: Give Casey fair hearing
    After 30 months of leading the combat mission in Iraq, Gen. George Casey is headed for Washington, where he will be grilled as the figurehead for all that has gone wrong in that country.
  • Army Times letters
    The greater hardship
  • Army Times editorial: Say thanks with benefits
    Lawmakers again are talking of improving GI Bill education benefits — and the place to start is with fixes to the Reserve GI Bill.
  • As mobilizations increase, more employers become wary
    All National Guard and Reserve members voluntarily signed up to protect their country, but the rules recently changed: The Defense Department now can recall them to active service more frequently and...
  • Is being a reservist still worth it?
    In recent months, the Department of Defense has re-examined policies regarding the size and use of our nation’s military, both active and reserve, in light of the demands of operations in Iraq,...
  • Letters
    I enjoyed “Nationwide nurse shortage is a challenge for recruiters” [Jan. 15]. Thanks for bringing attention to such an important issue that is often not given too much thought until you...
  • Army Times editorial: Reservists’ jobs on line
    Times are getting increasingly tough for reservists, just as they are for active-duty troops. The line between the two has blurred since Sept. 11, 2001, and reservists now are used as an operational...
  • Education in empathy
    John C. Schultz read a list of soldiers killed in combat and found inspiration where others find despair.
  • From combat to communication
    What follows will stand in the face of everything that comes naturally to the U.S. military and, with few exceptions, its courageous men and women.
  • Army Times editorial: A short-term surge?
    President Bush’s new objective in Iraq appears to be to stabilize the country so Americans can leave with our heads held high.
  • Army Times letters
    More than 200 soldiers have signed a petition to leave Iraq [“Active troops going public to oppose war,” Nov. 6]. Yet the news doesn’t say how many would sign to stay.
  • Letter: ‘A mother and a soldier’
    Back in September, Army Reserve Sgt. Rebecca Hagler wrote Army Times about what it meant to deploy to Iraq despite having to leave her daughter at home. Now that the girl’s stepfather, a...
  • The life of an Army wife: It’s a challenge but is nothing compared to soldiering
    Army wife — toughest job in the Army.
  • Army Times letters
    I am the soldier in the center of the photo cited in “Setting a poor example?” [Letters, Dec. 18]. The letter writer is criticizing the example that I set due to my gear and lack thereof....
  • The life of an Army wife: Want to know the meaning of ‘sacrifice’? Ask my husband
    My cell phone rang one day this summer while I was sitting in line at the bank drive-through.
  • Army Times editorial: Ball’s in Democrats’ court
    The new Democratic Congress has an ambitious agenda for its first 100 hours in power, to include the national minimum wage, embryonic stem cell research and alternative energy options.
  • Army Times editorial: Looking for new course
    The military professionals who make up the core of today’s career force no longer believe President Bush is on the right track in Iraq. According to this year’s Military Times Poll, only...
  • Army Times letters
    “Badge recognizes medics’ bravery during combat” [“Duty, Honor, Country” column, Dec. 11] was a fine overview of the history of and changes in the award criteria for the...
  • Army Times editorial: Essential alternatives
    Oil prices in recent days have taken a dip, but the dizzying heights that fuel costs reached over the past year have raised concerns that the petroleum-based U.S. economy is much too dependent on the...
  • Philip Hoza: Soldiers patrolling Iraq’s highways deserve same honor aviators get
    I have been concerned about the lack of medals for our current soldiers ever since our daughter served in Iraq.
  • Civilians can’t grasp military experience
    I recently ended my time as a military man.
  • Gary Blied: Solemn flight delivers airman to final resting place
    On Dec. 3, I was the co-pilot for American Airlines Flight 1904, traveling from Chicago to Miami.
  • Army Times letters
    In the past seven or eight years, I have noticed a disturbing trend in our Army.
  • Army Times editorial: All services essential
    When President Bush told reporters that he wants to grow the size of the Army and Marine Corps, it was welcome news.
  • James Zumwalt: Laws of war need to change to defeat ‘uncivilized’ enemy
    It might be time to revisit the laws of war if we want to provide coalition forces with the appropriate tools to maximize their fighting capabilities.
  • Army Times editorial: A mess to clean up
    Just in time for the holidays, Republican leaders of the outgoing 109th Congress and Democratic leaders of the incoming 110th Congress have teamed up to drop a large lump of coal on our troops and...
  • Army Times editorial: Medal not just for dead
    Spc. Ross McGinnis dived onto a grenade thrown into his Humvee in Baghdad, saving the lives of four other soldiers while costing him his own.
  • Army letters
    I keep hearing the debates about pulling the troops out of Iraq.
  • Maj. Morgan Smiley: To protect & serve
    Several publications have highlighted the difference between war fighting and fighting a counterinsurgency. Some say a smaller, lighter paramilitary or police force is better suited to...
  • Army Times Letters
    I’m stupefied over the opinion of the Army Diversity Office chief that including women in combat arms will boost the number of female and black officers [“Women in combat arms? Paper by...
  • Army Times editorial: Saluting Stolen Valor Act
    Nothing fires the blood of a war veteran more than a poseur who wears or boasts about combat medals and decorations he didn’t earn.
  • Army Times editorial: Time for ‘warrior pay’
    If the Army gets its way, soldiers will start earning “warrior pay,” a monthly bonus that increases based on how much time soldiers are deployed, sometime in the fiscal year that begins...
  • Robert F. Dorr: It’s time to pass Stolen Valor Act — and honor the real heroes
    It looks like the outgoing Congress will adjourn without passing the Stolen Valor Act, a bill to stiffen penalties for imposters who pretend to be military heroes.
  • Capt. Josh Gibbs: In recruit-coddling Army, lower standards are starting to show
    I recently took a trip to Columbia, S.C., to visit a friend who was graduating from basic training at Fort Jackson, the Army’s largest initial entry training center.
  • Army Times editorial: Improve training teams
    Straight talk is one thing we all could use a lot more of these days in the crucial deliberations about what course to take in Iraq.
  • Letters
    After reading about Pfc. Cindra Smith and her fabricated story of joining to protect other soldiers injured by improvised explosive devices as her daughter was [“Soldier made up story,”...
  • Glenn A. LeCarl: With ‘don’t ask’ under scrutiny, alumni group should take lead
    Members of the Navy and Marine Corps community who have watched from a distance the Naval Academy Alumni Association rebuff lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered alumni may want to start paying...
  • Letters: ‘Army Wives’
    As an Army Wife, I waited with baited breath to view the first episode of the new Lifetime series “Army Wives.” My mind was abuzz with all the trials and tribulations that surely must be...
  • Make mental health a priority
    As members of Congress with very different views on the war in Iraq, we know how difficult it is to find consensus on this war. But there is one thing that should unite us all — our commitment...
  • Letters
    I would like to respond to the letter in the July 2 edition from Sgt. 1st Class James Mixon [“Don’t deploy? Don’t teach”]. While I wholeheartedly respect Mixon’s combat...
  • Riflemen should be trained by — and serve in — Army, Marines
    Every Marine, first and foremost, is a rifleman. Any Marine will tell you that, and I respect it.
  • Editorial: Cheaters sometimes win
    The Army’s response to public revelations of widespread cheating on NCO promotions has been underwhelming.
  • Editorial: Time for action
    These are the facts:
  • Editorial: Take TBI seriously
    A hidden menace follows our troops home from the combat zone. about 2,100 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, but medical experts estimate...
  • Editorial: Upgrade the GI Bill
    Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb wants a renewed national commitment to the GI Bill to reward wartime service and sacrifice of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.
  • Letters
    It is great that someone finally realized that soldiers need more rest and recuperation time than they are receiving [“Deployed soldiers get 18 days of leave,” Letters, July 30].
  • Smart growth
    In the coming weeks, Congress will have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally reshape our ground forces. Thus far, the debates surrounding the National Defense Authorization Act have...
  • The British are (leaving)
    Just before Gen. David Petraeus reported to Congress on the status in Iraq, Great Britain sent the United States and the Iraqi government an unmistakable message: “The Iraq strategy remains a...
  • Blues are OK, but I like Ike better
    During my days as a member of the Army (1950-1976), I shared in the change of uniforms a few times. The old Ike Jacket was one of the best uniforms the Army ever had and I was sad to see it go away.
  • Editorial: Unanswered questions
    President Bush’s announcement that he has accepted Gen. David Petraeus’s plan to begin drawing down about 21,500 U.S. troops sent to Iraq earlier this year as part of the...
  • Letters
    During my days as a member of the Army (1950-1976), I shared in the change of uniforms a few times. The old Ike Jacket was one of the best uniforms the Army ever had and I was sad to see it go away.
  • Their commitment, our commitment
    As our legislative bodies debate and determine the fate of service members in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is easy to depersonalize the discussion. “They” need more body armor,...
  • Name the Murphys’ baby
    A baby is coming! Will it be a boy or a girl? Our favorite cartoon character, Pvt. Murphy, and his wife, Anna, are expecting their child to arrive in coming weeks, and they want your help in choosing...
  • A simple first step
    It is a well-understood shame that it can take a disabled veteran years to gnaw through red tape to collect what is owed. And should the veteran die before his claim is settled, which happens with...
  • Tough choices ahead
    The No. 1 question facing the military today is how to win in Iraq, but a close second is how best to structure its forces, particularly the Army, for future fights. How large should it be, and how...
  • M4 needs combat-reliability test
    Now that testing has been pushed back to December for the M4 (“M4 test delayed, Oct. 1) , I would like to see one additional test included.
  • Letters
    Now that testing has been pushed back to December for the M4 (“M4 test delayed, Oct. 1) , I would like to see one additional test included.
  • Letters
    Opening your Oct. 15 issue with the article regarding GI Joe’s “reassignment” in the upcoming 2009 movie had me and several in my unit rolling their eyes. We felt the need to...
  • Fund Land Warrior
    Throughout history, soldiers have tended to be a conservative lot, preferring the tried-and-true to what some view as the fad of the day. No one wants to enter combat with unproven equipment.
  • GWOT or not? The term isn’t important, but the facts are
    When we refer to what the military is doing today, should we use the term Global War on Terror?
  • Join the fight club
    A man enters the octagon of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, determination etched on his rugged face. He’s a warrior, a finely tuned athlete who has trained relentlessly for this moment.
  • Think before we redeploy
    We can’t simply wish our armed forces home from Iraq — and we can’t leave them there indefinitely.
  • Increase GI Bill benefits
    Without the political muscle to beef up the GI Bill so it fully covers the cost of a college education, lawmakers are seeking other ways to help troops pay for school.
  • Letters
    Watching movies such as “Platoon” and “Apocalypse Now” should provide enough warning that those of us who have been or are in Iraq and Afghanistan will become the new...
  • Closely track reforms
    In the wake of the Walter Reed scandal, the Pentagon belatedly has begun a test program to begin overhauling the complex and, some say, unfair disability rating and payment system.
  • Editorial: Questions for VA nominee
    The White House’s nomination of retired Lt. Gen. James Peake as the next secretary of Veterans Affairs is an interesting choice.
  • Editorial: The push for priests
    The Catholic Church has difficulty finding enough priests. And the military services struggle to find enough priests who want to become military chaplains.
  • Unloading soldiers’ burdens:
    I served as the chaplain for Task Force 2-70, a combined arms unit out of Fort Riley, Kan., during Operation Iraqi Freedom I and III. We served in places like Abu Ghraib, Amariyah, Yusafiyah,...
  • Letters
    I am disgusted by the way the media like to cast labels. Blackwater is being categorized as a bunch of trigger-happy mercenaries. This is far from the truth.
  • Poor placement
    The article in the Oct. 29 issue of Army Times about the Army’s combatives tournament (“The warrior ethos,” Lifelines) was great, but as I turned my attention to the second page, it...
  • Editorial: Time to speak softly
    After years of rhetoric from Washington that military action against Iran is imminent, Arabian Gulf nations are bracing for an American attack on the Islamic republic.
  • Strength in diversity
    Since the integration of our military 58 years ago, and particularly following the establishment of the all-volunteer force, the U.S. military remains the greatest equalizing institution in our...
  • Letters
    I am writing in response to Sgt. 1st Class Jason Thornbury’s letter, “Get a Combat Patch” (Letters, Oct. 22). I am one of the soldiers that he is talking about; I have been on...
  • Faker photo is an affront
    I am appalled by the fact that Richard McClanahan is pictured in his dress blues, wearing a Special Forces tab, airborne tab and all his medals [“MoH faker gets 34 months,” Newslines,...
  • Letters
    I am appalled by the fact that Richard McClanahan is pictured in his dress blues, wearing a Special Forces tab, airborne tab and all his medals [“MoH faker gets 34 months,” Newslines,...
  • Editorial: Treat problems early
    A new study puts hard data behind the many anecdotal reports that mental health problems among combat troops often take months to appear.
  • Editorial: Don’t cheat your buddies
    The latest disturbing news from Iraq: Troops have cheated on problem-solving tests used to spot traumatic brain injuries in order to avoid being pulled out of their units for treatment.
  • Hold contractors accountable
    Recent news stories have reported that employees of private security companies under contract to the U.S. government routinely injure or even kill innocent Iraqis.
  • Precision for infantry
    The Nov. 12 cover article on Precision Guided Mortar Munitions addressed an extremely important and oft-ignored issue: effective fire support for the infantry [“Deadly Accurate,”...
  • Letters
    The Nov. 12 cover article on Precision Guided Mortar Munitions addressed an extremely important and oft-ignored issue: effective fire support for the infantry [“Deadly Accurate,”...
  • Editorial: Give Young plan a chance
    Any initiative launched in a U.S. administration’s last year faces an uphill battle for survival, and the prognosis is even worse when it comes from a team suffering record-low approval...
  • Self-service support
    The Army and Air Force recently selected the C-27J aircraft for assault airlift — direct, fixed-wing airlift support in the forward battle area on short, rough airstrips.
  • Heroes deserve more coverage than fakers
    I agree that someone like “Major Faker” needs to be shamed for his disgraceful actions [Nov. 26]. But to make it a two-page cover story that is in front of a story on true heroes is a...
  • A call to arms, part 2
    Recently, I spoke at the South Florida Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Association Veterans Day reunion. As I entered the small conference room, tucked in the corner of a suburban restaurant, I noticed...
  • Editorial: Match vision to needs
    For years, Army leaders insisted on a multiphase approach to modernization: fight the current war, then reset a war-worn force, then upgrade for future threats.
  • Letters
    In response to “Light-duty gear” [Frontlines, Nov. 19], I am at a loss to find a good reason why the Army is fielding a new PT jacket now. Is there really anything wrong with the jacket...
  • ‘They deserve better’
    I find it astonishing and sickening that the death of a millionaire National Football League player engenders more respect, press, tears and sympathy than the death of a single military member. Sean...
  • Unite for veterans
    It has become abundantly clear this year that our military medical system is not equipped to provide all the physical and psychological care that returning veterans need.
  • Editorial: A different kind of power
    After six years of conflict in what the administration bills as a generational struggle against Islamist extremism, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has it right: Military power, even purchased at a...
  • Letters
    Our son called from Schweinfurt, Germany, to tell us about Kelly...
  • Editorial: Long road looms for VA
    The huge backlog of veterans’ benefits claims, now 400,000 and growing, is hardly a secret.
  • Back-page reality
    With presidential elections approaching, American voters should embrace their constitutional privilege to participate in the political process. This includes understanding the presidential and...
  • To Hollywood: Make films that honor heroes
    Having read the article “Iraq war films shoot blanks at box office” [Lifelines, Dec. 17], I would like to offer a reason I think these films fail that seems to escape Hollywood producers....
  • Letters
    Having read the article “Iraq war films shoot blanks at box office” [Lifelines, Dec. 17], I would like to offer a reason I think these films fail that seems to escape Hollywood producers....
  • Editorial: Help from within
    Sometime in the next few months, Gen. George Casey, the Army’s chief of staff, will make an announcement on deployment lengths. He’s pushing to cut combat tours from today’s 15...
  • Editorial: Inappropriate housing
    Not long ago, troops living off base were paying about 20 percent of their housing costs out of pocket. Five years of above-average basic allowance for housing increases earlier this decade cut that...
  • Vets’ groups are vital for returning troops
    Lt. Col. Bryan Hernandez’s recent editorial focused on motivating soldiers to join veterans’ groups so that “America does not forget those who have bled for its freedom”...
  • Editorial: Patients shouldn’t pay
    Asking military beneficiaries to pay higher fees for health care requires a better argument than the one made in a new report by a Pentagon task force.
  • Letters
    The results of the sand and dust test are no surprise to those of us who have ears to hear and eyes to see [“Dead last: Newer carbines outperform soldiers’ current rifle in dust...
  • Iraq’s many faces
    As an enlisted soldier who served 11 months in Iraq, I’ve had difficulty answering one particular question that comes up frequently: “So, how’s it going over there?”
  • Editorial: Close loan loopholes
  • Editorial: Committed to the mission
    This year’s Military Times Poll reflects in cold hard numbers what we’ve known from our personal contact with the members of our professional military: It’s made up of tough,...
  • Editorial: Improve GI Bill benefits
    Several years ago, Congress linked GI Bill payment rates to inflation, ensuring that the payments rise each Oct. 1.
  • Letters
    The four-part “Blood Brothers” series (Dec. 3, 10, 17 and 24) brought a number of reader comments. Here is a sampling:
  • Vets can help with PTSD
    I served with the 21st Combat Support Hospital in Operation Iraqi Freedom I. I wish that there had been more support services for us when we returned home. The Army brought us back, the chaplain...
  • Replacing the loss
    In the summer of 2006 while I was in command of an armored reconnaissance squadron in west Baghdad, I had a short conversation with my operations officer, who had just returned from leave at Fort...
  • Editorial: Bill, veto unfair to troops
    President Bush gave service members a rude holiday jolt Dec. 28 with a last-minute veto of the 2008 defense authorization bill.
  • Editorial: Improved rifle a must
    Everybody knows the M4 carbine isn’t the most reliable weapon available. The Army’s own tests prove it.
  • Better reserve retirement plan long overdue
    It’s about time Congress approved a more generous retirement plan for the reserve component. I don’t understand the Pentagon’s objection that it would result in soldiers getting out...
  • A surge in support
    Camp Ramadi, Iraq — ’Twas the holiday season, when larger-than-usual numbers of Americans rallied to remember those deployed overseas. They are of all ages and differing backgrounds, from...
  • Letters
    In my view, awards are still being awarded frivolously. The bronze star has now become a rank-specific campaign medal. I was personally told in Afghanistan that sergeants first class and above get...
  • A complement to FCS
    In its Dec. 10 editorial, “Match vision to needs,” Army Times thoughtfully raises several legitimate questions about the Army’s modernization strategy — questions that...
  • Editorial: Fund efforts to grow communications capacity
    Warfare has always been a jigsaw puzzle — all the pieces have to be in the right places for the whole to make any sense.
  • An honorable man
    Best wishes to retired Lt. Col. Allen West in his efforts to win the seat for Florida’s 22nd Congressional District [“From controversy to candidacy,” Jan. 7].
  • Letters
    Best wishes to retired Lt. Col. Allen West in his efforts to win the seat for Florida’s 22nd Congressional District [“From controversy to candidacy,” Jan. 7].
  • Editorial: Fix custody rules
    A New York appeals court has upheld a 2006 ruling that should send chills through the ranks.
  • ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy has failed
    On Nov. 30, I spoke on the Mall [in Washington, D.C.] at an event to honor the service of 12,000 patriots who had been discharged from our military under the “don’t ask, don’t...
  • Editorial: Credibility at risk
    There was something about the voice: “I’m coming to you. You will explode in a few minutes.”
  • Letters
    On Nov. 30, I spoke on the Mall [in Washington, D.C.] at an event to honor the service of 12,000 patriots who had been discharged from our military under the “don’t ask, don’t...
  • Night watch
    I drove to Fort Campbell, Ky., to stand the night watch with a friend and warrior. After the 10-hour drive from Fort Bragg, N.C., I was tired but eager to spend time with a soldier who was facing his...
  • Editorial: Pentagon must demand integrity from charity
    It’s becoming clear that America Supports You, a Defense Department charitable program that supports troops and their families, needs tighter oversight.
  • Most honorable discharge
    Although our military needs Sgt. Darren Manzella’s talents (and those of the 65,000 other gay service members currently serving), the Army must deal with the outdated, ill-fated compromise that...
  • Letters
    Although our military needs Sgt. Darren Manzella’s talents (and those of the 65,000 other gay service members currently serving), the Army must deal with the outdated, ill-fated compromise that...
  • The need for advisers
    Over the last three years, a great deal of effort has been dedicated to create, advise, mentor and train military and security forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • Nurses must get back to being caregivers
    I was a member of the Army Nurse Corps from 1968 to 1970. I served one year as an operating room nurse in Vietnam, and served again from 1986 until I retired in January 2003.
  • Editorial: Give Petraeus time, room
    The Army remains on track to bring home on schedule the five brigade combat teams that made up the “surge.” Their return will reduce to 15 the number of BCTs operating in Iraq.
  • Letters
    I was a member of the Army Nurse Corps from 1968 to 1970. I served one year as an operating room nurse in Vietnam, and served again from 1986 until I retired in January 2003.
  • A suffering system
    Around the winter holidays, when Congress is at best partially awake, is the time the Pentagon Grinches deliver new surprises from the dark corridors of their five-sided wind tunnel. Sadly, some...

  • I was pleased to see the hous¬ing crisis and its negative im¬pact on soldiers and families fi¬nally covered in Army Times [“Housing crisis,” Jan. 28]. What I think needs...
  • Editorial: Smart thinking, not money, is real answer
    The final budget of any U.S. administration draws intense scrutiny, and the proposed 2009 spending plan is no exception.
  • Letters
    I was pleased to see the housing crisis and its negative impact on soldiers and families finally covered in Army Times [“Housing crisis,” Jan. 28]. What I think needs more discussion is,...
  • An indefensible defense budget
    As President Bush backs out the White House door, he is asking Congress to appropriate enough money for the coming fiscal year to enable the Pentagon and its government sidekicks to spend $1.2...
  • Editorial: An outdated standard
    Basic Allowance for Housing rates are vastly improved after five years of hefty increases earlier this decade. But the housing standards underpinning the rates are another story.
  • Letters
    As a current MiTT [military transition team] adviser, I have to disagree with the argument Maj. Morgan Smiley made in “The need for advisers” [Back Talk, Feb. 4]. Smiley made the argument...
  • Editorial: What were they thinking?
    The Army fielded a new mobile gun system in Iraq without an air conditioning system for the crew. It got so dangerously hot in the vehicles last summer — 147 degrees in some cases — that...
  • What lies beneath
    Reports from Iraq are showing that the war-torn country might finally be on the road to some mix of local and national reconciliation. The recent reduction in violence suggests this might be the case...
  • Editorial: It’s time to ensure parity of civilian, military wages
    Congress and the Pentagon are gearing up for a reprise of what has become an annual rite of spring — wrangling over the size of the military pay raise.
  • Letters
    In an interview in the Feb. 18 issue, Michael G. Vickers, assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low intensity conflict, says an increase in the size of the U.S. military presence in...
  • The tide is turning
    When I arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1975, as a young and eager lance corporal in the British army, the war against the Provisional Irish Republican Army was not going well.
  • Editorial: New anti-cheating rules good; still more needed
    The Army’s new crackdown on promotion cheating through online correspondence courses is long overdue. Yet there’s one big piece pending: Standardized procedures for reporting cheaters.
  • ‘Enemies of the state’
    I’m currently stationed in Korea and I’ll be retiring from the Army soon. This letter is in response to the editorial “Retire this bad idea” [Feb. 11]. If the Commission on...
  • Editorial: Follow up for families
    Defense Department officials have spoken often and at length in recent years about their commitment to military families. But Congress wants to see less talk and more action.
  • Letters
    I’m currently stationed in Korea and I’ll be retiring from the Army soon. This letter is in response to the editorial “Retire this bad idea” [Feb. 11]. If the Commission on...
  • Editorial: Close-minded on carbine
    The Army’s Asymmetric Warfare Group, formed three years ago to help develop new tactics and technologies to combat emerging threats, chose to carry Heckler & Koch’s 416 because it was...
  • At AIT, instructors, not comrades
    I am a veteran service member undergoing my second military occupation skill qualification training at Fort Meade, Md. For those like me, this training represents a stepping stone in a long career of...
  • Editorial: Rethink promotion
    A sweeping new report on military compensation seeks to reward the military’s fastest risers with a permanent pay advantage.
  • Letters
    I am a veteran service member undergoing my second military occupation skill qualification training at Fort Meade, Md. For those like me, this training represents a stepping stone in a long career of...
  • Haste makes waste
    To those who feel the correct response to staff sergeant shortages is to promote E-5s who have not appeared before a board — as detailed in the Feb. 18 Army Times article “Easier...
  • Editorial: A final rank injustice
    At Arlington National Cemetery, the nation’s most hallowed resting place, honors are accorded solely by rank; the circumstances of a death are irrelevant.
  • Editorial: The real torture scandal
    Former Pfc. Lynndie England’s recent apology for her role in abusing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq was tempered by her scorn for the media, whom she blamed for sensationalizing...

  • The M4 debate is symptomatic of a leadership issue that degrades the abilities of our Army to serve and protect our nation. I’d like to share my personal experiences serving as an adviser...
  • Letters
    The M4 debate is symptomatic of a leadership issue that degrades the abilities of our Army to serve and protect our nation. I’d like to share my personal experiences serving as an adviser...
  • Editorial: Promotion policy practical
    Thanks to a policy effective April 1, thousands of soldiers are going to sew on staff sergeant stripes in the years to come without having to go before a promotion board.
  • Letters
    Is the Army Combat Uniform a combat/duty uniform or an all-purpose uniform?
  • A military for everyone
    “I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and...
  • Editorial: Don’t phish own waters
    In the pervasive online scam known as “phishing,” con artists create official-looking e-mails that appear to come from credit card companies, banks, charities, government agencies and...
  • Editorial: A promise kept
    “I will never leave a fallen comrade.”
  • ‘Band-Aid’ burial honors
    For almost a decade, the United States Volunteers-Joint Services Command (USV-JSC) has been trying to rectify an issue for veteran burials at national cemeteries [“Fair honors?” March 31].
  • As long as it takes
    “December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”
  • Letters
    For almost a decade, the United States Volunteers-Joint Services Command (USV-JSC) has been trying to rectify an issue for veteran burials at national cemeteries [“Fair honors?” March 31].
  • New world, new strategy
    Ever since Sept. 11, fear has become the driving force in American daily life, with defense lobbyists and government officials constantly ready to provide us security with increasingly excessive...
  • Editorial: Raise single BAH rates
    A sweeping study of military pay calls for bringing fairness to the Basic Allowance for Housing. It’s about time.
  • Editorial: VA overhaul overdue
    Congress held a hearing last week on ways to modernize the benefits claims system at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which has a backlog of 600,000 claims and counting.
  • Revised uniform policy
    I read with great interest the letter from Chief Warrant Officer 4 Paul M. Steele [“Wear policy,” April 7] regarding the Army Combat Uniform wear policy.
  • Letters
    I read with great interest the letter from Chief Warrant Officer 4 Paul M. Steele [“Wear policy,” April 7] regarding the Army Combat Uniform wear policy.
  • Letters
    Sgt. 1st Class Michael Spellman is on target [“Haste makes waste, Back Talk, March 24] and I hope senior noncommissioned officers check out what he had to say. Every promotion I have ever had...
  • Editorial: Troops deserve even more
    The Defense Department has authorized campaign stars for service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and none too soon.
  • It’s up to commanders
    In response to opinions from Sgt. 1st Class Michael Spellman and Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph E. Veppert on the Army’s new Automatic List Integration policy for staff sergeant promotions, their...
  • Editorial: Troops deserve better
    “Our troops are our most valuable asset,” military leaders like to say. But as we begin National Military Appreciation Month, it is worth examining how actions and words sometimes...
  • History repeating
    In 1876, when Custer led the 7th Calvary in the Big Horn Valley, his men were armed with the Trapdoor Springfield Rifle. The Trapdoor Springfield was a single-shot breech loader and the...
  • Editorial: Change starts at the top
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently echoed the mantra of his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, by saying the military is not moving fast enough to address wartime needs.
  • Revamp BAH for all
    Having read quite a bit lately in regard to the supposed unfairness of Basic Allowance for Housing, it seems that many single soldiers are complaining that they do not get paid enough to maintain a...
  • Letters
    Having read quite a bit lately in regard to the supposed unfairness of Basic Allowance for Housing, it seems that many single soldiers are complaining that they do not get paid enough to maintain a...
  • Proactive, not reactive
    The mad scramble to fix rotten, moldy barracks after a soldier’s father posted a video on YouTube underscores a troubling pattern in Army leadership.
  • Getting a pass
    The Army has a process in place that allows some athletes to be excused from duty [“Drafted from war,” Frontlines, May 12]. Caleb Campbell won’t go to war, even though he is a West...
  • Editorial: How to save Tricare
    The Pentagon’s health care costs have more than doubled since 2001 to $43 billion this year, almost 10 percent of the defense budget. At this pace, health care will cost $65 billion by 2015.
  • Building better recruits
    I read a lot of letters that discourage the recent change at some Training and Doctrine Command posts involving the switch from drill sergeants to platoon sergeants.
  • Letters
    The Army has a process in place that allows some athletes to be excused from duty [“Drafted from war,” Frontlines, May 12]. Caleb Campbell won’t go to war, even though he is a West...
  • It’s time to extend adoption expense reimbursement to reservists
    Members of the National Guard and reserves have proudly and successfully undertaken missions and roles well beyond their traditional historic role as a strategic reserve. Even the term “weekend...
  • Editorial: Reserve deserves funding
    The Chief of the Army Reserve gets to mark two important anniversaries this month: A full century of the reserve component and his first two years on the job.
  • Editorial: Remember the fallen
    The United States is almost 232 years old, the world’s greatest and oldest experiment in freedom and democracy.
  • BAH Equality
    I could not possibly disagree with Sgt. 1st Class Harold K. Lewis more [“Raising single soldiers’ BAH may leave married ones behind,” Back Talk, May 5].
  • The right path to unity
    When the blood of any war soaks your clothes, covers your hands and soldiers die in your arms, every breath forever more becomes an appeal for a greater peace, unity and reconciliation.
  • Letters
    The current Army Physical Fitness Test does not translate into physical fitness for today’s battlefield. Soldiers must have upper body strength and endurance, core body strength and endurance,...
  • Tweak PT test
    The current Army Physical Fitness Test does not translate into physical fitness for today’s battlefield. Soldiers must have upper body strength and endurance, core body strength and endurance,...
  • Army upgrades
    If you owned a 1978 Chevy Impala, you’ll remember that it was big, powered by a 12-mile-per-gallon V8 engine. Its advanced safety features were lap seatbelts and drum brakes. It had a...
  • Editorial: A workable GI Bill plan
    In the congressional debate over how to improve the GI Bill, the question of whether to let service members share their education benefits with their spouses or children has reached a flash point.
  • The debate over porn
    Isn’t anyone else offended by Rep. Paul Broun’s implication that soldiers will become rapists upon seeing an exposed breast [Bill would boot Penthouse, Playboy out of exchanges,”...
  • Letters
    Isn’t anyone else offended by Rep. Paul Broun’s implication that soldiers will become rapists upon seeing an exposed breast [Bill would boot Penthouse, Playboy out of exchanges,”...
  • Editorial: Deployment time for all
    Army personnel specialists are scouring the ranks to find soldiers with nonexistent or light deployment histories so they can take their turns in the combat zones.
  • Editorial: Help for combat stress
    At least 172 service members have killed themselves while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan in the past six years.
  • Andrei Cherny
    Just after World War II, a U.S. airlift delivered food to West Germans in Berlin starving amid a Soviet blockade.| As in Germany then, democracy in Iraq today might come about more readily...
  • Prayer calendar
    When I saw the “Faces of the Fallen” pullout in the May 26 issue with the names and photos of the 786 men and women who died in the past year in Iraq and Afghanistan, the fact that it was...
  • Letters
    When I saw the “Faces of the Fallen” pullout in the May 26 issue with the names and photos of the 786 men and women who died in the past year in Iraq and Afghanistan, the fact that it was...
  • Don’t tamper with tradition
    I recently flew from my posting outside the continental U.S. to attend the battalion change of command ceremony of a former second lieutenant and platoon leader who served with me when I was a...
  • Letters
    Call me callous, call me insensitive, call me a fool, but our Army cannot become so politically correct as to award a Purple Heart for post-traumatic stress disorder [“Purple Heart for...
  • Editorial: Small fix, bigger problem
    The Army has employed stop-loss over the past seven years to keep some 60,000 soldiers in the war zone for months past their planned retirement and separation dates.
  • Safety is on the rider
    In regards to the June 2 letter, “Dangerous Message” from Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey J. Mellinger, and all respect to him, I’ve never heard of any soldier going to a dealership to...
  • Article was disservice
    I was very disappointed in the May 19 article concerning several 2008 sport bikes [“Hot wheels,” Lifelines]. The teaser on the front page screamed “Throttle Rockets ... 4...
  • Precision ground-pounding
    The meanings of war and a state of war have taken on new dimensions in the 21st century. Unlike the bipolar Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, we are in a period of persistent conflict...
  • Raising single soldiers’ BAH may leave married ones behind
    I have read the articles in Army Times concerning the complaints by single soldiers about the perceived inequality between single Basic Allowance for Housing and married BAH. I read that single...
  • Time to change course
    Along with many other service members, I have had mandatory training in sexual assault prevention.
  • Letters
    If the H&K 416 is a better weapon, as opposed to the M4 carbine, the Army should reverse its decision and give the H&K 416 back to the Asymmetric Warfare Group.
  • Letters
    In the June 9 issue, a reader in the Opinion section stated that the memorial photo for Sgt. Merlin German was “tasteless” and that it “hurt morale” [“Tasteless...
  • Hope and reform
    Hundreds of miles from Baghdad, tucked in the southeast corner of Iraq near the deep-water port of Umm Qasr and only half a mile from the border of Kuwait, is Forward Operating Base Bucca. Within...
  • Editorial: Expand disability benefit
    A provision of the 2008 Defense Authorization Act erased a long-standing policy requiring troops who received disability severance payments from the military to repay them before they can qualify for...
  • Editorial: Minimize stop-loss time
    During recent “town-hall” meetings, soldiers peppered the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with questions about how long stop-loss policies will continue.
  • Provide paternal leave
    The Senate Armed Services Committee has proposed giving new dads in uniform a benefit already widely available in the private sector: a little time off to bond with baby and care for mom.
  • Uphold the tradition
    It’s about time. Thanks to Col. Gregory V. Barrack for his excellent “Don’t tamper with tradition” piece in the June 9 Back Talk section of the Army Times.
  • STOPPING POWER
    No, this 5.56 round is not adequate. I have personally seen an Iraqi take 4 rounds, 2 to the head, and get up and keep running. There is something to be said when 2 rounds to the head cannot stop...
  • Letters
    As for the soldiers in basic training scoring higher on the Army Physical Fitness Test, do not be fooled by the numbers [“Sweat equity: New PT plan redefines ‘Army strong’,”...
  • Common-sense cell phone rule must be followed
    A general order prohibits the use of hand-held cell phones while driving on military installations.
  • Taking work home
    At a recent mentorship session among senior military officers, I overheard a bit of advice on the treatment of others that caused me to think.
  • Editorial: Keep CAB in the present
    The wars our troops are fighting today, particularly in Iraq, are in many ways dramatically different from those fought in previous generations. They now face enemies who don’t wear uniforms...
  • Letters
    I can’t believe the Institute of Heraldry is involved in making all of the service medals a uniform size or removing the word “medal” from the actual award. Why is this being caught...
  • Editorial: Better late than never
    In 2005, when Congress made it more difficult for people to declare bankruptcy, it included an exemption specifically for disabled veterans.
  • Time for PT change
    I have been deployed to Iraq and I think the physical fitness test should be changed because the two-mile run is way over-emphasized. It is frowned upon by most soldiers because it is not needed and...
  • $100M Tricare Fraud
    I want to know exactly how much money they get back. Isn’t it amazing that normal people have to fight Tricare tooth and nail to pay valid claims and this company was able to submit nearly $100...
  • Star struck
    Aside from the fact that I celebrate my birthday on Independence Day, this time of year always brings appreciation for the many good things about our country.
  • Green can be costly
    In reference to the article on the military replacing standard light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) [“New light bulbs are a bright idea,” Fast Track, June 30], I...
  • Soldier refuses active duty
    I am active duty and feel it is my duty to serve as those above me dictate, but to call people from Individual Ready Reserve is unjustified. Calling Army reservists is justified, but do not use our...
  • Letters
    In reference to the article on the military replacing standard light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) [“New light bulbs are a bright idea,” Fast Track, June 30], I...
  • Editorial: VA adds fuel to fire
    The Department of Veterans Affairs, buffeted by a string of controversies in recent years, has another to add to the list.
  • New GI Bill generation
    Ask any politician if those who serve in America’s military are owed a debt of gratitude for their sacrifices and undoubtedly, they will say yes. But how can we best show this appreciation?
  • Ultimate protection
    Major kudos to Staff Sgt. Scott Cole for his letter regarding service members becoming “unlocked cars” in terms of identity theft [“Switch to service numbers,” June 30].
  • Letters
    The World War II truck driver strafed by a German airplane received no recognition of his exposure to combat. Yet the Operation Iraqi Freedom truck driver hitting an improvised explosive device is...
  • Combat Action Badge
    The wars we are fighting today are no different than some of those fought by previous generations. The Viet Cong didn't wear uniforms in the Vietnam War. There are other examples. But why does...
  • Editorial: An avoidable danger
    Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth was killed in Baghdad on Jan. 2 — not on the battlefield, but in his barracks. He was the 13th American electrocuted at U.S. facilities in the war zone since 2003.
  • Editorial: It’s your decision
    “If Obama wins,” our July 14 cover story, drew hundreds of messages from our readers. Some wondered if Sen. Barack Obama had advance knowledge of our questions — he did not.
  • Out of troops?
    Just to be clear, the president will never run out of troops for anything. If he wants to take soldiers who have just returned from a 15-month tour in Iraq and only been home for two weeks to send to...
  • Guarantee vets a job
    In response to “Baseball pitches in: Hat sales to fund jobs for vets” [Frontlines, July 7], I think this idea is great. I also say the government should give every disabled veteran from...
  • Letters
    In response to “Baseball pitches in: Hat sales to fund jobs for vets” [Frontlines, July 7], I think this idea is great. I also say the government should give every disabled veteran from...
  • Editorial: ‘VA Retro’ needs redoing
    A new congressional report details a fiasco involving the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, contractor Lockheed Martin and tens of thousands of disabled military retirees.
  • Editorial: A simple thanks
    This week, we honor five Military Times Service Members of the Year for going beyond the call of duty. We honor them not because they are the bravest, strongest or smartest, but rather because they...
  • Campaign props
    With their recent swings through Minnesota, both presidential campaigns launched their own respective “competing” initiatives to capture the hearts and minds of those who have served and...
  • Soldier sues for citizenship
    The federal government has got to get over this mass bureaucracy that servicemen and veterans are running into. Whether it be the VA, [Citizenship and Immigration Services], the DoD (and sub-agencies...
  • Letters
    I was shocked and disappointed in the article “Army fiancée backs Democrat” [July 14]. I encourage spouses and soldiers to have political views, since this is a free country....
  • Letters
    The picture of Chief Warrant Officer Nathan Galloway saying goodbye to his son in the July 14 Army Times is so touching. One can almost hear him telling his son that the son will be the man of the...
  • Editorial: Erase inequity in GI Bill
    As the details of the recently approved Post-9/11 GI Bill come into sharper focus, a glaring omission has popped up.
  • Editorial: Combatives = recruiting
    Army brass would have little to lose and much to gain if they allowed Staff Sgt. Tim Kennedy to fight in professional combatives matches while still serving as a Special Forces soldier.
  • Army fumbles
    In case those of you who attacked Army graduate Caleb Campbell for wanting to play in the National Football League missed it, here's another target for you: Oliver Drake. Until last week he was...
  • Photo deserves award
    The picture of Chief Warrant Officer Nathan Galloway saying goodbye to his son in the July 14 Army Times is so touching. One can almost hear him telling his son that the son will be the man of the...
  • ‘DON’T ASK’
    In the military today, heterosexual men and women work side by side every day. Their sexual orientation does not seem to cause too many issues. Why does everyone seem to think that a homosexual...
  • Editorial: Weigh fee hike benefits
    The latest salvo in the Defense Department’s quest to raise Tricare fees for retirees under age 65 is a proposal from a Pentagon-sponsored pay study to tie those fees to the annual premiums...
  • Editorial: Expand tenants’ rights
    Service members and their families are particularly vulnerable as the nation’s housing market melts down.
  • Honor hearing loss
    If post-traumatic stress disorder entitles a soldier to the award of a Purple Heart, then combat-related hearing loss surely does.
  • Sound Off: Army Combat Uniform
    Can the Velcro. Ditto for all the patches. The Velcro is noisy as hell. Also, ban the beret except for specialized units that earned the right to wear them: Special Forces and Rangers and such.
  • Pro sports policy for academy grads opens broader question
    Three decades ago, as a West Point plebe, I marveled at Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s inscription on the Cadet Gymnasium: “Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that, upon...
  • A smaller footprint
    With the U.S. in the fifth year of conflict in Iraq, it is time to shift to a new approach and end what appears to be a permanent occupation, something increasingly unsupported by the Iraqi or...
  • Letters
    If post-traumatic stress disorder entitles a soldier to the award of a Purple Heart, then combat-related hearing loss surely does.
  • Letters
    I noticed two articles in the July 28 edition related to the 13 electrocution deaths of Americans in Iraq and at least 283 electrical fires at American military facilities in Iraq from August 2006...
  • A suitable compromise
    I agree with soldiers who feel that awarding a Purple Heart for post-traumatic stress disorder may degrade the medal. I also agree that meeting the criteria for a new mental injury award, should one...
  • AFN Commercials: Love or Hate?
    If you have ever been stationed overseas (in uniform or not), you would almost certainly have been exposed to AFN (Armed Forces Network). One commercial I reflexively roll my eyes [at] upon viewing...
  • In awarding badges, Army should remember ‘expert’ soldiers
    I read with interest the article “New combat badge rules” in the Aug. 4 issue and I was disappointed that the panel only addressed one aspect of the combat badges.
  • Editorial: Keep SSNs private
    The Defense Department is in the midst of a multiyear effort to eliminate full Social Security numbers from ID cards.
  • Editorial: Missed opportunity
    The world expects soldiers to be good shooters, and now a U.S. Army soldier is the best shooter in the world.
  • Editorial: Road clear for database
    The push to create a public database of the nation’s highest awards for valor — and the military personnel who earned those awards — reaches a critical crossroads in the coming...
  • Editorial: Keep SSNs secure
    The 30,812 candidates for sergeant first class got a dose of bad news earlier this year, whether or not they made the cut for promotion: Their names and Social Security numbers were compromised when...
  • Dedicate award to hero
    Chief Warrant Officer 4 Douglas Womack’s letter hits right on target [“Recognize past service,” Aug. 11]. One of our Army values is the obligation to do what’s right, legally...

  • I am quite concerned over our lack of support for Georgia. They had 2,000 troops in Iraq help¬ing us, the third largest supporter for Iraq opera¬tions. The Georgia president has criticized...
  • ‘The essence of honor’
    Oct. 3 will mark the 15th anniversary of the Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia.
  • Letters
  • Editorial: Define hard labor
    A soldier who tested positive for illegal drugs was made to dig holes for up to 15 hours a day in midsummer wearing his helmet, flak jacket and full ruck.
  • Editorial: Photos of courage
    They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so Rep. Walter Jones decided to let the images do the talking.
  • Mold at Fort Sill
    Another glaring example of how gullible some people are — basing facts and making determinations of guilt/innocence based off of one reporter’s story. Ever consider that news...
  • Living up to Army’s values
    Each week, it seems, I read a new article on detainee abuse that has occurred in Afghanistan, Iraq or Guantanamo Bay, and I become more unsettled. I am not unsettled with what I am reading, but...
  • Singing the blues: ASU letters
    Third World dictator. Mall security guard. Nutcracker doll.

  • I guess the Air Force “Blue to Green” program will now be the “Blue to Dark Blue” program.
  • Grunt gear
    In the Sept. 1 copy of Army Times I read the feature about what troops put in their rucks to make life easier [“What’s in your pack?”]. I noticed very few re¬sponses came from...
  • Letters
    There is a big problem I see with the idea of a national award database: There are sure to be er¬rors [“Validating valor,” Sept. 1].

  • What has any of that got to do with anything that concerns us? If his unit deploys, he will go with it regardless of what he is or does. Just like any other soldier. Has no effect on anybody except...
  • In their honor
    This week, the Pentagon Memorial opens to honor the lives of the 184 service members and civilians lost when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building on Sept. 11, 2001. Let us pause to...
  • A sacred trust
    American soldiers are members of a band of brothers and sisters, bound by common values, and duty and loyalty to each other that sets them apart from society.
  • Next president must quickly choose efficient staff, advisers
    During the presidential primary season, many candidates — especially Sens. John McCain and Hillary Rodham Clinton — made an issue of their readiness to be president from “Day...
  • Editorial: Get with the program
    In January, Congress ordered the Pentagon to drop its disability ratings rules and strictly follow the VA’s criteria in assigning ratings to injured and wounded service members.
  • From our forums
    While I do agree that hard labor has its time and place, some of the things in that article went too far. I see no [reason for] getting limited sleep … over such a long period of time. I...
  • Better weapons
    Everything I hear about new rifles infuriates me when I know that there are better and more reliable weapons available for soldiers on the front lines. I have to ask the Army officials, why...
  • Hard labor
    It doesn’t seem too long ago, we did these types of tasks as “details.” Now they want to call it too tough for hard labor? I guess “don’t do the crime if you can’t...
  • Letters
    I just finished reading the article “At war, ACU is attire of choice” [Sept. 1], and it doesn’t seem to make much sense outside the halls of the Pentagon. To me it seems that we, as...
  • Editorial: Selfless Marine earned the MOH
    There are few things more selfless than covering a live hand grenade to save your buddies.
  • Make effort to make your vote heard
    Voting isn’t merely the right of every American, it is our responsibility. And if the pen is mightier than the sword, as the saying goes, your vote is the most powerful weapon in your arsenal.
  • Army service uniform
    The new ASU looks like a tragic collision between a junior ROTC cadet, a Disney security guard and Kim Jong Il. This design is god-awful. I dare anyone to stand the ASU next to anything the Army used...
  • Letters
    I like the idea of a new dress uniform. The greens had to go away.
  • A warrant’s wish list
    Before I retired from the Army, a young soldier in Advanced Individual Training asked me if I could change anything in the Army, what would it be. Here is my answer:
  • Letters
    I must say that when it comes to uniforms, the Army seems incapable of hitting the target.
  • Pride in our uniform
    I must say that when it comes to uniforms, the Army seems incapable of hitting the target.
  • Editorial: A better hot line option
    At a recent congressional hearing, Department of Veterans Affairs officials talked about how pleased they are with VA’s year-old suicide prevention hotline, which they credit with saving the...
  • Add to the arsenal
    The Army recently selected the M110 Semi-Automatic-Sniper System as its newest sniper rifle after looking at a number of commercial off-the-shelf systems.
  • Editorial: Let families decide
    The Army’s new rules allowing better media access to burials at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., are inadequate to the task.
  • Award valor, not rank
    Fourth Brigade, 10th Mountain Division has started to tag awards to rank. Soldiers are no longer receiving awards based on their actions or valor, but instead they are receiving awards for holding a...
  • Our patriotic duty
    The thing Americans forget is that our democracy isn’t about waving flags, having a bumper sticker on your car or even watching the fireworks on the Fourth of July. Our democracy is a...
  • Leading amidst the chaos
    When Staff Sgt. Erich Phillips racked out on the night of Aug. 21, 2007, he didn’t expect a pre-dawn wake-up call from a huge Taliban force penetrating his combat outpost.
  • Letters
    I applaud James Bussey and his comments [“A warrant’s wish list,” Sept. 29]. His comments about maintenance hit the nail on the head.
  • Editorial: Preserve dwell time
    Seven years on a war footing, with no end in sight, the Army faces increasing demands for troops in Afghanistan even before the long-hoped-for Iraq drawdown has begun.
  • Letters
    I wholeheartedly agree with the editorial in the Sept. 29 edition, “Selfless Marine earned the Medal of Honor.”
  • Editorial: Spend wisely, carefully
    President Eisenhower wisely said the economy is the source of America’s national security. It powers the world’s largest defense budget and gives the country worldwide clout.
  • Drawing strength
    The halls of military hospitals in the U.S. and Germany were invaded recently by members of the National Cartoonists Society on a mission to bring smiles to the faces of the brave men and women who...
  • From the forums
    How many of you who are getting in an uproar about this wear your favorite sports team’s jackets and jerseys? Are you a part of that team? No. So what’s the big deal?
  • Letter: Parts system works
    I am writing in response to the Oct. 13 letter, “Broken system.” I have worked as an aviation intermediate maintenance production control noncommissioned officer both stateside and in...
  • Letters
    The special-edition article extolling the performance of the Land Warrior command-and-control system [“Land Warrior: Now or later?” Oct. 13], might better have been titled, “Land...
  • Use improved Land Warrior
    the so-called Land Warrior system was a flop in initial training exercises. Soldiers wearing the digital command-and-control system in 2006 found it to be too slow and said it didn’t add enough...
  • From our forums
    As long as they are ensuring that minors can’t see it or buy it, so what? There is no reason that military members should not be able to purchase anything that is legal on base.
  • Little faith in VA’s Plan B
    Last month, senior Department of Veterans Affairs officials told Congress that VA needed to hire a private contractor to handle claims and payments when the new Post-9/11 GI Bill takes effect Aug. 1.
  • Similar complaint
    It is telling that Sgt. Faizullrahman of the Afghanistan Army came to the same conclusion that hundreds of Army Times readers have concerning the reliability of the M16 [“Afghan upgrade,”...
  • Letters
    The M24 was designed from its beginning to be upgraded to the 300 Winchester Magnum [“Army solicits industry for M4 replacement,” Oct. 13]. That is why the rifle has a long action, which...
  • From our forums
    There are a number of problems that contribute to the break down of discipline in the military. Lower recruiting standards, higher ops tempo, do more with less, to name a few of the problems. I have...
  • Pentagon must recognize burn-pit health hazards
    More than five years into the war in Iraq and seven years into the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. military continues daily disposal of hundreds of tons of war-zone waste in the most crude and hazardous...
  • Straight-talking Gates is best SecDef in a long time
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates is doing an excellent job as the top civilian leader in the Pentagon and as the No. 2 in the military chain of command.
  • Editorial: Don’t be a victim
    The military has long been a target for unsavory businessmen because all troops draw steady paychecks, the government helps creditors collect what’s owed them and, in the case of junior troops,...
  • A blessing, not a burden
    Until I married a military man, I never really understood patriotism. By the time I met my husband, he had already served in the Army for four years. On our first date, I asked him his favorite song.

  • I am writing in regard to the letter from Capt. Eric Grider, “Hollow Honor,” in the Oct. 27 issue.
  • From the forums
    Nobody is above the law, civil or criminal, and if the vote is not correctly written I don’t care if the voter is a soldier or a street sweeper, it doesn’t count. Enough of Republican...
  • Letter: Custer set bad image
    I am writing in response to the Oct. 27 letter “Greens got to go.” The staff sergeant who wrote the letter states, “When I think of the ASU, I think of Gen. George Custer.” I...
  • ‘Burn pit’ letters
    In the Nov. 3 issue, Army Times reported on the massive open-air waste burn pits on U.S. installations in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones that some service members worry may pose health risks.
  • How Obama can win trust
    If the combined forces of the U.S. military were a state, its 2.2 million residents would have voted strongly in favor of Sen. John McCain in last week’s election — giving him five votes,...
  • Let the competition begin
    The Army has for the most part stayed on the sidelines during an ongoing debate over whether to search for a replacement for the M4, the carbine soldiers carry into battle. Now, however, the hunt has...
  • Surrounded by chaos
    Editor’s note: Spc. Edgar Hernandez was wounded in the ambush at Nasiriyah, Iraq, on March 23, 2003, and held prisoner for 21 days. In the new book “Edgar Hernandez: POW — An...
  • Letters
    I congratulate President-elect Barack Obama even though I voted for his opponent.
  • Insulting headline
    The cover of the Nov. 3 Army Times, which states “Smarter NCOS/ Making sergeants more like officers,” is, quite frankly, inflammatory and insulting.
  • Monthly remembrance
    Isn’t it ironic that the world’s largest multicultural organization is only remembered one day a year? This organization has fought and continues to fight America’s wars since the...
  • Be wary of bonus
    With the economy tanking and family budgets being squeezed, an offer of $30,000 in cold cash might seem easy to snap up.
  • Surrounded by heroes
    From mid-October to mid-November, my family faced the most difficult month of our lives. Not only did my mother, Pamela Losey, pass away Oct. 13 from pancreatic cancer, but 11 days later, my uncle,...
  • VFW, Legion must modernize in order to thrive
    As a people, we recognize that the world is constantly changing. We like to believe we can cope with, and benefit from, change.
  • Letters
    Army Times regularly publishes a list of the awards given out by all branches of service for both Iraq and Afghanistan. Nobody can honestly tell me that as this war goes into its eighth year, there...
  • From our forums
    I’m getting out of active duty and going into the reserves. I’m just tired of wasting so much time in the Army when I could be going to college or vo-tech. And I am tired of being...
  • Show troops the money
    hundreds of extra dollars a month might come in pretty handy right now. And if you’re among the active-duty soldiers who qualify for up to $500 a month because you are stop-lossed, you might be...
  • Supporting the chief
    In response to the editorial “How Obama can win trust” in the Nov. 17 issue, I would like to make a comment about the opening statement that the military would have strongly voted in...
  • From our forums
    One of the basic tenets of Public Affairs and Army Visual Information MOSs is that imagery will not be altered. To have any PAO office issue a photo of Gen. Ann Dunwoody that has been altered is...
  • At last, vindication
    The National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition applauds the Veterans’ Affairs Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War illness for the release of its thorough review of research into...
  • Letters
    Though the M4 is a decent rifle, it is still based on the longest-serving rifle in the Army’s history. I would love to see the Army adopt a rifle that improves on the reliability of the M4 and,...
  • Smart to stay with Gates
    In an interview with Military Times last July, President-elect Barack Obama praised Defense Secretary Robert Gates for bringing a “level of realism and professionalism and planning” to...
  • Failure at the top
    A dozen drill sergeants and AIT instructors at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., have been busted for sexual misconduct with trainees. Adultery, sex off post, sex in a car, sex in the barracks — the...
  • Taking the first step
    In my position as sergeant major of the Army Wounded Warrior Program, I see every day extraordinary men and women who have sacrificed so much and continue to proudly represent their country.
  • Rethink award system
    I agree with Maj. Nick Aquilar’s Nov. 24 letter, “Forget the ribbons.” I’ve witnessed firsthand how pathetically the Army awards program is administered.
  • Letters
    No way am I taking that bonus. It’s a sucker’s bet unless you’re betting that you’ll die right after retiring. I guess if my family was drowning in debt, we might consider it...
  • Letters
    It has become apparent to me, during my relatively short time in the Army, that there is a serious lack of pride in our headgear. The beret was worn proudly in the past by Airborne and Armor units,...
  • Rethink Medal of Honor
    I am concerned about what seems to be an additional, unofficial criterion for the awarding of the Medal of Honor — posthumous only. That has at least been the case in our current wars, despite...
  • No more bulk for MRAPs
    Defense officials have once again whipped out the checkbook and bought into the idea of an indestructible transport vehicle that meets every need.
  • Fix this insurance mess
    Anyone who has worked in government long enough has come across rules and policies noteworthy only for being devoid of common sense.
  • Up or out rules
    I would like to congratulate the Army leadership for finally raising the retention control points for senior noncommissioned officers [“Up or out rules eased,” Dec. 1]. I feel this...
  • Letters
    Dear ACUs,
  • From our forums
    Basic and Advanced Individual Training have gotten easier. The problem is not with the drill sergeant or the instructor. It is with the Training and Doctrine Command. All noncommissioned officers...
  • No accounting for failure
    The Army had to fess up to failure when the Pentagon terminated the ARH-70A Arapaho armed reconnaissance helicopter in the fall. Following an earlier helicopter program failure, the mercy killing of...
  • Obama must prove himself
    Our latest Military Times poll indicates a good measure of doubt in the ranks about President-elect Barack Obama in his pending role as commander in chief. Six out of 10 respondents said they were...
  • How to beat frostbite
    I was a forward observer with the 14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division in Korea during the winter of 1951-52. We had a simple system to combat frostbite.
  • From our forums
    In the military world, we just keep it to layman’s terms. Terrorism is a form of attack that involves the civilian community regardless of how it’s motivated. Its purpose is to incite...
  • Letters
    Your editorial related to the Dec. 15 article about our Army’s drill sergeants, titled “Sex, Lies and Basic Training,” was disappointing.
  • Humans and hardware
    An amazing revolution is taking place in the history of war, and even perhaps of humanity.
  • From our forums
    You are told when you enlist, whether you enlist for four or six years, your total enlistment into the armed forces is eight years and after you are “discharged” if you do not re-enlist,...
  • Care of the highest order
    “Trauma call, trauma call,” announced the hospital speakers at the Air Force theater hospital.
  • ACU = can’t see you
    In response to the “Stop the uniform madness” letter (Feb. 16) by Staff Sgt. James Emmons, I have a different view of the matter in one respect. After many years of service as an OH-58D...
  • Letters
    I am on active duty and serve as an officer and attorney in the Air Force. The GI Bill that was just passed unfairly excludes benefits from those who have served in the reserves and later in the...
  • Time for clarity
    Commanders in Afghanistan say they don’t have enough people — and not just trigger pullers.
  • On course, mostly
    President Barack Obama last week outlined the most sweeping overhaul in decades of how the Pentagon buys everything from weapons to services.
  • Honor those worthy
    Only five Medals of Honor have been awarded to service members for heroic action in Iraq and Afghanistan — all posthumously.
  • After stop-loss: Get it right
    Oddly, no one seems more surprised than Army leaders by the Pentagon’s decision to gradually end stop-loss and to pay soldiers on involuntary hold an extra $500 a month for their troubles.
  • Letters
    This is a response to a “From the Forums” entry [“The future in Afghanistan,” Feb. 2].
  • Stop VA ‘nonsense’
    Revelation upon revelation of toxic exposures; denied, delayed and ineffective medical care; missing, altered or destroyed medical and personnel records; stagnant disability actions;...
  • Better leaders, better recruiters
    The headline “Stressed to Death” in the Feb.2 edition of Army Times concerning the investigation into suicides among the Houston Recruiting Battalion speaks volumes about a continued poor...
  • ‘Heart-wrenching’ debate
    After reading this article [“2 sides to Dover debate,” March 16], which presented both sides of this extremely heart-wrenching, ongoing and endless debate [concerning media coverage of...
  • From our forums
    I was watching “American Idol” and caught finalist Scott MacIntyre ... [possibly] violating the Stolen Valor Act. The wearing of hard-earned military medals as if they were fashion...

  • The Individual Ready Reserve system is flawed. I’m hoping that after the current hostilities sub¬stantially subside that the Army will take a real close look at the program.
  • Praise for the NCOs
    Are noncommissioned officers the backbone of the Army? You can bet on that. Behind every successful officer, irrespective of rank, are one or more NCOs dedicated to making his job easier and his...
  • Letters
    I am an active-duty soldier and there are a few things that I have noticed in the last year that I would like to see addressed. The Army is now providing funding (through Tricare or other means) for...
  • No tolerance for assaults
    Reports of sexual assaults in¬volving military victims and/or perpetrators in 2008 were up more than 8 percent over 2007.
  • Sizing up missile defense
    President Barack Obama has repeatedly said that the fate of the $9 billion-a-year missile defense program depends on whether it works now. Analysts say that could lead to program cuts of $2 billion a...
  • Signs of stress
    At least 138 soldiers and 41 Marines committed suicide last year. Many of these unfortunate casualties undoubtedly suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and could no longer cope with the...
  • Give the right award
    I’ve been in the service for more than 10 years, and I don’t understand why soldiers in combat zones are not getting the awards they deserve.
  • Time to get creative
    Time will tell whether President-elect Barack Obama views various big-ticket defense programs as too costly for a nation in economic recession, or as valuable jobs programs amid rising unemployment.
  • Ammunition alternatives
    The Army spent four years and $33 million developing and testing the XM8 carbine. It beat every competitor in an Army-conducted test. Now the Army wants to start over, so we will need another four...
  • From our forums
    Why increase the numbers? Yes, we are fighting two wars right now, but in three years we will only be fighting one. What will be done with all these soldiers?
  • Letters
    In a letter, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mark G. Smith (ret.) made reference to the fact that the new blue Army Service Uniform is not held in the tradition of the service [“Uniformly wrong,”...
  • Suggested reading
    President-elect Barack Obama is already getting outstanding guidance on what he should do, so I will give him a break. Rather than tell him what he should do, I will suggest some books that he should...
  • U.S. military strength keeps global economy intact
    Here’s an economics lesson for the American service member.
  • Bikers’ responsibility
    Last fiscal year, 124 service members were killed while riding that breed of low-slung, high-speed motorcycles known as sport bikes.
  • Speak strongly to fix VA
    The stubborn backlog of 400,000 benefits claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs has never made sense. It takes an average of 188 days to process a claim, yet VA leaders somehow accept that as...
  • Letters
    Most states charge income tax on service members and their families even though the majority of us are stationed outside of the state for years.
  • Enlistments not coerced
    I read the article [“ACLU files suit to allow counter-recruiting,” posted online Jan. 7] and I agree with the school superintendent in Wilkes County, N.C.
  • Letters
    In an effort to appear egalitarian and politically correct, the Army is hampering the distinction between officers and noncommissioned officers. There is no question that NCOs are the backbone and...
  • From our forums
    Why can’t the Army have one set of rules for scheduling daycare? Many posts have different scheduling requirements, making arrangements for care complicated and tiresome.
  • Wary, but willing
    When we inaugurate Barack Obama as our 44th president, we needn’t worry about statistics that imply a troubled relationship between military people and their commander in chief.
  • Make housing rules fair
    The National Military/Veterans Alliance plans to call for a review of the standards on which housing allowance rates are based. And for good reason.
  • Letters
    The generation of Americans that helped build, protect and serve this country so valiantly during the 1940s and into the 1950s has been referred to as “The Greatest Generation.” The...
  • Strategy change needed in Afghanistan
    To win in Afghanistan, we don’t need a surge. We need an “anti-surge.” If we can’t provide enough troops to secure the country, we need a change in strategy, one that will...
  • Letters
    Thanks to Robert F. Dorr and Fred L. Borch for a great story on Lt. Gen. Harry W.O. Kinnard [“More than a one-word legacy,” Jan. 26].
  • From our forums
    Nice to see someone’s willing to think out of the box [and lease electric cars for Army use]. Most of the security patrol units engaged in crowd control at base open houses and air shows have...
  • Letters
    I want to add my name to the list of individuals who have experienced breathing problems post-deployment. I was stationed at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq, for a year and there was a large...
  • Obama’s way forward
    As President Barack Obama’s team gets down to work, it must not only overcome the errors of the previous administration, but also be sure to recognize its successes.
  • Cover rape kit costs now
    For all the Pentagon’s efforts in recent years to confront the problem of sexual assault, some inexplicable blind spots remain.
  • The military needs change
    We seem to be living in an age where so much that we thought certain and permanent crumbles into dust before our eyes. Our once robust economy founders while our once cherished personal liberties...
  • From our forums
    [Restricting combat age is] a good rule that makes sense, but what about soldiers over 60? Yes, there are quite a few in the Guard and Reserve. We’re sending grandma and grandpa to war.
  • Support group for moms
    Your newspaper had the little bit of history about the blue-star service flag [“Families continue service banner tradition today,” Jan. 5]. I would like your readers to know that not only...
  • Letters
    In response to the letter from Col. David W. Towle [“Uniform brainstorm,” Jan. 12], I would like to state that I, as another Army Medical Department officer, feel no need whatsoever to...
  • From our forums
    Do not underestimate the prime influence a wife or husband has on their military service spouse remaining in uniform … Basic Allowance for Housing for dependents and family separation allowance...
  • The new readiness
    Anyone who thinks Robert Gates won’t make big changes during his second stint as defense secretary hasn’t been paying attention.
  • Bikers must use brains
    I continue to wonder what is going on in peoples’ heads when we are addressing the issues of motorcycle safety [
  • Letters
    This is in response to an editorial [“Soldiers deserve better,” Feb. 2]. While I do thank whoever wrote that response, I suppose I need to set the record straight.
  • From soldier to son
    When 1st Sgt. Charles M. King had spare moments during his deployment to Iraq, he picked up a pen and wrote in his journal to his son, Jordan.
  • Letters
    I am growing more concerned with the psychological well-being of our soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Even in the rural areas we are seeing suicides and attempted suicides increase.
  • Reverse Dover policy
    The cost of war can be counted in dollars and cents, entered into spreadsheets and processed across budgetary lines.
  • A realistic VA budget
    A few years ago, the Bush administration was forced to acknowledge that it was about $3 billion short in funding the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  • From our forums
    What a sad time it must be if we are discussing this issue. We give our life for our country in public, and we deserve to be with our family in private if such a thing should happen to us.
  • What makes a leader
  • Letters
    I disagree with 1st Lt. Christopher M. Sherwood’s argument [“A 2nd ‘Greatest Generation,’” Feb. 2] that today’s young men and women can be called a new...
  • Learning to let go
    Formerly secret intelligence reports give a valuable insight into why Defense Secretary Robert Gates has so vehemently warned Congress not to try to Americanize the war against terrorists in...
  • NCOs are ‘backbone’
    I can understand how 1st Lt. Curt Winzenreid, in Tal Afar, Iraq, raised questions about the reasons for changing the way the Army trains our senior noncommissioned officers [“Officer/NCO line...
  • From our forums
    I strongly believe that the photos [of flag-draped caskets] should be shown. It will remind people that we are still at war. The general public has forgotten our military.
  • Letters
    Recently on conservative talk radio, Fox News and a comment made in Army Times [“A costly inauguration,” Feb. 2], I have heard a lot of quibbling about how expensive the inauguration of...
  • Redefine PTSD standard
    Legislation pending in Congress would make a change for the better for veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after they separate from service.
  • Silent epidemic
    The Army’s suicide toll for January could reach 24 soldiers when all the investigations are completed — the highest monthly total in 30 years.
  • Letters
    I’d like to take a moment to encourage all service members out there, especially those in Germany, to take great care when packing their household goods.
  • From our forums
    As long as the photos are in good taste and taken during the military honors, I would not care where they were seen. I would want people to know there is a hero who has fallen to protect their...
  • Enlisted tear up ACUs
    This is in response to the letter from Chief Warrant Officer 2 Gerald Kuruc [“Branch on ACU: 2 views,” Feb. 9]. Whichever branch he is in, there will be very few days that he damages his...
  • No more blank checks
    Only in Washington can a budget increase be characterized as a cut. For weeks, the Pentagon had privately suggested the Obama administration would cut its 2010 defense budget by about $50 billion.
  • For the good of the soldier
    A change in culture is needed to make sure soldiers get what they need to stay fit to fight, says a top defense leader whose concern is the well-being of troops.
  • What is valor?
    The story “Death before this honor” from the March 30 issue elicited many passionate responses from Army Times readers. Here is a selection:
  • From the forums
    I left Korea in 2003, and I knew we were nothing but a speed bump then. But sooner or later, someone is going to have to make the tough decision. Doing something now, rather than later, will save...
  • Letters
    I am an 11B staff sergeant and am disgusted that Army Times would print a complaint like you did in the edition about the Army’s stupid rules [“No brainer: These stupid Army rules gotta...
  • From Our Forums
    You can’t have any pornographic material whatsoever … because it offends other countries, but once you get into places like Qatar, you can buy all the Maxim you want at the BX.
  • Designed for disaster
    When the Army introduced the Army Combat Uniform, its clever pockets and drawstring features made it a vast improvement over the Battle Dress and Desert Combat Uniform it replaced.
  • From Our Forums
    It is about time someone evaluated/overhauled the broken-down medal process. I really hope that lawmakers look at all of the awards that have been given for valor and gallantry to see if these...
  • Letters
    I have been privileged to be both a soldier and a physician serving in the Army for more than three decades. I now serve as an Army Reserve physician and a full-time civilian medical educator.
  • Stamp out burn pits
    A growing number of military medical professionals believe burn pits are causing a wave of respiratory and other illnesses among troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • Weigh force increase
    The House and Senate are on the verge of approving a temporary increase in Army troop strength — but the help might come too late and evaporate too fast to make much difference.
  • Letters
    While I applaud any U.S. citizens who volunteer to serve their country during a time of war, I must admit something still boggles my mind.
  • A promotion point
    I am a 63B (light-wheel vehicle mechanic) promotable specialist chasing promotion points every month. I add points from college classes every month, and the points keep increasing. Now they are maxed...
  • From our forums
    On the new Physical Health Assessment, they ask questions about how often and how much you drink. Almost every person I know that drinks would be considered to have an alcohol problem.
  • Make use of commissary
    The best-loved benefit of many a military family is the commissary.
  • Expand family leave rules
    No military spouse or parent — whether active-duty or reserve — should be forced to choose between keeping a job and taking time off vital deployment preparations.
  • Don’t slight spouses
    The Military Postal Service Agency is looking to tighten up on some mail rules that officials say are too often flouted.
  • Time to take a break
    Despite an Army scramble to reverse a spike in soldier suicides, the number of soldiers who have killed themselves this year — 88 reported among active troops, so far — is on pace to top...
  • Congress acting to aid troops, vets, families
    One of the most important pledges the military makes in combat is to never leave a service member behind on the battlefield.
  • Open dialogue essential to quell tension with Iran
    Since taking office two years ago, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has warned of the dangers of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons.
  • Letters
    I read the cover story on the Army Combat Uniform Universal Camouflage Pattern that appeared in the June 29 issue of Army Times [“Get new camo, Congress says”], and was disappointed by...
  • Smoking is troops’ right
    No one disputes that using tobacco, in whatever form, carries dire health consequences for users while driving up the costs of health care for everyone.
  • Letters
    I was watching the news coverage of our fallen comrades being returned at Dover Air Force Base, Del., and was amazed to see that the body bearers were all in either the Army Combat Uniform or Navy...
  • From our forums
    Although the rules [restricting force when operating in and around Afghan homes] may cause an increased risk to U.S. forces in situations, the actions will result in an increased support of the...
  • Senate did right thing
    It’s not often that Congress votes to shut down production of a big-ticket weapons system — along with the jobs that the system supports in home states and districts.
  • Be careful with worn gear
    After six long and bloody years, U.S. military forces have pulled out of Iraqi cities in the first step to dramatically cut the American presence there by the end of 2011.
  • From the forums
    When I see an officer and we are both in uniform and I grant the salute, why is it most officers give you [a poor] salute from the middle of their right eye, with their hand in a vertical position in...
  • Fix housing oversight
    The Pentagon finally has issued rules for the expanded Homeowners Assistance Program, designed to help certain military homeowners facing a loss in the housing-market downturn of recent years.
  • From our forums
    We, as an Army and as a nation, somewhere along the line decided that words like “consideration” and “respect” were catch-phrases that superceded authority.
  • Letters
    The Army “tested” the physical training uniform, Army Service Uniform and the Army Combat Uniform, and guess what? They were all fielded, or will be.

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TRU SPEC Fleece Jacket Liner TRU SPEC Fleece Jacket Liner
Due to popular demand the 100% polyester micro fleece jacket liner for the Gen I H20 ECWCS Parka can now be purchased separately. Great by itself, this fleece will be a great addition in colder climates.

Price: $20.99

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