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No tax on troops’ $1,776 ‘warrior dividend,’ IRS says
Troops who received an unexpected $1,776 one-time payment in December won’t have to pay taxes on that money, the Internal Revenue Service confirmed.
Patients must be offered chaperones for ‘sensitive’ exams, DOD says
The announcement follows several prominent cases of Army doctors taking indecent liberties with patients behind closed doors.
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Pentagon & Congress
Archbishop says it’s ‘morally acceptable’ for troops to defy orders
The Catholic archbishop responsible for U.S. troops said it is “morally acceptable” for them to disobey an order if it is against their own conscience.
US military to expand by more than 30,000 troops this year
Congress is backing increases to the size of the military, having passed and proposed final legislation that will raise and fund rises in end strength.
This Marine’s furious fight on Tarawa helped to seal the battle’s fate
During the ferocious battle, Alexander Bonnyman led a 21-man demolition team against the main bomb-proof shelter on Tarawa. And won.
US forces kill terror leader linked to ambush on Americans in Syria
The strike in Syria is the latest U.S. response in the wake of a Dec. 13 ambush there that killed two U.S. soldiers and one U.S. interpreter.
In other news
How fashion borrowed military aesthetics and lost the context
"What was once functional equipment tied to service, sacrifice and sometimes trauma is now treated as visual shorthand for toughness or rebellion."
How fashion borrowed military aesthetics and lost the context
"What was once functional equipment tied to service, sacrifice and sometimes trauma is now treated as visual shorthand for toughness or rebellion."
Why most of military life rarely makes the screen
Between training and combat exists a long stretch of routine and waiting. Those experiences remain largely absent from military portrayals in film and TV.
By Clay Beyersdorfer
Review: ‘In Waves and War’ shows promise of psychedelics to treat PTSD
The documentary, streaming Monday, follows a group of veterans undergoing experimental treatments currently not approved for clinical use in the U.S.
An enduring symbol: why troops keep naming things after reptiles
From cobras to gators, reptilian mascots and call signs appear on patches, aircraft and unit logos across every branch. Why?
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US forces kill terror leader linked to ambush on Americans in Syria
The strike in Syria is the latest U.S. response in the wake of a Dec. 13 ambush there that killed two U.S. soldiers and one U.S. interpreter.
Guard troops to stay on DC streets through 2026
National Guard troops will be on the streets of Washington, D.C., until the end of the year, according to a memo reviewed by The Associated Press.
Feds remind states about law protecting military spouse job licenses
But there's a wrinkle for spouses in Justice Department's new interpretation of the law.
By Karen Jowers
China calls Trump battleship ‘easier target’ amid mixed US reception
Some analysts have suggested the battleship proposal may ultimately not be realistic and instead a move by Trump to jolt awake U.S. shipbuilders.
By Richard Sisk
Trump faces sharper questions over possible military action on Iran
The White House insists military options remain “on the table” regarding Iran, with the Islamic Republic convulsed by nationwide protests.
By Tanya Noury
General tapped to lead SOUTHCOM grilled over forces in Latin America
Renewed interest in Latin America is likely to bring changes to U.S. Southern Command, Donovan acknowledged.
By David Klepper, The Associated Press
US seizes sixth sanctioned tanker it says has ties to Venezuela
The U.S. Coast Guard boarded the tanker, named Veronica, early Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media.
Female troops bristle at Pentagon’s review of combat roles
Some women say they suspect the review has been launched merely to buttress a predetermined conclusion: that they do not belong in the infantry.
By Tanya Noury
Gunner killed off Guadalcanal accounted for after 82 years
It has been 82 years since Staff Sgt. Nicholas J. Governale crashed into the sea off the coast of Guadalcanal. Now, the gunner is coming home.
‘Department of War’ rebrand could cost up to $125 million, CBO says
A “modest implementation” of DOW would cost taxpayers about $10 million, the report said. That figure could rise to $125 million if adopted more broadly.
By Tanya Noury
Dozens of military commissaries now offering doorstep delivery
Customers within a 20-mile radius of the stores have the option of doorstep delivery.
By Karen Jowers
What Americans think about Trump’s military intervention abroad: Poll
More than half of U.S. adults believe Trump has “gone too far” in using the U.S. military to intervene in other countries, according to an AP-NORC poll.
Trump administration lawyers blessed Maduro operation, memo shows
A legal memo that came out days before the U.S. military operation said such a move would “not rise to the level of a war in the constitutional sense.”
This WWII sailor stepped in to save a fellow POW from a beating
Japanese soldiers were beating a POW to the brink of death... that is until Richard Antrim stepped forward and offered to take the rest of the punishment.
By Jon Guttman
US forces in Qatar eye evacuating some personnel amid Iran tension
The decision to move personnel comes in the wake of a senior official in Iran bringing up an earlier Iranian attack on U.S. troops there.
Army shifts advisory mission to Western Hemisphere Command
The newly created Western Hemisphere Command will assume responsibilities formerly fulfilled by the Security Force Assistance Command.
By Eve Sampson