Opinion

Editorials, guest commentaries, Medals and Misfires. Active-duty, reserve, Guard, veterans, Capitol Hill and the Pentagon.

Marines conduct cool-down stretches with students at Instituto Comprensivo “Salvo Basso” Scordia, Italy on May 5, 2016.

Addressing America’s obesity crisis can improve military readiness

Defense Department data indicates ineligibility stems from three key issues: education, not meeting weight standards or a record of crime or drug abuse.

14 hours ago

A letter to the next US president: Here’s how you can fix our military

It’s hard to imagine the NFL only picking players based on subjective recommendations. So why does the military?

2 days ago

The League of Wives Memorial Project table at Fleet Week San Diego, Nov. 6, 2022.

Commentary

At last, a memorial honoring military spouses

On this episode of The Spouse Angle podcast, a bronze statue will be the first public memorial to honor the advocacy and sacrifices of military spouses.

A soldier walks from one point to another during a land navigation course at Camp Williams, Utah, April 15, 2021.

Why the US must protect military training lands from encroachment

There is no substitute for tough, realistic training and testing to prepare our forces for the challenges they will face.

7 days ago

A registered dental hygienist works on a patient at a dental clinic on Oct. 28, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

How a new law will help working military spouses

On this episode of The Spouse Angle podcast, two military spouses share the hassles and high costs of just trying to keep their jobs.

14 days ago

The hardest thing I did in the Army was ask for help

The Army has gone to great lengths to erase the stigma of mental health with countless programs, PowerPoint presentations, and trainings.

3 weeks ago

Justice demands correction of military records for vaccine refusers

Troops who exercised their legally protected medical rights must be made whole.

5 weeks ago

Victory Base Complex personnel attend the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 24, 2008.

Congress needs to do better by troops deployed during holidays

Deployment during the holidays takes a toll on American service members.

6 weeks ago

A B-52 bomber takes off from Andersen Air Force Base in support of Operation Linebacker II, the “Christmas bombings,” in December 1972.

Recalling the Vietnam War’s ‘Christmas bombings’

Operation Linebacker II, also known as the “Christmas bombing campaign,” was a powerful bombing campaign by the U.S. in the Vietnam War.

6 weeks ago

U.S. Air Force loadmasters and pilots load passengers aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in support of the Afghanistan evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan, Aug. 24, 2021.

Veterans urge Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act

The Afghan Adjustment Act would allow Afghans who came to the U.S. during the Afghanistan evacuation to be re-vetted and apply for a permanent status.

8 weeks ago

Soldiers from B Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, await orders to move out on a nighttime patrol designed to interrupt movement of enemy fighters in the Nuristan province of Afghanistan, Sept. 1, 2006.

Research needed for veterans with genital and reproductive wounds

A new survey seeks information from an estimated 1,500 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans living with injuries to urinary, genital and reproductive areas.

2 months ago

Members of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point Class of 2026 officially join the Corps of Cadets during the Acceptance Day Parade on The Plain on Aug. 13, 2022.

Educating future US Army officers to fight and win

Educating future officers will prepare them for the conflicts of tomorrow, argues this author.

2 months ago

Voting rights activists hold signs near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 19, 2022.

Passing Electoral Count Act reforms is vital to national security

Nine senior former defense officials and military leaders warn about national security threats America faces due to weaknesses in the Electoral Count Act.

2 months ago

‘Made in China’ exclusion policy at exchanges would hurt families

An amendment in the fiscal 2023 defense policy bill would prohibit military exchanges and commissaries from selling items that were made in China.

2 months ago

Brig. Gen. John M. Cushing, deputy commanding general of United States Army Recruiting Command, administers the oath of enlistment to a formation of future Soldiers during a U.S. Army Birthday ceremony in Times Square, N.Y., on June 14, 2022.

Four ways to begin fixing the Army recruiting crisis

It’s time that the Army get more introspective and start looking at ways it can accelerate change to fix its recruiting crisis, argue these authors.

3 months ago

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough visited the Veterans Row encampment in Los Angeles in 2021.

Drop in veteran homelessness proves we can end homelessness

New data shows that veteran homelessness in the U.S. has decreased by 11% since 2020, the last year for which we have complete data.

3 months ago

At VA, we stand tall to hurricanes Fiona and Ian

"Thanks to preparation and quick response, most of VA’s clinics remained online or were fully operational within a day or two."

3 months ago

Personnel pose for photos in the cyber operations center at Lasswell Hall aboard Fort Meade, Maryland, Feb. 5, 2020.

Army leaders: Consider making information operations an enlisted MOS

Young soldiers have enormous potential in conducting information operations, writes the author of this commentary.

3 months ago

We need to increase research into psychedelics for veterans with PTSD

In the past few years, new treatment options have emerged from the often-stigmatized source of psychedelics.

3 months ago

Department of Defense civilians and active duty service members attend a Traumatic Brain Injury Open House event March 20, 2014, at Tripler Army Medical Center located in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Outrage over NFL brain injuries; silence over military brain injuries

The NFL is doing the right thing on concussions. The Department of Defense lacks the urgency and a similar aggressive approach.

3 months ago