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Trump touts tough-on-crime mantra during visit to Guard troops in DC
Trump proudly promoted the work of roughly 2,000 National Guard troops to confront what he described as an out-of-control crime wave in Washington.
DOD civilians await decision on commissary shopping privileges
Contrary to rumors, DOD hasn't made a decision on expanding the discount shopping benefit.
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Pentagon & Congress
Hegseth signs memo authorizing arming of Guard in DC
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed a memo authorizing National Guard troops deployed in Washington to carry weapons if their mission requires it.
World War II’s last American ace dies at 103
Don McPherson claimed his score in the conflict’s last campaign: Okinawa.
Why Green Berets want to join conventional combat discussion
A new U.S. Army manual has a mission: to convince the regular Army that the Green Berets have value for conventional combat operations.
He lived 3 doors down in the barracks. I carry his ghost in my pocket
"I wish the 30 soldiers who died in Alaska during my time at Wainwright had gotten to see this moment," writes Jake Johnson in this War Horse reflection.
In other news
Four soldiers charged with sexual assault in JBLM barracks
Four soldiers are accused of sexually assaulting a single victim in a barracks building at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
Deployment playlists, then and now: from Walkmans to wireless despair
Music has always been more than a distraction for deployed service members — it's a lifeline. Here's how its method of delivery has changed over time.
US Air Force vet charged with felony assault with a deli weapon
The DOJ says the incident included shouting verbal insults and tossing a wrapped sub at a Customs and Border Protection officer in D.C.
By Carla Babb
Nazi-fighting ‘Wolfenstein’ game being developed for TV series
“The story of killing Nazis is evergreen,” said show runner Patrick Somerville in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Why sandwiches are the military’s most underrated culinary innovation
August is National Sandwich Month. From shelf-stable MREs to hoagies grabbed before a convoy, the sandwich has become a culinary icon within the ranks.
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VIDEOS
Wait, you can put a suppressor on a minigun? AND a cannon?
Manufacturers have made it possible to make even the gnarliest weapons silent but deadly.
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MORE STORIES
Space Force seeks ‘talent scout’ assistance from Washington Nationals
Space Force officials will consult with the MLB team about how to fine-tune the service's scouting as it faces an excess of talent with few jobs to fill.
By Hope Hodge Seck
New Tricare Prime option coming to beneficiaries in 2 metro areas
About 150,000 eligible beneficiaries can enroll for the demonstration program during open season.
By Karen Jowers
Should America’s military plan for a retreat from the Pacific?
In the face of growing Chinese military power, America needs to relearn how to conduct a fighting retreat in the Pacific, a U.S. Army officer warns.
By Michael Peck
She hid an eating disorder and lost her Navy career. It saved her life
Advocates worry the military’s focus on ‘fit, not fat’ is silencing service members who struggle with their body image.
By Noelle Wiehe, The War Horse
Vance, Hegseth visit troops amid growing Guard presence in DC
The vice president and defense secretary met with National Guard troops at Union Station, while protesters booed at the two leaders and chanted “free D.C.”
By Carla Babb
Lawmakers announce legislation to restore office for Afghan relocation
The Enduring Welcome Act would restore a government office — closed last month by the Trump administration — that led Afghan relocation efforts
By Riley Ceder
At Army base, accountability tools may be reducing heat injuries
Direct accountability is preventing heat injuries at Fort Benning from turning debilitating or deadly, the director of the Army Heat Center said.
By Hope Hodge Seck
Crackdown on mail-in ballots won’t focus on military, White House says
The White House won't say if any protections are being considered for overseas military voters but vowed to make sure those ballots are still counted.
Mail-in voting is nothing new, just ask Civil War soldiers
During the Civil War, 19 Union states changed their laws to allow their soldiers to vote absentee.
DOD to offer new medal for personnel deployed to Southern Border
The Mexican Border Defense Medal recognizes service members deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border since Jan. 20, according to a DOD memo.
By Riley Ceder
Veterans’ voices shape report on the Afghanistan War’s lessons, impact
Veterans of the war in Afghanistan are telling a commission that their experience was not only hell, but but also confounding and demoralizing.
VA needs more oversight of health care options to prevent waste: Study
Department leaders last month uncovered more than $100 million in duplicate government payments for medical services.
Trump offers assurances that US troops won’t be sent to defend Ukraine
Trump is now offering assurances that U.S. troops won’t be sent to help defend Ukraine against Russia after seeming to leave open the possibility Monday.
After meetings on Russia-Ukraine war, major obstacles to peace remain
There was little concrete progress Monday on the obstacles to ending the war — a deadlock that likely favors Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Fort Rucker launches its first-ever advanced drone training course
The course includes simulator time, flight training and 3D printing repair techniques.
By Todd South
Four US soldiers save man who collapsed outside Polish KFC
The Alabama Army National Guard members rushed to help a man who collapsed outside a rest area in Poland.
By Todd South