Military and Defense

Selfless sacrifice is a common theme among Medal of Honor recipients, as many of them give their own lives to save their fellow comrades during war. Army Pfc. Leslie Bellrichard was no exception. Bellrichard was born in Janesville, Wisconsin, on Dec. 4, 1941 — three days before America was thrust into World War II — and his life was a ...

A lot’s changed on the cyber front in the year since U.S. Cyber Command became a full and independent unified combatant command, and since Army Gen. Paul M. Nakasone took over as commander and as director of the National Security Agency. Nakasone and Dana Deasy, the Defense Department’s chief information officer addressed those changes to the cyber security environment and ...

The Pentagon is filled with thousands of visitors every day, but not many of them are world-famous heavy metal rockers. Gene Simmons, bass guitarist, singer and co-founder of the rock band Kiss, said he made his trip to the Pentagon yesterday a priority after a service member attending a concert invited him to visit the building. “He thought I was ...

A handful of common themes have emerged from among the installations named as top performers in the effort to reduce suicide numbers among service members, families and civilians, the director of the Defense Human Resources Activity said. “The theme has been consistent among these award winners: community, family, connection, connection, connection. And more connections,” William H. Booth said. “That’s the way ...

The military services are working hard to improve their recruiting efforts in spite of a variety of challenges, the Defense Department’s top personnel official said. James N. Stewart, who is performing the duties of the undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, testified on recruiting and retention during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee’s military personnel subcommittee yesterday. ...

The Defense Department wants to bridge the widening military-civilian gap, the Pentagon’s top personnel official told the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service. In prepared remarks, Anthony M. Kurta — performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness — said DOD’s ability to sustain the all-volunteer force is predicated on meeting annual recruiting goals, ...

Military global integration is about change and remaining ahead of possible adversaries, the Joint Staff’s director of strategy, plans and policy said. Speaking at the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Forum in Arlington, Virginia, Air Force Lt. Gen. David W. Allvin detailed the progress the military is making in translating the ideas of global integration into actions. The chairman of the ...

For decades, the United States has led the world in efforts to reduce the number of nuclear weapons, the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy said at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on the current state of arms control efforts. Successive treaties enabled reductions in strategic U.S. nuclear warheads, first to 6,000, and ultimately to 1,550, ...

House Democrats introduced legislation that would block the Pentagon from reallocating money to border wall construction, an attempt to undercut President Donald Trump’s trademark campaign goal. A defense spending bill introduced Tuesday by Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee not only gives the Department of Defense far less money than it requested, but also limits its authority to shift funds ...

Master divers have one of the most coveted titles in the U.S. Navy. They’re technical experts who can journey to dark depths of the world’s oceans to accomplish things few others can with little to no margin for error. Navy Chief Petty Officer William Badders, a machinist’s mate, had that coveted role in the 1930’s. He and three of his ...

The Acting Secretary of Defense has approved the movement of USS Arlington (LPD-24) and a Patriot battery to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) as part of the command’s original request for forces from earlier this week. These assets will join the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a U.S. Air Force bomber task force in the Middle East region in ...

The Army’s security force assistance brigades are specialized units that conduct training, advising, assisting, enabling and accompanying operations with allied and partner nations. Soldiers in SFABs are highly trained and among the top tactical leaders in the Army. Their work strengthens U.S. allies and partners while supporting national security objectives and combatant commanders’ warfighting needs. The 1st Security Force Assistance ...

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan, Defense Department Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer David L. Norquist and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford testified about the fiscal year 2020 defense budget request at a Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee hearing Wednesday in Washington. Main Points The fiscal year 2020 defense budget request of $750 ...

The U.S. is sending a hospital ship to aid in the refugee crisis resulting from instability in Venezuela. At the annual Washington Conference on the Americas at the State Department, Vice President Mike Pence announced the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort will deploy to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations next month. The ship will visit the region to ...

Federal officials restored a Bible to a prisoner of war display at a veterans hospital and said it “will not be bullied” by an activist group that wanted it removed. Department of Veterans Affairs staff at the Manchester, New Hampshire, veterans hospital “temporarily removed the Bible from the display out of an abundance of caution” after receiving a complaint, the ...