Military and Defense

Most Medal of Honor recipients earned the award during combat, but that’s not the case for everyone. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Owen Francis Patrick Hammerberg, a boatswain’s mate, is one of the few recipients who earned it for his heroic efforts outside of normal duty. Hammerberg was born May 31, 1920, and grew up on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. His ...

China’s lack of transparency makes it virtually impossible to determine how much the country is devoting to the research on its massive artificial intelligence apparatus, a new report shows.  The report comes after the Trump administration published a budget proposal Tuesday asking for a nearly 70% increase in funding for non-defense AI. American officials argue the increase in funding is ...

To be a flying “ace,” you have to be credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during combat. It didn’t happen often in the 20th century, and it rarely happens now. Air Force Maj. George A. Davis Jr., a Medal of Honor recipient, is one of only a handful of U.S. military pilots to hold the distinction of being an ...

Those who clear quarantine will be given government travel assistance to return home. Those who get sick will be taken to hospitals that specialize in treating infectious diseases.

For this week’s Medal of Honor Monday, we’re highlighting Marine Corps Capt. Raymond Murphy, a recipient who honorably served his fellow Marines during war, then spent the rest of his life serving them, as well. Murphy was born Jan. 14, 1930, in Pueblo, Colorado. He had three brothers and a sister and said he loved to play sports growing up. ...

In the past few decades, several service members from the Civil War have received posthumous Medals of Honor for their actions in keeping our nation together more than 150 years ago. One of them was Army 1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing, who helped stop Confederate soldiers from breaking through the Union line during Confederate Maj. Gen. George Pickett’s famous charge at ...

For this Medal of Honor Monday, we’re honoring a famous Custer, but not THE Custer you’re thinking of — Civil War Gen. George Custer, of “Custer’s last stand” fame. Today, we’re honoring his brother, Capt. Thomas Custer, who became the first double recipient of the Medal of Honor. Thomas Custer was born March 15, 1845, in New Rumley, Ohio. He ...

As the world observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day, some may remember the so-called “Ritchie Boys,” who greatly aided allied forces in their fight against Germany and other Axis nations in World War II. Early on in the war, the Army realized it needed German- and Italian-speaking U.S. soldiers for a variety of duties, including psychological warfare, interrogation, espionage and intercepting ...

For this Medal of Honor Monday, we’re honoring a famous Custer, but not THE Custer you’re thinking of — Civil War Gen. George Custer, of “Custer’s last stand” fame. Today, we’re honoring his brother, Capt. Thomas Custer, who became the first double recipient of the Medal of Honor. Thomas Custer was born March 15, 1845, in New Rumley, Ohio. He ...

The number of U.S. service members injured with traumatic brain injuries totals 34 after a Jan. 8 attack when Iran shot missiles into Al Asad Airbase in Iraq, the Defense Department’s chief spokesperson said today. During an update to the Pentagon press corps, Jonathan Rath Hoffman said Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper directed the acting under secretary for personnel ...

"Austin was hit with a spray of bullets and died there on the battlefield. The 21-year-old had saved his friend's life twice in exchange for his own."

Commanders in Iraq took every necessary step to ensure the safety of U.S. forces during the Jan. 8 missile attack by Iran on Al Asad Air Base, Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Alyssa Farah said today. Pentagon leaders were notified yesterday that several service members were examined for concussions following the attack, Farah told members of the Pentagon press corps. “This is ...

The Defense Department will announce updates to the vetting process for foreign military students “in the coming days,” the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs said in response to the attack on U.S. servicemen at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper will visit Pensacola Naval Air Station and U.S. Southern Command headquarters in ...

As long as he is vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten said he will make sure speed is put back into every element of the Pentagon. Inserting speed into everything the Defense Department does is a priority, the vice-chairman told the Center for Strategic and International Studies today in a discussion on ...

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