Opinion

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

Sailors play a volleyball game on an island beach during a port visit in Maldives, Feb. 19, 2009.

Pursuing passions and purpose outside of military life

On this episode of The Spouse Angle podcast, Army spouse Sergio Rosario Diaz, founder of Soy Súper Papá, shares tips for building a community.

3 days ago

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.

3 days ago

Commentary

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?

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

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.

10 days ago

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.

10 days ago

How masking degrees has affected promotion outcomes in the Air Force

The Air Force is again considering advanced degrees when promoting certain mid-level officers.

2 weeks 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.

2 weeks ago

A B-1B Lancer takes off from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., to participate in a tri-bomber flyover for the B-21 Raider unveiling ceremony in Palmdale, Calif., Dec. 2, 2022.

Bombers necessary to deter and defeat

A healthy and capable U.S. bomber fleet is vital to national security.

4 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

It’s time for another Truman moment in the military … with beards

Current military policies require all male members to maintain a clean shave whenever in uniform, unless waivered.

7 weeks ago

Want air power? Then you need to buy aircraft.

A major theater conflict will project overwhelming demands that the U.S. Air Force enterprise is not sized to meet.

7 weeks ago

In competition for talent, DOD needs to learn, adapt or be left behind

If we fail to accelerate change in our hiring practices, the Department of Defense will certainly lose out on talent.

8 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.

9 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

US Air Force’s AdAir fighter training needs a road map

AdAir has had a sluggish start within the Air Force while the service struggles with major internal issues.

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.

3 months ago

Airmen assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing recieve a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, after landing at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in support of a Bomber Task Force mission, Oct. 18, 2022. Bomber missions contribute to joint force lethality and deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific by demonstrating the U.S. Air Force’s ability to operate anywhere in the world at any time in support of the National Defense Strategy. (Senior Airman Yosselin Campos/Air Force)

US Air Force’s ‘divest to invest’ plan is too risky

This strategy may look attractive on paper, but past attempts show that it doesn’t work in practice. Here’s why.

3 months ago