Military

The Hill reports: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he has grounded the Army battalion involved in the operation of the Blackhawk helicopter with three soldiers that crashed into a passenger plane with more than 60 people on Wednesday night. Hegseth, in a video released by the Defense Department Thursday morning, said the 12th Aviation Battalion had been conducting an annual …

Via press release from the Pentagon: During a media interview today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth affirmed the Defense Department’s commitment to working with other federal agencies to bolster security at the southern border. “You saw on Day 1 from [President Donald J. Trump’s] executive orders, the military’s … commitment to protecting the territorial sovereignty of the southern border, which is …

Raw Story reports: A leaked memo from the Defense Intelligence Agency shows personnel were instructed to suspend observances of certain holidays that do not specifically honor white men, including Holocaust Remembrance Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month, according to a document obtained by journalist Ken Klippenstein. “The Agency is working internally and with the department to …

The Washington Post reports: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has decided to remove retired Gen. Mark A. Milley’s security detail, suspend his security clearance, and order an inspector general inquiry into his behavior as the Pentagon’s top officer, senior defense officials said Tuesday, taking extraordinary action against a frequent target of President Donald Trump. Hegseth’s plan, first reported by Fox News, …

Fox News reports: President Donald Trump will sign an executive order to reinstate service members booted from the military for declining to get COVID-19 vaccine jabs, according to the White House. Those reinstated will be returned to their prior rank, and be provided back pay and benefits. The White House fact sheet indicates that just 43 of the over 8,000 …

CBS News reports: Lesson plans about the Tuskegee Airmen, groundbreaking Black pilots known for their service during World War II, and the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, the female World War II pilots who were vital in ferrying warplanes for the military, have been removed from the U.S. Air Force curriculum, a U.S. official confirmed on Saturday to CBS …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday night that repeals a provision allowing transgender troops to serve in the military, part of a wide-ranging effort to end Biden-era policies his first day in office. Trump issued a ban during his first administration that prevented transgender troops from serving, which former President Joe Biden eliminated. While Trump did …

The Independent reports: With just four days remaining in his term as the commander-in-chief of America’s military, President Joe Biden urged the six armed services members to remain true to their pledge to uphold the U.S. Constitution as he addressed them for the final time. “Our commitment to honor, to integrity, to unity, to protecting and defending not a person …

Military.com reports: The White House announced Monday that the Navy will name the two latest Ford-class aircraft carriers after former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The future USS William J. Clinton and the future USS George W. Bush will become the fifth and sixth ships of the Ford class — the class of ships that is slated to …

CBS News reports: The Pentagon has reached a historic legal settlement with more than 35,000 gay and lesbian military veterans who were dismissed because of their sexual orientation, and in many cases denied an honorable discharge and the array of services they had earned, CBS News has learned. Under the terms of the agreement, veterans whose discharge papers reference their …

The Associated Press reports: Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, the U.S military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their stricken aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries. …

The Associated Press reports: Republicans’ decision to abandon a congressional spending plan will cost troops their paychecks over the holidays unless some agreement is reached before Friday’s deadline to prevent a government shutdown, the Pentagon warned. Even if they don’t get paid, those troops will be required to report for duty both overseas and at home, Pentagon press secretary Maj. …

Newsweek reports: The Senate approved a defense bill on Wednesday that includes substantial pay raises for junior enlisted service members and increases overall military spending to $895 billion. The legislation also eliminates coverage for transgender medical treatments for children of military personnel. The annual defense authorization bill, which has passed Congress without fail for nearly six decades, typically enjoys strong …

The BBC reports: LGBT veterans who were dismissed from the armed forces for being gay will be eligible to receive up to £70,000 in compensation, the government has said. The Ministry of Defence said the move followed extensive engagement with LGBT veterans and campaigners. Veterans can apply to have their rank restored and discharge reason amended. The total amount available …

“What you’re seeing is a military right now that is more interested in social engineering led by this president than they are in war fighting. So, as a result, through Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and women in the military and these standards, they’re going to inevitably start to erode standards because they want that one female special operator, that one …

The Associated Press reports: Military leaders are rattled by a list of “woke” senior officers that a conservative group urged Pete Hegseth to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The list compiled by the American Accountability Foundation includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers.  …

Politico reports: Trump has selected businessman John Phelan as his nominee to lead the Navy, according to a statement released on Tuesday night. Trump’s pick of Phelan, after choosing Army National Guard Veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to lead the Defense Department, is a sign that the incoming administration could prioritize disruptors coming into the agency instead …

The Hill reports: President-elect Trump on Monday recirculated a social media post suggesting his incoming administration will declare an immigration national emergency and use military assets to support his mass deportation pledge, labeling the claim “TRUE!!!” On his Truth Social site, Trump at 4:03 a.m. re-posted Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, a conservative organization that’s been active, both …

NBC News reports: Former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira has been sentenced to 15 years for stealing classified information from the Pentagon and sharing it online, the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts announced. Teixeira appeared before Judge Indira Talwani in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on Tuesday to receive the sentence. In March, the national guardsman …

The Washington Post reports: The Pentagon anticipates major upheaval once President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, amid fears that the once and future commander in chief will follow through on vows to deploy the military domestically against American citizens, demand fealty from key leaders and attempt to remake the nonpartisan institution into one explicitly loyal to him. The …