Policy
Pentagon Orders Texas Contractors to Mandate Vaccines for Employees, Despite Governor’s Ban
The Defense Department says the federal contractor vaccine order supersedes state laws.
Policy
US Navy Lists Consequences for Sailors Who Refuse COVID Vaccination
Refusers could be stripped of warfare qualifications, removed from their billet, or even dismissed from service.
Policy
Head of Pentagon Foreign Arms Sales Division Stepping Down After 15 Months on the Job
Heidi Grant was the first civilian to lead the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
Ideas
Mind the ‘Middle Powers’ Gap
While pivoting from terrorism to great powers, the U.S. should pay far more attention those countries caught in the struggle between democracy and authoritarianism.
Policy
GOP Lawmakers Slam Pentagon Nominee for Tweets
“Do you believe every Republican in the GOP...are they all racist?” Sen. Dan Sullivan asked Brenda Fulton.
Threats
New DOD Climate Plan: Adjust Ops, Training, Gear for Extreme Weather
Virtual exercises will help when wildfires rage; equipment will be tested for health effects in intense heat and cold.
Ideas
The Pentagon’s New Climate Plan Aims to Manage the Unavoidable
The new plan has considerably more specificity, requirements, objectives, and metrics than we had in 2014.
Threats
Active-Duty Suicide Rate Hit Record High in 2020
The rate among soldiers was nearly double that of sailors, DOD’s annual suicide report found.
Policy
The 9/11 Commission Said National Security Vacancies Were A Problem. Biden’s Pentagon Is ‘Far Worse’
The Senate is “falling far behind” as Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees consider 14 nominees this week.
Policy
Is This the Next US Military Base in Europe?
Lithuania built Camp Herkus to woo a permanent contingent of American troops. But the Biden administration is far from convinced.
Policy
The Forever War is Over. Its 2001 Authorization Lives On.
Pentagon says “over the horizon” strikes in Afghanistan will be conducted under the AUMF passed two decades ago.
Policy
One Senator’s Plan to Cut Through the Politics and Get Answers on Afghanistan
Sen. Tammy Duckworth says a nonpartisan commission could compile lessons without the “political theater.”
Business
Defense Business Board Relaunches After Pentagon Review
Former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James named chair of the diverse advisory board.
Ideas
Biden’s Best Chance to Get Back on Course with Europe
The president should send his best team to NATO and EU talks, find common ground on China, and repair the damage done by the AUKUS submarine deal.
Policy
Austin, Milley Say White House Was Advised to Keep US Troops in Afghanistan
The Afghanistan evacuation that resulted was “a logistical success but a strategic failure,” Milley said.
Ideas
To Deter China, Relearn The Lost Art of Dissuasion
Threats of denial or punishment will not deter a peer adversary fighting at home.
Policy
US Navy’s Latest Plan for Its Future May Not Come Until 2023, Says Top Admiral
It’s the fourth attempt in four years to define the future of the Navy.
Threats
Racial Division, Troops’ Role in Protests Has Hurt Minority Recruiting, Air Force Says
Black interest in military service plummeted after the George Floyd protests. Can the Pentagon undo the damage?
Threats
‘Horrible Mistake’: Pentagon Admits Drone Strike Killed Children, Not Terrorists
After just eight hours of surveillance and a tip about a “white Toyota Corolla,” the U.S. fired a Hellfire missile on Aug. 29 at the wrong target.
Threats