Opinion

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

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.

14 hours ago

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?

2 days ago

Commentary

Unwise divestments are crippling US Marine Corps aviation

The reductions are not the result of insufficient funding or mandated cuts in personnel; the wounds have been self-inflicted.

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.

7 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.

7 days 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.

14 days ago

A better plan for the Marine Corps and the nation: Vision 2035

A new proposal for the Marine Corps, created by retired Marine generals, offers an alternative approach.

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

This is the Marine Corps debate we should be having

"Many Marines — former, retired and active duty — have valid concerns about the current direction of the Marine Corps."

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.

8 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

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.

2 months ago

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough visited the Veterans Row encampment in Los Angeles in 2021.

Drop in veteran homelessness proves we can end homelessness

New data shows that veteran homelessness in the U.S. has decreased by 11% since 2020, the last year for which we have complete data.

3 months ago

At VA, we stand tall to hurricanes Fiona and Ian

"Thanks to preparation and quick response, most of VA’s clinics remained online or were fully operational within a day or two."

3 months ago

We need to increase research into psychedelics for veterans with PTSD

In the past few years, new treatment options have emerged from the often-stigmatized source of psychedelics.

3 months ago

Marine Talent Management 2030: Flawed foundation, flawed document

Pages 1–3 are the introduction to Talent Management 2030 — its foundation — and they are replete with flaws, this retired Marine colonel claims.

3 months ago

Department of Defense civilians and active duty service members attend a Traumatic Brain Injury Open House event March 20, 2014, at Tripler Army Medical Center located in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Outrage over NFL brain injuries; silence over military brain injuries

The NFL is doing the right thing on concussions. The Department of Defense lacks the urgency and a similar aggressive approach.

3 months ago