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With an estimated 15,000 transgender soldiers now serving throughout the US military, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on Monday called the military's ban 'outdated' and 'confusing.'When Kristin Beck was a Navy SEAL for 20 years, and known as a fighter named Christopher, her transgender identity was “maybe third or fourth or fifth down the list of things that were concerning me.” A decorated veteran of seven combat missions and a member of the famed special counterterrorism unit SEAL Team Six, Ms. Beck was part of the one of the most elite fighting forces in the world, the “toughest of the...

Col. Glenda Lock, commander of McDonald Army Health Center, was fired in late March. We now know the reason why. Apparently, Lock intimidated subordinates into letting her pass the tape test after she was found overweight. Initial reports in April indicated Lock was fired for “undue influence” and “command climate problems,” after receiving a suspension in February. Results from the investigation indicate that undue influence took the form of manipulating tape test results, Army Times reports. The tape test is used by all services to measure body fat in the neck and waist.

Overall, what do you think about the Army down- sizing in Hawaii: 1,400 fewer troops and loss of the Stryker Brigade?

The U.S. Army will reduce the number of soldiers stationed at Hawaii bases by 1,443 over the next two years, a reduction of 8 percent, rather than cutting most of the troops currently stationed on Oahu, Defense Department officials said Thursday. The cuts are part of a nation-wide cost-cutting move that will reduce the number of soldier positions by 40,000 by 2017.

Calling Iraq and Syria a "single battle space," Sen. Lindsey Graham said he'd place around 10,000 troops in Syria today if he were president, in order to eradicate the heart of the Islamic State group's attempted caliphate. That call amounted to one of the most aggressive proposals by a 2016 presidential candidate regarding dealing with Syria, which has been engulfed in years of fighting between the government, rebels and Islamic militants. In remarks before The Atlantic Council on Wednesday, Graham, R-S.C., said half-measures like arming the Kurds to fight the Islamic State group were insufficient, and name-checked two of his...

The Navy and Marine Corps have joined the Army and Air Force in making it harder to discharge transgender military members. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus signed a memorandum last Wednesday stating, "Effective immediately, separations initiated under the provisions of the reference for service members with a diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria, who identify themselves as transgender, or who have taken steps to externalize the condition, must be forwarded to the assistant secretary of the Navy (manpower and reserve affairs) for decision." The memo was directed to the chief of naval operations and commandant of the Marine Corps. Previously, discharge...

The U.S. Army is planning to cut more than 40,000 troops over the next two years, a senior U.S. defense official confirmed to Fox News Tuesday. General Martin Dempsey announced at a Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing Tuesday that dwindling resources was a major factor in the decision to cut the number of active troops from 490,000 to 450,000. In addition to the troop cuts, 17,000 Army civilian employees will be laid off in a plan that is to be formally announced on Thursday.

The U.S. Army plans to cut 40,000 troops over the next two years, affecting all its domestic and foreign posts, USA Today reported on Tuesday, citing a plan it said was

In fact, captured terrorists went out of style a long time ago, so that’s not the actual change. Until recently — like, say, two weeks ago — the Department of Defense used the term unlawful combatant as the label for terrorists captured by American military and intelligence forces as a way to distinguish them from uniformed soldiers of a recognized state authority in a straight-up fight. Their new manual dispenses with that term, the Federation of American Scientists noticed today (via Steven Aftergood and Olivier Knox): When it comes to Department of Defense doctrine on military treatment of detained persons,...

The Weekly Standard reported: A top commander in southwest Asia reminded U.S military personnel stationed in Muslim countries in the Middle East of the restrictions placed on them during Ramadan. According to a report by the U.S. Air Forces Central Command Public Affairs, Brig. Gen. John Quintas, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing commander in Southwest Asia, said that the U.S. is “committed to the concepts of tolerance, freedom and diversity.” But he added that soldiers should “become more informed and appreciative of the traditions and history of the people in this region of the world… [R]emember we are guests here and...

A West Point cadet was found guilty Tuesday of possessing a trove of violent child pornography in his dorm room at the storied military academy. Patrick Hester, 25, was taken into custody following the verdict in U.S. District Court in White Plains because the videos “depicted children being tortured,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. “In collecting and sharing these appalling videos, he contributed to the victimization of the most vulnerable members of our society, our children.” More than 1,200 images and videos were seized from Hester’s dorm room in December 2013. Hester told fellow pervs in emails he preferred...

A federal court ruled yesterday that a Sikh college student must be allowed to enroll in Army ROTC without shaving his beard, cutting his hair, or removing his turban. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson acted in the case of Hofstra University student Iknoor Singh, who had been barred by the U.S. Army from enrolling in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program because of his religious practices. The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a college-based program for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.

For nearly two decades, the U.S. Army has provided an honor guard for an Independence Day celebration at a Baptist church that predates the founding of the nation. But this year – that tradition has come to an end. Officials at Fort Gordon say they will not be able to send an honor guard to a July 5th service at Abilene Baptist Church because it violates a military policy banning any involvement in a religious service.  -snip So what changed? Fort Gordon’s Public Affairs Office pointed me to Army Regulation 360-1 – dated May 2011.  The lengthy regulation states Army participation must...

A married Army general on Tuesday introduced his spouse at a Pentagon event that featured lots of top brass, including Defense Secretary Ashton Carter as the keynote speaker. What made this seemingly routine introduction noteworthy is that Brig. Gen. Randy S. Taylor introduced his husband, Lucas. “My husband Lucas is sitting up front here,” Gen. Taylor said of the man in the same row as Mr. Carter, Army Secretary John McHugh and other senior officials. He said Lucas has subjugated his own career to support the general’s frequent moves over an 18-year relationship.

"... The department provided no reason for McHugh’s departure but said he might stay on as the Army’s top civilian until November to give the Obama administration a smooth transition as it searches for his successor. His departure comes as Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno also plans to retire, closing a page on the era of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and ushering in new leadership as the service faces growing unrest around the world and defense budget caps in Washington. “There will be much time in the coming months to appropriately celebrate his many accomplishments, but for...

Defense officials confirm the official public Army website has been hacked by unknown intruders demanding the U.S. stop training rebel fighters inside Syria. Unlike the massive hack into Office of Personnel Management records, the officials stress the website contains no official classified information or private personal data of any Amy personnel, military or civilian. The messages reportedly proclaimed "YOU'VE BEEN HACKED" and added "YOUR COMMANDERS ADMIT THEY ARE TRAINING THE PEOPLE THEY HAVE SENT YOU TO DIE FIGHTING." It's not clear yet whether the Army or the hackers shut down the website. The officials say the website is for general...

On tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Army Staff Sgt. Jose Garcia missed his oldest daughter’s high school graduation. Stationed in Germany, an ocean away from his family in west Miami-Dade County, he watched his son accept his diploma through a live stream on the Internet. This time, Garcia wanted it to be different. With his youngest set to graduate from Miami Killian Senior High on Monday, it was his last chance to watch one of his children graduate from high school. He was determined to give his daughter, Samantha, “something to remember.” “She’s the baby of the house,”...

According to a new report from Fox News' Catherine Herridge, teammates of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements years ago after discussing his desertion with the Joint Chiefs Chairman in Afghanistan. According to Herridge's reporting and General Bob Scales, asking soldiers to sign non-disclosure agreements is unprecedented. "I can't remember, ever, have an enlisted soldier sign a non-disclosure agreement for anything. This is completely unprecedented," Scales said. "These non-disclosure agreements have got nothing to do with military justice." Further, new information shows Bergdahl not only deserted, but started planning for his departure by sleeping on the...

It’s difficult to describe anything as a “feel good story” on a day when we are commemorating the Honored Dead, but I suppose this story comes as close as any. CBS News is providing the details of a tale which took place long ago in a small village a bit to the north of where I live, in Gowanda, New York. They have a war memorial in their town just like so many other places around the country. But for the lifetime of most of the current residents, one name has been missing. Carroll Heath was a young boy born...

Jovano Graves' parents begged him not to join the Army right out of high school in 2003, when U.S. troops were fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.. But their son refused his parents' pleas to try college. He followed them both into the Army instead. Last June, 11 years later, Staff Sgt. Jovano Graves returned home from Afghanistan, joining his mother, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sonia Graves-Rivers, for duty here at Ft. Bragg. "My family, going way, way back, has always felt so proud to be Americans," said Graves-Rivers, who comes from a family in which military service spans six generations,...