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1) “In Vietnam, our soldiers came back and they were reviled as baby killers, in shame and humiliation. It isn’t happening now, but I will tell you, there has never been an [American] army as violent and murderous as our army has been in Iraq.” —Seymour Hersh 2) “I haven't seen American Sniper, but correct me if I'm wrong: An occupier mows down faceless Iraqis but the real victim is his anguished soul.” – Max Blumenthal 3) “Put a man in uniform, preferably a white man, give him a gun, and Americans will worship him. It is a particularly childish...

There’s no need for “diversity agents” to try and manipulate the composition of our armed forces, sacrificing our effectiveness in pursuit of fairness, under the guise of enhanced increased capability. And what’s most disconcerting is the infiltration into the military of this ill-conceived mindset — namely the Pentagon joining in on this folly. The statement from an “expert at the Pentagon on the diversity of commando forces” — since when did the U.S. military need an expert on diversity of commando forces? I can tell you right now, if I were Secretary of Defense, that’s the first position I’d eliminate!...

Video/Story at link The letter, written in all lower case, states:

A devastating report by the Heritage Foundation reveals yet another arena where the Obama administration, with the blessings of the Democrat Party, is fundamentally transforming the United States of America. "The U.S. military may be weaker than you think,” the report states. "All but one branch of America’s military and nuclear forces are currently operating at ‘marginal' strength levels.” The Heritage Foundation’s conclusions are strikingly at odds with the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review, which maintains the U.S. can still fight two major conflicts simultaneously. Yet that same report highlights the reality that beginning in FY2012 the Department of Defense began absorbing the "significant...

Defense: Even as the U.S. faces unprecedented security challenges, the Obama administration continues to slash the military. Cuts in funding and troop levels are leading to a dangerous lack of readiness. President Obama's most recent reduction in forces is a big one: The Army last week announced it would drop 40,000 soldiers from its ranks, a reaction to ongoing deep budget cuts. These cuts are real, deep and damaging — unlike spending in the rest of the federal government, where spending continues to rise. Since 2011, the Army's "base budget" has plummeted by nearly 18% in real terms.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pentagon leaders are finalizing plans aimed at lifting the ban on transgender individuals in the military, with the goal of formally ending one of the last gender- or sexuality-based barriers to military service, senior U.S. officials told The Associated Press. An announcement is expected this week, and the services would have six months to assess the impact of the change and work out the details, the officials said Monday. Military chiefs wanted time to methodically work through the legal, medical and administrative issues and develop training to ease any transition, and senior leaders believed six months would...

There is renewed energy on Capitol Hill to lift the Defense Department's ban on transgender troops. Lawmakers view recent steps by the Pentagon and some of the armed services to expand protections for gay and lesbian troops as an opportunity to do away with the decades-old prohibition on allowing transgender troops to serve openly. They are also taking note of other societal changes in calling for the ban on service by transgender trips to be lifted. “In politics, I think it’s always appropriate to take advantage of timing. Whether it’s taking down the Confederate flag or creating equality in the...

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...

As a young U.S. Army soldier during World War II, Rollins Edwards knew better than to refuse an assignment. When officers led him and a dozen others into a wooden gas chamber and locked the door, he didn't complain. None of them did. Then, a mixture of mustard gas and a similar agent called lewisite was piped inside. "It felt like you were on fire," recalls Edwards, now 93 years old. "Guys started screaming and hollering and trying to break out. And then some of the guys fainted. And finally they opened the door and let us out, and the...

"U.S. Poised to Put Heavy Weaponry in East Europe: A Message to Russia," ran the headline in The New York Times. "In a significant move to deter possible Russian aggression in Europe, the Pentagon is poised to store battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other heavy weapons for as many as 5,000 American troops in several Baltic and Eastern European countries," said the Times. The sources cited were "American and allied officials." The Pentagon's message received a reply June 16. Russian Gen. Yuri Yakubov called the U.S. move "the most aggressive step by the Pentagon and NATO since the Cold...

Despite offers of immunity from prosecution, four ex-Marines and a former Navy corpsman have refused to testify against Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins in his retrial in the 2006 killing of an Iraqi. The five — all of whom were convicted in the killing and served time in the brig — asserted their 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination during the court martial last week at Camp Pendleton. Hutchins, 31, was the squad leader the night that prosecutors claim the squad dragged a 52-year-old Iraqi from his bed, tied his hands, shot him multiple times and then tried to make the incident look...

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier charged with desertion after he was returned from the Taliban last year in exchange for prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, is seeking to have the officer in charge of deciding his fate removed from the case now that he has been nominated to serve as the new Army chief of staff. Gen. Mark Milley is responsible for deciding whether to charge Bergdahl criminally for leaving his post in 2009 in Afghanistan. Bergdahl was captured and remained a captive of the Taliban for nearly five years.

A national defense analyst says it's a disgrace that U.S. military officers are not fighting an ongoing effort to put women in front-line combat units.The Washington Times recently reported that Congress is prodding the armed forces to develop a special combat boot for women to minimize stress fractures due to marching and training. Bob Maginnis, a senior fellow for national security at the Family Research Council, says the issue is about more than combat boots for women.It's about women are not men. Women are not little men either," says Maginnis, who retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel....

Full Title: Brian Williams pulls out of hosting awards show for military veterans and will be replaced by MICHELLE OBAMA NBC anchor, who was suspended after being called out by veterans for lying about his experience in Iraq, said he didn't want to be a 'distraction' First-ever Lincoln Awards features a concert by Nick Jonas, Gavin DeGraw and Jerry Lewis, which was filmed in January Ceremony, to air on PBS Friday, honors people who have helped veterans and military familiesDisgraced NBC news anchor Brian Williams, who was brought down when it was revealed he lied about his experience in a...

Uses his stardom to ‘do a little more’ Gary Sinise began providing free performances and dinners for Vietnam veterans — what he called “vets nights” — in the late 1970s, long before he was a household name thanks to his Oscar-nominated portrayal of the man who loses his legs in the jungles of Vietnam. Even before he portrayed Lt. Dan Taylor, the Vietnam commander saved by Forrest Gump from certain death in the 1994 best picture winner, the Chicago native and co-founder of the iconic Steppenwolf Theater knew he had to do something to give back to America’s heroes. “I...

Armed Forces Day honors the men and women who are currently serving the U.S. at home and abroad. The day, which falls on the third Saturday in May, is typically marked by events and ceremonies that observe the sacrifices made by those in uniform. The day was first observed in 1950 following the creation of the Department of Defense in 1949, which put all of the branches of the Armed Forces – the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy - under one department. In a speech announcing the first Armed Forces Day, President Harry Truman said the...

Washington (CNN)—Security conditions at U.S. military bases were raised Thursday night, because of growing concern of a jihadist threat in the U.S. It comes hours after FBI Director James Comey raised the prospect there are thousands of ISIS followers online in the U.S. "We have a general concern, obviously, that ISIL is focusing on the uniformed military and law enforcement," Comey told reporters Thursday. The order was signed by Admiral William Gortney, head of the command. "We have the same concern about the potential threat posed by violent homegrown extremists," said Captain Jeff Davis, spokesman for the U.S. Northern Command...

(CNSNews.com) - Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told a group of ROTC cadets on Wednesday that sexual assault is a "particular challenge and a particular disgrace" to the U.S. military. He noted that last year, far more men (10,400) than women (8,500) "experienced unwanted sexual contact." "We've made some progress," Carter said. "We seem to have seen some decrease in the estimated number of assaults, and we seem to have seen some increase in those reporting an assault."But, last year, we estimated that at least 18,900 servicemembers -- 10,400 men and 8,500 women -- experienced unwanted sexual contact." Carter added that...

Making the general public aware about tough issues that need addressing is obviously a good thing. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about doing it. A Reddit post supposedly containing a message from the cellphone of a cadet has raised questions concerning an allegedly mandatory ROTC event. In the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event, cadets were required to wear high heels and march to “raise awareness of sexual assault against women.”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey responded to reports that Ramadi, Iraq is on the verge of an Islamic State today by describing Ramadi as “not symbolic in any way.” In an open letter, Debbie Lee, whose son Marc was the first Navy SEAL casualty in Ramadi, responded to his remarks today. I am shaking and tears are flowing down my cheeks as I watch the news and listen to the insensitive, pain inflicting comments made by you in regards to the fall of Ramadi. “The city itself is not symbolic in any way” oh really are...