Free Republic

Amid vaccine mandates, complaints of "woke" policies and indoctrination, and a tight jobs market, the Army fell 25% short of its recruitment goal this year, about 15,000 soldiers, the Associated Press reported. The shortfall actually is worse, because the original target of 485,000 active-duty soldiers was cut by 12,000 in April and further reduced later to 466,000.

When asked about how the army plans on addressing the concerns of its soldiers while dealing with ongoing recruitment struggles, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth emphasized the importance of “positive command climates and inclusion,” and rebuked accusations that the Army is becoming “woke.” […] “You know, we get criticized, frankly, sometimes, for being woke,” said the secretary. “I’m not sure what woke means, I think woke means a lot of different things to different people. But first of all I would, if woke means, you know, we are not focused on war fighting, we are not focused on readiness,...

The US Army’s first transgender officer has been indicted for attempting to pass medical information to the Russians in a bid to aid Vladamir Putin’s campaign in Ukraine.A grand jury came to the conclusion that Jamie Lee Henry, who is a Major in the Army and transgender, and his wife Anna Gabrielian (confused yet?) committed conspiracy and illegally disclosed “individually identifiable health information.” The indictment was unsealed on Thursday after the two were arrested.Breaking 911 provides some further details.BREAKING: First openly trans Army officer charged in plot to give U.S. military medical info to Russians to help in war against...

Major Jamie Lee Henry, the Army's first trans officer, and Dr. Anna Gabrielian were indicted for trying to give secret records to the Russian government The files included medical records of senior military officers at North Carolina's Fort Bragg and of their families The base is home to 52,000 active duty soldiers, as well as the US Army's Delta Force and Special Operations Forces Gabrielian was allegedly fueled by her patriotism for Russia, and told Henry not be a 'coward' when she expressed concerns about violating HIPPA Henry allegedly tried to volunteer to fight for Russia against Ukraine, but was...

The US Army has a major recruiting problem and can't find enough young people who meet the basic requirements to enlist, according to Army Times. Lt. Gen. Maria Gervais, second in command for Army Training and Doctrine Command, sounded off Thursday about the troubling developments. She highlighted disqualification rates for potential recruits jumped from 30-40% (pre-Covid) to a whopping 70% this year due to obesity, low test scores, and/or drug use.Gervais pointed out the service has experienced a "nosedive" in recruits since July 2021. She explained Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) scores were 10% lower during the virus pandemic...

The U.S. Army has released guidance for soldiers as they fight inflation, including a suggestion that they take advantage of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. SNAP, a benefit for low-income Americans, is a program for which "service members and their families may be eligible," the guidance said, pointing soldiers and their families to the SNAP website and phone number. SNAP is one of several options discussed as part of the Army's Financial Readiness Program. "With inflation affecting everything from gas prices to groceries to rent, some Soldiers and their families are finding it harder...

Nobody joins the US military to get rich. Military members and their families make incredible sacrifices on a daily basis, and none expect to earn their fortunes in the service. But no one joins the military to be on welfare or food stamps either. Yet that’s happening today in the US military under Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. An official US Army web site recently featured a posting advising soldiers to apply for food stamps. This is unfortunately not unprecedented. During the Jimmy Carter administration in the late 1970s, a period widely acknowledged as one of the lowest points for...

Ukraine is reportedly on the precipice of a major victory, with its counter-offensive around the eastern city of Kharkiv (Kharkov) unexpectedly putting the Russian army on the back foot. According to British intelligence, Russian forces appear to have been “taken by surprise” by the Ukrainians, who have reportedly advanced “up to 50 kilometres (31 miles) into previously Russian-held territory on a narrow front.”

The U.S. Army has grounded its entire fleet of CH-47 Chinook helicopters because of a risk of engine fires, U.S. officials said. Army officials are aware of a small number of engine fires with the helicopters, and the incidents didn’t result in any injuries or deaths, the U.S. officials said. One of the officials said the fires occurred in recent days. The U.S. Army Materiel Command grounded the fleet of hundreds of helicopters “out of an abundance of caution,” but officials were looking at more than 70 aircraft that contained a part that is suspected to be connected to the...

Chaz Andrews has wanted to join the Army since he was 19, but he has failed the service's academic test more than 10 times over the past decade. Now, at age 29, Andrews thinks he has a real shot to pass, thanks to a new Army program that gives lower-performing recruits up to 90 days of academic or fitness instruction to help them meet military standards. “I didn’t want to give up on it,” he said during a recent break in his classroom schedule at Fort Jackson, where he is one of more than 300 recruits who have been allowed...

A 17-year-old girl training with her twin sister for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard died after collapsing during an exercise, according to local news outlets. The 1st Battalion 34th Infantry Regiment confirmed the death of PFC Alyssa Cahoon in a Facebook statement, saying she died Thursday "with her family by her bedside." The regiment did not provide further details about her death. According to local station WLTX, Cahoon collapsed on Aug. 20 during a physical training exercise at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. She was taken to the hospital where she died five days later. Fort Jackson did not immediately...

A reflection On My PastI first wrote this account in 2010 when I was still writing for the Chico Enterprise Record newspaper. I did edit some of it to reflect more accurately the years since the events took place, but otherwise it is as I originally wrote it. Have you ever wondered how people get from point A to point B? I don't mean in a physical mileage way, but rather an emotional, phycological, and spiritual way. We all take in our surroundings and make decisions based upon the way we see things happening, and the way we feel. Then...

The bra, known as the Army Tactical Brassiere, is still in development at the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Solider Center, also known as DEVCOM, in Natick, Massachusetts. If approved by the Army Uniform Board, it will be the first official uniform bra the Army has offered its female soldiers in its history.

FORT FARRAKHAN, CA — A U.S. Army spokesperson admitted concern today after the recent drop in recruitment numbers, despite the unveiling of the new "America Is Racist, You Should Die For It" slogan. Colonel Rip Skirtsteak said the Army will continue its push for diversity in hopes of drawing more new recruits. "It's just really hard to find recruits who hate this country as they should but are also willing to put their lives on the line to protect it," Skirtsteak said as he adjusted his rainbow flag lapel pin. "We may have to switch to Plan B, which is...

Army tanks rolled on the streets of China’s Henan province to deter protesters who have been demanding the release of their savings after banks put a freeze on withdrawals. Videos shared on social media showed a contingent of tanks making their way down main thoroughfares in a bid to scare off angry citizens and check demonstrations against banks. Local media reported that the tanks were deployed to protect banks.

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Joseph Martin told the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that the service branch's size at the end of the fiscal year will be more than 20,000 troops below their target. Martin confirmed that the Army told a House military personnel panel that it believes it will have between 445,000 and 452,000 troops by the end of September.If that comes to fruition, it would be a significant shortfall of between 21,000 and 28,000 soldiers because the target is 473,000. He said they believe they will “land at [466,000]” for the year. The service’s target...

If your daughter is planning to join the Army, she might find more hanging out in the shower than expected.As reported by Breitbart beneath the banner of “exclusive,” the branch’s training includes updated instructions for bathing. And the rules are plenty far from what veterans would find familiar.Official guidance — purportedly delivered via scenarios labeled “vignettes” — prescribes proper responses to issues concerning transgenderism.Vignette Nine deals with mandated urine specimens: What if an “observer” is uncomfortable having to watch a soldier — who has “not [had] sex reassignment surgery” — pee into a cup?Comfort-minded measures are on the table:Commanders may...

The House adopted an amendment to the annual defense spending bill on Wednesday that would give the mayor of Washington, D.C. authority over the capital city’s national guard. The measure - sponsored by Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Anthony Brown (D-Md.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), who represents the District of Columbia - was approved in a mainly party-line vote of 218-209 to be added to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Democratic Rep. Jared Golden (Maine) voted with Republicans in opposing the measure, while GOP Rep. Fred Upton (Mich.) supported the amendment. Two Republicans and...

A female US Army soldier took to TikTok to question her loyalty to the United States after the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade. "How am I supposed to wake up every day and put on a freaking uniform that says United States Army when the United States doesn't even give a rat's ass about me," the soldier said. In 2019, the Army advised soldiers not to use TikTok on government-owned phones, citing national security risks from the Chinese app. China-based employees also have access to US user data. Human Events host Jack Posobiec originally broke the news of...

The Army has suspended a three-star general's contract and placed him under investigation after he posted a tweet that appeared to mock first lady Jill Biden, USA Today reports. Retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky, the Army's former top spokesman, responded to a tweet from Biden that said the rights of women had been stolen in the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. "For nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies. Today, that right was stolen from us," Biden tweeted. "Glad to see you finally know what a woman is,"...