Free Republic

Only 52 percent of active-duty enlisted women, compared to 92 percent of the men, were able to pass the Army Combat Fitness Test.It was gratifying to watch Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton questioning Christine Wormuth, the first female Secretary of the Army, at a recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.Sen. Cotton, a Ranger-qualified infantry veteran, respectfully chastised Wormuth for the “fiasco” that the new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) has become. For the past three years, the Army has tried but failed to implement “gender-neutral” standards in the new Combat Fitness Test — mainly because of high failure rates among...

Wary of putting combat troops in Iraq, the U.S. government is gauging contractors’ interest in advising the Iraqi Defense Ministry and Counter Terrorism Service in a range of capacities, including force development, logistics and planning and operations. The U.S. Army Contracting Command posted a notice last month seeking contractors willing to work on an initial 12-month contract, who should be “cognizant of the goals of reducing tensions between Arabs and Kurds, and Sunni and Shias.” They would focus on administration, force development, procurement and acquisition, contracting, training management, public affairs, logistics, personnel management, professional development, communications, planning and operations, infrastructure...

American Special Forces commandos are on the ground fighting in northern Iraq, according to a published report, just a week after Barack Obama said that wouldn't happen during his presidency. Even as he has authorized more than 100 target airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Iraq, Obama told the American Legion on August 26 that 'American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq.' 'I will not allow the United States to be dragged back into another ground war in Iraq,' he said, adding later that 'the answer' to ISIS 'is not to...

American combat troops will get sensitivity training directly on the battlefield about the military’s new policy on gays instead of waiting until they return to home base in the United States, the senior enlisted man in Afghanistan said Thursday. The Pentagon is launching an extensive force-wide program to ease the process of integrating open homosexuals into the ranks, including into close-knit fighting units. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill, the top enlisted man in Afghanistan where 100,000 U.S. troops are deployed, said that the sessions on respecting gays’ rights will go right down to the forward operating bases, where troops...

Ranger Rosary Ministry Mission Statement: The rugged combat rosaries are to be made and sent to our service men and women serving throughout the world. The rosaries are distributed by Chaplains, especially those deployed in combat zones, and to those at stateside bases, and military hospitals. For safety, the rosaries are made from parachute cord, dark beads, and black plastic crucifixes that do not rattle or reflect light. Included with the rosaries are "How to Pray the Rosary" pamphlets, scapulars with pamphlets, Divine Mercy Booklets, and St. Michael the Archangel medals with prayer cards. However, scapulars are only sent to...

South Korea to Send Troops to Iraq 1 hour, 22 minutes ago By JAE-SUK YOO, Associated Press Writer SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea (news - web sites) said Saturday it would send additional troops to help U.S. forces rebuild and stabilize Iraq (news - web sites). "The government will decide on the number, characteristics and timing of the dispatch after considering the U.S. request and public opinion," said Yoon Tae-young, a spokesman for South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. Yoon did not clarify whether the unidentified number of new troops will be combat or non-combat forces. South Korea has sent...