Free Republic

… Multiple War Department officials confirmed to Fox News that top military commanders had been asked to fly to Virginia for a meeting next week, though the topic of the discussion is unclear. The lack of details surrounding the gathering has some fearing a looming purge. War Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously said he wants to cut 20% of senior generals and admirals. The order, first reported by the Washington Post, applies to senior officers with the rank of brigadier general or above or their Navy equivalent and their top enlisted advisers. It comes as administration officials have been preparing...

resident Donald Trump warned on Friday that Venezuelan planes will be "shot down" if they put the United States in a "dangerous position." Why It Matters Trump's warning comes after the Pentagon said two Venezuelan planes flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters amid an expanded U.S. military presence in the southern Caribbean. The comment comes as Washington and Caracas trade increasingly sharp warnings following a U.S. strike this week on a boat the administration says was tied to the Venezuelan-linked Tren de Aragua gang. The exchange raises questions about the risk of further military escalation in the...

The last time there was a War Department, Hollywood still made most of its movies in black and white, and Americans were falling in love with a new entertainment device called the TV set. They cost an average of $400 each. The year was 1949. In at least one respect, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants to turn the calendar back to that time. The nation’s military forces were organized under the War Department, and Hegseth believes that term, with its bold martial overtones, better suits his desire to remake the armed services to emphasize fighting and killing. The Trump administration...