Free Republic

The Pentagon's "Department of War" rebrand ignited debate over cost, psychology, strategy and America's military identity.When workers at the Pentagon quietly removed “Department of Defense” plaques and replaced them with new bronze signs reading “Department of War,” the reaction was immediate. Photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth installing a 60-pound “Department of War” plaque spread across social media within hours. Supporters praised the symbolism. Critics argued it sent the wrong signal to allies and adversaries.But behind the headlines, the change raises a deeper question: How much power does a name really have? And when it comes to America’s most important...

"No. 1 has been tried for the past 5 months with no effect. No. 1 has been tried since 2018 with no effect. No. 3 can't be done because Israel is against it, so everyone will blame Vance and call him an antisemite."

Iran has managed to rebuild a significant amount of infrastructure destroyed during its war with the US and Israel in recent months, ranging from bridges to missile bases, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The report, based on a review of satellite imagery, suggested that the speed at which Tehran is restoring its damaged capabilities is the reason why it is continuing to hold its own against the US after hostilities renewed earlier this month over disputes relating to the Strait of Hormuz. One set of satellite images showed that an access road leading to an Iranian missile base...

TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully completed the 13th straight night of strikes against Iran, July 23, at 9 p.m. ET. CENTCOM targeted Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites, and maritime capabilities to further diminish the threat Iran poses to civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The international waterway remains open for transit despite recent attacks from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Commercial vessels continue to freely navigate the strait with U.S. military support. More than 50,000 U.S. service members are currently operating across the Middle East.

The Kingdom Choir is heading Down Under. The group, which famously performed at Meghan Markle’s nuptials to Prince Harry back in May, is set to show off its pipes at the Invictus Games closing ceremony in Sydney on Oct. 27. Prince Harry, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, established the Invictus Games in 2014 for sick and wounded service members and veterans from around the globe. The gospel choir’s conductor, Karen Gibson, reflected on the upcoming trip. “We love what the Games stand for and are privileged to be able to honor the men and women competing.” The...

Vice President Pence visited wounded veterans recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday. “Always an honor to spend time with our heroes recovering at @WRBethesda,” wrote Pence. “Thanks also to the great medical team who give America’s best to America’s best every day.”

For a warrior’s view of the Iraq war, it would be tough to beat the perspective of Brian Kolfage – a retired Air Force senior airman who lost three limbs in a rocket attack. Kolfage’s perspective on President Obama: He looks like an “elitist rich thug,” not the leader of the free world. In an open letter to Obama released on Presidents Day, Kolfage talked about attending public high school in Hawaii, bicycling past Punahou School, which Obama attended on a scholarship two decades earlier. He wrote: Every morning I would ride past Punahou, the exclusive private school you attended...

Karen Shirk has spent 15 years matching people with service dogs that can help them with their special needs and disabilities. With the help of her staff, she puts a lot of thought into the process to make sure each person has the right dog for them. But one recent story -- involving an Afghanistan war veteran and a German shepherd named Gabriel -- has her convinced that larger forces are sometimes at work.

Former President Bush participated in a charity gold tournament to raise money for veterans. Fox’s Brian Kilmeade was invited to play. The best part is when a veteran tells Bush, “you’ll always be my commander-in-chief.”

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 9, 2007) - The Army's vice chief of staff announced yesterday that a new group of leaders - all combat veterans - will steer changes in inpatient and outpatient care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Gen. Richard Cody named Brig. Gen. Michael S. Tucker as the new WRAMC deputy commander. Currently the deputy commanding general and assistant commandant for the U.S. Armor Center and Fort Knox, Ky., Tucker will serve alongside new WRAMC Commanding General Maj. Gen. Eric Schoomaker. "He understands Soldiers. He understands leading in combat. He understands how to run large organizations,"...

President and Mrs. Bush visited wounded military personnel recovering in the National Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, also thanking caregivers there. He signed the "GO Zone" Gulf Opportunity Zone Act, providing nearly $8 billion in tax breaks for Gulf Coast businesses, as part of the government's plan to help the region rebuild from destructive hurricanes. The Vice President cast a tie-breaking vote as president of the US Senate, enabling passage of a $39.7 billion deficit-reduction bill, the first of its kind in more than ten years. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is in Pakistan. Saddam Hussein Trial Discussed: Christopher Reid, Regime Crimes...

Something I wrote about here a LONG time ago is now a "scoop" on Drudge: the taunting of wounded war vets (fresh from Iraq and Afghanistan) by anti-war protesters at Walter Reed hospital. Drudge writes as if Conservative News Service (CNS) was the first to discover this. Not true. Free Republic counter-protesters wrote about this long ago and posted photos. They've been there for over 2 years. Here's what I wrote, back in April: "Back on U.S. soil, Code Pink harasses badly wounded American soldiers, protesting them outside the Walter Reed medical facility in Washington, DC." What Drudge doesn't say--but,...