Author: Dan Lamothe
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Trump to sign new executive order intended to reduce suicide among recent veterans
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aimed at expanding mental-health care for transitioning veterans as they leave the military, in an effort to reduce suicides in a group that is considered particularly at risk. The order will take effect March 9 and is expected to provide all new veterans with mental-health…
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A storage unit opened, and a family’s World War II service and secrets were revealed
MESA, Ariz. – The storage unit’s corrugated metal door slid upward, revealing 100 square feet of mostly empty space. Not very promising, thought Joe Alosi, a businessman who bid on units, sight unseen, when tenants stopped paying the rent. Several plastic bins sat in the middle of the floor, and dust billowed as Alosi peeled…
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Air Force fires commander of its Thunderbirds flight team, citing lack of confidence
The Air Force has fired the commander of its Thunderbirds flight demonstration team, citing his commanding officer’s loss of confidence in him, the service announced Wednesday. Lt. Col. Jason Heard was removed from the position by Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, the commander of the Air Force’s 57th Wing, after the Thunderbirds season ended Nov. 20.…
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White House military personnel removed amid investigation into contacts with foreign women during Trump’s Asia trip
Three military personnel have been reassigned from their White House jobs amid allegations that they had improper contact with foreign women while traveling with President Trump on his recent trip to Asia, according to officials familiar with the situation. The service members all worked for the White House Communications Agency, a specialized military unit that…
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Securing North Korean nuclear sites would require a ground invasion, Pentagon says
The only way to locate and secure all of North Korea’s nuclear weapons sites “with complete certainty” is through an invasion of U.S. ground forces, and in the event of conflict, Pyongyang could use biological and chemical weapons, the Pentagon told lawmakers in a new, blunt assessment of what war on the Korean Peninsula might…
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Pentagon deployed elite commandos to Niger fearing that militants were hunting missing soldier, US officials say
The Pentagon deployed elite commandos from the United States in response to the deadly ambush of a Special Forces team in Niger, fearing that one soldier who was missing at the time was alive and might fall into enemy hands, military officials said. The commandos, with the secretive Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), were deployed…
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As North Korea threatens, US to send ‘strategic assets’ to Seoul
The United States will send “strategic” military assets to South Korea on a more regular basis to better deter North Korea, the South’s national security adviser said Thursday. The decision comes at a time of escalating tensions between the United States and North Korea, with many analysts concerned that incendiary rhetoric, combined with more frequent…
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For the first time, the Marine Corps expects to have a female infantry officer among its ranks
The Marine Corps expects to soon have a female infantry officer, a historic first, following her anticipated graduation Monday from the service’s grueling Infantry Officer Course, said three military officials with knowledge of the training. The lieutenant and her male colleagues completed a three-week combat exercise at the service’s training center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.,…
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Mattis freezes Trump’s ban on transgender troops, calls for more study
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced Tuesday that he is freezing President Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military, saying that he will first establish a panel of experts to provide advice and recommendations on how to carry out Trump’s directive. The Pentagon confirmed the move in a statement attributed to Mattis, saying that…
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Army suspends drill sergeants at Fort Benning amid allegations of sexual assault against trainees
The U.S. Army has sidelined numerous drill sergeants at its training center at Fort Benning, Ga., amid allegations of sexual assault, the service announced Wednesday. The cases are under investigation by Army Criminal Investigation Command and the service’s Maneuver Center of Excellence, Army officials said. The investigation began after a female trainee accused a drill…