The chess pieces have been moving towards a “leaner and meaner” military over the past month. Since President Obama spoke of budget cuts for our military, we have seen Navy ships pull out of the Strait of Hormuz, a recent announcement of troops to depart Afghanistan by 2013, and Navy Seals performing high-profiled rescues. After a recent disagreement between the ... Read More »
A homeless Vietnam veteran was laid to rest January 25th at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. But on that day, Petty Officer 2nd Class Stevenson L. Roy seemed more at home than ever. His casket was carried not by family, but by family of a different breed. It wasn’t till after Roy’s death that it was discovered he had ... Read More »
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s timing couldn’t be better for a press conference. A documentary titled, “The Invisible War,” investigating sexual assault in the military, premiered this past week at the ever-popular Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. “It is an affront to the basic American values we defend and it is a stain on the good honor of ... Read More »
When the U.S. Military and the U.S. intelligence community are divided on the efforts in Afghanistan, it’s fair to say we have a problem. A classified document released last month, known as the National Intelligence Estimate, outlines a perspective differing from that of military commanders. The NIE, more than 100 pages in length, represents a collective view of the CIA ... Read More »
Weeding out candidates has taken on a new meaning at U.S. military educational institutions. More recently, the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut will be expelling fourteen cadets for using synthetic marijuana. Apparently they aren’t the first to get the boot. Synthetic marijuana, also known as Spice, has sent cadets packing in the Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, ... Read More »
The Coast Guard’s only functioning icebreaker is clearing the way for a Russian tanker carrying fuel to a remote and iced-in Alaska city. Coast Guard Cutter HEALY began cutting through over a foot of ice early Friday morning. The trek will cover 300 miles so the 370-foot tanker Renda can make the crucial delivery before the end of winter for ... Read More »
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