Tag Archives: military

The Washington Post reports: A computer scientist at the Defense Intelligence Agency who monitored insider threats became one himself, prosecutors alleged, attempting to trade classified information for citizenship in a friendly country because of disagreements with the Trump administration. Nathan Vilas Laatsch, 28, was arrested Thursday and charged with gathering defense information to aid a foreign government, an Espionage Act …

The Associated Press reports: The U.S. military is backing off its usual talk of good governance and countering insurgencies’ underlying causes, instead leaning into a message that its fragile allies in Africa must be ready to stand more on their own. At African Lion, its largest joint training exercise on the continent, that shift was clear: “We need to be …

San Diego’s NBC affiliate reports: A small plane headed to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport crashed into the Murphy Canyon neighborhood Thursday morning, officials confirmed. The incident was reported at around 3:47 a.m. in the 3100 block of Salmon Street near the Tierrasanta neighborhood. It happened in a military housing neighborhood. “We have not transported anyone from the scene so far,” said …

NBC News reports: A Navy technician was arrested on charges of making a false bomb threat while he was on a Hawaiian Airlines flight, authorities said. Electronics Technician 1st Class John Stea, 35, was arrested and charged with making a false bomb threat and false report of a security threat. San Diego Harbor Police allege in a news release that …

Reuters reports: The U.S. Army will alter the records of transgender soldiers to show only their sex at birth, according to internal guidance seen by Reuters that details a series of steps it will take as it pushes them out of the service. “Commanders will take immediate measures to update personnel records and administrative systems to reflect biological sex for …

The Washington Post reports: A Navy fighter jet failed to land on an aircraft carrier and plummeted into the Red Sea on Tuesday, marking the fourth major mishap involving the vessel and the third loss of a fighter jet deployed with it since the warship left home last year. The F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet, worth about $67 million, went …

The Stars & Stripes reports: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday announced he has directed the Defense Department to cut at least 20% of its four-star generals and admirals, along with other reductions across the military. “We’re back with more [Defense Department] reforms, this one is general and flag officer reductions. That’s the official title,” Hegseth said in a video …

CNN reports: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered senior Pentagon leadership to cut the number of four-star generals and admirals by at least 20% across the military, according to a memo signed by Hegseth dated Monday and obtained by CNN. As of 2023, there were 37 four-star generals and admirals across the entire military. The memo also directs …

The Associated Press reports: Detailed Army plans for a potential military parade on President Donald Trump’s birthday in June call for more than 6,600 soldiers, at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and possibly a couple thousand civilians, The Associated Press has learned. The planning documents, obtained by the AP, are dated April 29 and 30 and have not …

The US Naval Institute reports: An F/-18E Super Hornet assigned to the carrier air wing embarked aboard aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) was lost at sea during a towing incident in the hangar bay Monday, according to a Navy announcement. The single-seat Super Hornet assigned to the “Knight Hawks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136, “was actively under …

The Daily Beast reports: Pete Hegseth spends at least half of his time investigating leaks—and then working out with active-duty troops to appear competent despite the leaks, according to a former Pentagon aide. Trump’s defense secretary has reportedly become increasingly isolated and paranoid as news of Pentagon plans leaked, including details of military plans for the Panama Canal, the decision …

Mediaite reports: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth went off on the acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff amid a search for a leaker at the Pentagon, according to a report published Thursday in The Wall Street Journal. The paper said Hegseth was “rattled” after word got out last month that the Pentagon was set to brief Elon Musk …

Axios reports: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is locked in open warfare with his own Pentagon, a hotbed of distrust and dysfunction that commands the most powerful military on the face of the Earth. No Trump Cabinet official has endured more turmoil in less time than Hegseth, who survived a nasty confirmation battle only to be burned — again and again …

Politico reports: John Ullyot, the former top Pentagon spokesperson who found himself at the center of several controversies in the first months of the Trump administration, said he will resign this week. Ullyot’s departure comes in the midst of a tumultuous week for the Pentagon. Three political appointees were put on administrative leave on Tuesday and Wednesday during an investigation …

The Hill reports: Suspensions at the Defense Department have continued, with a third top Pentagon official being placed on administrative leave amid an ongoing investigation into information leaks at the department. Colin Carroll, chief of staff to deputy secretary of Defense Steve A. Feinberg, was placed on administrative leave on Wednesday, a U.S. defense official told The Hill. The department …

Politico reports: The Pentagon placed two top political appointees under administrative leave on Tuesday after a probe into potential leaks of sensitive information, according to three defense officials. Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted out of the Pentagon by security officers and had his building access suspended pending further investigation, said two of the …

Politico reports: The Senate confirmed retired Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to lead the Joint Chiefs early Friday morning — elevating a little-known three-star general just seven weeks after President Donald Trump fired Gen. C.Q. Brown from the post. Caine overcame doubts about his qualifications and ability to remain apolitical, and was confirmed in a bipartisan 60-25 vote to serve …

Military.com reports: The Army is quietly considering a sweeping reduction of up to 90,000 active-duty troops, a move that underscores mounting fiscal pressures at the Pentagon and a broader shift in military strategy away from Europe and counterterrorism, according to three defense officials familiar with the deliberations. Internal discussions are exploring trimming the force to between 360,000 and 420,000 troops …

The military site Task & Purpose reports: Arlington National Cemetery is the most venerated final resting ground in the nation, overseen by silent soldiers in immaculate uniforms with ramrod-straight discipline. Across its hundreds of acres in Virginia, they watch over 400,000 graves of U.S. service members dating back to the Civil War, including two presidents, and more than 400 Medal …

NBC News reports: Changes this year to Tricare, the military’s health care program, have brought cascading disruptions to millions of service members, their families and network providers nationwide. About 16,000 health care providers on the East Coast alone have not been paid for months, forcing many to drop Tricare patients, reduce their hours or consider closing their clinics. On the …