Policy
Army Retention on Track, Even as Recruiting Struggles
Even the busiest of units are seeing high retention as Army programs seek to smooth out the stress of service life.
Ideas
China’s New Conscription Rules Reveal Concerns
New sections on wartime drafts, punishment, and physical fitness offer a glimpse into PLA leaders’ minds.
Threats
To Escape Bullies, Military ‘Forced to Move’ Families with LGBTQ+ Kids
Harassment of children is "detracting from our readiness," says top Air Force manpower official, "because their school will do nothing when their LGBT kid is being bullied."
Ideas
USAF Should Rethink Its Approach to Mental Health and Suicide
The commander and senior enlisted leader of the service’s Expeditionary Center see a back-to-basics path to stronger Airmen.
Ideas
‘MAGA’ Republicans Are Dismantling Ronald Reagan’s Legacy
Efforts to draft the U.S. military into culture wars are undoing its Reagan-era rise from post-Vietnam malaise.
Threats
As Army Launches Recruiting Drive in Cities, One Recruiter Lays Out the Challenges
Potential recruits aren’t worried about Army emphasis on diversity, despite Republican concerns.
Defense Systems
The Air Force’s Electronic-Warfare Wing Is 400 People Short
That’s okay for now, its commander says, but his service may need to change how it trains and manages EW officers.
Ideas
The NSA’s Brain Drain Has a Silver Lining
Agency leaders should use former employees to recruit new talent and cement public-private working relationships.
Ideas
The Army Should Be Looking for a Few Older Soldiers
Recruiters should widen their focus beyond high school and college students—and not just to make quotas.
Ideas
China Gears Up for Cognitive Warfare
Like the U.S. military, the PLA is working on wearable sensors and other ways to hone and maintain troops' fighting spirit.
Ideas
How to Advance US-Saudi Defense Cooperation
There’s room for progress short of a formal alliance.
Threats
Nine Soldiers Die On Night Helicopter Training Mission
No emergency message was received from the two crews before their aircraft crashed, a 101st Airborne leader said.
Policy
SecDef to Senator: Your Abortion-Related Holds Are Hurting Readiness
Lloyd Austin told Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., that holding up 160 promotions and appointments "creates a ripple effect through the force that makes us far less ready than we need to be.”
Policy
Pentagon’s No. 2 Civilians Fire Back in ‘Woke’ Wars
“There's been no detraction from the primary mission,” Navy Undersecretary Erik Raven told dubious GOP senators.
Policy
Lawmakers Propose Civilian Cyber Reserve to Bolster DOD and DHS
Bipartisan bills aim to allow the agencies to bolster cybersecurity by recruiting skilled civilians to serve as reservists.
Policy
5.2% Pay Bump for Troops, Feds in 2024 Budget Proposal
The largest proposed pay raise for federal employees since the Carter administration still falls short of the demands of some Democrats and unions.
Policy
Army Targets Gen Z In New Ad Campaign
The service released its new ads several months ahead of schedule to meet the “the most challenging recruitment environment in years,” Sec. Wormuth said.
Policy
Unfrozen: How the State Department Has Reversed Its ‘Draconian’ Cuts in Just Two Years
Biden promised to revive a "hollowed out" federal workforce, and at one agency, he has.
Policy