Policy
100 US Soldiers to Transfer into Space Force in 2021
The Army is the first branch outside the Air Force to announce initial plans regarding the new branch of service.
Threats
Now It's 64. Wounded Troop Tally from Iran Missile Strike Rises Again
Trump “understands the nature” of brain injuries, says Defense Secretary Esper after the president downplayed Americans’ wounds as not “serious.”
Policy
DOD Is Punishing Whistleblowers More Often and with Impunity, IG Says
Lawmakers and advocates say Trump's attacks on the whistleblower that kicked off his impeachment will do long-lasting harm.
Ideas
The US Navy Needs More Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchells
The service must create ways to retain and use…not the reckless flyboy of 1986, but the experienced aviator of 2020.
Threats
34 Injured in Iran Attack, Pentagon Now Says; Launches a Review of Reporting Procedures
SecDef Mark Esper ordered a review of “processes for tracking and reporting injuries” after criticism in the wake of the Iranian missile attack.
Threats
Security Clearance Backlog Hits Long-Awaited ‘Steady State’
About 200,000 people are waiting for background investigations, which lawmakers called a welcome, "sustainable" level.
Threats
As Toll Mounts, Trump Downplays Injuries Suffered in Iranian Attack
The president's dismissive statements about the brain trauma suffered by U.S. troops at Al Assad may reflect a considered attempt to de-escalate – or not.
Ideas
The US Navy’s Three Great Intellectual Challenges
Design the force, wrestle with change, buy ships.
Science & Tech
US Army’s High-Powered Skull Study May Yield Better Helmets
Protecting soldiers' brains is the ultimate aim of a joint effort by the Army Research Laboratory, Argonne National Lab, and Northwestern University.
Ideas
The War-Crimes President
When violence is directed at those Trump’s supporters hate and fear, they see such excesses not as crimes but as virtues.
Ideas
How Trump Turned the Military Against Itself
The president’s repeated interference in a Navy SEAL’s case shows that he cares about only one kind of military discipline: obedience to Trump.
Ideas
As the Rich Get Richer, the Ambassadors Get Worse
Gordon Sondland embodies an age-old problem—one that the flood of donor money into American politics is only exacerbating.
Science & Tech
At DHS, an Exodus of Tech and Cyber Leaders
The rotating cast of officials in top tech and cyber jobs could hinder the department’s ability to develop and execute a consistent digital strategy.
Ideas
Trump Wants His Fighters Unbound by the Laws of War. That's Not Going to Help Us
One reason more than 80 countries allied to fight ISIS is that they flagrantly ignored these laws. Now we do too.
Ideas
Trump's War-Crime Pardons Undermine the Military
Once again, our president has used the military as a political tool to its detriment as an institution.
Science & Tech
The World Needs Twice as Many Cybersecurity Pros, Report Says
In the U.S., an industry nonprofit found that two of every five cybersecurity jobs is going unfilled.
Ideas
National Security Is Made of People
We need a way to measure the readiness of our civilian national-security workforce. Then we need to fix it.
Ideas
We Don't Know Enough about How Women's Perspectives Help Achieve Military Missions
Plenty of anecdotes show the benefits of bringing female perspectives to U.S. military missions. What's needed is data.
Threats
DHS Opens Civil-Rights Investigation into Harassment of Reporter at Dulles
Watson's account of his interaction with a Customs and Border Protection officer received broad media coverage.
Threats