Defense Secretary Mattis Against Afghan War Privatization Contributed by Debbie Gregory Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has spoken out against using private contractors in Afghanistan. “When Americans put their nation’s credibility on the line, privatizing it is probably not a wise idea,” Mattis told reporters during a rare appearance in the Pentagon Briefing Room. Mattis was joined […]
Tricare Coverage Changes for the National Guard and Military Reserve Contributed by Kris Baydalla-Galasso TRICARE, the health care program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families in the U.S. and around the world, has been expanded for Reserve Component members in transition. Active duty servicemembers and their families receive TRICARE coverage without any […]
GPS Devices Banned for Troops on Deployment Contributed by Debbie Gregory Deployed service members will no longer be allowed to use fitness tracking apps or other wearable technology such as Fitbits and iWatches that rely on geolocation, according to a new Pentagon policy. “The rapidly evolving market of devices, applications, and services with geolocation capabilities […]
Financial Protection for Service Members May Be Weakened by Administration Contributed by Debbie Gregory Senate Democrats have called on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Mick Mulvaney to commit to upholding servicemember protections under the Military Lending Act (MLA) after rumors circulated that the Trump administration is trying to get rid of the decade-old […]
Military Embracing Healthier Chow in Fight Against Obesity Contributed by Debbie Gregory. In order to combat the number of overweight or obese troops in the ranks, the military is changing up the meal/snack options to help troops make better, healthier decisions. Taking a page out of the athlete’s playbook, the service branches are doing what they […]
Highlights of the $717 Billion Defense Bill, Including 2.6% Troop Pay Raise Contributed by Debbie Gregory During the signing at Fort Drum, the president invited members of the 10th Mountain’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team to gather round him for a photo opportunity. Like most prior NDAAs, this year’s authorization is the product of a relatively […]
Making a Difference- Profiles of Some Immigrant Service Members Contributed by Debbie Gregory As a nation founded by immigrants, the U.S. has long drawn its strength through the diversity of its citizens. Many of these immigrants have served this country as part of the one percent in the military. Here are just a few: After fleeing […]
Active-Duty End Strength Above 500,000 Top Priority for Army Contributed by Debbie Gregory Major modernization reforms are underway in the Army to create leaner and faster processes. In fact, modernization and adding more active-duty, Guard and Reserve soldiers are among the Army’s top priorities for 2020, according to Army Secretary Mark Esper. Although Secretary […]
Is Using Smart Drugs to Help the Military a Good Idea? By Debbie Gregory You may have never heard of nootropics, but these so-called “smart drugs” could help our servicemembers by improving cognitive and executive functions that could lead to an increase in intelligence. Nootropics and smart drugs are natural or synthetic substances that can […]
Funding for ‘Space Force’ Fails to Make Defense Budget Bill By Debbie Gregory It looks as though Congress has put the brakes on President Trump’s sixth military branch, the “Space Force.” Funding for the project was left out of the $716 billion defense budget for fiscal 2019, which begins October 1st. The president has repeatedly […]
