Defense

Political holds hurt military readiness 

COMMENTARY | A veteran contends that a hold on the promotion of an Air Force colonel who urged his peers to talk about racism and its effects on the military is a step backward.

Workforce

Catastrophic leaks and wild reforms mark the 2023 security clearance year in review

COMMENTARY | The Discord leaks helped put a starker spotlight on the security clearance process, bringing more scrutiny at a time when demand for cleared personnel has intensified and processing times have swelled.

Workforce

Who is an AI worker? The Pentagon needs a better definition, GAO says

The Pentagon “can't fully identify who is part of its AI workforce or which positions require personnel with AI skills,” according to a new congressional watchdog report.

Pay & Benefits

Supreme Court to hear arguments on federal employee furlough case

The case was significantly delayed as the agency that initially hears federal worker appeals was non-functional for five years.

Defense

DOD launches a platform to educate its workforce on AI basics

The new program will provide DOD’s civilian and military personnel with access to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology service that consists of “bite-sized learning assets” on AI tools and other technologies.

Defense

Service member influencers are helping DOD recruit, Pentagon official says

Social media posts shared by “genuine service members on their own” are helping the Pentagon recruit more young Americans into the U.S. military, according to the deputy secretary of defense.

Defense

Data on active-duty servicemembers is available for purchase online, report says

A new study from Duke University sheds light on how easy it is to find U.S military personnel online for a price.

Defense

To solve national security problems, the US may have to rethink higher education

Advanced STEM degrees take too much time and cost too much, said the former science and tech head at Homeland Security.

Defense

‘What am I here for?’: Military families frustrated by delayed promotions, withheld raises and lives put on hold

For more than half a year, one Republican senator has blocked military promotions on the Senate floor over his disapproval of the Defense Department’s abortion policy.

Defense

Shutdown would be 'extremely disruptive' to defense production, workforce, acquisition chief says

“Can you imagine if the Chinese had something like this, where their government would shut down every few years?” Bill LaPlante said Tuesday.

Workforce

Army recruiting: better than last year, still short of goal, officials say

The service inducted around 9,000 more new soldiers this year than in 2022, commander says.

Defense

The Space Force needs a brand-new culture of its own

It doesn’t do organized violence—and shouldn’t pretend that it does.

Defense

Veterans discharged under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ are still fighting for justice — and benefits

The military banned openly LGBTQ+ service members — and denied thousands honorable discharges, restricting their access to federal programs designed to help veterans.

Defense

Despite major reform to military justice system, Navy still leaves public in dark

A new law enacts sweeping changes to make prosecutions for serious offenses like sexual assault or murder more fair. The Navy is still fighting a ProPublica lawsuit to make those court cases public.

Defense

Women face misogyny, barriers to promotion in special operations forces, US Army study says

The “very small percentage” of respondents who espoused such views included officers and senior enlisted leaders.

Defense

What military sexual-assault victims think of the new way cases are prosecuted

President Biden signed an executive order last month that removes legal decision-making authority from commanders for most serious crimes.

Defense

Pioneering study links testicular cancer among military personnel to ‘forever chemicals’

A new federal study for the first time shows a direct association between PFOS, a PFAS chemical, found in the blood of thousands of military personnel and testicular cancer.

Defense

Women and LGBTQ+ veterans say VA facilities ‘weren’t built with us in mind’

Women veterans are less likely to go to Veterans Affairs hospitals for health care due to harassment, stigma and a lack of resources and services.