U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Ryan Schulte, platoon leader for the Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team security force, heads back to post after a key-leader engagement gathering in the Pusht-e Rod district of Farah province, Nov. 19.
BattlelandTroops
Turkey Day in Afghanistan
The Pentagon may not be able to audit its books, but it’s always able to get Thanksgiving dinner – with all the fixins’ – to U.S. troops far from home over the holiday.
Just like clockwork, a delicious aroma wafted …
Scientists Puzzle Over Mysterious and Violent Dolphin Deaths Along the Gulf Coast
A string of mutilated dolphin carcasses that have washed up along the northern Gulf Coast has left animal conservationists disconcerted and baffled.
BattlelandMilitary Personnel
Are Female Troops More Likely to Get PTSD?
Women may be at greater risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder than men because of what researchers call their “heightened fear response.”
California scientists examined individuals with PTSD symptoms and found that the women in the study developed a stronger fear response than the men during so-called “conditioning …
Should We Ban ‘Killer Robots’? Human Rights Group Thinks So
As if deploying drones — unmanned aerial vehicles — on the battlefield wasn’t controversial enough, here’s an even more disturbing question: Should we allow weapon-wielding robots that can “think” for themselves to …
Working on Thanksgiving: The New Class Divide?
As the holiday season approaches, I think back to my childhood and the times enjoyed with my family.
“The Kellys, like thousands of other military families over the last decade, have felt the heartbreak of war in the most profound way possible.”
— Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, speaking Monday in Miami of his outgoing senior military assistant, Marine General John Kelly, and his wife, Karen, as Kelly became chief of U.S. Southern Command. Their son, Marine 2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelly, 29, was killed by a land mine while on a foot patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, two years ago this month.
U.S. Stamp Prices to Increase by 1 Cent
With less than two months left until 2013, people are probably starting to consider their New Year’s resolutions: giving up smoking, going on a diet, spending less money or more time with their families.
BattlelandProcurement
Why the Pentagon Costs So Much…
We all grumble about how much the U.S. military costs to run. When we do, we tend to focus on troops (pay, health care, benefits, retirement) and weapons (costly stealth coatings, turbine tank engines, electro-magnetic launchers …
“Improved Ram Air Canopy systems, in particular when used in High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) parachute insertion operations, have extended and continue to extend the parachutist's time aloft. Future insertion operations could exceed 60 minutes from aircraft exit to ground.”
— The Army, explaining why it is in the market for an Advanced High Altitude Parachutist Oxygen Breathing System.
After Sandy: Why We Can’t Keep Rebuilding on the Water’s Edge
It’s so obvious we forget it: an extreme weather event becomes a disaster only if it hits where people and their possessions are.
Down in the Weeds with the Pentagon’s Auditors
BattlelandWar Story
“Bomber Versus Bomber”
Army Major Miguel Torres spent two tours in Iraq – 2003-2004, and 2007-2008 — doing one of the most important missions there: disabling roadside bombs. You know something is becoming a major problem for the U.S. military when …