AURORA, Colo. — After fighting for his country in Iraq in 2004 as a member of the U.S. Air Force, and as a civilian contractor for nearly three years from 2007 to 2010, Maurice Lloyd — my husband — is now fighting the same …
National
+52%
— The increase in epilepsy cases among activity-duty U.S. troops from 2006 to 2010, according to a new Pentagon report, here. “This increase may be attributable, at least in part, to increases in moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries (prior to and during the same period) which are a well-documented predisposing factor for the development of epilepsy,” it notes.
A Vietnam-Era Marine on “Social Engineering” at the U.S. Naval Academy
U.S. Marines have never been shy when it comes to calling it how they see it. And in conversations with many current and no-longer serving Marines (they dislike being called “former”), it’s clear the corps is the service …
$174 Billion
— The amount the Pentagon spent last year on contractors to help run the U.S. military, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, here. The 710,000 contractors on the Pentagon payroll in 2011 represented a workforce 90% the size of the Defense Department’s civilian workforce of 807,000. Added together, these 1.5 million civilian employees (technically, full-time equivalents) are a bigger force than the nation’s 1.4 million active-duty uniformed military personnel.
The Difference Between the Army and the Marine Corps: To Huey, or Not to Huey
Oct. 2, 2009: The Army and Army National Guard announce the retirement of the UH-1 Iroquois, known to one and all as the Huey – and for the distinctive whoop-whoop-whoop of its two-bladed rotor. “It was our lives. It was our …
One Nation, Tax-Exempt
If charities are truly nonprofit, why do they need the protection of the tax code?
Baling Out
Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, charged with murdering 16 Afghan villagers last year, is going to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty, his lawyer says.
That’s as good, as these things go, as Bales can expect to get, …
PTSD’s Vexations
Post-traumatic stress disorder has always been a controversial diagnosis, and so it was at last week’s annual gathering of the American Psychiatric Association.
They date back to when the term “PTSD” was first listed in …
When Grumman Stood Alone
The dictates of the market first consolidated hundreds of military contractors into dozens, and now only a handful remains: Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon.
Sometimes it takes, of all …
“I want you to guard your integrity. No one can take your integrity away from you. It's uniquely yours, don't lose it. You allegiance is to the institution, to the country, to the Constitution -- not your buddies. It's in your oath today, think about it when you take your oath. Be kind to everybody; treat everybody with dignity and with respect. And trust your shipmates because your life is going to depend on them. Learn your heritage, that's what we're about, know who you're about. And wear sunscreen, it takes about 20 years to take effect. Wear sunscreen.”
— Admiral Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, speaking to the class of 2013 at the U.S. Naval Academy, May 24. Perhaps the "C" in CNO stands for Coppertone...
Firefighters Battle Blaze in Santa Barbara County
Firefighters Tuesday tried to gain ground against a forest fire in the mountains northwest of Santa Barbara that caused thousands of campers to flee the area and threatened dozens of cabins. According to the LA Times, the blaze …
MRAPs: Too Much Now, Too Late Then
Earlier this month, the Marines said they wouldn’t be needing all the Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected vehicles the corps bought for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, they only want to hold on to 1,200 of the 4,000 …
Perimeter Patrol
Pfc. Chadallen J. Romero patrols Forward Operating Base Zangabad May 23 in Panjwai district, Kandahar province.