All articles tagged with #military
Jonny Kim, a former Navy SEAL who became a NASA astronaut and physician, is returning to active-duty Navy service as a lieutenant commander to work in naval aviation training after leaving NASA. He spent eight months aboard the ISS in 2025, contributed to the Artemis program, and has earned the Silver Star and Bronze Star with Combat V for valor.
Three Marines who stood at Abbey Gate during the August 2021 Kabul airport attack—Lance Cpl. Jordan Houston, Gunny Sgt. Jonathan Eby, and Cpl. Michael Gretzon—received upgraded valor awards: Bronze Star Medals with a ‘V’ for Houston and Eby, and a Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a ‘V’ for Gretzon. Houston treated others and dug shrapnel from his own hip, Gretzon applied a tourniquet and stayed at his post, and Eby directed casualty evacuations and security. The ceremony, led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, comes as the Kabul evacuation (about 124,000 people over two weeks) is reviewed, with a Pentagon panel expected to report by 2026.
A Dupuy Institute wargame study argues that an opposed Chinese amphibious assault on Taiwan would struggle greatly: at most one PLAN Marine Brigade could land, Taiwan’s road network enables rapid redeployment to counter Western coast landings, and China lacks credible artillery or air superiority to suppress defenses. Civilian RO-RO ferries offer limited lift and are vulnerable without secured ports. Resulting attrition would be high, and a sustained beachhead seems unlikely, pushing China toward a slower buildup around Chiayi rather than a rapid takeover. The analysis underscores Taiwan’s defensibility and the importance of pre-emptive or deterrent action, air-sea control, and heavier fires than China currently demonstrates.
A U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster III landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport after departing Riga, Latvia, with no disclosed passengers or mission, and U.S. and Russian officials offered no immediate explanation.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is heading home after a record-length Middle East deployment and is slated for a Thailand port call in early September; families have raised concerns about crew welfare, including mental health and meals, while the Navy declines to disclose future ship movements for security. A USA TODAY analysis suggests a return to San Diego within four to five weeks, with a likely move to Bremerton, Washington after arrival.
A Hungarian Air Force Gripen crashed near Szolnok; the pilot ejected and was hospitalized, with no other injuries reported. An investigation is underway as defence minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi travels to the scene and Prime Minister Péter Magyar posted updates. The force operates 14 Gripen jets based at Kecskemét and has previously helped protect Baltic airspace.
Iranian attacks on Gulf bases forced the USS Abraham Lincoln to draw supplies from distant ports (Diego Garcia, Singapore, Suez), delaying fresh provisions and lengthening resupply cycles. Officials say meals were adjusted and no meals were missed, but families and experts warn of ongoing shortages and emphasize Gulf-port vulnerabilities and the need for pre-positioned stocks and flexible routes in future conflicts. The Lincoln has been at sea for more than 240 days.
An opinion piece arguing that relocating the USS George Washington from Asia and substantially reducing joint exercises with South Korea signals a major retreat of U.S. military power in the region, benefiting China and North Korea, unsettling Seoul, and raising concerns about Taiwan and nuclear deterrence as more nations recalibrate their security postures; the author warns this broader pivot could increase global risk by diminishing American dominance.
Family members of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln say the ship’s Iran deployment has stretched well beyond expectations, with months at sea, limited port calls and mail, plus reported shortages of food, water, hygiene items, and deteriorating mental health among crew; officials including the White House and Pentagon have pushed back on such accounts, while the Lincoln is being replaced by the USS George Washington and a return-to-port date remains uncertain.
The Pentagon fired Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer, editor Erik Slavin, and reporter Lara Korte for insubordination after clashes over editorial independence and coverage of the USS Abraham Lincoln; the moves follow reporting that angered Trump-era officials, with staffers defending independence and five-day appeals windows granted for the dismissals.
Iran warned that any new U.S. penalties would trigger a broad, crushing response across land, sea, air and cyberspace, as Washington moves to impose the toughest financial penalties on Tehran; analysts say tighter sanctions could tighten oil markets while Tehran and Washington exchange threats amid a widening conflict.
The Defense Department reported 7,998 sexual assault cases in 2025, down from 8,195 in 2024, while a confidential survey shows unwanted sexual contact among active-duty women declined from 6.8% in 2023 to 4.3% last year and men from 1.3% to 1%; however, junior enlisted personnel and those under 24 remain at greater risk, and the Pentagon says it will continue to strengthen deterrence, victim-centered care, and accountability to address harmful behaviors.
Pentagon casualty data show the Iran war has left 774 U.S. service members either wounded or killed (18 dead, 756 wounded), with numbers rising as the conflict nears six months and despite a ceasefire; some increases may reflect delays in documentation.
The USS Doris Miller, the carrier initially set to honor Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller, is reportedly under consideration for renaming to honor Donald Trump, a move that has drawn criticism since Miller earned the Navy Cross and his family pushes for broader recognition; no U.S. carrier has been named for a sitting president, and detractors, including Senator Mark Kelly, oppose the idea.
Vandals damaged Flock traffic cameras in multiple cities despite privacy reforms; the Navy is debating naming the carrier after Donald Trump rather than Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller, while USS Abraham Lincoln returns home and USS George Washington deploys; Prince Harry’s return to the U.K. raises questions about reconciliation with Prince William; and undecided voters express anxiety about the economy in a focus group, alongside ongoing scrutiny of ICE's electric gloves.