The Pentagon Rundown

A weekly rundown of the military news you need to know.

Latest in The Pentagon Rundown

News

Budget Day is coming! How will the Pentagon waste money this year? Budget Day is coming! How will the Pentagon waste money this year?

By Jeff Schogol

/ May 17 2021

News

The Navy shouldn’t get any more money until it stops spending like a drunken sailor The Navy shouldn’t get any more money until it stops spending like a drunken sailor

By Jeff Schogol

/ May 1 2021

News

‘It bothers me a little bit that it’s just going to end like this’ – The pain felt by Afghanistan war veterans ‘It bothers me a little bit that it’s just going to end like this’ – The pain felt by Afghanistan war veterans

By Jeff Schogol

/ Apr 30 2021

News

The Biden administration claims Afghan security forces will be just fine (They won’t) The Biden administration claims Afghan security forces will be just fine (They won’t)

By Jeff Schogol

/ Apr 19 2021

News

Hey, UFOs that keep buzzing Navy ships: Are you from China? Hey, UFOs that keep buzzing Navy ships: Are you from China?

By Jeff Schogol

/ Apr 12 2021

News

Open letter to the troops: Take the damn vaccine, please Open letter to the troops: Take the damn vaccine, please

By Jeff Schogol

/ Mar 29 2021

News

The United States risks getting into another Cold War with China The United States risks getting into another Cold War with China

By Jeff Schogol

/ Mar 15 2021

News

Why it took us nearly a year to tell the full story of what happened to Navy Capt. Brett Crozier Why it took us nearly a year to tell the full story of what happened to Navy Capt. Brett Crozier

By Jeff Schogol

/ Mar 8 2021

News

I’m returning to the Pentagon because I’m tired of hearing ‘You’re on mute’ I’m returning to the Pentagon because I’m tired of hearing ‘You’re on mute’

By Jeff Schogol

/ Feb 28 2021

News

No, covering Trump was not like landing at Omaha Beach No, covering Trump was not like landing at Omaha Beach

By Jeff Schogol

/ Feb 14 2021

News

The Pentagon’s extremism stand down is not enough The Pentagon’s extremism stand down is not enough

By Jeff Schogol

/ Feb 8 2021

News

The Taliban says they won the war in Afghanistan. They are not wrong The Taliban says they won the war in Afghanistan. They are not wrong

By Jeff Schogol

/ Feb 1 2021

News

Here are Biden’s immediate challenges as commander in chief Here are Biden’s immediate challenges as commander in chief

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jan 23 2021

News

The border wall is a succubus draining ever more of the Pentagon’s budget The border wall is a succubus draining ever more of the Pentagon’s budget

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jan 21 2021

News

We need to stop talking about a possible US military coup after the November election We need to stop talking about a possible US military coup after the November election

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jan 18 2021

Military Life

The Capitol Hill insurrection reveals veterans are at war against themselves The Capitol Hill insurrection reveals veterans are at war against themselves

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jan 10 2021

News

Civil-military relations have turned ridiculous Civil-military relations have turned ridiculous

By Jeff Schogol

/ Dec 21 2020

News

There’s a battle brewing in Congress over Biden’s defense secretary pick There’s a battle brewing in Congress over Biden’s defense secretary pick

By Jeff Schogol

/ Dec 13 2020

News

‘Modicum of success’ is the new ‘Mission Accomplished’ for Afghanistan ‘Modicum of success’ is the new ‘Mission Accomplished’ for Afghanistan

By Jeff Schogol

/ Dec 5 2020

History

Will American history forget the Iraq and Afghanistan wars? Will American history forget the Iraq and Afghanistan wars?

By Jeff Schogol

/ Dec 2 2020

News

The New York Times just turned the floor over to a terrorist and Taliban leader The New York Times just turned the floor over to a terrorist and Taliban leader

By Jeff Schogol

/ Nov 22 2020

News

No, Trump’s Pentagon purge doesn’t mean he’s planning a military coup No, Trump’s Pentagon purge doesn’t mean he’s planning a military coup

By Jeff Schogol

/ Nov 14 2020

News

Social media is the greatest threat to US service members Social media is the greatest threat to US service members

By Jeff Schogol

/ Oct 25 2020

History

How the Afghanistan withdrawal went from ‘home by Christmas’ to ‘standby to standby’ How the Afghanistan withdrawal went from ‘home by Christmas’ to ‘standby to standby’

By Jeff Schogol

/ Oct 17 2020

News

It looks like Trump just ended the Afghanistan war via Twitter It looks like Trump just ended the Afghanistan war via Twitter

By Jeff Schogol

/ Oct 11 2020

News

It’s been 80 days since DoD leaders promised to release an investigation ‘within days’ into an Army helicopter buzzing protesters It’s been 80 days since DoD leaders promised to release an investigation ‘within days’ into an Army helicopter buzzing protesters

By Jeff Schogol

/ Sep 27 2020

News

Why there’s no such thing as ‘tactical’ nuclear weapons Why there’s no such thing as ‘tactical’ nuclear weapons

By Jeff Schogol

/ Sep 19 2020

News

On this 9/11 anniversary, America is far from unified On this 9/11 anniversary, America is far from unified

By Jeff Schogol

/ Sep 12 2020

News

The Pentagon is terrified of talking to reporters again The Pentagon is terrified of talking to reporters again

By Jeff Schogol

/ Sep 4 2020

News

The Pentagon is a shrine to antiquated technology where creative thinking goes to die The Pentagon is a shrine to antiquated technology where creative thinking goes to die

By Jeff Schogol

/ Aug 22 2020

News

What should US troops expect if Joe Biden is elected president? What should US troops expect if Joe Biden is elected president?

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jul 30 2020

News

How dressing federal law enforcement agents like US troops undermines democracy How dressing federal law enforcement agents like US troops undermines democracy

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jul 25 2020

News

The Bonhomme Richard fire raises concerns over whether the Navy can repair ships damaged in war The Bonhomme Richard fire raises concerns over whether the Navy can repair ships damaged in war

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jul 17 2020

News

Here are the biggest national security challenges that Trump or Biden will face after the presidential election Here are the biggest national security challenges that Trump or Biden will face after the presidential election

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jun 27 2020

News

The Navy has shamefully made the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s former captain a scapegoat The Navy has shamefully made the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s former captain a scapegoat

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jun 20 2020

News

Every day, things get worse at the Pentagon Every day, things get worse at the Pentagon

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jun 13 2020

News

The alarming history behind Trump’s ’looting’ and ‘shooting’ tweets The alarming history behind Trump’s ’looting’ and ‘shooting’ tweets

By Jeff Schogol

/ May 30 2020

News

How those left behind are reflecting on love and loss this Memorial Day How those left behind are reflecting on love and loss this Memorial Day

By Jeff Schogol

/ May 25 2020

News

The creator of the ‘X-Files’ weighs in on the Pentagon’s latest UFO disclosures The creator of the ‘X-Files’ weighs in on the Pentagon’s latest UFO disclosures

By Jeff Schogol

/ May 18 2020

News

Does anybody care about UFOs anymore? Does anybody care about UFOs anymore?

By Jeff Schogol

/ May 16 2020

News

Nuke the Murder Hornets Nuke the Murder Hornets

By Jeff Schogol

/ May 9 2020

History

The US military’s silence on Afghanistan is a sign of weakness The US military’s silence on Afghanistan is a sign of weakness

By Jeff Schogol

/ May 2 2020

News

Here is what we can look forward to when the COVID-19 pandemic finally ends Here is what we can look forward to when the COVID-19 pandemic finally ends

By Jeff Schogol

/ Apr 25 2020

News

Marine Corps leaders can’t admit that haircuts are not mission-essential during a COVID-19 pandemic Marine Corps leaders can’t admit that haircuts are not mission-essential during a COVID-19 pandemic

By Jeff Schogol

/ Apr 18 2020

News

The USS Theodore Roosevelt fiasco shows how paranoid the Pentagon is about China The USS Theodore Roosevelt fiasco shows how paranoid the Pentagon is about China

By Jeff Schogol

/ Apr 12 2020

News

The Navy moved at light speed to fire a captain who did not ram his ship into another vessel The Navy moved at light speed to fire a captain who did not ram his ship into another vessel

By Jeff Schogol

/ Apr 4 2020

News

The military’s cult of readiness is sabotaging its efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 The military’s cult of readiness is sabotaging its efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19

By Jeff Schogol

/ Mar 29 2020

News

Here’s your Pentagon work-from-home survival guide Here’s your Pentagon work-from-home survival guide

By Jeff Schogol

/ Mar 21 2020

News

The Pentagon’s secret ‘Space Bar’ beckons. I will find it. The Pentagon’s secret ‘Space Bar’ beckons. I will find it.

By Jeff Schogol

/ Mar 14 2020

News

A coronavirus outbreak aboard an aircraft carrier is one of the possibilities facing the US military A coronavirus outbreak aboard an aircraft carrier is one of the possibilities facing the US military

By Jeff Schogol

/ Mar 9 2020

News

No, the US military’s response to the coronavirus won’t be like ‘The Stand’ No, the US military’s response to the coronavirus won’t be like ‘The Stand’

By Jeff Schogol

/ Feb 29 2020

News

Here’s why budget day at the Pentagon is better than sex Here’s why budget day at the Pentagon is better than sex

By Jeff Schogol

/ Feb 8 2020

News

The missiles have stopped flying but Iran isn’t done yet The missiles have stopped flying but Iran isn’t done yet

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jan 11 2020

News

A looming conflict with Iran shows Congress needs to care about declaring war again A looming conflict with Iran shows Congress needs to care about declaring war again

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jan 4 2020

News

There are lies, damn lies, and even more damn lies about Afghanistan There are lies, damn lies, and even more damn lies about Afghanistan

By Jeff Schogol

/ Dec 14 2019

News

The Pentagon’s troop deployment denials means nothing when the White House screams ‘fake news’ all the time The Pentagon’s troop deployment denials means nothing when the White House screams ‘fake news’ all the time

By Jeff Schogol

/ Dec 8 2019

News

A literal run-down of everything you missed amid Washington’s impeachment frenzy A literal run-down of everything you missed amid Washington’s impeachment frenzy

By Jeff Schogol

/ Nov 17 2019

Military Life

Here are some outstanding veterans you should know about this Veterans Day Here are some outstanding veterans you should know about this Veterans Day

By Jeff Schogol

/ Nov 10 2019

News

New York Times op-ed lauding the Soviet space program is Bolshevik B.S. New York Times op-ed lauding the Soviet space program is Bolshevik B.S.

By Jeff Schogol

/ Jul 22 2019

News

Mattis In Winter Mattis In Winter

By Jeff Schogol

/ Sep 6 2018

News

Pentagon Run-Down: I Am Not Muqtada al-Sadr Edition Pentagon Run-Down: I Am Not Muqtada al-Sadr Edition

By Jeff Schogol

/ May 30 2018

News

The Pentagon Run-Down: Twitter Gives Taliban Free Rein The Pentagon Run-Down: Twitter Gives Taliban Free Rein

By Jeff Schogol

/ May 8 2018