Defense Department Archives

By Jason Dempsey and Emma Moore Feb 5, 2021

Opinion

The opportunities and challenges facing Lloyd Austin as defense secretary

Austin’s forty years in the military represent both the risk of inertia and a real opportunity to address serious issues.

By Jeff Schogol Jan 29, 2021

News

Pentagon says unspecified number of troops are refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine

Something in the military is actually voluntary?

By Jeff Schogol Jan 22, 2021

News

Retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin confirmed as your next defense secretary

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin

By Jeff Schogol Dec 4, 2020

News

Trump is pulling most US troops out of Somalia

The U.S. military will still be able to carry out counterterrorism strikes within Somalia.

By Tara Copp, McClatchy Washington Bureau Dec 4, 2020

News

224 killed, 186 aircraft lost. Military pilots worry about being ‘the next accident’

Military aviation accidents have killed 224 pilots or aircrew, destroyed 186 aircraft and cost more than $11.6 billion since 2013

By Jeff Schogol Dec 1, 2020

News

Leader of Pentagon task force to defeat ISIS reportedly fired

The circumstances surrounding Christopher Maier’s departure remain murky.

By Jeff Schogol Nov 24, 2020

News

The Pentagon is now officially planning for a Biden administration

Members of the Biden transition with security clearances to finally talk to officials in the current administration and receive classified...

By Jared Keller Nov 18, 2020

Mandatory Fun

The Pentagon’s newest senior leader pick is whining about people being mean to him on Twitter

Scott O’Grady is, by all measures, a man of remarkable resolve — except when it comes to criticism on Twitter,...

By Jeff Schogol Nov 18, 2020

News

Special Operations Command is now ‘on par’ with the military services, Acting SecDef Miller says

'I have directed the special operations civilian leadership to report directly to me instead of through the current bureaucratic channels'

By Richard Sisk and Gina Harkins, Military.com Nov 14, 2020

News

A new top DoD adviser’s controversial proposal: get rid of the Marine Corps

Retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor, newly-appointed as a senior adviser at the Pentagon, has a track record of making controversial...

By Jared Keller Nov 14, 2020

News

Acting SecDef Miller on America’s forever wars: ‘It’s time to come home’

"We are not a people of perpetual war - it is the antithesis of everything for which we stand and...

By Jeff Schogol Nov 10, 2020

News

Here’s what you need to know about Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller

Miller is a former Green Beret who served with 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

By Haley Britzky Nov 9, 2020

News

Read Mark Esper’s final letter to President Trump as Defense Secretary

"I serve the country in deference to the Constitution, so I accept your decision to replace me."

By Haley Britzky Nov 9, 2020

News

Mark Esper said he never went on stage in praise of Trump. Here are three times he did

Welp

By James Clark Oct 27, 2020

Mandatory Fun

This military graphic on electronic warfare should give everyone nightmares

I can't decide if this is an atrocity or a work of art

By Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Steve Holland, Reuters Sep 23, 2020

News

How Trump fell out of love with his generals — and why the feeling is mutual

President Donald Trump has ridiculed his top generals, ignoring their advice on some key issues and questioning their intelligence, courage...

By John Haltiwanger, Business Insider Sep 9, 2020

News

Trump has accused US military leaders of doing exactly what his administration has done all along

The U.S. is the top exporter of arms in the world, but Trump's effort to blame military leaders, which includes...

By Haley Britzky Sep 8, 2020

News

Army chief calls combat a ‘last resort’ after Trump says military leaders want nothing but to fight ‘endless wars’

"We take this very, very seriously."

By Phil Stewart, Reuters Aug 3, 2020

News

The Senate denied this divisive nominee a role at the Pentagon. Trump put him in a new job anyway

After failing to secure a Senate confirmation hearing, U.S. President Donald Trump's most divisive nominee for a Pentagon position so...

By Michael Wilner and Tara Copp, McClatchy Washington Bureau Jul 30, 2020

News

Officials dispute Trump’s claim that the US military is preparing COVID-19 vaccine distribution

President Donald Trump says the U.S. military has an elaborate plan to distribute a coronavirus vaccine across the country at...

By David Choi, Business Insider Jul 21, 2020

News

The Pentagon is getting concerned about law enforcement dressing up in US military uniforms

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has made the Trump administration aware of his concerns with the appropriation of the U.S. military's...

By Jeff Schogol Jul 15, 2020

News

DoD is eliminating promotion photos and ordering services to review hairstyle regulations in fight against racism

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has announced a series of steps he is taking immediately to combat racism in the ranks

By Jared Keller Jul 14, 2020

News

The US still can’t effectively track weapons and vehicles given to Afghan security forces

Despite investing millions in a high-tech gear and vehicle accountability system to prevent theft and misuse by foreign personnel, nearly...

By John M. Donnelly, CQ-Roll Call Jul 14, 2020

News

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pentagon is cutting its chemical and biological defense programs

The Defense Department wants to spend less in fiscal 2021 on chemical and biological defense programs, budget documents show, in...

By Patricia Kime, Military.com Jun 30, 2020

News

The Pentagon quietly made CBD use a criminal offense for service members

U.S. troops can now be punished for using products that contain hemp or cannabidiol, according to a Defense Department memo...

Defense Department

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Featured in Defense Department

The opportunities and challenges facing Lloyd Austin as defense secretary

Pentagon says unspecified number of troops are refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine

Retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin confirmed as your next defense secretary

Trump is pulling most US troops out of Somalia

224 killed, 186 aircraft lost. Military pilots worry about being ‘the next accident’

Leader of Pentagon task force to defeat ISIS reportedly fired

The Pentagon is now officially planning for a Biden administration

The Pentagon’s newest senior leader pick is whining about people being mean to him on Twitter

Special Operations Command is now ‘on par’ with the military services, Acting SecDef Miller says

A new top DoD adviser’s controversial proposal: get rid of the Marine Corps

Acting SecDef Miller on America’s forever wars: ‘It’s time to come home’

Here’s what you need to know about Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller

Read Mark Esper’s final letter to President Trump as Defense Secretary

Mark Esper said he never went on stage in praise of Trump. Here are three times he did

This military graphic on electronic warfare should give everyone nightmares

How Trump fell out of love with his generals — and why the feeling is mutual

Trump has accused US military leaders of doing exactly what his administration has done all along

Army chief calls combat a ‘last resort’ after Trump says military leaders want nothing but to fight ‘endless wars’

The Senate denied this divisive nominee a role at the Pentagon. Trump put him in a new job anyway

Officials dispute Trump’s claim that the US military is preparing COVID-19 vaccine distribution

The Pentagon is getting concerned about law enforcement dressing up in US military uniforms

DoD is eliminating promotion photos and ordering services to review hairstyle regulations in fight against racism

The US still can’t effectively track weapons and vehicles given to Afghan security forces

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pentagon is cutting its chemical and biological defense programs

The Pentagon quietly made CBD use a criminal offense for service members