Opinion

Editorials, guest commentaries, Medals and Misfires. Active-duty, reserve, Guard, veterans, Capitol Hill and the Pentagon.

Members of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point Class of 2026 officially join the Corps of Cadets during the Acceptance Day Parade on The Plain on Aug. 13, 2022.

Educating future US Army officers to fight and win

Educating future officers will prepare them for the conflicts of tomorrow, argues this author.

19 hours ago

US Air Force’s AdAir fighter training needs a road map

AdAir has had a sluggish start within the Air Force while the service struggles with major internal issues.

5 days ago

Voting rights activists hold signs near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on January 19, 2022.

Commentary

Passing Electoral Count Act reforms is vital to national security

Nine senior former defense officials and military leaders warn about national security threats America faces due to weaknesses in the Electoral Count Act.

‘Made in China’ exclusion policy at exchanges would hurt families

An amendment in the fiscal 2023 defense policy bill would prohibit military exchanges and commissaries from selling items that were made in China.

2 weeks ago

Brig. Gen. John M. Cushing, deputy commanding general of United States Army Recruiting Command, administers the oath of enlistment to a formation of future Soldiers during a U.S. Army Birthday ceremony in Times Square, N.Y., on June 14, 2022.

Four ways to begin fixing the Army recruiting crisis

It’s time that the Army get more introspective and start looking at ways it can accelerate change to fix its recruiting crisis, argue these authors.

2 weeks ago

Airmen assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing recieve a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, after landing at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in support of a Bomber Task Force mission, Oct. 18, 2022. Bomber missions contribute to joint force lethality and deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific by demonstrating the U.S. Air Force’s ability to operate anywhere in the world at any time in support of the National Defense Strategy. (Senior Airman Yosselin Campos/Air Force)

US Air Force’s ‘divest to invest’ plan is too risky

This strategy may look attractive on paper, but past attempts show that it doesn’t work in practice. Here’s why.

2 weeks ago

Audience members listen to Space Force Maj. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess address current and future space operations at Air Force Association’s 2022 Air, Space, & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, September 19, 2022.

AFA’s listless leading professional development event needs a redesign

The Air, Space & Cyber Conference, the “leading professional development event for [the] Air Force and Space Force," is not living up to its billing.

3 weeks ago

It’s time to reset America’s long-range strike deficit

America simply has far more demand for long-range strike aircraft than planes and crews.

3 weeks ago

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough visited the Veterans Row encampment in Los Angeles in 2021.

Drop in veteran homelessness proves we can end homelessness

New data shows that veteran homelessness in the U.S. has decreased by 11% since 2020, the last year for which we have complete data.

3 weeks ago

At VA, we stand tall to hurricanes Fiona and Ian

"Thanks to preparation and quick response, most of VA’s clinics remained online or were fully operational within a day or two."

4 weeks ago

Personnel pose for photos in the cyber operations center at Lasswell Hall aboard Fort Meade, Maryland, Feb. 5, 2020.

Army leaders: Consider making information operations an enlisted MOS

Young soldiers have enormous potential in conducting information operations, writes the author of this commentary.

4 weeks ago

We need to increase research into psychedelics for veterans with PTSD

In the past few years, new treatment options have emerged from the often-stigmatized source of psychedelics.

4 weeks ago

Congress must act to boost combat-credible air power in Indo-Pacific

Withdrawing F-15 fighter squadrons from Kadena Air Base in Japan without a replacement plan does not enhance combat-credible posture, these authors argue.

4 weeks ago

Marine Talent Management 2030: Flawed foundation, flawed document

Pages 1–3 are the introduction to Talent Management 2030 — its foundation — and they are replete with flaws, this retired Marine colonel claims.

5 weeks ago

The aircraft carrier John C. Stennis conducts operations in the North Arabian Sea, Feb. 23, 2007.

Renaming the USS John C. Stennis is not in line with American values

By renaming bases and warships, we as a nation are teaching society to push obstacles to the side, to become victims, the author of this commentary writes.

5 weeks ago

Leaders from Air Force Global Strike Command and 2nd Bomb Wing greet the Honorable Gina Ortiz Jones, Under Secretary of the Air Force, during her arrival to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, April 12, 2022.

Honoring Filipino Americans’ legacy of service

Filipino American History Month is celebrated in the United States during the month of October.

5 weeks ago

The Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro is pictured during its last Bering Sea patrol in March 2021. The Douglas Munro was decommissioned on April 24, 2021.

To deter Arctic aggression, build the polar fleet we need

America should make substantial investments in its icebreaker industrial base and overall defense industrial base to help preserve its Arctic interest.

5 weeks ago

Department of Defense civilians and active duty service members attend a Traumatic Brain Injury Open House event March 20, 2014, at Tripler Army Medical Center located in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Outrage over NFL brain injuries; silence over military brain injuries

The NFL is doing the right thing on concussions. The Department of Defense lacks the urgency and a similar aggressive approach.

6 weeks ago

A student draws on a piece of paper during the second to last day of school as New York City public schools prepare to wrap up the 2021/2022 school year on June 24, 2022 in New York City.

What we can do to ensure a quality education for military children

Military leaders have repeatedly raised concerns about the quality of K-12 public schools around military installations.

6 weeks ago

The unintended consequences of aging the Marine Corps

A young force is not only more flexible and less costly, it is best suited for the expeditionary nature of the Marine Corps, this retired Marine writes.

6 weeks ago