Topic: Policy

Trainees check their cell phones and update family members at the Solomon Center on Fort Jackson in 2017. Photo by Robert Timmons, courtesy of the U.S. Army.

All Warfare Is Based on Deception—Troops, Vets Targeted by Disinformation Can Fight Back

While the military is targeted by disinformation campaigns, its experience also positions service members to lead the way to fight back against them.

More Than 40% of Troops Face Limited or No Access to Abortion Care, Study Shows

Even before the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, abortion care for military women was extremely limited.
Sean Paul, left, and his gunner charcoaled their faces as Iraq launched scud missiles just after U.S. troops crossed the border. Troops used charcoal as a way to absorb any chemical agents as they donned their gas masks. Photo courtesy of the author.

Note to Self: When They Come for You in the Night, Don’t Give Up. Fight Back. 

Through it all—the good and the bad—always remember you will achieve your goal. Keep your chin up, endure, and always remember: It will be OK.
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Richard Carmichael with the Warfighter Exchange Service Team, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, disposes of trash at the burn pit in Forward Operating Base Zeebrudge, Helmand province, Afghanistan, in 2013. Photo by Sgt. Anthony L. Ortiz, courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Kelly Kennedy: Breaking the Burn Pits Story 

The day after President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, managing editor Kelly Kennedy tells us what it was like to first report on burn pits.
A cup full of single-use, ion-exchange, gel-based media sits atop valves that control a groundwater remediation system being used to remove PFAS from groundwater at the fire training area of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in, 2020. Photo by Ty Greenlees, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.

“It’s Scary as Hell”—PFAS Exposure a “Widespread” Problem for Troops, Families Nationwide

Some of the highest concentrations of PFAS chemicals in the country have been found at and around military bases.
Retired Army Capt. Katie Blanchard speaks with a nurse before surgery Sept. 6, 2019, at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. A coworker Blanchard had reported as threatening poured gasoline over her and lit her on fire. Blanchard could not recover damages from the government because of the Feres Doctrine. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Katherine Spessa, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.

Feres Helps Military Avoid Accountability for Harm. New Ruling Could Be a Chance for Justice.

For decades, the Feres doctrine has protected the military from lawsuits over things like training mishaps, medical malpractice, and sexual assault.

Wounded Knee Massacre ‘Tarnishes’ Integrity of Medal of Honor

After soldiers killed women and children at the end of the Indian Wars, the soldiers received the military’s highest award.

Troops, Veterans Are Targets in the Disinformation War, Even if They Don’t Know It Yet

Over the past several years, disinformation, or the intentional deployment of false information for malicious ends, has emerged as a critical threat.
Maj. Mary L. Olodun, commander of the 326th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, and her husband, Adereni Olodun, retired Army master sergeant and former Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve representative, talk about service members’ rights under USERRA for Berks County TV in 2013. From left to right: Host Bob Orzechowski, 326th MPAD commander; Maj. Mary L. Olodun; retired master sergeant Adereni Olodun; and attorney Joan London. Photo by Staff Sgt. Julio Nieves, courtesy of the U.S. Army

As Troops Face Mounting Demands to Serve in Crises, Civilian Employers Are Firing Them

As demand for “part-time” troops grows, civilian employers are increasingly flouting federal protections to discriminate against them.