Thomas W. Spoehr, a retired Army lieutenant general, is director of the Center for National Defense at The Heritage Foundation.
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Friday, June 14 is the U.S. Army’s 244th birthday. Since it was born in 1775, even before the birth of the nation itself, the Army… Read More
SecurityCommentary
President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan to be the secretary of defense—and none too soon. Shanahan has been the… Read More
SecurityCommentary
I had the privilege of serving in the United States Army for 36 years, retiring in 2016 as a lieutenant general (a three-star). I was… Read More
InternationalCommentary
The Trump administration made a decision that could weaken U.S. and South Korean readiness in a conflict with North Korea. On Saturday, the Pentagon and… Read More
InternationalCommentary
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump are now meeting in Vietnam. Going into his second summit with Kim, Trump has stated his… Read More
SecurityCommentary
In normal usage, “discrimination” is an ugly word. But discrimination has two meanings. The first and more familiar definition is “the treatment of a person… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Despair filled the eyes of the mother next to me in the Senate committee hearing room as she showed me a picture of her son…. Read More
SecurityAnalysis
MUNICH—The annual Munich Security Conference opened Friday with the largest U.S. delegation in the five decades of its history. The conference has grown into one… Read More
SecurityCommentary
America lost a patriot Monday with the death of John O. Marsh Jr. Marsh, who died at 92, was the secretary of the Army for… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Amid reports that Russia is developing new cruise and ballistic missiles—including one that violates the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty—and assessments that North Korea now has… Read More
InternationalCommentary
There have been recent media reports that up to 7,000 U.S. troops, roughly half of the number of troops there, will be removed from Afghanistan…. Read More
SecurityCommentary
With Democrats regaining control of the House of Representatives, the path to rebuilding America’s military just became more challenging. For the past two years, Pentagon… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Thursday marks the Army’s 243rd birthday. On this day, soldiers past and present will be encouraged to pause and reflect on the years of service… Read More
InternationalCommentary
Only a few tangible outcomes emerged from the Singapore summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. One of those was… Read More
SecurityCommentary
More than 100 lawmakers have signed a letter calling on Defense Secretary James Mattis to rescind his recently announced transgender policy for the military, as… Read More
InternationalCommentary
Last week, according to experts at the United Kingdom’s premier defense laboratory, the world witnessed the debut of a new and extraordinarily deadly weapon—the chemical… Read More
SecurityCommentary
For months, there have been reports of strong disagreements in the White House. There’s nothing wrong with that. In our view, that’s often the best… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Congress is currently deliberating the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2018. The NDAA is an important tool for Congress as it offers it… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Few American institutions pre-date the founding of our country. Yet on Wednesday, we celebrate the birthday of one of them—the U.S. Army. Tracing its birth… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Testifying in front of the Senate Appropriations’ defense subcommittee last Wednesday, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley was characteristically blunt. When asked, he told… Read More
SocietyCommentary
Secretary of Defense James Mattis has an important decision to make soon, which may have significant readiness implications for the armed forces On June 30,… Read More
SecurityCommentary
The House Armed Services Committee scheduled a hearing Wednesday with the chiefs of staff of the U.S. armed forces to assess what the impact of… Read More
SecurityCommentary
On Monday, President Donald Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, announced that the administration will seek a defense budget of $603 billion for 2018—“one of the largest… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster is a perfect fit for the position of national security adviser, and it is no surprise that his selection by… Read More
SocietyCommentary
America lost a role model on Saturday when Hal Moore passed away at the age of 94. Harold “Hal” Moore was a retired three-star Army… Read More
SecurityCommentary
On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an exceptionally important executive order initiating both the beginning of the rebuilding of the U.S. armed forces and the… Read More
SocietyCommentary
John Glenn, an American icon and longtime U.S. senator, died Thursday in Columbus, Ohio. In his 95 years, Glenn held three distinguished careers as a… Read More
SecurityCommentary
Friday is Veterans Day. We celebrate Veterans Day on the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, the day the guns fell silent… Read More
