Military News

Coverage of the armed forces, defense spending, and global security challenges. The Daily Signal offers news, analysis, and conservative commentary.
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  • opinion

    Legal Expert in Self-Defense Breaks Down Kyle Rittenhouse Trial

    The murder trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, after eight days of testimony, has gone to a jury in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to arrive at verdicts in the highly publicized case. The jury, which finished its second day of deliberation Wednesday, was considering seven counts, including first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, and attempted first-degree homicide. As Americans…
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  • opinion

    It’s Past Time for US Military Base in Baltics

    The Baltic States—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—continue to face ongoing aggression and attacks from Russia. The United States should establish a permanent military presence in one of the three Baltic States to defend the region from Russian aggression, and to reassert America’s security guarantee to our European allies. The Baltic States continue to be important U.S….
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  • opinion

    US Military Is ‘Right There on the Edge.’ Here’s What’s Driving Its ‘Marginal’ Status.

    With aging equipment, a lack of adequate funding, and limited production capabilities, the U.S. military is ranked “marginal” at best. That’s the conclusion of the 2022 Index of U.S. Military Strength, an annual report from The Heritage Foundation that assesses the status of the military and the global threat level to the United States, which…
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  • news

    Heritage’s Index of US Military Strength Finds Marines ‘Strong,’ Air Force ‘Weak,’ Army and Navy ‘Marginal’

    The U.S. military is only “marginally” prepared to defend America’s interests at a time when adversaries are ramping up military capabilities, according to The Heritage Foundation’s 2022 Index of U.S. Military Strength released Wednesday.  Heritage’s analysis examined each branch of the military, as well as America’s nuclear capability. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet…
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  • opinion

    America Is Building a Military for Optics, Not War

    Millions of Americans became alarmed when they saw a viral video that compared a U.S. Army recruiting advertisement to those made for the Russian and Chinese militaries. The Russian ad featured tough-looking men doing situps, jumping out of airplanes, and cocking rifles on a snow-covered battlefield. The Chinese ad showed infantrymen firing rounds as they…
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  • opinion

    Registering Women for Draft: Empty Gesture Won’t Boost Military Readiness

    Every year for decades, Congress has passed a National Defense Authorization Act. This year will likely be no different, but there’s a provision in this year’s bill that requires young women to register for Selective Service—that is, the draft. Many women already provide for our national defense by volunteering their service. Women serve honorably in…
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  • opinion

    Biden’s Unity Purge of Military Advisory Boards

    “For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury. No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward.” President Joe Biden spoke these words when he was inaugurated on Jan. 20. But Wednesday, in the…
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  • opinion

    Something Terribly Wrong in Top Ranks of US Military

    It’s the beginning of a never-ending bad dream. President Joe Biden and the Pentagon have managed to birth a new terrorist haven, destroy much of U.S. strategic deterrence, and alienate our allies and much of the country. In the hours after the horrific deaths of 13 service members, we have been reassured by our military…
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  • opinion

    Getting Nuclear Posture Review Right Is Critical for US Defense

    The Pentagon has finally kicked off its Nuclear Posture Review, a comprehensive assessment of U.S. nuclear capabilities and strategy, which will be conducted over several months. But already, President Joe Biden faces pressure—both from within the administration and from some in Congress—to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy. Just last…
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  • opinion

    Despite Controversies, We Need to Encourage Voluntary Military Service

    Just in time for July Fourth, The Heritage Foundation released a citizen’s guide that encourages youth to consider serving in America’s armed forces. >>> The Daily Signal is the news and commentary platform of The Heritage Foundation. Voluntary military service has never been more important to keeping American democracy alive and well. It safeguards all…
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  • opinion

    America’s National Defense Also Women’s Issue, Sen. Joni Ernst Says

    The Biden administration’s reported decision to hold America’s defense budget flat for the next fiscal year is concerning, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, says.  Ernst served in the U.S. military for more than 23 years before becoming a senator. Today, as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Ernst is committed to promoting policies that…
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  • opinion

    Nuclear Modernization Is Our Top Defense Priority, and America Can Afford It

    At a recent Heritage Foundation event, Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., brought some needed simplicity to the debate over the affordability of nuclear modernization. After years of deferring nuclear modernization, the United States is now forced to take on multiple modernization projects all at once. This includes modernizing the three legs of the nuclear triad—land-, air-,…
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  • opinion

    Why Is Our Military Choosing New Enemies?

    The U.S. military has turned its wrath inward on Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed his “revulsion” after Carlson questioned the role of women in combat. Keeping women mostly out of combat had been the U.S. military’s centuries-long orthodoxy until just a few years ago. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby even…
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  • opinion

    Don’t Let the Department of Defense Become the Department of Distraction

    One of the fundamental roles of a leader is organizing people—knowing how to direct people’s efforts and where to allocate resources. Failing to establish clear priorities leads to wasted effort or, worse, mission failure. A famous maxim warns leaders: “If everything is important, nothing is.” No one should envy the job of Lloyd Austin, President…
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  • opinion

    Think Twice Before Changing the Military’s Transgender Policy

    Many predict that shortly after assuming office, former Vice President Joe Biden will move to rescind the Trump administration’s 2019 policy on military service by transgender individuals. That would be within his authority. Unless Congress intervenes, presidents set and revise entrance criteria for military service. Before he takes such action, however, he should consider the…
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  • opinion

    When Climate Change Distracts the US Military

    Climate change is an urgent national security threat? Here we go again. Leaving aside the debate over the causes of climate change—and the pace of that change—promoters of the argument that changes in the global climate are a “security threat” to the U.S. muddle our understanding of the term and jeopardize our ability to confront…
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  • opinion

    How We Can Help the Military Fight for the Future of Our Country

    America’s security depends largely on the readiness of the U.S. military. Threats loom like a rising China, terrorism, and bad actors like North Korea, Iran, and others. These countries have demonstrated a desire to remake the existing world order to better suit their ideologies and interests. To remain ready, America’s armed forces depend on a…
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  • opinion

    What You Need to Know About the ‘Marginal’ State of the US Military

    The military strength of the United States again is rated as only “marginal” in a new report, the “2021 Index of U.S. Military Strength“, from The Heritage Foundation. Russia is identified as the main threat to the U.S., but China is identified in the report as “the most comprehensive threat that the U.S. faces, [and]…
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  • opinion

    3 Nuclear Deterrence, Missile Defense Initiatives the Next Administration Should Continue

    In a revived era of great power competition, the United States must face revisionist powers and rogue regimes with advancing nuclear forces and a greater willingness to use them than we have experienced in the past. It’s incumbent upon the next administration to protect American citizens and interests from these rising threats. Under the Trump…
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  • opinion

    Why Our Military Is Only Marginally Able to Defend Our National Interests

    The future of the United States depends on our ability to meet the military challenges coming from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran in this turbulent 21st century. According to The Heritage Foundation’s recently published 2021 Index of U.S. Military Strength, the U.S. military is only marginally able to meet the demands of defending America’s…
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