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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- News
US Defense System Has Smacked Down More Than 100 Missiles in Yemen War
The U.S.-made Patriot missile defense system has shot down more than 100 missiles fired from Yemen at Gulf Arab states since 2015, Defense News revealed Wednesday. The missiles were likely fired by Yemeni Houthi rebels over the last two years at Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in retaliation for the Gulf states' support of an…Saagar Enjeti -
- Opinion
In Succession Battle, Zimbabwe Military Coup Topples 37-Year Dictator Mugabe
It appears that the reign of one of the world’s worst rulers is finally over. The military of Zimbabwe began moving into the nation’s capital of Harare on Tuesday, and appeared Wednesday morning to have deposed President Robert Mugabe, who has misruled his southern African country since it achieved independence in 1980. The coup is the…Joshua Meservey -
- Opinion
The Military May Soon Get a Long-Needed Boost. Why That’s Good News.
It’s not exactly “Man Bites Dog,” but “Congress Gets Defense Spending Right” is almost as surprising a headline. For too long now, we’ve been cutting corners when it comes to the military. Years of underfunding have given us a weakened force that, despite the hard work of our brave troops, is ill-equipped to handle the…Ed Feulner -
- News
Armed Services Chairman Sounds Alarm on Military’s ‘Marginal’ Strength
The military posture of the United States is rated as marginal in a new report from The Heritage Foundation, and that worries the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. The nation has “not been resourcing our military commensurate with what we ask our military to do,” Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, said at an event…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
Failure to Adequately Fund Our Military Puts America at Risk
Arguably the federal government’s first obligation to Americans is to keep us safe from foreign attack and to defend our vital national interests wherever they are threatened. Alarmingly, our government is on the verge of failing in this core responsibility. Our military is minimally ready, rapidly aging, and has so shrunk in size that even…Dakota Wood -
- Opinion
Democrats’ Defense of DACA Shows Contempt for Constitution, Rule of Law
Imagine a lawyer defending shoplifters, arguing that because his clients were successful in getting the merchandise out of the store undetected, they should be able to keep the stolen goods free and clear. That’s what 16 Democratic attorneys general are essentially advocating in defending the so-called “Dreamers,” the children of illegal immigrants surreptitiously slipped across…Peter Parisi -
- Opinion
We Hear You: Debating Transgender Military Personnel and Culture’s Role in American Dream
Editor's note: The Daily Signal's coverage and commentary on President Donald Trump's plan to bar openly transgender individuals from military service got our audience talking, as did our examination of the role of culture in maximizing opportunity in America. Write us at [email protected]—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Thank you to Walt Heyer for sharing his…Ken McIntyre -
- Opinion
Why Congress Should Include Base Realignment and Closures in Defense Authorization Bill
“The [base realignment and closures] process offers us the opportunity to address readiness by providing our forces the best possible ranges and installations for them to be stationed at.” This is how Lucian Niemeyer, the new assistant secretary of defense for energy, installation, and environment, described the importance of Congress authorizing a new round of…Frederico Bartels -
- Opinion
McCain-Reed Proposal Would Help Reform the Military’s Infrastructure. Here’s Where It Still Needs Improvement.
For the past 12 years, Congress has resisted calls from the Department of Defense to authorize another round of base realignment and closures. A new round is needed and is the best way for the Pentagon to objectively evaluate its infrastructure and shed capacity it no longer needs. Base realignment and closures have emerged as…Andrew Nagode -
- Opinion
Defense Conference Underscores the Importance of Research and Development for Missile Defense
While North Korea reportedly achieved another milestone in developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. homeland, The Heritage Foundation visited the annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, a city that lives and breathes ballistic missile defense. The conference is a gathering for policy experts, the military, industry representatives, on…Michaela Dodge -
- Opinion
I Was a Transgender Soldier. Gender Dysphoria Poses Real Problems for the Military.
As a transgender military veteran, an Army retiree, and the first person in the United States to have their sex legally declared as nonbinary, I have a vested interest in the outcome of the transgender military service ban. In the days when transgender military service was banned, I spent 18 years of torment fearing that…James Shupe -
- Opinion
Continued US Leadership Requires Military Reinvestment
The current House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act both seek welcome increases in the Pentagon’s defense budget. Unfortunately, the law of the land is the Budget Control Act and the limits and consequences imposed by it. This means that in 2018, the defense budget is legally limited to $551 billion. Any…Andrew Nagode -
- Opinion
Our Mission in Afghanistan Is Not About Nation Building. It’s About Self-Defense.
As President Donald Trump contemplates the next steps for the U.S. in Afghanistan, it is time to inject a dose of realism into what the U.S. mission is there and what America’s goals should be. For too long, many of our policymakers have explained the U.S. mission in Afghanistan in terms of nation building or…Kim Holmes -
- Opinion
5 Good Reasons Why Transgender Accommodations Aren’t Compatible With Military Realities
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that he was reversing an Obama-era policy that opened the military to people who identify as transgender. That policy, announced during the last year of President Barack Obama’s second term, was scheduled to go into effect earlier this month, but Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced a six-month delay…Ryan T. Anderson -
- News
House Conservatives Try Again to Block Funding for Transgender Treatments in Military
Some House Republicans are taking another shot at blocking funding for gender transition surgeries in the military, projected to cost about $3.7 billion over the next decade. “We are $20 trillion in debt and the taxpayers … are projected to spend $3.7 billion in the next 10 years for sex-reassignment surgeries,” @RepScottPerry says. Earlier this…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Defense Authorization Bills Advance US Missile Defense and Nuclear Weapons Priorities
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 an opportunity to influence defense policy, as well as indicate its wishes with regard to armed forces and defense programs. How do the two versions of the NDAA measure up…Michaela Dodge -
- Opinion
House’s Refusal to Reassess Military Bases Will Lead to Unnecessary Costs
In passing its version of the fiscal year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, the House of Representatives shot down the Pentagon’s plans to make more efficient use of its resources by reassessing military bases. The legislative body decided to maintain the prohibition on conducting a new round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), even though…Frederico Bartels -
- Opinion
To Maximize Defense Funds, Congress Should Look at Closing and Realigning Military Bases
Leaders in the business world often have to make painful decisions in order to meet long-term strategic goals and keep up with market trends. For example, Sears Holdings announced earlier this year that it plans to close 150 unprofitable Sears and Kmart stores. If Sears Holdings attempted to keep these stores open, it would damage…Andrew Nagode -
- News
Defense Department Delays Costly Transgender Policy, for Now
Defense Secretary James Mattis has granted the request of top military brass to postpone the Obama-era policy of admitting openly transgender individuals to the armed services until Jan. 1, but a delay is only the first step to blocking the policy, opponents said. That’s because LGBT activists and the RAND Corp. have been scripting implementation plans from…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Active Cyber Defense Will Help Deter Future Threats
On Tuesday, a massive cyberattack hit Ukraine. The very next day, professor Scott Jasper of the Naval Postgraduate School offered a systematic analysis of the United States’ existing strategic cyber deterrence options, of which active cyber defense will play the leading role in the years ahead. Active cyber defense may be the answer to the…Riley Walters