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
The World Is Becoming More Dangerous. So Why Are We Letting Our Military Power Decline?
The world seems to be becoming more dangerous these days. Not so coincidentally, America’s military power continues to decline rapidly. Before considering how and why, here’s a snapshot of what’s happening around the globe: Russia has annexed Crimea, is dismembering Ukraine, is probing the defenses of Northern Europe, and is again casting a covetous eye… -
opinion
Is Our Military Ready?
Most of us take it on faith that our military is the best in the world. But if asked to state in detail how ready we are to face certain challenges from around the globe, few of us would know how to answer. How prepared is each branch—Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines—to handle its… -
opinion
New Index of U.S. Military Strength: The Cyber Threat
The growing number of cyber attacks in recent years has highlighted the risks that U.S. interests, critical infrastructure, and military operations face in cyberspace. Cyber threats, once relatively weak in nature compared to other military offenses, are now potential weapons of war, and considered hard-power tools of armed attack. Yesterday, The Heritage Foundation released the… -
news
Republicans in Congress Demand Answers About Military Chaplain Disciplined for Referencing the Bible
A group of 24 Republican lawmakers are demanding an explanation about why the Army disciplined a military chaplain for making references to the Bible during a suicide-prevention seminar. In a letter addressed to Army Secretary John McHugh, lawmakers wrote: We believe this administrative action sets a dangerous precedent for Army suicide prevention initiatives, the role… -
opinion
Questions for Secretary of Defense Nominee Ash Carter
When it was announced on December 5, 2014, that former Deputy Secretary of Defense Ash Carter was going to replace Chuck Hagel as President Obama’s fourth Secretary of Defense (SecDef), America immediately had many questions. Chief among them: “What does this mean for U.S. defense policy?” Carter is sure to be appointed, having broad bipartisan… -
opinion
We Need to Debate What’s Right, Wrong with American Military Power
Post-mortems on “How We Lost Iraq and Afghanistan” seem to be proliferating—even though there’s a lot of “mors” still happening in those battlegrounds. Of course, criticizing the conduct of war, even as bullets fly, is nothing new. Even “the Good War” had its share of cranky complaints about how the war was being won. One… -
news
Punished for Referencing Bible, Military Chaplain Tells His Side of the Story
In his first-ever media interview, the military chaplain who was punished for making references to the Bible during a suicide-prevention seminar last month says he was simply doing his job. “What I had tried to communicate with my audience is that depression can be conquered, depression can be overcome, and there are a myriad of… -
news
Military Punishes Chaplain for Referring to the Bible in Suicide-Prevention Seminar
The Army has disciplined a military chaplain for making references to the Bible during a suicide-prevention seminar last month. A serviceman brought the Judeo-Christian religious content to the attention of an atheist group, which complained about it. Now, the chaplain is fighting back, maintaining he did nothing wrong. The dispute has renewed a debate over the… -
news
Conservatives Train Fire on Government ‘Land Grab’ in Key Defense Bill
Parkland and wilderness provisions added to a defense policy measure have outraged friends of the military, who call the move both a “land grab” and a slap at men and women serving in the armed forces. Considered must-pass legislation, the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act details Republicans’ and Democrats’ military policy priorities. It ranks high on… -
opinion
Political Games Endanger America’s Military
As members of the House and Senate prepare to vote on the annual National Defense Authorization Act, it appears the bill will be saddled with extraneous non-defense measures. This threatens the integrity of both defense policy and the NDAA process. This legislative practice–tying together unrelated provisions to secure votes for bad policy–is so frequent that… -
opinion
HASC Members Discuss Findings of National Defense Panel. Will Congress Listen?
The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing today on the 2014 National Defense Panel Report, which was released in July of this year. During the opening remarks, Reps. Buck McKeon, R- Calif., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., lauded the bipartisan nature of the committee. Both believed that the importance of defense policy demanded that members… -
news
Americans Should Fear Terrorists Crossing ‘Defenseless’ Border, Warns Tom Cotton
Arkansas Sen.-elect Tom Cotton shot back at NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd when asked whether his campaign rhetoric about the threat of terrorism on the U.S. southern border was “fear mongering.” In defending his stance, Cotton said, “As long as our border is open and it’s defenseless, then it’s not just an immigration issue. It’s… -
news
No Cover-Up, Intelligence Failure or Military Inaction in Benghazi Attacks, House Panel Finds
Intelligence and military officials responded appropriately during the terrorist attacks on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, a House committee concluded in a report released Friday evening. The report by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence also found no cover-ups and no deliberate misconduct by Obama administration officials following the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks…. -
opinion
SM-3s and SM-2s Highlight U.S. Missile Defense Needs
The U.S. Navy and the Missile Defense Agency completed a successful test of the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) and Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) interceptors this past week, marking the 10th anniversary of the Aegis missile defense system becoming operational. During this simulated attack, the SM-3 Block IB destroyed a short-range ballistic missile and the two SM-2 Block… -
opinion
Hagel Doesn’t Get It: Planning to Have a Plan to Ensure Military Readiness Doesn’t Cut It
At the annual Defense Forum at the Reagan Presidential Library, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel delivered a much-publicized speech last Saturday about how to make sure our military is ready to defend the nation’s vital interest in these difficult days. But Hagel didn’t describe a plan to deliver “game-changing” technology; he gave a speech about planning… -
opinion
Lame-Duck Congress Must Renew Its Commitment to Missile Defense
As Republicans enjoyed remarkable gains on Election Day, capturing control of the Senate and tightening their grip on the House, a palpable shift in the prevailing power structure overcame Washington. Although the Republican Party won’t actually take control of the Senate until January, a number of important issues will demand more immediate consideration. Among the… -
news
This Film Has the Military Hooked, but Not Hollywood
For soldiers returning from faraway battlefields, coming home isn’t always easy. The acclaimed film “Fort Bliss” seeks to bring those struggles to the big screen, garnering praise from viewers and the Pentagon but a lackluster response from Hollywood. The film, which opened to limited release in April, won the support of critics, viewers—including Secretary of Defense… -
opinion
Hey, Defense Department: Focus on ISIS, not Climate Change
As world leaders remain locked in on the threat of ISIS, the U.S. Department of Defense laid out its plan to fight a different battle: ice caps. In a new report, DOD argues that climate change poses “immediate risks to U.S. national security” because of warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, changing precipitation patterns and more… -
opinion
Three Changes Bobby Jindal Would Bring to American Defense Policy
We have some idea from his two terms as governor of Louisiana what Bobby Jindal, perspective 2016 presidential candidate, would do domestically in the Oval Office. But we found out on Monday that when it comes to foreign and defense policy, Jindal would pursue a track a lot more like that of Ronald Reagan than… -
opinion
The Defense of Marriage Isn’t Over
Monday’s action from the Supreme Court is, as I noted, a setback for sound constitutional self-government and a setback for a healthy marriage culture. Rather than a single Roe v. Wade of marriage, where the Supreme Court would redefine marriage across the nation, the Court, by refusing to hear any of the marriage cases, has…