Born-Again Actor Leads Charge into Iraq

(NEWSER) - Some of the most riveting reporting about the war in Iraq is coming from the soldiers fighting it. As blogs from deployed soldiers proliferate, higher-ups are biting their nails over the ensuing transparency. Bloggers like Capt. Danjel Bout say posting provides "online therapy" and helps keep friends and the public apprised of developments. More»

Females will still not be able to serve as infantry, however: sources

(NEWSER) - Defense Department rules are entering the 21st century. The Pentagon will recommend to Congress today that women in the military should be allowed to serve in a greater number of positions close to front lines. The AP notes that the rule shift would formalize a practice that has already been happening: Though women are technically prohibited from serving in combat battalions, over the past decade many have served at the front lines in roles including medic, military police officer, intelligence officer, and helicopter pilot. The military has previously dodged the rule by "attaching" such women to battalions, rather than formally assigning them, meaning the women would not receive credit for serving in combat arms. More»

New study increases concern over respiratory issues

(NEWSER) - Why do so many young, previously healthy soldiers come back from the Middle East with respiratory problems, some so bad they can no longer pass a physical required for active duty? The question was made more urgent with the results of a new study showing that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans do indeed have a higher rate of respiratory illness than soldiers deployed in other areas. The study, thought to be the largest of its kind, shows that 14.5% of Iraq or Afghanistan veterans had respiratory illness, compared to just 1.8% of veterans deployed elsewhere, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Pentagon review finds that most think it's no big deal

(NEWSER) - A Pentagon report on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell shows that a majority of troops aren’t opposed to gays serving in the military, reports the Wonk Room blog at Think Progress. "The number one answer was. ‘I don’t care,'” NBC's Richard Engel, who got an early look at the study, told Rachel Maddow. "The findings are that for most soldiers, and this wasn’t the sum total of all soldiers, it wasn’t that big of a deal." More»

Many believe it's too good to be true

(NEWSER) - The government is trying—really hard—to dole out $324 million in no-strings-attached money to military troops, but many have yet to apply for their share of the free cash. About 145,000 troops who were involuntarily kept on duty under the military’s controversial “stop-loss” policy , which was phased out last year, are eligible for $500 in backpay per month of involuntary service. On average, they are due between $3,500 and $3,800, but many troops “are questioning whether this is legitimate,” a Pentagon rep tells the Washington Post . More»