The Death of the 'Old Army Buddy'

Unmarried loved ones have no standing, get nothing from Army

(NEWSER) - To the US Army bureaucracy, love means little without a marriage certificate—so the fiancée of a man killed in Iraq was left with nothing other than what his family was willing to part with. Now, the Washington Post reports, Kyle Harper, 27, is trying to forge a path very different from what she and Sgt. Michael Hullender had planned. More»

1 in 9 medical discharges attributed to PTSD, related ailments

(NEWSER) - News that the Pentagon is making it easier for soldiers to qualify for disability payments because of post-traumatic stress disorder comes at a good time: The number of cases is rising steadily, reports USA Today . Army stats show that the number of soldiers who left the service solely because of a mental disorder such as PTSD increased 64% from 2005 to 2009. Last year, 1,224 soldiers did so, accounting for 1 in 9 medical discharges. More»

(NEWSER) - The Taliban says it will execute a captured American soldier if the US does not withdraw from two districts in southeastern Afghanistan, the Voice of America reports. A Taliban rep said today the soldier is healthy but will be killed if operations in Paktika and Ghazni continue. The fate of the soldier, whom the military has classified as "believed captured," will be decided by Taliban leader Mullah Omar, the AP adds. More»

Time to honor the 1.3 million fallen US troops

(NEWSER) - On a day of barbecues and baseball, “let's not forget the point of Memorial Day,” write William J. Bennett and John Cribb: to salute the sacrifices of the 1.3 million troops who have died for our country. “Through their sacrifice, the United States has liberated more people from tyranny than any other nation,” they note in the Chicago Tribune. And while some hold a firm place in history, others don’t get the recognition they deserve. More»

Gates announces end to forced extensions

(NEWSER) - The Army plans to stop forcing soldiers to serve again after their enlistment contracts are up, reports the Washington Post. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced plans yesterday to phase out the “stop-loss” program—which keeps soldiers in the Army beyond their service obligation—over the next two years. Some 13,000 soldiers are currently serving under the deeply unpopular program, a number Gates hopes to nearly eliminate by 2011. More»