Stories related to: military

Greater "geek cachet" and higher pay is diverting engineering managers from the military into places like Microsoft and Google, the New York Times reports. The result is a dearth of  managers overseeing military projects, which government investigators largely blame for long delays and $295 billion in cost overruns. The shortage has forced the military to increasingly rely on consultants, who often lack the skills and incentive to hold down spending. More »

It's time for the US to carve out a practical strategy in Iraq, David Ignatius argues in the Washington Post . At a cost of $400 million a day, the war is draining America's economy—precisely what Osama bin Laden hoped for. The solution will not be quick, simple, or easy, but rather "ambiguous, messy, occasionally in the shadows." More »

At the outset of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were little more than nifty, if sometimes helpful toys. They’ve since cemented a key role in US operations, Newsweek reports. Now hundreds of drones, some as small as model airplanes, keep an unblinking eye on militant movements, relaying images instantly to field commanders’ laptops. One battalion commander says 90% of his "kills" have been aided by UAVs. More »

The death toll in Iraq plunged in May, with 21 US military dead the lowest monthly figure in more than 4 years. Iraqi civilians and troopers also saw a decline, with 532 deaths in May, compared with 1,080 the month before. But in the absence of lasting political agreements, many fear this signals a breathing spell in violence rather than the start of a longer trend. More »

Post-traumatic stress disorder is surging among US troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. New cases rose by more than 46% to nearly 14,000 in 2007, reports Reuters. In the last five years, about 40,000 cases have been diagnosed, most of them in the Army. More »

A Marine who endured burns on 97% of his body with good humor and hope has died during routine surgery, USA Today reports. Hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq, Sgt. Merlin German walked, talked, and even danced during his 3-year recovery. Undergoing more than 100 surgeries, he became a symbol of resilience and started a charity for burned kids called "Merlin's Miracles." More »

Need more proof that the Pentagon coached ostensibly impartial military analysts about what to say on TV? In Salon, Glenn Greenwald reveals emails from one top defense staffer who suggested developing a core group of insiders who are “most reliably friendly” and that “we can count on to carry our water.” A Rumseld aide agreed, adding, "We're already doing a lot of this." The allegations first surfaced in a New York Times investigative piece. More »

Russia marked the 63rd anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany today with a parade of Soviet-era of tanks, missile launchers, and columns of foot soldiers, the New York Times reports. President-turned-prime-minister Vladimir Putin and his successor, Dmitry Medvedev, looked on, surrounded by the contrast of communist ritual with symbols of modern Russia's cut-throat capitalism. More »

Once used with pride, the Marines moniker "Devil Dog" now has a nasty bite to it, the Marine Corps Times reports. Young Marines recoil at the term that troops earned by fighting off Germans in a bloody World War I battle. They say it reminds them of angry COs: "It's a preface to getting your ass chewed," one Marine major said. More »

Veterans Affairs hasn’t done enough to stem the “rising tide” of suicides and mental health problems, according to a class action lawsuit going to trial this week. Roughly 20% of deployed US troops are suffering from mental illness, a recent study shows, and an average of 18 kill themselves each day. “The VA has simply not devoted enough resources,” said one plaintiff lawyer. “They don’t have enough psychiatrists.” More »

A secret arms deal highlights Baghdad's trouble arming its troops and securing Iraq, the New York Times reports. Officials signed the $833 million deal with Serbia last month, without approval in Baghdad—and procured faulty or useless planes, tanks, and other arms. Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qadir defended the move, saying, “American timelines for delivery were too far away.” More »

Nancy Pelosi acted to have a gay Congresswoman's domestic partner included on a military flight to Europe, and the question of government acknowledgment of same-sex partners continues to reverberate, the Politico reports. Tammy Baldwin’s partner took the March fact-finding trip, but Pelosi and Robert Gates are at odds over whether the waiver means the Defense Department or the House granted an exception. More »

Has President Bush done irreparable damage to our armed forces? Not necessarily, Phillip Carter and Fred Kaplan write in Slate, offering a to-do list for the next president to tackle as he or she begins the process of fixing a military "in strange shambles." Overhaul the budget: "We don't have the money to stay this course." More »

More women are carrying babies for dollars, despite opposition from Christians, feminists, and medical ethicists—not to mention some states and most EU nations. So why do they do it? A $20,000 to $25,000 paycheck doesn't hurt, Newsweek reports, but many also do it for love. "I felt like, 'What else am I going to do with my life that means so much?'" one surrogate mom said. More »

John McCain’s foreign-policy address Wednesday split watchers, with David Brooks, in the New York Times , declaring the Republican candidate a breath of fresh air and Glenn Greenwald, in Salon, seeing four more years of George W. Bush. Brooks says the “personal, nuanced and ambitious speech” shows McCain to be a JFK-style internationalist, highlighting maverick criticism of the Iraq war in late 2003. More »

Thousands poured into the streets of Okinawa today to protest crimes by US servicemen and to demand a smaller American military presence on the Japanese island, Reuters reports. "Crimes and accidents have happened over and over," said the mayor of Okinawa City. "But each time, our voices have been trampled and there has been no end to the heinous crimes." More »

A nonprofit group is putting up customized homes for badly injured vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Massachusetts-based Homes for Our Troops is building in 20 states, fueled by donated supplies, land, and labor. “When a vet is in need, people come out of everywhere to help,” the contractor-turned-founder says. More »

A hundred members of Congress got envelopes yesterday stuffed with a political rant, a photo of a man in front of the Times Square military recruiting station, and the bold taunt, “We did it.” But, bizarrely, they weren't  connected to the blast that damaged the landmark yesterday morning, reports the New York Post. Authorities called it an "incredibly unbelievable coincidence." More »

Venezuela deployed tanks to the Colombian border, Reuters reports, as Latin American tensions remained high enough that Hugo Chavez warned of an Andean war. Though Colombia refused to send reinforcements to its border, the mobilization of heavy artillery, including support from air and sea forces, is the first in the standoff following Colombia's weekend incursion into Ecuador to killFARC rebels. More »

Military officials are investigating a video posted on YouTube that appears to show a Marine hurling a puppy off a cliff, the Marine Corps Time s reports. The video shows a Marine joking with buddies in a rocky landscape before throwing the animal. An official from the Hawaii base where the Marine is thought to be stationed called the video "shocking and deplorable."  More »