Benghazi panel subpoenas Pentagon official who blasted probe

WASHINGTON –  The House Benghazi committee has issued a subpoena to a senior Pentagon official who criticized the GOP-led panel for making costly and unnecessary requests to the Defense Department. Stephen Hedger, an assistant secretary of defense, will be interviewed under oath next week. Hedger claimed in a letter to the committee that officials could […]

Officials: Pentagon to unveil plan to adjust promotion rules

WASHINGTON –  Defense officials say U.S. service members may be able to sidestep the Pentagon’s entrenched “up or out” promotion system under sweeping new proposals being unveiled Thursday, aimed at keeping high-tech experts on the job. Defense Secretary Ash Carter is expected to unveil the plans Thursday. It marks the third installment in his campaign […]

CIA and Pentagon Bicker While Russia Wipes Out U.S.-Backed Rebels

U.S.-backed opposition forces in Syria’s largest city are facing a ferocious Russian-led assault, raising fears that the rebels could be eliminated in a matter of weeks. So how are the Pentagon and the intelligence community responding? By catfighting among themselves. Two Department of Defense officials told The Daily Beast that they are not eager to […]

The Pentagon moves to set troops straight on its new military retirement plan

The training program will begin in earnest this summer. The Army, for example, has a public relations campaign to inform soldiers and family members what will happen, said Lt. Col. Steve Hanson, allowances branch chief for the Army G1, and the Army’s representative for implementation of blended retirement system education. “It’s our responsibility to arm them […]

The Pentagon Spends Indiscriminately to, Ahem, ‘Fight Terrorism’

Since 9/11, the U.S. government has overseen a massive expansion in Pentagon-funded aid to foreign security forces — from $800 million in 2001 to more than $10.8 billion in 2015. The bulk of this funding to arm and train partner security forces focuses on counterterrorism efforts around the world, and for many national security experts the expansion of this […]

Collective Spying: The Secret and Detailed World of Russia’s Cold War Mapmakers

The Russian Military secretly mapped the entire world, but few outsiders have seen the maps—until now. A manual produced by the Russian Army, translated and published in 2005 by East View, a Minnesota company with a large inventory of Soviet maps, gives some insight into how the topographic maps could be used in planning or […]

Donald Trump’s VP Pick: Retired Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn?

Could Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick come from the Pentagon’s alumni? On Tuesday, the New York Post reported that the presumed Republican presidential nominee has begun whittling down his list of potential running mates for this fall. Along with the expected slate of lawmakers and advisers, the newspaper included retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as […]

Navy SEAL Brass Strikes Back – Less Reality T.V., More Warfighting

After virtually unprecedented public scrutiny of the elite force’s top ranks, the outgoing commander is in the middle of a campaign to save his name, if not his career, and the incoming leader’s path to the job looks clear. Rear Adm. Tim Szymanski, named to assume command of the Naval Special Warfare headquarters in Coronado, […]

Beijing Denies Dangerous Interception of U.S. Spy Plane Over South China Sea

Chinese official says jets maintained a safe distance from American aircraft; urges Washington to halt such reconnaissance activities. China criticized Washington for deploying a U.S. reconnaissance plane near Chinese territory, but denied a Pentagon account that Chinese jet fighters conducted a risky close-range interception—the latest spat between the powers that fueled concern over the growing risks […]