Commentary

Opinions on war, Pentagon policy, pay and benefits, deployments, uniforms, weapons and more.

A service member sleeps after his duty day at Joint Base San Antonio – Lackland, Texas, March 24, 2023.

Opinion

A lack of sleep is breaking the US military

From the very start, unspoken principles are ingrained in service members. One such principle is that "sleep is a crutch."

2 weeks ago

A sailor stands forward lookout watch aboard the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Gulf of Oman, Nov. 15, 2023.

Opinion

Communication of intent and the importance of language to deterrence

The Biden administration’s rhetoric may be critical to deter not only escalation, but to stop persistent attacks in the Middle East.

3 weeks ago

U.S. Army soldiers cover their ears during an artillery qualification at Besamaya Range in FOB Hammer, Iraq, May 6, 2011.

Opinion

US troops can declare victory in 3M class action lawsuit

While the settlement can never restore the hearing loss suffered by the plaintiffs, it is a victory for the veterans who had the tenacity to file the suit.

An airman renders a salute at Royal Air Force Alconbury, England, Oct. 19, 2021.

Opinion

Why American business should be military ready

Businesses are grappling with the issue of underemployment and the retention of our nation's heroes. We can address this today.

3 weeks ago

Homeless U.S. veteran tents at the VA West Los Angeles Healthcare Campus Japanese Garden on September 24, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

Opinion

What states can do to help veterans experiencing homelessness

In the United States, a critical yet often overlooked area of public investment is transitional housing for veterans.

3 weeks ago

President Joe Biden, accompanied by from left, first lady Jill Biden, Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young, White House Gender Policy Council director Jen Klein, and Women's Alzheimer's Movement founder Maria Shriver, signs a presidential memorandum that will establish the first-ever White House Initiative on Women's Health Research in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, in Washington.

Opinion

The Pentagon’s new opportunity to boost readiness among female troops

The White House initiative on Women’s Health Research provides an opportunity to improve health and performance outcomes for women in the military.

5 weeks ago

The U.S. Capitol is seen from the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on November 5, 2023.

Opinion

A government shutdown would hurt military families

Congress must safeguard military pay in the event of a shutdown, including for members of the Coast Guard.

7 weeks ago

Gadson talks with Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, who played an important role in the Giants 2007 season, particularly with a defensive play in the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers.

Opinion

How an Army officer inspired Giants to greatest-ever Super Bowl upset

In this excerpt from “Finding Waypoints,” retired Army Col. Greg Gadson remembers his motivational locker room speeches to the New York Giants.

8 weeks ago

An abortion rights demonstrator holds a sign outside of the Harris County Courthouse during the Women's Wave march in Houston, Texas, on October 8, 2022.

Opinion

Restrictive abortion laws threaten our national security

Laws that restrict abortion access within the U.S. could impact military recruiting and retention.

2 months ago

A sailor prepares a poem for a poetry slam on Sept. 24, 2020.

Opinion

Can poetry prevent veteran suicide?

Over 30,000 service members and veterans of the post-9/11 wars have died by suicide.

2 months ago

A U.S. service member participates in a memorial ruck at AB 201, Niger, Feb. 26, 2023.

Opinion

A father reflects on the death of his son during the 2017 Niger ambush

Four U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush in Niger in October 2017. Their deaths shattered families.

3 months ago

Opinion

The demographic and fiscal time bombs ticking inside the Pentagon

The lack of 18-year-olds to serve and our country’s towering fiscal deficits will endanger our national security in the near term.

3 months ago

Opinion

To stay competitive, US military complex must hurdle ‘Valley of Death’

The U.S. is in its decisive decade for competition with China, and technology is the primary arena for the rivalry.

3 months ago

Opinion

Military superiority demands artificial intelligence proficiency

Overcoming negative narratives can be hard, especially as it applies to artificial intelligence.

3 months ago

A statue depicting ancient Greek goddess Athena in central Athens is seen during a "blood moon" eclipse in July 2018.

Opinion

Why the military is integral to America’s return to the moon

A lack of military involvement will slow U.S. progress in the race to the moon and place at risk national security, scientific and economic interests.

3 months ago

A soldier from Company C, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, pulls security in a town near Kirkuk, Iraq, as a Kiowa Warrior helicopter from 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, patrols the area surrounding the village in 2006.

Opinion

Veteran recalls friends lost, first day in combat in Iraq

War brings about all sorts of emotions. The darkest ones get never-ending attention. Yet this was the happiest day of my life.

3 months ago

Opinion

Why improve Ukraine’s deep-strike capability?

Some NATO members have decided that providing deep-strike weaponry is important for Ukraine’s defense and worth any risk of escalation.

3 months ago

Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group, or MACV-SOG, veterans and Vietnamese Montgard pose together during MACV-SOG heritage week, Fort Bragg N.C., Nov. 10, 2021.

Opinion

Readers react to op-ed on honoring Vietnam War’s most secret warriors

Readers applaud the call for a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the US Military Assistance Command Vietnam’s Studies and Observations Group, or MACV-SOG.

3 months ago

Noelle Wiehe says she had it fairly easy in the military — no horror stories, other than lousy leadership. But a stranger assumed otherwise.

Opinion

Because I was a woman who served, I was stereotyped by a stranger

Noelle Wiehe went to a veterans resource fair and found herself talking to a financial advisor who suddenly asked her if she’d been sexually assaulted.

4 months ago