US military

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1 in 4 Applicants Too Fat to Be in the Army Now

Standards aren't that extreme, either

(Newser) - US military recruiters have a big fat problem: "Almost one in four applicants to the military are rejected for being overweight," says a Cornell researcher. Some 6 million men and 17 million women were rejected as too porky for combat between 2007 and 2008, reports LiveScience. It's the...

Rogue Soldiers Had Little Supervision in Afghanistan

Superiors ignored warning signs

(Newser) - As the legal case proceeds against US soldiers accused of murdering Afghan civilians for kicks, it's beginning to become clear they had little supervision at their remote outpost, the New York Times reports. Interviews and legal documents paint a picture of rampant drug use in the 30-man platoon, and of...

Afghan Warlords, Insurgents Hired to Guard US Bases

Senate panel says lack of oversight creating 'grave risks' for US troops

(Newser) - American contractors in Afghanistan have hired security forces with links to the Taliban, warlords, and even Iranian intelligence services to guard US bases in Afghanistan, according to a Senate Armed Services Committee report. The report found that "systemic failures" exist in the Pentagon's oversight of Afghan guards and that...

US Military Ditching Fuel for Solar Energy

First portable solar panels arrive in Afghanistan

(Newser) - The US military may be an unlikely poster child for green energy, but with its fuel supply convoys increasingly under attack in Afghanistan, it's working hard to ditch its dependence on fossil fuels—and source its energy from the sun. Last week saw the arrival of portable solar panels and...

CIA Secretly Ramps Up Drone Hits on Pakistan

Two US strikes reportedly kill 18 today

(Newser) - A Reuters report that two US drone strikes killed 18 people in Pakistan today could become a common refrain: The CIA has significantly increased its drone attacks in the country over the last month, thanks to a secret diversion of weapons from the US military in Afghanistan, according to the...

Video Game Scraps Option to Play as 'Taliban'

Electronic Arts removes choice from 'Medal of Honor' sequel

(Newser) - Following protests and boycotts of its upcoming Medal of Honor video game sequel, Electronic Arts will remove the ability to play as a member of the Taliban. The rival team in the game's multiplayer mode will be renamed from "Taliban" to "Opposing Force" before the Oct. 12 release,...

Gates Challenges Elite Students to Join Military

Defense chief: 'Instead of J Crew, they wear body armor'

(Newser) - Defense chief Robert Gates wants students from prestigious universities to join the military, arguing that more of the country's "best and brightest" need to step up. In a speech to Duke University students, Gates praised those who do choose to serve, reports Politico . “Instead of wearing J. Crew,...

$2B Attack Subs Cheapened by Chintzy Coating

It peels away underwater, leaving nuclear submarines not-so-stealthy

(Newser) - Cost-cutting by the Navy and two defense contractors has led to a serious problem for the elite Virginia-class nuclear submarine, reports the Daily Press of Newport News, Va. A hull treatment designed to increase the subs' stealth tends to peel away underwater—and the lack of protective coating makes the...

White House Calls on Court to Keep 'Don't Ask'

Military-wide injunction 'untenable,' government argues

(Newser) - The Obama administration says it's still committed to repealing the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for gay service members, but it doesn't want a judge to immediately halt the program. A federal judge in California declared the policy unconstitutional earlier this month, and the Justice Department has filed...

British Budget Cuts Threaten to Weaken Our No. 1 Military Ally

Pullback could severely limit their ability to man joint operations

(Newser) - The Brits are about to make "brutal" cuts in their military budget, slashing as much as 20% and leaving US military experts to wonder if America's most reliable ally in combat operations will be substantially weakened. The British say the cuts won't undermine their troop commitment in Afghanistan over...

GOP Blocks Bill to Lift Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Democrats can't get 60 votes to end filibuster

(Newser) - Senate Republicans have blocked an effort to repeal the law banning gays from serving openly in the military. Democrats fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation on Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The move likely will push consideration of the measure into next year, when prospects for...

3 Shot on Army Base
 3 Shot on Army Base 
Sep 21, 2010 5:19 AM CDT

3 Shot on Army Base

Man killed after opening fire at a Fort Bliss convenience store

(Newser) - A man was shot and killed by law enforcement officers at Fort Bliss after he opened fire at a convenience store on the base and injured two women, authorities say. The FBI is sending a team to investigate the shooting at the base, which straddles the Texas-New Mexico border, CNN...

Marines: Military Should Have Told Us About Toxic Water

Cancer victims link disease to Lejeune

(Newser) - Peter Devereaux is dying and he believes the military's failure to tell him he had been exposed to carcinogens at a North Carolina base could be to blame. The 48-year-old former Marine was stationed at Camp Lejeune in the '80s, when the camp's water supply was tainted with poisonous chemicals....

Medal of Honor Recipient: It's 'Bittersweet'

Afghan war hero says he's 'mediocre,' misses slain comrades

(Newser) - Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta has mixed feelings about the Medal of Honor he’s been awarded —the first such designation for a living soldier since Vietnam. Speaking to reporters by video link from Italy, the 25-year-old called the medal “bittersweet.” He said he feels he can’t...

Rarity: Living Soldier Will Get Medal of Honor

Obama to honor soldier's bravery in Afghan firefight

(Newser) - A young Army specialist who ran through enemy fire in Afghanistan to rescue wounded soldiers will get the Medal of Honor for his bravery, reports the Washington Post . Salvatore Giunta, now a 25-year-old sergeant, will be the first living recipient since the Vietnam War. The US has awarded six medals...

Judge Strikes Down 'Don't Ask Don't Tell'

Federal judge declares ban on gays unconstitutional

(Newser) - A federal judge in California has declared the ban on gays serving openly in the military unconstitutional, and said she will issue an order overturning the "don't ask, don't tell" policy nationwide. Judge Virginia Phillips ruled that the policy violates the First and Fifth Amendment rights of gay service...

WikiLeaks Preps Biggest Leak Ever

Iraq info ever expected within weeks

(Newser) - WikiLeaks is preparing a leak of Iraq war records that will dwarf its publication of secret Afghanistan information, according to a nonprofit journalism organization working with the site. The material, which will be released in a few weeks, is the "biggest leak of military intelligence" in history, Iain Overton,...

US Marines Free Ship From Somali Pirates

Hijacked vessel recaptured without single shot fired

(Newser) - US Marines stormed a pirate-held freighter off the coast off Somalia yesterday and freed its crew without firing a shot. Nine heavily armed Somali pirates—who had threatened to open fire, but surrendered or fled to hiding places on the ship when the Marines boarded—were busted. It's the first...

Soldiers With Concussions Denied Purple Hearts
Soldiers With Concussions Denied
Purple Hearts
investigation
Sep 9, 2010 7:36 PM CDT

Soldiers With Concussions Denied Purple Hearts

Army seems to ignore its own rules

(Newser) - Army rules couldn't be clearer: The list of wounds that justify the Purple Heart includes "concussion injuries caused as a result of enemy generated explosions." The real world is a little murkier. An investigation by Pro Publica and NPR finds that the Army routinely denies the award to...

Many Translators in Afghanistan Can't Speak the Languages

Ex-employee says contractor fudged exam results to boost profits

(Newser) - The contractor that supplies the military with Afghan translators is putting American lives at risk by sending out unqualified translators, a former employee charges. Paul Funk—who used to oversee the screening of Afghan linguists for Mission Essential Personnel—tells ABC News that the company inflated grades and tolerated cheating...

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