Every time Hayden Powell sits down to apply for a job, she has to relive an experience she went through over two decades ago, when she was discharged from the military because of her sexual orientation. Read More
The Defense Department is scrapping its $10 billion cloud-computing contract with Microsoft, ending the award process that's been mired in a legal battle with Amazon.Read More
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin landed in Kabul on Sunday, amid uncertainty over how long American forces will stay in the country.Read More
Former President Donald Trump's Defense Department did not approve D.C.'s National Guard to intervene in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection for several hours after the initial request was made, the commanding general of the outfit told senators on Wednesday.Read More
As the Pentagon wrestles with concerns over right-wing extremism among service members, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has signed a memo directing commanding officers and supervisors to institute a one-day stand-down within the next 60 days to address extremism within the nation's armed forces.Read More
Lloyd Austin, a retired four-star Army general, has been confirmed by the Senate, making him the first Black secretary of defense in U.S. history. The Senate approved President Biden's nomination for Pentagon chief in a near-unanimous 93 to 2 vote.Read More
With less than two weeks before he assumes office, President-elect Joe Biden is on track to have few, if any, Cabinet members confirmed on Inauguration Day, the first president to face such a personnel issue in recent history.Read More
Secretary Esper has kept a letter of resignation on hand since the summer, when he and the president disagreed over the use of active duty troops to put down street protests.Read More
Retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis, who resigned as President Trump's defense secretary nearly a year-and-a-half ago over policy differences, has issued an extraordinary critique of the White House's handling of nationwide unrest, saying Trump has sought to divide Americans, and warning against "militarizing our response" to the protests.Read More
President Trump removed the head of a group charged with overseeing the Coronavirus package passed by Congress. Trump has bristled at the oversight actions of several inspectors general. Read More
New York alone could need nearly 90,000 more beds to deal with coronavirus patients, but in an interview with NPR, Mark Esper cautioned the Pentagon can only offer "a few thousand beds ... at most." Read More
The Pentagon says the Defense Secretary asked for Spencer's resignation after "losing trust and confidence in him." Spencer said President Trump deserved a Navy chief "who is aligned with his views." Read More
In a new book, "Holding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis," Guy Snodgrass, a retired Navy commander who worked closely with then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, writes that Trump called and directed Mattis to "screw Amazon" by locking it out of a chance to bid for the JEDI contract.Read More
Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis said he wouldn’t “engage” on the question of President Donald Trump’s fitness for office, during an interview with PBS NewsHour.Read More
It started as a joke, as President Trump riffed on the idea last year. Now, Congress could create the first, new military service in more than 70 years. Read More
The Pentagon's Inspector General says former Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan 'fully complied' with ethics obligations. This clears the way for his potential nomination as defense secretary.Read More
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced Friday that ISIS' territorial caliphate has been eliminated in Syria. Even so, its threats remain.Read More
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will assume Mattis' duties starting in the new year. Trump had previously said Mattis would step down at the end of February.Read More
A federal judge ruled that the Pentagon provided no rationalization for recruiting immigrants and then delaying their military service.Read More
A doctor from Richland, Washington, was awarded the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. It’s an honor that is often bestowed upon U.S. presidents.Read More
Lew Zirkle, a doctor in Richland, Washington, works with thousands of surgeons all over the world to treat injuries in poor or war-ravaged countries. He will receive the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service—the highest honor the Defense department gives to a non-career civilian—by Secretary James Mattis later this month.Read More
