Shutdown Winding Down?

The light at the end of the tunnel is a train.

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Trump to Pay Troops Again

The Pentagon’s couch cushions are huuuuge.

Trump to Pay Troops with ‘Available Funds’

Congress, Schmongress.

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Judge Blocks Mobilizing Guard Against Portland Protestors

The decision “was not conceived in good faith.”

Trump’s Message to Generals and Admirals

A long and unusual speech has implications for civil-military relations.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George honor the colors during the National Anthem at the 2025 National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George honor the colors during the National Anthem at the 2025 National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan)

Hegseth and the Generals

A few more details have emerged.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George honor the colors during the National Anthem at the 2025 National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George honor the colors during the National Anthem at the 2025 National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan)

Hegseth Calls Mystery Meeting of Top Brass

Every general and admiral in a command billet has been called for a last-minute gathering about some unspecified topic.

Trump Loyalty Shakedown: The New McCarthyism

Our current round of speech repression may prove worse than McCarthyism.

Pentagon Hunting Down Employees Who Celebrated Charlie Kirk’s Death

A little bit more than the law would allow.

An American flag, unfurled at dawn, hangs over the Pentagon on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, 2019 An American flag, unfurled at dawn, hangs over the Pentagon on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, 2019

9/11 @ 24

Memories are fading, as they are wont to do.

War Department Redux

A potentially costly rebrand and strange bedfellows.

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Department of WAR

A historically inaccurate bit of symbolic silliness.

Hiroshima Bombing’s 80th Anniversary

The last survivors want us to remember the horrors of nuclear war.

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Pentagon Fueled Area 51 Conspiracy

An Air Force colonel spread misinformation to hide the stealth program.

Musk Has Left the Building

Is the worst of the idiocy over?

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosts a teleconference with NFL players Aaron Jones and Elijah Higgins during their visit to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing in Kuwait from the Pentagon, April 2, 2025. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosts a teleconference with NFL players Aaron Jones and Elijah Higgins during their visit to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing in Kuwait from the Pentagon, April 2, 2025.

DEI Dies at DOD

A series of orders impacting military education.

Pentagon’s Purge of Trans Servicemembers to Begin

Roughly a thousand will be discharged forthwith.

Supreme Court Allows Trump Transgender Ban to Proceed

They’ve reversed a lower court ruling. For now.

April 5, 2025 - Rally in downtown Boston, Massachusetts to express outrage at President Trump, his policies and his minions. April 5, 2025 - Rally in downtown Boston, Massachusetts to express outrage at President Trump, his policies and his minions.

The Backlash Has Begun

Nationwide protests yesterday show a growing outrage over Trump 2.0.

The free high-resolution photo of america, china, commerce, communication, business, concept, country, currency, distribution, earth, economy, exchange, export, global, globe, goods, hand, import, industry, information, international, investment, logistic, map, market, message, rate, shipping, tariff, trade, transfer, transportation, war, blue, text, cartoon, flag, art, font, illustration, line, graphic design, clip art, graphics, human behavior @Mohamed Hassan , taken with an unknown camera 08/04 2018 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. The free high-resolution photo of america, china, commerce, communication, business, concept, country, currency, distribution, earth, economy, exchange, export, global, globe, goods, hand, import, industry, information, international, investment, logistic, map, market, message, rate, shipping, tariff, trade, transfer, transportation, war, blue, text, cartoon, flag, art, font, illustration, line, graphic design, clip art, graphics, human behavior @Mohamed Hassan , taken with an unknown camera 08/04 2018 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0.

All-in On China

A natural evolution in American foreign policy, albeit a concerning one.

“Freedom is Slavery”

Orwell came to mind this morning.

Mass Firings Ruled Illegal

A judge says OPM has no authority to fire workers in other agencies.

The Looming Government Shutdown

Beware the Ides of March.

Hegseth Fires Service JAGs

The top uniformed lawyers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force have been relieved.

Dan “Razin” Caine Nominated for Joint Chiefs Chairman

The retired 3-star National Guard officer is an unorthodox pick.

Blogging During DOGEtime

In the interests of full disclosure.

Legalizing Corruption

The 47th President had a busy Monday.

Malicious Compliance With Radical Orders

Piling absurdity atop cruelty.

Fear and Loathing in DC

Federal workers are afraid and in the dark.

Trump and the Deep State at State

Normal transition . . . and potential red flags.

DOGE’s Plan for Slashing Government

Legions of unpaid drones . . . ? . . . budget cuts.

Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War Flag Ukraine Silhouette Ruins Soldier War

Feel-Good News Out of Ukraine

The bad guys are having a bad week.

Nichols on Patel, et al.

Some quotes to ponder.

Is Hegseth Toast?

He has to be, right?

A Hostile Takeover?

The President-Elect is testing the guardrails early.

Hesgeth Flagged as White Nationalist

The man tabbed to lead the Defense Department was deemed an “insider threat.”

Musk and Ramaswamy to Lead Non-Department Department

First there was the Department of Redundancy Department. Now for something completely different.

This image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0 via pXhere. This image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0 via pXhere.

Too Many Laws?

A Supreme Court Justice says our laws and regulations are out of control.

Wounded Knee Medals Redux

New information has changed my thinking on this.

Defense Department to Review Wounded Knee Medals

An understandable but wrongheaded action.

The World According to Trump

While foreign policy seldom decides American elections, it really should this year.

US Preparing for Iranian Retaliatory Strike

The dance continues.

Biden Joins the Israel Outrage Bandwagon

The Netanyahu government has few friends.

Food Fight

A kerfuffle is brewing over the way the United States fights hunger in the global south.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 19, 2023 Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Sept. 19, 2023

The Case of the Missing SECDEF

A truly weird story.

Iranian Proxy War Escalating

Tehran-backed forces are routinely shooting at American forces.

Congress and Military Promotions

Why is the Senate pretending to do that which it can’t possibly do?

Republican Crazies Forcing Government Shutdown

The House is in recess as the exasperated GOP leadership tries to figure a way out.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. delivers remarks during a transition ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Aug. 14, 2020. (U.S. Air Force/Eric Dietrich) Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. delivers remarks during a transition ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Aug. 14, 2020. (U.S. Air Force/Eric Dietrich)

Charles “CQ” Brown Confirmed as Joint Chiefs Chairman

The Senate is voting one-by-one in the face of the Tuberville hold on top nominees.

Trump Meets The Press

It turns out, he wasn’t all that truthful.