Outside the Beltway

One of the few areas of disagreement was how big our military should be.

The Center for Responsive Politics touts “Overwhelming Support for Obama” among military donors. The numbers show something more interesting: those associated with the military don’t give money to political campaigns.

Health care is eating up 10 percent of the Pentagon’s budget and rising fast.

Some Marine women are going to Infantry Officers Course. Here’s how to make it work.

Marine Sergeant Gary Stein will soon be free to criticize the commander-in-chief all he wants. As a civilian.

The military promotion system does not reward top performers rapidly enough.

Understanding the outrageous.

President Obama’s Pentagon is planning for an unlikely war with China rather than the small wars America will inevitably fight.

Despite the opposition of the SECDEF and Joint Chiefs, the latter expanded yesterday.

Thomas Ricks posts several recommendations for fixing the Army. Most of them are really, really stupid.

In response to a poignant collection of tales of suffering from the worst economy in decades, some conservative activists have put up a juvenile collection of “suck it, losers” posts.

Political journalists are asking clumsy, ignorant, and intolerant questions. Film at 11.

The Defense Business Board wants to do away with the pension at 20 years.

Army Sergeant First Class Leroy Arthur Petry will become the ninth Medal of Honor recipient for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan–and one of only two who lived to tell the tale.

Commander Dave Koss, the head of the Navy’s Blue Angels, has “voluntarily” resigned after repeated unsafe maneuvers.

The selection process for the Joint Chiefs has been most odd.

It may be time to change rules keeping women out of combat roles. But “fairness” isn’t the right question.

Stephanie Guttman, author of something called The Kinder, Gentler Military, takes to NRO to tell us how easy it is to cut the Defense budget. She inadvertently does just the opposite.

President Obama likes to go back to his Hawaii home town and live like a regular guy for a few days.

The repeal of DADT may open the doors for ROTC to return to many elite institutions, if cost doesn’t get in the way.

Marine Commandant James Amos is going all-out to keep gay Marines in the closet, saying allowing them to serve openly could get men killed.

The commander-in-chief, secretary of defense, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff all support removing the ban on gays in the military without further delay. A long-awaited Pentagon study showed no reason not to do so. But three of four Service chiefs disagree.

The Pentagon has spoken. Repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell would not cause any real harm to the military, they have said. Now, the ball is in the court of the United States Senate.

New details are out about the upcoming Defense Department report on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Of the U.S. military’s 10 combatant commands, only three are held by Army or Marine generals.