The Pentagon has reportedly halted troop deployments to Poland and Germany as part of President Trump’s broader order to reduce the U.S. military presence in Europe by about 5,000 troops. According to AP, roughly 4,000 troops from the Army’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, were no longer heading to Poland, and a…
The Major Richard Star Act: Weighing Promise, Principle, and Price
The fight over the Major Richard Star Act is one of those rare Washington debates where the moral case is pretty simple, even if the budget math isn’t. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently voiced support for the bill during Senate questioning, saying the administration supports the Act after Sen. Richard Blumenthal pressed him on the…
Washington Needs Less Drama and More Decency
If you’ve glanced at the headlines lately, you may have noticed that Washington is starting to look less like the capital of the world’s greatest republic and more like a crossover episode of CSI, Survivor, and The Office. We’ve got Congress hauling in Jack Smith for a closed-door testimony that he wanted to give in…
Washington’s Hobby of Breaking Its Own Rules
America’s political world lately feels like someone shook up a snow globe full of legal controversies, military disputes, and enough accusations of “sedition” to make even the Founding Fathers peek over their spectacles. First, we had Senator Mark Kelly telling U.S. troops to refuse “illegal orders,” then the Pentagon launching an investigation, and now the…
The Pentagon’s Transgender Policy and the Moral Battle for the Military’s Soul
In early October, the Pentagon released a memo tightening enforcement of President Trump’s renewed ban on transgender service members. The new policy allows commanders to override separation boards, requires troops to appear in uniforms corresponding to their biological sex, and directs that anyone diagnosed with gender dysphoria be recommended for discharge. The memo has drawn…
The Moral Weight of America’s Return to Nuclear Testing
When President Trump tells the Pentagon to dust off the old test tunnels in Nevada, you can almost hear the collective gasp echo from Washington to Geneva. After more than three decades of quiet on the nuclear front, the United States is preparing to “match Russia and China” by restarting nuclear weapons testing. That’s not…
Should We Swap ‘Defense’ for ‘War’?
President Trump recently signed an executive order that dusted off an old name from America’s past: the Department of War. Under this order, the Department of Defense is now permitted to use its original, historical title as a kind of “second name.” And in a nod to tradition, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is also cleared…
Peace Through Strength or Perpetual War? A Look at President Trump’s Ukraine Pivot
Last week, the Pentagon hit the brakes on some critical arms shipments to Ukraine, citing the need to replenish our own defense systems. That pause didn’t last long. President Trump saw the news, heard the reports of civilian casualties, and said, “Not on my watch.” He ordered those shipments back on track, vowing more defensive…
Trimming the Top Brass: A Christian Conservative Look at Secretary Hegseth’s Military Reform
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent order to cut the number of four-star generals and admirals by at least 20% is sending ripples through Washington and the Pentagon alike. Titled the “Less Generals, More GIs” initiative, this policy aims to reduce bureaucracy, reallocate resources to frontline operations, and restore a leaner, meaner U.S. military. Predictably, it’s…
Trump’s Military Shake-Up: Restoring Readiness or Rewarding Loyalty?
President Trump’s decision to fire Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General C.Q. Brown, along with five other top military leaders, has sent shockwaves through Washington. Some see it as a necessary course correction for a military that has lost its focus. Others see it as a dangerous power grab, replacing independent-minded leaders with…
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