Author: Braxton Taylor
The Air Force is rolling back policies that would allow pregnant aircrew members to fly early in their pregnancy and are adding higher scrutiny to those seeking waivers to stay in the skies.The latest update reverses changes that gave more leeway to pregnant aircrew to fly in the first trimester of their gestation. The guidance, made public by the Air Force Surgeon General’s Office on Tuesday, said there is an increased risk of miscarriage within that first 12-week window.”This change reverts back to the 2019 policy and aligns the Air Force policy with the rest of the Department of Defense,”…
Marines and sailors on the West Coast are expanding efforts to fix chronic barracks issues such as leaky sinks, drywall holes and broken window screens as units between California and Arizona tout success from last year’s Operation Clean Sweep — an on-the-ground initiative that saw individual service members take housing repairs into their own hands.Dubbed Operation Clean Sweep II, troops are continuing to make repairs to their own barracks through the middle of April while West Coast units have roughly doubled the amount of money going to housing necessities such as air conditioning units, maintenance backlogs, washer and dryer repair,…
The U.S. Naval Academy has confirmed that officials there removed items commemorating female Jewish graduates from a historic display ahead of a visit to the school by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday.The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, or MRFF, a nonprofit group that advocates for religious freedom, first reported on the move after its members noticed the removal of the items on display at the Commodore Uriah P. Levy Center and Jewish Chapel.Cmdr. Ashley Hockycko confirmed late Tuesday that the historical items honoring the Jewish graduates had been removed but said that it was done so “mistakenly.” “U.S. Naval Academy…
By month’s end, Congressional leaders expect the Trump administration to release a “skinny budget” containing topline spending amounts for the Defense Department. Though specifics will come later, the choices that shape this fiscal 2026 skinny budget will set policy direction for the next four years.This first budget submission will surely reflect the administration’s interim strategic guidance, which reportedly downgrades Europe relative to Asia. It will also showcase the administration’s ongoing push to shrink the Defense Department civilian workforce. Most importantly, it will reflect the results of the 8-percent spending shift directed by Secretary Hegseth. In February, he tasked defense organizations…
Denmark’s Defense Ministry made waves with its March 30 announcement of an ambitious naval plan that aims to buy at least 26 new vessels and lays out short- and long-term roadmaps for the Royal Danish Navy’s and the Naval Home Guard’s procurement, capabilities, and strategic goals.In the short term, Copenhagen plans to secure the Danish home waters, buying 21 vessels to replace the Naval Home Guard’s aging small craft, used primarily for coastal patrol, harbor security and surveillance. Scores of smaller, more capable boats will likely replace the MHV 800 class of 83-ton patrol vessels.As part of its local security push, the Danish government will prioritize securing undersea…
Beloved actor Val Kilmer wasn’t a veteran, but he was part of one of the most unintentionally successful U.S. military recruiting programs ever made: “Top Gun.”Let’s be real: Most of the people who joined the U.S. armed forces wanting to be Tom Cruise’s Maverick actually became Val Kilmer’s Iceman. And there’s nothing wrong with that: He cares about safety, wants to bring all his men home and is every bit as good a pilot as Maverick — and unlike Maverick, Iceman actually got promoted.Reprising Iceman was a role that incorporated Kilmer’s real-life throat cancer, a condition he was diagnosed with…
Walking can be life-changing for your health and wellness. Walking more can be helpful for weight loss and mental health and help reduce the risks of chronic diseases. Here is a question from an older guy who has been training for years and does not see the benefits of walking for him because he runs and lifts:Stew, I am an OG like you (over 50 still lift / run). I have seen a lot about walking in American exercise lately. Have we gotten so bad that we now think walking is enough exercise? I know we are hurting for fitness…
Guncrafter Industries is known for its one-of-a-kind customized 1911 builds. Guncrafter’s specialized .50 caliber model, the .50 GI, is one of the company’s more memorable models. For 2025, Guncrafter Industries is announcing the new release of the Polara 1911 pistol, a custom-style single-stack single-action full-size steel-framed 1911 that is available in 9mm, .45 ACP, .38 Super and 9x23mm. The Polara 1911 is available with stainless steel or Melonited steel frames and slides along with contrasting TiN or DLC barrels and peripherals. Besides materials, customers also have the choice of purchasing a Government or Commander size 1911 frame. Guncrafter Industries also…
Several years ago, I wrote a series of articles likening personal finance to baking an apple pie. The idea was simple: Just as a great pie requires the right ingredients in the right proportions, so does a solid financial plan. Each piece plays a crucial role in achieving long-term financial security: spending wisely, protecting what matters, using debt responsibly, saving for emergencies and retirement, having essential legal documents and keeping a plan up to date.This past holiday season, as I was in the kitchen making that very same pie, it hit me: While my apple pie recipe had undergone a…
<![CDATA[White House mulls Greenland takeover options, the Washington Post reports. One option: offer Greenlanders more than the $600 million annual subsidy provided by NATO ally Denmark. “This is a lot higher than that,” said one official familiar with the plans, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that remain in the works. “The point is, ‘We’ll pay you more than Denmark does.’” President Trump said on Sunday that the U.S. will “get” the island. “100 percent,” he told NBC News, adding that there is a “good possibility that we could do it without military force” but that…