Author: Braxton Taylor
Welcome to MeatEater At MeatEater, we believe a deeper connection to the natural world enriches all our lives. Through honest storytelling, expert advice, top-tier gear, and a commitment to conservation, we help hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts live closer to nature. Read the full article here
It was supposed to be a routine appearance, a visit from the commander in chief to rally the troops, boost morale and celebrate the Army’s 250th-birthday week, which culminates with a Washington, D.C., parade slated for Saturday.Instead, what unfolded Tuesday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, bore little resemblance to the customary visit from a president and defense secretary. There, President Donald Trump unleashed a speech laced with partisan invective, goading jeers from a crowd of soldiers positioned behind his podium — blurring the long-standing and sacrosanct line between the military and partisan politics.As Trump viciously attacked his perceived political foes,…
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested Wednesday that the Trump administration could send troops to any city in America over the objections of state and local officials, as it is doing now in Los Angeles.During a Senate Appropriations Committee defense subcommittee hearing Wednesday, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, asked Hegseth about the fact that the order President Donald Trump issued Saturday that has sent Marines and the National Guard into L.A. mentioned neither a specific location nor specific units that it applies to.”Do you think this order applies to any Guard anywhere, any service branch anywhere?” Schatz asked. “Did you just potentially…
Relatives of the late Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams-Earley anticipated it, but when President Donald Trump announced their parents’ names would be stripped from the Virginia base, they were still surprised.Trump, in front of a crowd of Army soldiers Tuesday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, said “for a little breaking news” that his administration would be removing the name Fort Gregg-Adams, which was bestowed on the base in 2023, and returning it to Fort Lee, originally named in honor of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, who commanded troops of the slave-holding South during the Civil War.In…
As protests in Los Angeles became more widespread and some turned violent over the weekend, leaders of the Veterans Affairs L.A. Ambulatory Care Center made the tough call to close the facility, which serves thousands of patients a week.The center is one of four federal buildings in a block in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighborhood, the focus of demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and the center of ongoing operations by the Los Angeles Police Department and Army National Guard.Not knowing how long the ambulatory care facility would be closed, Veterans Affairs providers scrambled Sunday evening to make sure…
Active-duty Marines deployed to the Los Angeles area to protect federal buildings and personnel amid protests there are authorized to temporarily detain people “if threatened” or “otherwise harassed” before turning them over to civilian law enforcement, according to two defense officials.The Marines — 700 of whom deployed from a base in Twentynine Palms, California, on Monday in response to the protests — were still training in crowd control and rules for the use of force at a Navy base in Orange County as of Wednesday and were expected to finish within the next two days before being employed, one of…
The 4,000 California National Guard soldiers who President Donald Trump surged into Los Angeles remain unpaid due to delays in issuing official activation orders, leaving compensation and benefits in limbo.According to more than a dozen Guardsmen across four units who spoke to Military.com, none has received formal activation orders, the critical paperwork that not only authorizes their duty status, but also unlocks pay, Tricare health benefits and eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs services. Without those orders, troops remain in a legal and administrative limbo.Multiple defense officials with direct knowledge of the situation told Military.com the chaotic and sudden activation…
Scholars of civil-military relations endlessly debate the durability of professional norms and the degree to which they reinforce the principle of civilian control of the armed forces. The most important norm that ensures the military upholds its oath to the Constitution and is subordinate to civilian authority is its norm of nonpartisanship—the commitment to keeping the military out of partisan politics. On June 10, that norm was dealt a setback at Fort Bragg.Mounting a stage at the North Carolina base, the president and secretary of defense delivered partisan speeches before a large audience of uniformed soldiers. Others can judge the propriety…
The Pentagon is proposing to halve its planned F-35 buy and boost funding for the sixth-gen F-47 fighter jet—but many of its 2026 budget-proposal details hinge on the reconciliation legislation still being debated on Capitol Hill.The budget proposal was quietly delivered to Congress yesterday—an unorthodox rollout without the typical public release and background briefings for press. Even more unconventional: documents sent to Capitol Hill include not just the usual defense appropriations, but also money they are seeking in the reconciliation package. Defense One obtained copies of several of the documents.And another oddity: the proposal arrived one day after the House…
Beretta USA is rolling out the full 20X Bobcat lineup, comprising a new take on a legendary pocket pistol. Combining pocket concealment with enhanced comfort, durability and easy loading, all four distinctive models are now shipping: The Bug Out Bag, Do It Yourself, In Case of Emergency, and You’re on Your Own. “We focused on ergonomics, accessibility and real-world usability—especially for those who need something ultra-reliable and easy to operate under stress, said Logan Killan, Beretta USA pistol product manager. “This lineup isn’t just about how small it carries—it’s about how confidently it shoots.” A small, concealable pistol built for…