Author: Braxton Taylor

Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a review of the Department of Defense’s support of military families who choose to homeschool their children in the U.S. and overseas.In a memo released Tuesday, Hegseth said the assessment is part of an overall departmental review of educational choices for military families, done in accordance with a Jan. 29 presidential executive order that directed the DoD to consider the use of Pentagon funds to pay for private, religious or public charter schools for military dependents.Hegseth said homeschooling should be included in any review of educational opportunities for military children.Read Next: Tricare Errors Put Military…

Two veterans now serving in Congress took a step Friday to institutionalize one of the Defense Department’s most effective—but lesser-known—bridges between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon: the Joint Reserve Detachment of the Defense Innovation Unit. Formalizing the jobs of the roughly 50 members of the JRD  would “increase their ability to consult and advise on critical national security ideas and solutions” according to a one-page explainer from the office of Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, viewed exclusively by Defense One. Nunn is currently an Air Force colonel in the reserves.“By leveraging our greatest asset—talented, patriotic Americans willing to bring their technical expertise…

Galco Gunleather is now offering its Walkabout 3.0 IWB (inside-the-waistband) concealment holster to fit the Ruger Max-9 micro compact carry pistol. The Walkabout 3.0 IWB ambidextrous concealment holster is part of Galco’s Carry Lite product line. All Walkabout 3.0 holsters are crafted from premium center-cut steerhide and are strong-side inside-the-waistband (IWB) carry holsters, but they can be easily adapted for appendix carry or crossdraw use depending on the needs of the end user. The Galco Walkabout 3.0 features a wide, open-top design that allows the wearer to quickly draw their handgun, with ample clearance around the mouth to accommodate slide-mounted…

The Navy has taken a rare step and relieved a one-star admiral who oversaw the service’s unmanned and small combatant programs, including one of its newest class of warships, according to a statement released Monday.Rear Adm. Kevin Smith was relieved from leadership of the program office by Dr. Brett Seidle, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.As the program executive for unmanned and small craft, Smith oversaw the Navy’s design, development, construction, maintenance and modernization of unmanned maritime systems, as well as systems for mine warfare, special warfare and expeditionary warfare. The office is also overseeing…

The Trump administration is considering shifting 4,500 troops from South Korea to other locations across the Pacific, including Guam, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Context: The Trump team is looking to reduce U.S. troop levels in Europe and the related focus on Russia’s Ukraine invasion, ostensibly to prepare for a possible conflict with China, as NBC News reported last month, citing administration officials. Korea caveat: “U.S. officials say a decision on troop levels won’t come until there is more clarity about the direction of the war in Ukraine and whether the administration will keep supporting Kyiv militarily,” the Journal reports. From the…

In my previous article, I discussed two fundamental skills. First, the ability to consistently draw and hit an 8-inch circle at 7 yards in under 2 seconds. Second, consistently scoring multiple hits on an 8-inch circle at 7 yards with no more than .5 second between shots. For the armed citizen who carries in public, these are the two most fundamental starting points to building competence. Once you’ve achieved those benchmarks, the question becomes, “Where do we go from there?” I recommend next tackling the “5×5 Drill.” The 5×5 Drill Firearms trainer and author Gila Hayes originally developed the 5×5…

Summer is the season of adventure, whether it’s a long road trip, a family vacation or just spending more time outdoors. But while you’re busy soaking up the sun, don’t forget to protect the things that help make summer great — your car, your home and all that expensive sports gear. A little insurance checkup now could save you from a financial sunburn later.Hit the Road, but Check Your Auto Insurance FirstBefore you load up the car for that epic summer road trip, take a few minutes to review your auto insurance policy. Are your coverage limits high enough to…

As concerns about homeland drone attacks persist, the Pentagon is looking for ways to combat everything from nuisance hobbyists to adversarial drone activity—including options that don’t include shooting them down. To that end, the Army is funding a new research center at Virginia Tech to test the limits and develop training for non-kinetic counterdrone technologies. “Kinetic is the old way. It’s the right way for many applications and systems when you need to guarantee immediate death. It’s part of a layered defense system, but non-kinetic offers a ton of benefits,” said Austin Phoenix, the director of Virginia Tech’s National Security Institute’s…

JK Armament recently launched the industry’s only 20-gauge shotgun suppressor, the new JK Armament JK 195 SGX 20 GA. The JK 195 SGX is available both in black and flat dark earth, and besides being compatible with 20-gauge shotguns, the suppressor is also a modular system that allows the end user to modify the unit to suit their current style of shooting, be it hunting, sport, competition or general recreation. The JK Armamament JK 195 SGX baffle stack can be shortened or lengthened from 3.375 inches to 12.2 inches. Likewise, the JK 195 SGX has interchangeable choke caps to tweak…

The Pentagon is shifting $1 billion meant for maintaining and renovating Army barracks to instead fund its surge of troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, a move that coincides with the service’s gradual deprioritization of quality-of-life initiatives for soldiers.Redirecting the barracks funding erodes much of the additional money the Army started pouring into living quarters during the previous administration. The funding could be partially replaced by a separate $1 billion in proposed barracks investments across all services in Congress’ so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” but that legislation, designed to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda, would still leave the Army with an…