Author: Braxton Taylor
The American West fascinates people from around the world, but there are many different kinds of iconic western stories. Author Dan Flores has spent a career writing about what he calls the Natural West, stories about nature, animals, and people that span thousands of years of time in the western half of America. Although we reflexively think of history in America as new, this first episode emphasizes the West’s true age by focusing on the great Chacoan Empire of a thousand years ago and what happened among its refugees in the Southwest in the wake of Chaco’s collapse from environmental…
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
Patients who use Tricare Prime in the West Region will not need to get preauthorization for most specialty care from their Tricare contract manager until June 30, extending a previous deadline, the Defense Health Agency announced last week.Defense officials said April 30 that they have extended the referral approval waiver through the end of June to ensure that patients continue having access to care following the change in Tricare contract managers Jan. 1.The extension marks the second time that DHA has suspended the requirement for Tricare patients to get preauthorization for specialty care from TriWest Healthcare Alliance, the region’s contract…
For veterans who feel big-budget Hollywood films paint an unfair or inaccurate picture of life in and out of uniform, the GI Film Festival San Diego is the chance to see the reality of the veteran experience on the silver screen. In 2025, America’s largest military film festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary and is coming with a slate of films, shorts and documentaries that rival anything it featured in years past.Since 2015, the GI Film Festival has showcased some 238 military-connected films for more than 13,000 viewers in both Washington, D.C., and San Diego. The festival opens its 10-year…
The White House has backed off President Donald Trump’s stunning social media proposal to change the name of Veterans Day to “Victory Day for World War I” and will settle for keeping the name while adding a proclamation hailing American victory in World War I.The White House will also go with a victory proclamation rather than a name change — at least in the U.S. — for V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, which is observed every May 8 in Europe and May 9 in Russia to mark Nazi Germany’s surrender to the allies in World War II.“We are…
The Air Force’s top uniformed leader pointed to increases in recruiting numbers, slightly longer basic military training exercises and new dining hall options as examples of how he is reviving the service’s “warrior ethos” — using a phrase pushed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.In an update letter to all airmen Friday, Gen. David Allvin, the chief of staff, said the service has already signed up and enlisted 74% of the people it set for its fiscal 2025 goal.”A year and a half ago, I committed to leading our Air Force into the future through initiatives designed to ensure we remain…
After Maj. Zachary Sessa launched his F-35C Lightning II’s payload at Houthi weapons storage facilities in Yemen last year, the historical significance of the flight dawned on him.Nearly a year ago, Sessa deployed with the Marine Corps’ first F-35C unit aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln bound for the Pacific. But with less than a month out of port, the Pentagon ordered the carrier strike group to the Middle East as Iran-backed Houthis continued to attack shipping vessels in the region.The physical redirection also constituted a mental one for the troops aboard the strike group. Having spent their pre-deployment expecting to…
The Air Force has to dig new silos for its Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program, instead of reusing Minuteman III silos as originally planned, according to the service. “The Air Force continues to assess its options and design concepts as part of doing good systems engineering. While no decision has been made, we expect Sentinel to use predominantly [Air Force]-owned real estate to build new missile silos instead of re-using MMIII silos,” a service spokesperson said in a statement Monday. This shift means the service might have to construct hundreds of new silos, since the Sentinel program is intended to replace 400…
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to cut the number of their highest-ranking officers — four-star generals and admirals — by at least 20%.In a memo released Monday, Hegseth argued that senior leaders should be “unencumbered by unnecessary bureaucratic layers that hinder their growth and effectiveness” and “a critical step in this process is removing redundant force structure.”In addition to ordering the firing of a minimum of 20% of four-star positions on active duty, the memo also orders a similar reduction in the National Guard and at least a 10% cut across all generals and admirals in the…
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took the first step to turn his rhetoric about bloated senior military ranks into policy on Monday with a memo ordering the services to eliminate at least 20 percent of their active-duty four-star general and flag officer billets, as well as at least 20 percent of all general officer jobs in the National Guard, plus another 10% of general and flag officer billets across the entire military.The move comes as the Trump administration has been pushing for widespread personnel reductions and realignments across the Defense Department, and days after Hegseth ordered the Army specifically to start…