Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Thousands of soldiers miss vaccine deadline as Army weighs mass purge
Nearly 4,000 U.S. soldiers have refused a COVID-19 vaccine and could be pushed out of the Army beginning next month, the Pentagon said Thursday as military officials grapple with the possibility that the controversy could lead to a mass purge from the ranks. Published December 16, 2021
Outmanned and outgunned: Ukraine’s military faces long odds in clash with Russia
The Ukrainian military is vastly outmanned and outgunned by its neighbor and rival Russia. Even so, a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine would be no cakewalk. Published December 15, 2021
Navy tests high-energy laser weapon in Gulf of Aden
The U.S. Navy on Tuesday fired a high-energy laser weapon in the Gulf of Aden, military officials said, marking the latest test of a cutting-edge system that could potentially be used to counter deadly drone boats used by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Published December 15, 2021
Biden’s Beijing Olympics boycott sputters as South Korea, other U.S. allies say no
President Biden's diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games is struggling to find recruits just a week after its launch, with close U.S. allies around the world rejecting the effort and in some cases publicly bashing it. Published December 13, 2021
Drinking water well at Pearl Harbor contaminated with petroleum, Navy says
A key water well used by military personnel and their families at Pearl Harbor is contaminated with petroleum, Navy officials said late Thursday, sparking what some lawmakers say is a "crisis of astronomical proportions" for tens of thousands of people whose access to clean water is now in question. Published December 3, 2021
U.S. threatens ‘serious consequences’ if Russia invades Ukraine
Moscow will face "serious consequences" if it invades Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Russian counterpart point-blank Thursday as tensions rise in Eastern Europe and the Biden administration faces one of its thorniest international tests. Published December 2, 2021
Nearly 10,000 service members requested religious waiver for COVID vaccine
Nearly 10,000 U.S. military personnel have applied for religious waivers to avoid the COVID-19 vaccine but so far not a single one has been approved, publicly available Pentagon data show, potentially paving the way for thousands of service members to be booted from the force in the coming months. Published December 1, 2021
5% of Marines unvaccinated against COVID-19 as deadline hits
About 5% of active-duty Marines have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, military officials said late Monday, military officials said late Monday, potentially leaving thousands of service members with an uncertain future following a key Nov. 28 deadline to get the shot. Published November 29, 2021
Eyeing China, Pentagon to shift resources, seek access from Pacific allies
The Pentagon will invest heavily in military construction across the Pacific while updating existing facilities in Guam and Australia, officials said Monday, offering the first broad glimpses of the U.S. military's unfolding effort to redirect equipment and personnel to counter the growing threat posed by China. Published November 29, 2021
U.S. Navy rescues two Iranians stranded in Gulf of Oman for eight days
U.S. sailors rescued two Iranians whose fishing boat had been adrift in the Gulf of Oman for more than a week. Published November 28, 2021
Gaming it out: Inside the Pentagon’s preparation for a China clash
War games have taken on new meaning and urgency in the 21st century as China's massive armed forces build-up in the Pacific and Russia's movement of troops along its border with Ukraine ratchet up the possibility of a major conflict. Published November 27, 2021
Pentagon creates new UFO office, acknowledges ‘national security concerns’
The Defense Department late Tuesday night formally created a new office to track and organize UFO sightings across the U.S. military, acknowledging that persistent cases of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) "raise potential national security concerns" that cannot be ignored. Published November 24, 2021
‘Clock is ticking’ as U.S. vulnerable to Chinese electromagnetic attack, experts warn
America's electric grid and other key infrastructure remain vulnerable to an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack from China, North Korea or other adversary, and the U.S. is at a pivotal moment if it wants to avoid a potential doomsday scenario, a panel of experts warned Tuesday. Published November 23, 2021
System strained as military personnel seek religious waivers from COVID-19 vaccine
The military's system of implementing a COVID-19 vaccination order for all those in the ranks is facing unprecedented stress as a historic number of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines say their faith should allow them to skip getting the shot. Published November 21, 2021
Top Biden aide Jake Sullivan under fire amid Durham indictments, botched Afghanistan exit
Already under fire for his role in the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is facing growing calls to resign amid new questions about his possible connection to debunked claims of collusion between Russia and former President Trump's 2016 campaign. Published November 17, 2021
‘A threat to all nations’: U.S. condemns Russia after major space weapon test
Russia on Monday tested a major antisatellite weapon in outer space, U.S. officials said, creating more than 1,500 large pieces of debris and potentially endangering American and Russian astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Published November 15, 2021
‘Not messing around’: China’s rapid military advances stoke fear, catch Pentagon by surprise
Over just the past several months, major revelations about the extent of China's hypersonic weapons capabilities, its nuclear arms stockpile and even the size of its navy have sparked concerns that Washington may not have a full window into exactly what its 21st-century rival has up its sleeve or what may be under development deep inside the communist nation. Published November 11, 2021
Metallurgist who doctored Navy sub steel data pleads guilty
A Washington state metallurgist pleaded guilty this week to falsifying hundreds of test results for steel used to produce U.S. Navy submarines, the Justice Department said as it moved to conclude a stunning fraud case that spanned more than 30 years and put American taxpayers on the hook for extra Pentagon maintenance costs on one of the military's most expensive assets. Published November 9, 2021
Outside looking in: After Afghanistan, U.S. scrambles for bases in central Asia
President Biden is racing to find partners in Central Asia willing to host U.S. troops, equipment and intelligence assets that the Pentagon says are vital to keep al Qaeda, ISIS and other extremist outfits from launching deadly attacks out of Afghanistan, even as China and Russia expand their power in the strategically vital region and work to elbow out Washington. Published November 8, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: Russian disinformation ‘true constitutional threat,’ top Air Force general warns
Russian social media disinformation campaigns and the increasingly hostile political battles they've fueled across America represent a "true constitutional threat" to the nation, contributing to COVID-19 vaccine skepticism and other serious issues in the military and beyond, a top Air Force general told The Washington Times this week. Published November 6, 2021
