Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Air Force tweaks uniform policy to allow coveralls, camo baseball caps
The Air Force on Monday tweaked its uniform policy and will allow service members to wear coveralls and camouflage baseball caps. Published June 15, 2021
Pentagon IG warns ‘independence’ at risk amid diversity, anti-extremism push in military
The Defense Department's inspector general risks losing its "independence" amid a push in the U.S. military to promote diversity and stamp out White supremacy and other extremist ideologies, the watchdog said in a new report, warning that Congress has established a flawed system with potentially serious unintended consequences. Published June 14, 2021
Iran sends warships across Atlantic Ocean for first time
Iran on Friday confirmed that two of the country's warships are sailing across the Atlantic Ocean for the first time, setting off alarm bells for top U.S. military officials who fear Tehran may be sending weapons to Venezuela or elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere. Published June 11, 2021
Painful memories as U.S. ponders safety of Afghan embassy
The Biden administration is working feverishly to ensure the long-term security of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as combat troops leave Afghanistan later this summer, with analysts warning that failure to keep open a diplomatic outpost after two decades of war would be a foreign policy "disaster" of historic proportions. Published June 10, 2021
Pentagon marks LGBT Pride month but will keep Trump-era ban on display of rainbow flags
The Defense Department on Wednesday held a major ceremony marking LGBT Pride month, though Pentagon leaders remain are under intense fire for upholding a Trump-era ban on flying the rainbow flag at military bases. Published June 9, 2021
One for the road: German troops bringing back 65,000 beers, 340 bottles of wine from Afghanistan
German troops won't let a single drop of booze go to waste as they withdraw from Afghanistan. Published June 9, 2021
U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan more than 50% complete, Pentagon says
America's military withdrawal from Afghanistan is more than 50% complete, officials said Tuesday, putting the U.S. on pace to complete its exit well ahead of President Biden's Sept. 11 deadline. Published June 8, 2021
‘Forbidden subject’: Air Force officers recount ridicule after sharing UFO experiences
Public attitudes toward UFOs were much different when retired Air Force Capt. Robert Salas took the stage at the National Press Club in Washington nearly 11 years ago. Published June 7, 2021
Army admits soldiers mistakenly raided Bulgarian olive oil factory during training drill
Army officials late Tuesday admitted that U.S. soldiers with the 173rd Airborne Brigade mistakenly raided a private business in Bulgaria last month during a training exercise. Published June 2, 2021
U.S. losing leverage to stop North Korea nuclear programs, experts say
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is prepared to wait out the Biden administration and is betting that the U.S. and its allies eventually will be forced to accept his nation as a nuclear power, former top U.S. officials and regional experts said Tuesday. Published June 1, 2021
Showdown: U.S., NATO wage war games in Europe; Russia to send troops west
The U.S. and its NATO allies on Monday conducted a set of major war games across Europe, while Russia responded by announcing plans to send at least 20 new military units to its western border. Published May 31, 2021
Lloyd Austin, Pentagon chief, fires back at Ted Cruz, says U.S. military will never be ‘soft’
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday fired back at Sen. Ted Cruz and other critics who have warned that an increasingly woke military is losing its edge, dismissing such accusations as welcome gifts to U.S. foes such as China and Russia. Published May 31, 2021
Sexual assault in military Democrats civil war
A civil war between top Democrats deepened Sunday amid differences over how sexual assault and other major crimes should be treated inside the U.S. military. Published May 30, 2021
‘More likely than not’ COVID-19 originated in Wuhan lab, key GOP lawmaker says
It is "more likely than not" that COVID-19 originated at a lab in Wuhan, China, and did not develop naturally, a key GOP lawmaker said Sunday. Published May 30, 2021
U.S. warship twice fails to intercept ballistic missile in Pacific
A Navy warship and the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency on Saturday failed twice in a key test to shoot down a medium-range ballistic missile, raising questions about America's readiness to intercept potential enemy attacks. Published May 30, 2021
‘Devastating:’ Critics pan Biden’s proposed $3.6 billion budget cut for U.S. Army
The Biden administration is proposing a $3.6 billion budget cut for the U.S. Army in fiscal 2022, a reduction that some defense analysts say is "devastating" and could compromise readiness and training, and force soldiers to go without some of the equipment they need to defend the nation. Published May 28, 2021
New budget would kill Pentagon contingency ‘slush fund’
President Biden's fiscal 2022 budget proposal released Friday would eliminate the Pentagon's long-standing and highly controversial "overseas contingency operations" account, which critics have blasted as a secretive slush fund that allows the military to hide some of its spending. Published May 28, 2021
Pentagon budget pours billions into AI, hypersonics, next-gen weapons: ‘Down payment’ for future war
The Pentagon's fiscal year 2022 budget request is a "down payment" on the technology and equipment the U.S. will need to win 21st-century wars, with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley saying that the military has made a conscious choice to focus on future conflicts ahead of current needs. Published May 28, 2021
As U.S. packs up, concern for allies left behind in Afghanistan grows
The Pentagon is scrambling to evacuate thousands of Afghans who are in danger of becoming targets in a looming Taliban offensive, adding more pressure to the U.S. military as it exits Afghanistan after two decades of war. Published May 27, 2021
Number of extremists serving in military unknown, Joint Chiefs chairman Mark Milley says
The Pentagon doesn't know how many extremists are in the armed forces and has yet to compile reliable data on the subject, the military's top commander said Thursday as he warned that extreme ideologies threaten to "infect our organizations and tear them apart." Published May 27, 2021
