JUST IN via @apnews.com's @ktoropin.bsky.social: "Defense Secretary Pete #Hegseth has asked the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. #RandyGeorge, to step down, the Pentagon said Thursday, as the United States wages a war against #Iran." apnews.com/article/pent...

Hegseth asks the Army's top uniformed officer to step down while US wages war against Iran

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, to step down as the United States wages a war against Iran.

apnews.com

It was my pleasure to let trans troops speak about their experiences of being discharged in their own words.

Out In National Security@outinnationalsecurity.org · last yr.

Great work by @militarydotcom.bsky.social ‘s @ktoropin.bsky.social “Having this code, as best I understand, was last used for discharging homosexuals during the Lavender Scare in the McCarthy era" www.military.com/daily-news/i...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to take steps to encourage troops to consider being part of the agencies that handle immigration enforcement and border security though a new policy unveiled Thursday. Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social

Pentagon Encourages Troops to Join Immigration Enforcement, Border Security Job Training Program

Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to "prioritize and broadly advertise" opportunities troops who are nearing separation or retirement from the military have with either Customs and Border Protection or Imm...

military.com

"Pentagon Encourages Troops to Join Immigration Enforcement, Border Security Job Training Program In a memo made public Thursday, Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to "prioritize & broadly advertise" opportunities [for] troops who are nearing separation or retirement" From @ktoropin.bsky.social

Pentagon Encourages Troops to Join Immigration Enforcement, Border Security Job Training Program

Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to "prioritize and broadly advertise" opportunities troops who are nearing separation or retirement from the military have with either Customs and Border Protection or Imm...

military.com

Fort Bragg soldiers who cheered Trump’s political attacks (and jeered the press) were checked for allegiance, appearance via @stevenbeynon.bsky.social @ktoropin.bsky.social @militarydotcom.bsky.social www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Bragg Soldiers Who Cheered Trump's Political Attacks While in Uniform Were Checked for Allegiance, Appearance

As President Donald Trump viciously attacked his perceived political foes, he whipped up boos from the gathered troops directed at California leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom.

military.com

A battalion of active-duty Marines -- around 700 troops -- based out of Twentynine Palms, California, received deployment orders to Los Angeles on Monday. Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social, @stevenbeynon.bsky.social and @dflawrence.bsky.social

Trump Deploys Hundreds of Marines to LA in Growing Military Response to Immigration Raid Protests

The deployment marks a sharp escalation in the military's role in domestic unrest in the city caused by immigration raids by the Trump administration.

military.com

The ship is named after a gay rights icon. One official told me that the timing of the decision - amid Pride Month - is not an accident.

Travis J. Tritten@travistritten.bsky.social · last yr.

The USNS Harvey Milk will be renamed on the orders of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social

The USNS Harvey Milk will be renamed on the orders of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social

Hegseth Orders Navy to Strip Name of Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk from Ship

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to take the rare step of renaming a ship, one that bears the name of a gay rights icon, documents and sources show.

military.com

In a move that pushes the boundaries of Constitutional prohibition against a state religion, Hegseth hosted an evangelical prayer service in the middle of the day at the Pentagon in which a pastor praised President Donald Trump as "sovereignly appointed." Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social

Hegseth Starts Evangelical Prayer Services at Pentagon with His Tennessee Church Pastor

The defense secretary's personal pastor from a Tennessee church whose leaders have a documented history of advocating for male-led Christian authority over society.

military.com

ICYMI: A Congressional probe into the safety of the V-22 Osprey following multiple deadly crashes has stalled for nearly a year. A Gold Star widow tells @militarydotcom.bsky.social she is “beyond disappointed” by this. More from me and @ktoropin.bsky.social here: www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Osprey Safety Investigation Stalls in Congress, Angering Gold Star Families

Congress' probe into the safety of the military's V-22 Osprey last summer following multiple deadly crashes has been stalled for nearly a year, angering Gold Star family members who lost loved ones ab...

military.com

Excellent points by @ktoropin.bsky.social! “More than a month after announcing a… bombing campaign against Houthi… in Yemen, (DOD) has offered little information and… refusing to answer even basic questions on what U.S. forces have accomplished … or whether troops have been under fire or injured.”

Jason "Red5" Lyall@jaylyall.bsky.social · last yr.

That because there's no strategy, no theory of victory, no metrics for success --- just vibes ("it's been a bad three weeks for the Houthis and it's about to get a lot worse"). Just bombing for the sake of "doing something"

Big one for military folks ... Hegseth's Pentagon looking to hand on-base grocery stores and shops designed to save service members and their families money to the private sector. Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social + @tomnovelly.bsky.social

Privatized Commissaries? Pentagon Looking to Turn Over Retail, Recreation Services to Companies

The Pentagon’s newest push to trim its workforce and spending could mean that on-base grocery stores and shops designed to save service members and their families money could ultimately be sold off to...

military.com

It was a treat to join @wardcarroll.bsky.social and chat about the Navy’s latest efforts to cut costs while battling drones in the Red Sea

Ward Carroll@wardcarroll.bsky.social · last yr.

New episode just posted (featuring @ktoropin.bsky.social):

"How are soldiers supposed to interpret this?" an Army brigade commander said. "It's a cartoonish lapse in security." Story by @stevenbeynon.bsky.social, @ktoropin.bsky.social, @dflawrence.bsky.social + @kheel.bsky.social

'Different Spanks for Different Ranks': Hegseth's Signal Scandal Would Put Regular Troops in the Brig

Despite what amounts to among the most startling security snafus in recent memory -- one that would almost certainly trigger severe disciplinary action for lower-level personnel -- Hegseth and others ...

military.com

Had the pleasure of speaking with @ktoropin.bsky.social for this latest @militarydotcom.bsky.social article on Kingsley Wilson. BLUF: she’s a white nationalist.

Military.com@militarydotcom.bsky.social · last yr.

Pentagon's No. 2 Spokesperson Has Long History of Antisemitic, Bigoted Social Media Posts

NEW from me and @ktoropin.bsky.social: Ethics experts raise concerns about Trump’s pick to lead the Joint Chiefs given his role with a Kushner investment firm. Also, the officer’s VMI classmates worry that Trump may try and put the general in a precarious position. www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Dan Caine's Nomination: Trump Family Business Connection, Fellow Classmates' Concerns

President Donald Trump's choice last week to nominate Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine as his pick to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff marks uncharted territory for the military.

military.com

In the last month the Defense Secretary has fired the only two female four-stars, the top rank for military officers. @ktoropin.bsky.social and @stevenbeynon.bsky.social on how women in uniform are reacting to the loss of women at the top.

No More Female 4-Stars: Franchetti Firing Leaves Top Ranks Filled by Men

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's first female chief, last week without any clear explanation -- part of a purge of top uniformed leadership that included the Joint...

military.com

The firing of Brown is going to get most of the attention, but the firings of the JAGs might be more significant in some ways. They're responsible for ensuring the military follows the law. - @ktoropin.bsky.social and @tomnovelly.bsky.social with the news www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Fired: Joint Chiefs Chairman, Top Navy Leader, Air Force Vice Chief, Service Judge Advocates General

In a historic and unprecedented move, the Trump administration on Friday night fired the Joint Chiefs chairman, the Navy's top officer, the Air Force vice chief of staff, and the judge advocates gener...

military.com

It was a pleasure to chat with @thebrianlehrershow.bsky.social on our newsroom’s reporting over the impact of Trump’s DEI bans on the military!

The Brian Lehrer Show@thebrianlehrershow.bsky.social · last yr.

ICYMI: @robertpjones.bsky.social, @ryanburge.bsky.social and @ktoropin.bsky.social on Trump's anti-Christian bias taskforce and anti-DEI policies: www.wnyc.org/story/trump-...

The Secretary of Defense appears to have posted a document on X that shows he owes more than $33,000 in taxes following an audit. Aside from his calls to defy the IRS, this raises a myriad of questions from the quality of the vetting that was done to his vulnerability to bribes.

NEW from @militarydotcom.bsky.social - We spent all week trying to figure out what's going on with Sec Hegseth and his $137K house repairs Seems the DoD doesn't want to offer details They did confirm he'll pay rent w/@stevenbeynon.bsky.social, @kheel.bsky.social www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Pentagon Offers Few Details on Hegseth's $137,000 Housing Upgrades, But Secretary Will Pay Rent

Hegseth is eyeing a move into military family housing at Fort McNair, a historic Army installation tucked away in southwest D.C., where the Anacostia and Potomac rivers meet.

military.com

We're going to keep asking until we get some actual answers. - @ktoropin.bsky.social @stevenbeynon.bsky.social @kheel.bsky.social

Pentagon Offers Few Details on Hegseth's $137,000 Housing Upgrades, But Secretary Will Pay Rent

Hegseth is eyeing a move into military family housing at Fort McNair, a historic Army installation tucked away in southwest D.C., where the Anacostia and Potomac rivers meet.

military.com

Jack McCain, one of the board members (Naval Academy) impacted reacts to his seeming ouster on Twitter/X -

Konstantin Toropin@ktoropin.bsky.social · last yr.

BREAKING: President Trump says he is dismissing the boards of all the service academies. In the last days of his last term, Trump packed the boards with loyalists like Kellyanne Conway and now-AG Pam Bondi. Biden removed them when he got into office.

BREAKING: President Trump says he is dismissing the boards of all the service academies. In the last days of his last term, Trump packed the boards with loyalists like Kellyanne Conway and now-AG Pam Bondi. Biden removed them when he got into office.

🚨BREAKING: US IndoPacific Command says that an aircraft crash in the Philippines has claimed the life of a U.S. servicemember and three contractors.

One reason so many people are so unclear on what’s happening is the hesitation to deliver a more general theory of the case. Go ahead, break out the big type

Josh Sternberg@joshsternberg.com · last yr.

In 2016 the NYT ran multiple front page stories page about the grave national security risk of Hillary Clinton's server. Today's front page, and nary a mention of the successful "plutocratic coup" (said by a sitting House member) or "constitutional crisis (said by a sitting Senator) unfolding

We @militarydotcom.bsky.social still have a desk at the Pentagon and I assure everyone, we have every intent to use it to continue to do good journalism, threat of expulsion be damned.

southpaw@nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 2y ago

NBC News is being kicked out of its space in the Pentagon and replaced by OANN.

Military.com reached out to nearly a dozen current and retired general officers for comment on Trump's retaliation against Milley. None would speak even under the condition their names be withheld from publication. Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social and @stevenbeynon.bsky.social

The Loneliest General: Silence Surrounds Gen. Mark Milley Amid Trump Retaliation

Donald Trump focused his ire and retaliation on one person in the very first minutes of his presidency, even before his inauguration concluded -- retired Army Gen. Mark Milley.

military.com

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that "all options will be on the table" when asked by former colleagues on the "Fox & Friends" TV show whether the military is now permitted to strike within Mexico. Story by @dflawrence.bsky.social and @ktoropin.bsky.social

Defense Secretary Hegseth Says 'All Options Will Be on the Table' When Asked About Military Strikes in Mexico

President Donald Trump designated cartels operating in Mexico as foreign terrorist organizations on Jan. 20 during a slew of executive orders he signed after his inauguration and amid a broader crackd...

military.com

Independent watchdogs at the Defense Department and Department of Veterans Affairs appeared Monday to be among the estimated 18 inspectors general fired by President Donald Trump on Friday. Story by @patriciakime.bsky.social and @ktoropin.bsky.social

Watchdogs at Pentagon, VA Fired in Purge of Inspectors General Across Federal Government

The move by Trump flouts a requirement that the president give Congress 30 days' notice before firing inspectors general.

military.com