Pentagon

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US Army Swears in Tech Execs as Lieutenant Colonels

Execs from Meta, OpenAI, Palantir to serve in Army Reserve as advisers

(Newser) - Four Silicon Valley senior executives were sworn in last week as lieutenant colonels by the US Army. The military announced in a press release that Shyam Sankar, Palantir CTO; Andrew Bosworth, Meta CTO; Kevin Weil, OpenAI's chief product officer; and Bob McGrew, OpenAI's former chief research officer, will...

Hegseth Expects Use of National Guard to Expand

He faces lawmakers in testy House hearing

(Newser) - "Your tenure as secretary has been marked by endless chaos," Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a heated hearing Tuesday. The House Appropriations subcommittee on defense hearing, one of four hearings scheduled over the next week, was the first time Hegseth had faced Congress....

Biggest Spreader of UFO Myths May Be the Pentagon
Who's Spreading UFO Myths?
The Pentagon, for One
longform
Jun 10, 2025 12:48 PM CDT

Who's Spreading UFO Myths? The Pentagon, for One

Wall Street Journal reports the practice appears to go back decades

(Newser) - Last year, a Pentagon report concluded that no credible evidence exists that we've been visited by little green men from outer space or that the US has covered up UFO activity. Now, the Wall Street Journal follows up with an investigation that provides a remarkable twist to the narrative:...

Vance Tries to Find New Aides for Hegseth

JD Vance is helping with Pentagon's job search

(Newser) - Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles are trying to help Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fill job openings in his inner circle after at least three people dropped out of consideration. The high-ranking positions available included chief of staff, as well as several senior adviser...

Watchdog Probes if Pentagon Staffers Deleted Signal Texts

Inspector general also wants to know who had access to Secretary Hegseth's phone

(Newser) - A Pentagon watchdog is looking into whether any of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's aides were asked to delete Signal messages that may have shared sensitive military information with a reporter, per two people familiar with the investigation and documents reviewed by the AP . The inspector general's request focuses...

Report: Pentagon Plans a Big Move on Greenland

Sources say oversight will be transferred from European Command to Northern Command

(Newser) - The Pentagon is expected to soon shift responsibility for Greenland from US European Command to US Northern Command, according to officials familiar with the plan. Sources tell Politico that the change could happen as soon as this week. While the move is mostly symbolic, Northern Command oversees North American...

What the DoD Did This Week: Killed Those DOGE Reports

Civilian employees at Pentagon no longer have to send bulleted list each week detailing their work

(Newser) - Good news for civilian workers at the Pentagon who've been forced to send weekly emails documenting their work: You don't have to do that anymore. The directive kick-started earlier this year across various federal agencies by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency group, which instructed staffers to...

Press Group: New Pentagon Restrictions a 'Direct Attack'

Journalists must now have escorts when visiting DOD, per new rules from Secretary Pete Hegseth

(Newser) - The Pentagon has tightened access for journalists, with new rules requiring official escorts for credentialed reporters in most areas of the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the change on Friday, saying it's meant to better protect classified intelligence and operational security, per Reuters . Journalists won't be...

Hegseth Holds Prayer Service in Pentagon That Praises Trump

Secretary says he wants to hold the event, held during working hours, monthly

(Newser) - In an event that Military.com notes "pushes the boundaries" of the Constitution's prohibition on a state religion, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led an evangelical Christian prayer service at the Pentagon on Wednesday, during working hours, that included praise for President Trump as divinely appointed. The "Secretary...

US Military Commanders' New Task: Purging Trans Troops

DOD says supervisors Supervisors must now use health checks to find transgender soldiers, those with gender dysphoria

(Newser) - Military commanders will soon be tasked with identifying and removing transgender service members or those with gender dysphoria, according to Pentagon officials, a directive that's part of President Trump's order to ban openly transgender individuals from serving in the US military. Commanders will use the annual health...

Pentagon Hotline With DC Tower Hasn't Worked in 3 Years

Revelation comes after deadly crash and a near miss

(Newser) - Ronald Reagan National Airport has seen a deadly crash between an Army helicopter and a passenger plane, as well as a near miss , since the start of the year. While investigations into both continue, a Senate hearing this week revealed a surprising fact: A hotline between the Pentagon and...

'Be Outraged,' Warren Says of Guantanamo Flights

Military flights to base have cost at least $21M, according to Pentagon

(Newser) - From the moment he resumed office until April 8, President Trump's administration spent at least $21 million transporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay on military aircraft, according to US military figures provided to Congress. Nearly 500 migrants have been cycled through the base since January, though there are fewer than...

Pentagon Starts Enforcing Trans Ban

Troops with gender dysphoria diagnoses will be forced out if they don't leave voluntarily

(Newser) - The Pentagon is moving quickly to force out transgender service members after the Supreme Court's Tuesday ruling allowing the Trump administration to enforce the ban while legal challenges are underway. "After a SCOTUS victory for @POTUS, TRANS is out at the DOD," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared...

Hegseth Announces 20% Cut to Military Leadership Roles

'More generals and admirals does not lead to more success'

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday directed the active-duty military to shed 20% of its four-star general officers as the Trump administration moves forward with deep cuts. Hegseth also told the National Guard to eliminate 20% of its top positions and directed the military to cut an additional 10% of...

Another Drop in Number of Military Sexual Assault Reports

Decrease attributed to decline in Army reports, as other services see increases

(Newser) - The US military saw reported sexual assaults drop for a second straight year—but Pentagon officials describe the numbers as still too high. The new report counted 8,195 reported sexual assaults in 2024, down nearly 4% from the prior year's 8,515; the count in 2022 was...

Hegseth's Chief of Staff Is Latest Pentagon Departure

Defense secretary says 'great American' Joe Kasper wasn't fired

(Newser) - Another senior Pentagon employee has departed—but unlike three top advisers fired last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's chief of staff wasn't escorted out of the building by security. Joe Kasper tells Politico that he is leaving the role and plans to return to government relations and consulting...

Hegseth Added Internet Line That Avoided Pentagon Security

Such an installation conceals the identity of the user

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon's security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, two people familiar with the line told the AP . Known as a "dirty" internet line in the IT industry,...

Hegseth Comes Out Swinging Over Rumored Makeup Studio

Defense secretary slams 'totally fake story' about upgrade to greenroom at Defense Department

(Newser) - Pete Hegseth is getting a brief respite from Signalgate with a much more frivolous development that's making headlines. Sources tell CBS News that the defense secretary recently threw down an order to modify a room adjoining the Pentagon's press briefing area, and that those plans included a request...

Report: Security Took Hegseth Aide Out of Pentagon

Sources tell Reuters Dan Caldwell was identified in investigation of leaks

(Newser) - A top aide to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was escorted out of the Pentagon by security on Tuesday after he was identified in an investigation of leaks of sensitive information, sources tell outlets including Reuters and Fox News . The sources say Dan Caldwell, one of Hegseth's senior advisors, has...

Trump Turns Southern Border Land Into 'Military Installation'

The Defense Department will have jurisdiction over a strip of land in 3 states

(Newser) - President Trump has given the Pentagon jurisdiction over a 60-foot-wide strip of public land in three states along the southern border as part of his plan to expand the military's involvement in immigration enforcement. The Wall Street Journal reports Trump released a presidential memorandum on Friday that ordered the...

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