Pentagon

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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...

Soldiers Discharged Over Vaccine Mandate Are Reenlisted

Trump ordered the move early in his 2nd term

(Newser) - The US Army has reenlisted more than 23 soldiers who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine after the Pentagon mandated the vaccine in 2021. The action follows an order by President Trump to rehire affected troops and provide back pay; the vaccine mandate was dropped in 2023 and...

Hegseth: No More Fitness Breaks for Women in Combat

Says women must pass the same tests as men

(Newser) - A new order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to majorly reduce the number of US women in combat positions, per the New York Times . In an order dated Sunday, Hegseth mandated that the physical fitness requirements for all combat positions be "sex-neutral" by the end of October...

Pentagon Had Warned Against Using Signal

Department repeated the warning last week, saying Russian hackers are targeting the app

(Newser) - Three days after a journalist was accidentally looped into a Signal group chat with top national security officials discussing military strikes in Yemen, the Pentagon warned the app should not be used even to discuss unclassified information. The department-wide advisory dated March 18 warned Signal's use by "common...

Hegseth: Musk Didn't See 'Secret' War Plan on China

President Trump also denies that DOGE leader was privy to classified plan

(Newser) - A Thursday report in the New York Times claiming Elon Musk would be briefed by the Pentagon on top-secret war plans against China is now getting pushback, including from President Trump. First, per the Guardian , Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday denied Musk saw any such plans during an early...

Pentagon Will Brief Musk on Plan for Hypothetical War: Report

Elon Musk set to be briefed on the plan for a potential US-China war, sources say

(Newser) - Two US officials tell the New York Times that Elon Musk will be at the Pentagon Friday, getting briefed on the US military's plan for a hypothetical war with China. A third official confirmed a China-focused briefing is happening, and a fourth confirmed Musk will be at the Pentagon...

Navajo Code Talkers Returned to Military Websites

Web pages had been removed as part of DEI crackdown

(Newser) - Some military web pages referencing the Navajo Code Talkers and other Native American veterans were restored Wednesday after tribes condemned their removal as part of the Trump administration's push to remove any and all content it deems DEI-adjacent. "In the rare cases that content is removed—either deliberately...

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