At the end of June, the United States Military Academy, better known as West Point hosts the annual Reception Day or “R” Day when approximately 1,000 new cadet candidates enter West Point for a college and military education. However, there is a price. Those admitted to West Point must commit to five years of service in exchange for an undergraduate degree and to be admitted, they must literally have congressional…
On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress created the Continental Army to secure our Nation's independence and defend our new republic. For 238 years, the Army has been the Strength of the Nation, with generations of America’s most precious treasures stepping forward proudly - as Soldiers and Army Civilians - to defend those freedoms, as well as those of our friends and allies. Today, the Army is engaged in a…
The southern Japan island of Okinawa has marked the 68th anniversary of a decisive and bloody World War II battle that accelerated Japan’s surrender but left the island with a heavy U.S. military presence that is still the source of intense friction and frequent protests. More than 200,000 people are believed to have died in the 1945 battle for Okinawa and it was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific…
World War II veteran and Battle of Midway survivor, Mr. Joe Sanes, from Illinois became an honorary graduate of Recruit Training Command at Naval Station Great Lakes, more than 70 years after enlisting in the Navy. Sanes enlisted in the Navy on Nov. 14, 1941, and attended boot camp at Great Lakes. However, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, four weeks into boot camp, Sanes was immediately assigned to the…
The wave of sexual assaults and harassment that the high command has described as a "crisis" for the military has now reached into the Chaplains Corps. At Fort Bliss, Tex., last week, Maj. Geoffrey Alleyne, a chaplain and 24-year Army veteran, was sentenced by a court-martial jury to six months in jail for repeatedly groping a civilian employee at the West Texas base. Following the conviction and sentencing the victim…
The Army has Initiated Collaborative Efforts on TBI and PTSD Over the last 12 years, many soldiers have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with wounds, some visible and some not. The invisible wounds -- post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury -- are just as damaging as the visible ones. They impact the families as well as the soldiers. As part of its collaborative effort, the Army is participating in…
The remains of a U.S. Army soldier from Missouri who disappeared in Korea in 1950 have been identified and returned to his family in Arkansas. Cpl. Marvin Omans remains arrived by plane Friday in Little Rock where they were met by his sister. Martin’s son Johnie Martin provided DNA that helped identify Omans. Omans was born in Missouri. He disappeared Dec. 1, 1950, while on patrol. His remains were among…
Recently President Obama signed into law the latest version of the Stolen Valor Act which makes it a federal crime for people to pass themselves off as war heroes by wearing medals they didn't rightfully earn. The legislation passed both houses of Congress with overwhelming majorities. An earlier version, passed in 2005, was struck down in June 2012 when the Supreme Court ruled that lying about military heroics was constitutionally…
And in Detroit a pioneering World War II pilot finally received full military funeral honors -a tribute that was denied at her death because she was a woman. Marie Michell flew as one of 1,000-plus women to earn their wings as member of a U.S. Army Air Force program. On Oct. 2, 1944, the 20-year-olds plane crashed during a training flight over the Mojave Desert in California. Marie's family, including…
