#military-readiness

#military-readiness

A striking convergence of events this week should have shaken the Pentagon's overseers but so far hasn't. On Wednesday, the Senate passed a $900 billion defense bill by an overwhelming 77-20 margin. A few days earlier, the New York Times devoted its entire 13-page Sunday Opinion section to argue that much of that budget is a colossal waste of money. Titled "Overmatched: Why the U.S. Military Needs to Reinvent Itself," the package catalogs the many ways in which the country's war machine

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is ordering troops to watch or read his speech last month at Quantico, Va., when he declared the "woke" military is gone, decried "fat generals" and ordered women in the military to meet the "highest male standards" for physical fitness. The memo, obtained by NPR, calls for servicemembers to complete the "Warrior Ethos Tasking," which includes a link to the video and updated policy memorandums, by the end of the month.

Early in her military career, she collapsed from heat exhaustion while carrying a 65lb pack on a sweltering hike in Quantico, Virginia. Years later in Afghanistan, Rivera drove a truck in temperatures nearing 120F (49C). But she was ready. She had taken a mechanics course twice to make sure she could fix the truck's air conditioning if it failed. She knew extreme heat could incapacitate her marines. They need water and good temps like everybody, she said.

in a September 30 memo, one of 11 that Hegseth referenced during the now infamous speech at Quantico on the same day. 'The Department of War is committed to enabling our warfighters to focus on their core mission of fighting and winning our Nation's wars without distraction,' the memo [ PDF] reads, using the unofficial but Trump-approved new name for the Defense Department. 'Mandatory Department training will be directly linked to warfighting or otherwise be consolidated, reduced in frequency, or eliminated.'

Despite the excitement of the weekend, Trump is very much alive, which we know because he gave an hour-long press conference on Tuesday afternoon, which began with his announcement that he's moving Space Command from Colorado to Huntsville, Alabama and ended with him rambling about how the U.S. is the hottest and the best and that we'd be a third world country right now if it weren't for tariffs.

Germany is spending billions to modernize and expand its Bundeswehr, with the Army playing a central role its chief warns it may face conflict before it's fully ready.

The Pentagon's 2025 defense contracts prioritize warfighting capabilities, focusing on advanced systems and AI-driven technologies to enhance military readiness.

The Navy is committed to maintaining a ready fleet, improving the maintenance processes, and reducing delays, increasing the procurement of spare parts.

General Sir Patrick Sanders emphasized the urgent need for the UK government to develop national resilience in light of evolving threats, particularly regarding Russia. He stated that Britain must prepare for possible conflict within the next five years, warning that by 2030 a conflict with Russia is a realistic possibility. The general outlined that if fighting in Ukraine ceases, Russia could quickly regain the capability to launch limited attacks on NATO allies, necessitating immediate cross-national support.

The American Security Project reports that nearly 68% of U.S. reserve forces are overweight or obese, which threatens military readiness during times of conflict.