Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, upon the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s unanimous recommendation, last week signed the repeal of the combat exclusion policy of 1994, opening more than 200,000 military jobs to women. This was a military decision endorsed by politicians about military readiness, strategic decision-making, and national security. More than a year ago, the Army […]
Tag Archives | War
Honored Role (part 24): Abby Griffin: The Call of Nursing
This is the 24nd installment in the Honored Role Series.” Reared around the military, Abby Griffin, a native of Cody, Wyoming, moved to Germany at nine year’s old when her mother was assigned as a nurse with the Department of Defense. In elementary school she showed an early interest in following her mom’s footsteps that […]
Of Past and Future Strengths: The Colby
At the base of the Green Mountains is an institution like no other in the United States. In the quaint town of Northfield, Vermont sits Norwich University, the country’s oldest private military college. Few American institutions of higher learning as old as it still adhere to the principles of its founders. In a very substantial […]
Remember Freedom is Not Free
Veterans Day began in 1919 when President Woodrow Wilson designated November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day to remember the end of the “War to End All Wars” and honor those who have served our great Nation in uniform. As we observe this Veterans Day, the tenth as a Nation at war, please […]
Women and War: Stories Make a Difference
The United States has been engaged in combat in Afghanistan longer than in any previous war. As a Nation at war for more than nine years, women are serving in new roles and in larger numbers than previous battles. More than 220,000 women have been deployed, nearly 12 percent of the force. Similar to their […]
Why We Remember–Memorial Day
There is a cartoon that circulates annually this time of year. With a picture of a young boy at the table and hands in prayer position and a set of dog tags in the opposite corner, the cloud reads, “Thanksgiving is a day we take pause to give thanks for the things that we have. […]
Honored Role (part 17): Maj. Candice O’Brien – One Step at Time
This is the 17th installment in the Honored Role Series. In Kindergarten Candice O’Brien started running the 1/8th of a mile loop around her elementary school in Muscatine, Iowa. Each time she finished ahead of all the other kids—girls and boys. Although she ran for fun, she did not want anyone to beat her. From […]
Honored Role (part 16): Col. (ret.) Crissy Gayagas – In Balance
This is the 16th installment in the Honored Role Series. More than a word of welcome or parting, “Aloha”, in the Hawaiian language means affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy. Often described as the coordination of mind and heart, it also means the extension of warmth in caring with no obligation in return. This would […]