Air Force leaders issue Independence Day message
Local military discounts
Is there a morale crisis in the U.S. nuclear force?
Beyond the U.S. Air Force’s embarrassing suspension of 17 nuclear missile launch officers lie two broader questions. Do those entrusted with the world’s most destructive weapons feel stuck in a dead-end career field, given the momentum toward more nuclear arms reductions? And is there a morale crisis among these officers? This matters because the missiles...
Yeager brings ‘Right Stuff’ to symposium
Air Force photograph by Don Branum Retired Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager, right, talks to Cadet 1st Class Henry Egan after a National Character and Leadership Symposium presentation at the Air Force Academy Feb. 22, 2013. Yeager was ...
U.S. needs China to get tough on North Korea
President Barack Obama says the U.S. will lead the world in taking firm action against the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear test. But Pyongyang’s isolation from most of the international financial and trading system will limit the impact of sanctions unless China can be persuaded to get tougher on its longtime ally. The underground...
North Korea brandishing nukes to get U.S. to talk peace
The way North Korea sees it, only bigger weapons and more threatening provocations will force Washington to come to the table to discuss what Pyongyang says it really wants: peace. It’s no coincidence that North Korea’s third underground nuclear test – and by all indications so far its most powerful yet – took place Feb....
Economy, military shape U.S. Iran strategy
President Barack Obama may have to decide this year whether to use military force to fulfill his vow to prevent Iran from being able to build nuclear weapons, foreign policy experts say. But America’s economic and military realities argue intensely against attacking the Islamic republic and for muddling through by, perhaps, further tightening sanctions that...
Opening combat positions for women essential to diversity, future AF
Air Force photograph First Lt. Roslyn Schulte, 25, died from wounds suffered from a roadside bomb in Afghanistan May 20, 2009. Seen here in her senior class photo, Schulte was a 2006 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Co...
“This Fourth of July marks the 236th year since the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence–the document that separated the American colonies from British rule and led to the creation of a new federal republic.
“Thanks to the vision of our Founding Fathers and the commitment of the courageous men and women who fought to win American independence, we inherit a legacy of freedom based on the idea that all people possess certain unalienable rights–to life, to liberty, and to the pursuit of happiness.
“Our Nation’s early patriots deserve our enduring gratitude for their sacrifices on behalf of their fellow citizens. But we also owe a debt to the millions of Americans across the generations who since have protected our democracy for more than two centuries.
“This includes most especially those Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen who made the ultimate sacrifice, have been captured, or otherwise remain missing in fighting for and helping to preserve our liberty. The families of our service members–past and present, and particularly of our wounded warriors–also have earned our thanks for their sacrifices.
“This Fourth of July, let us recommit ourselves to doing all that we can to ensure that our children, our grandchildren, and the generations that follow will enjoy the freedoms that are our birthright as Americans. We salute you and your service, our flag, and the United States of America; and we wish to you a safe and happy Independence Day.”