Army helicopter crashes are on the rise. There have been five major crashes of Apache plans since October, according to CNN’s analysis of military accident data, representing the second-highest number of crashes since the military launched the new model of the AH-64 in 2011. Since 2011, the military has used a fleet of around 820-840 AH-64 Apache helicopters, manufactured by Boeing, to destroy enemy armor, provide close air support for ground troops, and conduct armed reconnaissance. The military has used these planes in missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya. Maintaining their safety is of critical importance to support the…
Homicides are down by more than 20 percent in Buffalo, New York this year, and while that is great news, no credit should be given to the state’s restrictive gun laws. Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan and Police Commissioner Erika Shields held a press conference on Tuesday touting an 8 percent decline in violent crime in the city, including a 23 percent decline in gun-involved homicides. Shields and the mayor credit the Buffalo PD’s efforts in targeting illegally-possessed firearms for the drop, pointing to the 282 gun arrests so far this year.“Almost every gun used in…
GENEVA (AP) — The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross on Tuesday ratcheted up a joint call for countries to adopt bans and restrictions on use of autonomous weapons systems — often known as “killer robots” — warning that “the risks have intensified.” Building on an initial appeal three years ago and international talks on the issue for years, the appeal stops short of calling for a blanket ban, but notes that such weapons systems are being developed — though the U.N. and Red Cross haven’t confirmed their use on the battlefield. The organizations said, however,…
California really wants to regulate 3D printers. The reason is that people can use those to make firearms, and anti-gun lawmakers whet themselves at the thought that someone might make a gun without their approval. They’ve even been looking at a bill that would require technology to specifically block people from making firearms. Or, well, they were and still sort of are.First, they amended the bill to offer an exemption to the entertainment industry, where they could make whatever they wanted. At the same time, the rest of the population wouldn’t be able to, because…
Before making the transition from military service, it’s important to arrange life insurance for you and your family. Before making a transition from military service, you may want to ensure the peace of mind and the financial security that come from knowing that your family is protected, no matter what happens. VA provides several low-cost life insurance options. The following is a summary of veterans life insurance and what you need to know: Current VA Life Insurance Programs For current life insurance programs offered by the VA, check out our detailed pages describing each: Previous VA Life Insurance Programs Through…
On paper, leaving active duty can look like a financial win, since civilian salaries often exceed military base pay. But the real cost of leaving the military can be much more complex. It shows up in your first civilian paycheck, your first mortgage payment without BAH and your first monthly bill for health insurance. For homeowners, especially, separation affects income, housing, health care and moving costs all at once. Understanding these military separation costs ahead of time, and building good budgeting habits before you go, is one of the most valuable things you can do. Loss of Benefits and Income…
The PACT Act turned 4 years old this month. Formally the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, it remains the largest single expansion of Department of Veterans Affairs health care and disability benefits in decades, extending presumptive service connection to millions of veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances across every era of service, from Vietnam through the post-9/11 wars. How It Got to the President’s Desk The law’s path through Congress was longer and rockier than its eventual bipartisan signing might suggest. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) introduced the…
The Department of Veterans Affairs began administering esketamine, under the brand name Spravato, to eligible veterans within months of its 2019 FDA approval, calling it an expansion of options for veterans with treatment-resistant depression who hadn’t responded to anything else. But the schedule to receive the treatment is demanding, and not all VA facilities provide it. Covered, but Not Automatic VA coverage for the brand Spravato, the only FDA-approved nasal spray for adults with treatment-resistant depression, requires: Meeting the clinical definition of treatment-resistant depression Generally, a documented lack of response to at least two adequate antidepressant trials A formulary exception…
I get that the Bondi Beach massacre rocked Australians to their core. They were very confident that their gun control laws worked, only to find out that they did crap all to keep terrorists from killing people. In a better world, this would mean they recognized the problem, repealed gun control laws, and took a different approach to such attacks. But we don’t have that better world because someone had to shoot a gorilla in 2016.Granted, I doubt Australia would have done anything different even if Harambe were still with us.Now, though, they’re talking about…
If you’re headed to an OCONUS duty station, the right credit card can save you money and offer perks like airport lounge access and trip insurance you’d otherwise pay full price for. The best military travel cards waive their annual fees for active duty service members and eligible spouses, which means you can carry a premium travel card, the kind that normally costs hundreds per year, for $0 out of pocket. This guide breaks down the best military travel cards for 2026. We’ll also explain how foreign transaction fees work at OCONUS installations, and how the Military Lending Act (MLA)…
A judge in Oklahoma has dismissed felony charges against a man who was accused of shooting at a sheriff’s deputy in Lincoln County last December after concluding the man was acting in self-defense. It’s not often you see that kind of outcome, even when police are conducting a no-knock raid and the gun-owning resident fires shots believing that they’re defending themselves against an intruder. In this case, there was no doubt that the individual who was shot was a sheriff’s deputy. The judge, however, determined that the deputy was the initial aggressor in the incident, and…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new round of sanctions aimed at Iran on Monday and warned every country that does business with the Islamic Republic to sever those financial ties or face retaliation from the United States. The new warnings to further cut off Iran from the rest of the world economy were issued after President Donald Trump pledged last week to unleash an “economic D-Day” against Tehran as the administration struggles to find an off-ramp after nearly six months of war. “We are level-setting with every country to tell them our expectations. We know who…
Because of the Second Amendment, the gun control crowd will likely never get what many other nations already have regarding regulation. Even some relatively pro-gun countries are far more anti-gun than even a state like California or New York, at least by looking at their laws. It’s not that these American states don’t want that, too. It’s that they can’t, and they know it. In Southeast Asia, there have been a couple of high-profile mass killings committed by teens. I’ve covered them, and they’re horrific. Both Thailand and the Philippines have strict gun control laws.Now,…
A sailor deployed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln said his father was detained by immigration authorities in Florida over the weekend, while the sailor was at sea in the Middle East nine months into his deployment. Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, 48, was detained Saturday shortly after 11 a.m. in Key West, Fla., where he lives. His wife, Argelia Aviles, told the Associated Press that he was arrested after leaving home to take his car to a mechanic. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the arrest, telling Military.com on Monday that the suspect “entered the country illegally on an unknown…
A developer in New Jersey has set its sights on a well-established gun range. Citing environmental issues, the plaintiffs want the range to cease operation as they purchase an adjacent lot. According to a filing in Camden County Court, Bryn Mawr Garwood LLC is suing Iron Horse R&R LLC. Iron Horse is a private gun club that’s been in operation since 1947. Bryn Mawr Garwood LLC is a New Jersey LLC that was formed on March 6, 2026 and its “authorized person” and/or “principal” is Harvey Sternberg. Sternberg is a lawyer from Pennsylvania and in…
The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out a strike on another vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people accused of trafficking drugs in the first such attack announced in about two months. The death toll in the nearly yearlong U.S. campaign of bombing boats allegedly trafficking drugs now exceeds 210 after more than 60 strikes off Latin America’s Caribbean coast and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Forces “executed a lethal kinetic strike on a low-profile vessel operating along established narcotrafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific,” U.S. Southern Command said on social media. As with most of…
The gun known to the rest of the world as the Sig Sauer P320 is known to the military as the M18 and M19 pistols. The military always has to rename everything, after all, and we should be used to it. However, we all know about the issues around the P320. I’ve written about them extensively. But the Pentagon? They’re not worried in the least.In its defense, they did look into the matter, and that’s the reason they’re not worried.The Pentagon is defending the safety of M17 and M18 handguns — military versions of the…
Military leaders say that the number of sexual assault cases across the armed forces has decreased. That is according to a new Department of Defense (DOD) survey showing that the rate of unwanted sexual contact for active-duty men has decreased from 1.3% in Fiscal Year 2023—the last time the survey was administered—to 1% in FY25. The estimated rate of unwanted sexual contact for active-duty women decreased from 6.8% to 4.3% over the same period, DOD found. Congress requires that the DOD makes the annual report on sexual assault in the military as part of its ongoing efforts to prevent and…
