Success and tragedy often go hand in hand for the private Illinois nonprofit search and recovery dive team Chaos Divers. One of their last successful diving missions led authorities to recently confirm an Oak Park family’s heartbreak: the positive identification of their long-lost loved one, Army veteran John “Johnny” Pisano Jr., who vanished more than two decades ago. “After 25 years of not knowing where your lost loved one is, it’s a humbling experience to bring answers like that to a family,” Jacob Gruggs, founder of Chaos Divers and part of the recovery team that found Pisano’s remains, told Military.com.…

Five years after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a new book shines light on one of the war’s most consequential local partnerships: the U.S. relationship with Abdul Raziq Achakzai, the powerful police chief who controlled security in Kandahar province. “America’s Favorite Warlord” by Jacob Hagstrom traces how Raziq became a central figure for coalition operations in southern Afghanistan. Hagstrom, a military veteran and historian, chose Raziq as a case study after his West Point roommate Thaddeus Fox (who deployed to Spin Boldak with the Second Cavalry Regiment in 2010) first introduced him to the story. Author Jacob Hagstrom with “America’s…

The Air Force presented the Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award to four airmen at the Pentagon on May 26, recognizing them as the service’s top leaders across its officer and enlisted ranks. Gen. Ken Wilsbach, the Air Force chief of staff, hosted the ceremony in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Wolfe also attended the event. The annual award, established in 1981, is named for Capt. Lance P. Sijan, the first and only Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor. Each year, the service selects one senior officer, one junior…

SINGAPORE (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured Pacific allies on Saturday that Washington remained committed to the region, but toned down previous comments calling China a threat. Speaking to a group of world leaders, diplomats and top security officials at the Shangri-La defense conference in Singapore, Hegseth said that the region “has profound implications for U.S. security and prosperity” and that Washington’s priority was to “achieve a lasting and favorable balance of power in the Pacific.” It was his second time addressing the forum, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Last year, he raised the ire…

I understand the allure of ballot initiatives for many people, especially those who believe their causes are popular enough to win with the public but controversial enough that no politician will touch them. A ballot initiative puts the matter before the people and lets them decide, and that’s had some interesting results in various places over the years. The problem I have with them is that they also allow moronic people to potentially screw everyone else in the state over.A prime example of this is a ballot initiative in Oregon that reportedly has enough signatures…

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli combat soldier saw his teammates yelling in celebration, congratulating one another. They had just struck a vehicle of Palestinians driving near the Israeli-controlled part of the Gaza Strip, killing everyone inside. The reservist said scenes like this had become common after a fragile ceasefire took effect in October. In the weeks he was stationed in Gaza, he said, he saw soldiers relishing the chance to go after those who crossed — or came close to crossing — the so-called yellow line that divides the strip into Israeli-controlled and Palestinian areas. “It was a…