military

A special review panel says independent judge advocates, not commanding officers, should decide whether to pursue legal charges in sexual assault cases in what would be a break with longstanding policy. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is now reviewing the

National

Military Panel Urges Taking Sexual Assault Cases Out Of Commanders' Control

2:52pm April 23, 2021

by Bill Chappell

Such a shift would run counter to years of military practice. The Pentagon has long resisted the idea of taking sexual assault cases outside of the normal chain of command.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits National Guard troops deployed at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 29. The troops were deployed in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Under Austin's order, all military units are holding "stand downs" to discuss extremism

National

The Military Confronts Extremism, One Conversation At A Time

5:01am April 07, 2021

Every unit is holding a "stand down" to talk about extremism in the ranks. But the armed forces are still grappling with fundamental questions of how to define, identify and best deal with it.

Queue Listen Now

This Jan. 4 photo shows Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers assembling during military training at Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, northwestern China's Xinjiang region.

Pentagon Pushes For Bigger Effort To Deter China's Growing Military Might

6:59pm March 16, 2021

by Tom Bowman

The Pacific Deterrence Initiative aims to beef up the military in the Pacific and work more closely with partners and allies. But some experts are cautious about inflating the Chinese threat.

Brig. Gen. Mark Quander will assume a new leadership post at West Point this spring or summer. One challenge will be to confront extremism in the ranks of the military.

National

'It's Going To Be Hard': A New West Point Leader On Confronting Extremism In Military

5:08pm February 13, 2021

by James Doubek

Brig. Gen. Mark Quander is taking a new position in charge of cadets at West Point. He talked with NPR about his family's military history and how to address extremist ideologies in the military.

Pro-Trump supporters storm the U.S. Capitol following a rally on Jan. 6. So far, military veterans account for about 15% of those criminally charged in the Capitol riot, according to an NPR analysis.

National

Capitol Riot Prompts A Reckoning Over Extremism In The Ranks

7:39am February 10, 2021

by Tom Bowman

The deadly riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6 has forced military leadership to confront the threat of domestic extremism. Rioters that day included current and former service members.

Queue Listen Now

Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, is charged with illegally importing walkie-talkie radios, in the first formal charges against her since the military ordered her detention. Here, a military commander visits a Hindu temple in Yangon.

World News

Myanmar Coup: Suu Kyi Is Accused Of Illegally Importing Walkie-Talkies

11:03am February 03, 2021

by Bill Chappell

The allegation is a far cry from the claims of rampant election fraud the military invoked when it seized power on Monday.

Queue Listen Now

Austin speaks last month in Wilmington, Del., after being formally nominated as defense secretary.

Lloyd Austin Confirmed As Defense Secretary, Becomes 1st Black Pentagon Chief

3:35pm January 22, 2021

by Brakkton Booker

Austin's near-unanimous confirmation came despite concerns raised on both sides of the aisle that he hadn't been out of uniform for the legally mandated minimum seven-year period.

Retired U.S. Army General Lloyd Austin speaks after being nominated to be secretary of defense by President-elect Joe Biden.

WATCH: Biden's Defense Pick, Lloyd Austin Confirmation Hearing Underway

3:09pm January 19, 2021

by Brakkton Booker

Austin, a retired four-star Army general, served in the military for 40 years including as the first Black general to lead U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East.

Surrounded by Army cadets, President Trump watches the Army-Navy football game at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., on Dec. 12.

Trump And The Military: What An Erratic Commander In Chief Leaves Behind

5:38am January 04, 2021

by Tom Bowman

"Military and some civilian leaders have been in constant damage control over the last four years. The old 'cleanup on aisle 4, then 6, then 8,' " a retired officer says of President Trump's tenure.

Vice President Mike Pence arrives for a ceremony to commemorate the first birthday of the U.S. Space Force on Friday. Members of the branch will be called "guardians."

National

Space Force Members Will Be Called 'Guardians'

3:32pm December 19, 2020

by Matthew S. Schwartz

The official moniker, announced by Vice President Pence at a White House ceremony, comes one year after the creation of the newest military branch. The name drew raised eyebrows online.