A woman in Puerto Rico has shattered one of the biggest remaining glass ceilings in law enforcement. CNN’s Alaa Elassar reported that a Black female agent from Tampa, Florida but working primarily within the U.S. Island territory of Puerto Rico “is believed to be the first Black woman to be…
Tag: Army
Black WWII Vet Osceola ‘Ozzie’ Fletcher Receives Long-Denied Purple Heart at the Age of 99
It took nearly eight decades, but former Army Private Osceola “Ozzie” Fletcher is finally getting his well-deserved Purple Heart for valor and service in World War II and the Battle of Normandy. The obstacle that held back one of the oldest and most prestigious recognitions given to U.S. military veterans…
US Veteran Affairs Department Commits to Supporting Vets Undergoing Gender Confirmation Process
According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, there are an estimated 134,000 transgender veterans in the U.S. and at least 15,000 trans persons currently serving in the military today. And now, the Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that it will be standing by all these individuals and helping…
In Shocking Decision, Pentagon Upholds a Trump-Era Ban on LGBTQ Pride Flags Flown at Military Bases
Despite a renewed focus on diversity and inclusion in the White House and across Washington D.C. following the election of President Biden, the increased level of acceptance hasn’t permeated all aspects of government life. In a disappointing new statement from the Pentagon, the United States Department of Defense has ruled…
Christine Wormuth Nominated as First Female Secretary of the Army
In another historic first for his administration, President Biden has announced the nomination of foreign policy and national security expert Christine Wormuth as the next secretary of the Army. If confirmed, she would become the first-ever woman to serve in that role — one of the highest-ranking military officials in…
Coast Guard’s Grappling with Harassment and Discrimination Offers Lessons on Leadership Accountability
Lt. Cmdr. Kerry Karwan, a retired member of the Coast Guard and member of the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN), attended the Dec. 11 joint congressional hearing by the U.S. House Oversight and Homeland Security Committees. The issue at hand was one she had personal experience with. “Righting the Ship,”…
Combat Veterans and Troops at High Risk for Opioid Abuse, NBER Study Finds
Many have called the War on Terror the “War of Terror” because it has taken the lives of more than half a million civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is also having alarming health effects on U.S. troops. Veterans and troops that have seen combat in these wars are…
Needham Mayes, Dying Black Veteran, Fights for Final Home in National Cemetery
Sixty-four years after he was dishonorably discharged from the army, Needham Mayes is fighting against his own clock to get his name cleared so he can be laid to rest with other veterans at a national cemetery. It was 1955. The military had just been desegregated and 21-year-old Mayes had…
A Kissimmee HOA Tries To Force Army Vet to Remove Puerto Rican Flag from Her Property
Proud Boricuas Frances and Efraín Santiago flew their Puerto Rican flag high over their Kissimmee, Fl., home in support and honor of protesters in their home country. Homeowners in their subdivision launched complaints against them with the Homeowners Association (HOA). An unidentified associate from the Rolling Hills Estates Homeowners Association…
Army Reinstates Discharged Immigrant Recruits — For Now
The U.S. Army has reinstated more than 30 recruits it discharged from a program created to fill high-demand positions in exchange for a fast track to citizenship, according to federal court documents filed on Monday. But the reinstatement is only temporary. In an email sent to NPR, Maj. Carla Gleason,…