Military Archives

News in Brief

The Pentagon Finally Decides to Dig Up the Remains of a Long-Lost Soldier

The military will exhume a grave in the Philippines that may hold the remains of Bud Kelder, an American POW whose family has long been fighting the Pentagon to get him home.

Megan McCloskey

Economics

Looking for a Promotion? Pure Motivations Produce the Best Results

A new study of West Point cadets finds those driven by purely internal motivations were the most likely to succeed.

Tom Jacobs

Social Justice

Can You Supercharge Your Brain?

Applying mild electrical currents to your head could take away pain, help memory, and improve attention—and the U.S. military is very interested.

Emma Young

News in Brief

How the U.S. Military Shaped American Soccer

At games for the U.S. National Team, fans brag about being back-to-back World War champs. They're being less sarcastic than they realize.

Aaron Gordon

Social Justice

Mindfulness Training Produces Less-Stressed Marines

Marines who took an eight-week course in the basics of mindfulness recovered from stress faster following an intense training session that replicated battlefield conditions.

Tom Jacobs

News in Brief

The Racially Biased Hairstyle Regulations of the U.S. Army

Dreadlocks, twists, or any type of matted or coiled hair, the Afro-centric hairstyles of many black women in the Army, are now out.

Anita Little

News in Brief

The 30 Top Thinkers Under 30: The Aspiring Defense Secretary Who Wants to Change the Intelligence Community

For the month of April we're profiling the individuals who made our inaugural list of the 30 top thinkers under 30, the young men and women we predict will have a serious impact on the social, political, and economic issues we cover every day here at Pacific Standard.

Avital Andrews

News in Brief

Why Did the Pentagon Give Up on a Fallen GI?

For more than 50 years, Army PFC Lawrence S. Gordon was mistakenly interred as a German soldier in a cemetery in France. Then European officials did what the U.S. military would not: exhumed and identified him with DNA.

Megan McCloskey

News in Brief

4 Ways to Really Fix the Pentagon’s Effort to ID 83,000 Missing Service Members

Changes must go beyond bureaucracy to update the scientific approach and embrace outside help.

Megan McCloskey

Economics

The Staggering Costs of Kickbacks, Bribery, and Theft in the Military

The structure of the military means that when people high up in the chain of command aren’t held responsible for the crimes they commit, that message will quickly ripple down the ranks.

Lauren Kirchner