National Guard

At the heart of the confrontation is the National Guard's unique role in the country's armed forces.

One of the highest ranking generals in the state national guard told troops they wouldn't be kicked out, but he may not have the final word.

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

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.

It was a dark time in a long, drawn-out war. Afghanistan was festering with resentment. The Pentagon brass were desperate. It was the kind of last-ditch moment when authorities start throwing an era's weirdest ideas at its most hopeless bureaucratic mistakes.