Two more military academies agreed to permanently end race-based admissions, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
In a new settlement, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the Air Force Academy will abandon DEI in favor of merit, Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-settles-lawsuits-challenging-race-based-admissions-west-point-and-air">said</a>. The settlement will lead to the dismissal of two lawsuits against the academies brought by the group Students for Fair Admissions.
“This Department is committed to eliminating DEI practices throughout the federal government,” Bondi said. “We are proud to partner with the Department of Defense to permanently end race-based admissions at West Point and the Air Force Academy — admission to these prestigious military institutions should be based exclusively on merit.”
Students for Fair Admission, the group whose suit led to the end of affirmative action at universities across the country, argued that race-based admissions policies at the military academies violated the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
The terms of agreement in the settlement stipulate that merit will be the only factor leading to admission at either West Point or the Air Force Academy.
“America is the land of equal opportunity, in spirit and in law,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s agreement ensures that our future military leaders will carry on the greatness that is born of opportunity, effort, and a level playing field.”
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon also praised the settlement.
“Congrats to our [DOJ Civil] Division for their hard work in restoring merit-based admissions to some of our top military academies!” she posted on X.
In June, a similar settlement <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/naval-academy-promises-to-permanently-end-race-based-admissions">was announced</a> between Students for Fair Admissions and the U.S. Naval Academy.
That came after President Donald Trump signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/restoring-americas-fighting-force/">executive order</a> on January 27 that said that no one within the military should be given any advantage based on gender or race.
“Unfortunately, in recent years civilian and uniformed leadership alike have implemented Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and their attendant race and sex preferences within the Armed Forces,” Trump wrote in an executive order. “These actions undermine leadership, merit, and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality and force readiness.  They also violate Americans’ consciences by engaging in invidious race and sex discrimination.”

Washington DC Celebrates Army’s 250th Anniversary With Parade And Festivities

Two More Military Academies Agree To ‘Permanently’ Drop Race-Based Admissions

Affirmative Action

Air Force

Department of Justice

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Military

U.S.

U.S. Military

West Point

Speaking on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sent a <a href="applewebdata://952E91CB-AC1F-46A3-A670-13239822B5F5/v">warning</a> that the Trump administration would investigate who is buying land around U.S. military bases in the homeland.
“Congressional Republicans have introduced companion bills to halt Chinese purchases outright, and the Pentagon is aligning with USDA and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to identify and shut down high-risk acquisitions,” North Carolina journalist Sloan Rachmuth <a href="https://ncpoliticaltea.substack.com/p/secretary-of-defense-sounds-alarm">noted</a> on Substack.
“I want to know who owns the land around our bases and strategic bases, and getting an understanding of why foreign entities, foreign companies, foreign individuals, might be buying up land around those bases,” Hegseth asserted. “That’s something I should be paying attention to on behalf of the American people, on behalf of my department and on behalf of the president. It’s common sense. And so, food security, just like energy resilience, just like where we get our water, that’s all national security, especially in a contingency.&#8221;
“So we would be asleep at the wheel if we were not fully a party to an effort like this to ensure that our nation had the food supply it needs, but specifically our troops have what they need on our basis so that in those moments, you can rely on us here in the United States to provide that security,” he continued, warning, “So no longer can foreign adversaries assume we’re not watching and we’re not paying attention and we’re not doing something because we are.”
In April, Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) introduced the <a href="https://harriganforms.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Military_Installation_Retail_Security_Act_TEXT.pdf" data-extlink="">Military Installation Retail Security Act</a>, which would ban companies owned by enemy nations from operating retail stores on U.S. military installations. In October 2023, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3077/text">introduced</a> the “Protect Our Bases Act,” which would “require the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to annually review and update the facilities and property of the United States Government determined to be national security sensitive for purposes of review of real estate transactions.”
In the North Carolina Senate, lawmakers introduced the <a href="https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2025/Bills/Senate/PDF/S338v1.pdf">NC Farmland and Military Protection Act</a>, which would bar any foreign government from buying land within a 25-mile radius of military installations. The North Carolina House is considering a similarly named bill, which would increase that radius to 75 miles. North Carolina is the home of Fort Bragg, Pope Army Airfield, and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, among other military bases.
“Agriculture is our largest industry, generating <a href="https://www.ncagr.gov/news/press-releases/2024/05/18/economic-impact-nc-agriculture-and-agribusiness-jumps-1111-billion-second-straight-year-strong?utm_source=chatgpt.com">$111 billion a year</a> and covering over 8 million acres. The military is our second-largest sector, adding up to $80 billion annually and supporting more than 650,000 jobs,” Rachmuth noted. “Allowing hostile governments to buy farmland near these sites is not just an economic risk — it’s a direct threat to operational security. Property near runways, radar stations, or training grounds can be used for surveillance equipment, drone staging, or subtle encroachment on military activities.”
In 2023, the people of North Dakota saw a Chinese plan for opening a corn mill near a sensitive military base and took matters into their own hands, blocking the project.
The Grand Forks City Council, aware that the U.S. military did not have jurisdiction to kill the project, voted unanimously in February 2023 to block Chinese food producer Fufeng Group from building the mill only 12 miles from the Grand Forks Air Force Base. In spring 2022, three North Dakotans sold the land for millions of dollars; the town’s mayor, Brandon Bochenski, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/01/chinese-purchase-of-north-dakota-farmland-raises-national-security-concerns-in-washington.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed out</a> that the proposed $700 million plant would create more than 200 jobs, but also admitted there were national security concerns.
“The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) considered an October 2022 filing by the Fufeng Group to acquire certain assets in the vicinity of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Grand Forks Air Force Base is the center of military activities related to both air and space operations,” U.S. Air Force Assistant Secretary Andrew P. Hunter <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11704309/Air-Force-shoots-Chinas-plan-build-corn-15-miles-North-Dakota-base.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer in January.
“While CFIUS concluded that it did not have jurisdiction, the Department’s view is unambiguous: the proposed project represents a significant threat to national security with both near and long-term risks of significant impacts to our operations in the area,” he added.
“With regard to Fufeng, if you’re going to strategically decouple, that means we don’t want their investment,” Cramer <a href="https://www.am1100theflag.com/show-episodes/48874-6-03-22-whats-on-your-mind-hour-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last June.

President Trump Hosts Purple Heart Day Event

Hegseth Warns U.S. Enemies: ‘I Want To Know Who Owns The Land Around Our Bases’

Communist China

Global Politics

Military Bases

Pete Hegseth

The U.S. Air Force will deny early retirement options to trans-identifying service members who have served between 15 and 18 years, stating they will be separated without retirement benefits instead.
The decision, as reported by the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/air-force-transgender-no-early-retirement-e6a4da806f2cc2bdc05f49438cbd26fd">Associated Press</a>, applies only to trans-identifying service members with 15 to 18 years of service who have been instructed to separate from the military under the reinstated ban on transgender troops. Those who had served at least 20 years and were thus eligible for full retirement were simply instructed to take it.
The Air Force did approve early retirement for a number of trans-identifying service members who had served at least 18 years but not the full 20 years for traditional retirement benefits. A number of those who had served more than 15 years but less than 18 had been allowed to submit appeals requesting an exception to the policy, but none were approved.
&#8220;Although service members with 15-18 years of honorable service were permitted to apply for an exception to policy, none of the exceptions to policy were approved,&#8221; an Air Force spokesperson told The AP, adding, &#8220;Approximately a dozen service members between 15 and 18 years of service were prematurely notified that their [early retirement] applications under the gender dysphoria provision had been approved.&#8221;
In lieu of approving those appeals, those with 15 to 18 years of service will receive separation pay at double the rate they would normally receive for involuntary separation from the military. Any remaining service requirements, such as years of service tied to either education benefits or enlistment or reenlistment bonuses, &#8220;will be waived&#8221; — meaning that there will be no additional barrier for those who would prefer to transfer their G.I. Bill education benefits to eligible family members.
A memo sent on Monday announced that the decision to deny those additional retirement benefits was made &#8220;after careful consideration of the individual applications.&#8221;

Air Force Will Deny Early Retirement To Trans-Identifying Service Members

Politics

Transgender

U.S. Air Force

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded on Friday after a report from The New York Times stated that President Donald Trump had quietly signed an order to use military force against drug cartels in foreign countries.
Sheinbaum, who previously rejected an offer from Trump for the U.S. military to help fight the drug cartels, said on Friday, “The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military.&#8221; The Mexican president added that U.S. officials had given her a heads-up that Trump&#8217;s directive &#8220;was coming,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/world/americas/mexico-trump-military-cartels.html">The New York Times</a>.
&#8220;We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out,” she said. “It is not part of any agreement, far from it. When it has been brought up, we have always said no.”
Sheinbaum said that she was assured by the United States that Trump&#8217;s order would not include sending troops into Mexico. The directive reportedly singles out Latin American drug cartels that are designated as foreign terrorist organizations, but it was not immediately clear which specific cartels or transnational gangs the Trump administration would pursue under the new directive.
Mexico has been overrun by numerous violent drug cartels for decades, and most of the drug cartels listed by the United States as terrorist organizations primarily operate in Mexico. Two transnational criminal gangs, Tren de Aragua (TdA) and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), which have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations, have cells in Central America, according to the State Department. The Trump administration also recently designated the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization.
After pressure from Trump earlier this year, Sheibaum reportedly deployed hundreds of troops to fight the Sinaloa Cartel — one of Mexico&#8217;s most powerful — with the group suffering significant losses. U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson <a href="https://x.com/USAmbMex/status/1951085207123272145">said</a> last month that U.S. fentanyl seizures were down and Mexico fentanyl seizures were on the rise &#8220;thanks to increased collaboration&#8221; between the two countries.
&#8220;Under [President Trump&#8217;s] and President [Sheinbaum&#8217;s] leadership, cartels are going bankrupt and our countries are safer because of it,&#8221; Johnson added.
Trump has used tariffs as a negotiating tool to pressure Mexico into helping the United States secure the border and crack down on illegal immigration and drug trafficking. The president has also deployed U.S. troops and drones to patrol the southern border. Trump&#8217;s actions have led to the <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/most-secure-border-history-cbp-reports-major-enforcement-wins-june#:~:text=Border%20Enforcement%20at%20Historic%20Levels,27%2C766%20released%20in%20June%202024">lowest level</a> of illegal border crossings ever recorded by Customs and Border Protection.

Claudia Sheinbaum

Mexican President Says U.S. Military Will Not Fight Drug Cartels On Its Soil

Donald Trump

Drug Cartels

Mexico

Trump Administration

As reports surfaced that President Donald Trump has issued a directive to the Pentagon to target Latin American drug cartels, it is instructive to note the frightening capabilities of weaponry these criminal groups are reported to employ in order to intimidate governments and possibly threaten Americans.
The incalculable damage done to the American populace from the drugs transported across the border has been evident for years. “The Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations seized a total of 541,000 pounds of illicit drug substances along the southern border, both at and between POEs (points of entry) in Fiscal Year 2023, “ the National Immigration Forum <a href="https://immigrationforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/llicit-Fentanyl-and-Drug-Smuggling-at-the-U.S.-Mexico-Border.pdf">reported</a>.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-greenlights-military-force-to-take-down-latin-american-drug-cartels">Trump Greenlights Military Force To Take Down Latin American Drug Cartels</a>
On August 1, the Department of Justice announced that six men had been sentenced to federal prison terms for their roles in purchasing high-caliber firearms in the United States for resale to Mexican drug cartels. “The trafficked firearms included high-caliber, armor-piercing, and anti-material weapons. For example, approximately 11 of the firearms trafficked by this organization included Barrett .50 caliber rifles, which can expel a very accurate, heavy, and fast-moving projectile that defeats all individually worn body armor, can penetrate and disable vehicles, aircraft, boats, and can even defeat some types of protection provided by armored vehicles,” the DOJ <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/six-deland-men-sentenced-trafficking-military-grade-firearms-mexican-drug-cartels">noted</a>. “The organization also trafficked approximately 16 FN M249S rifles, which are sold in the United States as a semi-automatic weapon but are easily converted into a machine gun.”
The cartels <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2024/06/29/mexican-cartels-increased-firepower-us-weapons/74226110007/">reportedly possess</a> FGM 148 Javelin infrared-guided missile launchers. “Javelin automatically guides itself to the target after launch, allowing the gunner to take cover and avoid counterfire. Soldiers or Marines can reposition immediately after firing, or reload to engage another threat,”  Lockheed Martin <a href="https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/javelin.html">explains</a>.
“Steven Willoughby, deputy director of the Department of Homeland Security’s counter-drone program, this week told a Senate panel that more than 300 Mexican drones typically come within 500 meters of the U.S. border each day,” NewsNation reported in late <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/cuomo-show/drone-creep-mexico-border/">July</a>.
In 2023, The Pacific Council Magazine <a href="https://www.pacificcouncil.online/us-mexico-double-fix-blog/post-three">reported</a>:
<blockquote>
The flood of .50-caliber rifles and assault weapons from the U.S. has enabled drug cartels to <a href="https://www.thetrace.org/newsletter/american-made-50-caliber-rifles-help-fuel-mexican-cartel-violence/">outgun</a> Mexico’s security forces and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/mexico-losing-control/mexico-drug-cartels-sniper-rifles-us-gun-policy/">expand their influence and activities</a>. That is because these weapons have characteristics and capabilities that make them particularly lethal:  The bullets fired by .50-caliber rifles are powerful enough to punch through <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-mexico-arms-barrett-idAFKBN2F7151">concrete walls, bulletproof vests, and armored vehicles such as tanks</a>. In 2016, cartel members used a .50-caliber rifle to <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/8x33w4/cartel-gunmen-shot-down-a-mexican-police-helicopter">down</a> a Mexican state police helicopter, killing the pilot and four others. 
</blockquote>
There have been <a href="https://stories.theconversation.com/mexican-drug-cartels-use-hundreds-of-thousands-of-guns-bought-from-licensed-us-gun-shops-fueling-violence-in-mexico-drugs-in-the-u-s-and-migration-at-the-border/index.html">reports</a> as far back as 2015 that say the cartels have used rocket-powered grenades.

Army Holds Live-Fire Training Exercise With Javelin Missiles

Trump Wants Pentagon To Target Cartels. The Weapons They Possess Are Sophisticated.

Executive

weapons

President Donald Trump quietly signed a directive ordering the Pentagon to begin using military force against Latin American drug cartels that the administration has labeled as terrorist organizations, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/us/trump-military-drug-cartels.html?smtyp=cur&amp;smid=tw-nytimesworld">reported</a> Friday morning.
The order includes an official basis for the United States military to conduct anti-cartel operations in foreign countries, and military officials have already begun drafting plans for going after certain groups, the Times reported, citing &#8220;people familiar with the conversations.&#8221; It was not immediately clear which specific gangs or drug cartels Trump&#8217;s new directive greenlights military operations against.
Under Trump, the United States has <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-international-cartels">designated</a> seven drug cartels and two international criminal gangs as foreign terrorist organizations: Tren de Aragua (TdA), Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Cártel de Sinaloa, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (CDN), La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), Cártel de Golfo (CDG), and Cárteles Unidos (CU). The Trump administration recently added the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles to its list, saying that it is operated by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking government officials, according to the Times. On Thursday, the United States upped the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hikes-bounty-on-venezuelas-maduro-to-50m">bounty</a> on Maduro to $50 million, pointing to his ties to transnational gangs and drug cartels.
&#8220;Maduro uses foreign terrorist organizations like TDA, Sinaloa, and Cartel of the Suns to bring deadly drugs and violence into our country. To date, the DEA has seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates with nearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself,&#8221; said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Most of the cartels designated by the Trump administration as terrorist organizations operate in Mexico, while TdA&#8217;s roots are in Venezuela, and MS-13 originated in Los Angeles as a Salvadoran street gang. Both TdA and MS-13 also have cells operating in Central America, according to the State Department.
Trump&#8217;s order is among the most significant steps he has taken to fulfill his promise to &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCGjPpNG4xA">wage war</a>&#8221; on cartels that have trafficked fentanyl and other drugs into the United States, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans. In May, President Trump said he offered Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum a deal that would send U.S. troops into Mexico to fight drug cartels.
&#8220;They are horrible people that have been killing people left and right. They&#8217;ve made a fortune on selling drugs and destroying our people,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/politics/100000010147246/trump-offers-us-military-to-fight-mexican-cartels.html">told</a> reporters aboard Air Force One. &#8220;If Mexico wanted help with the cartels, we would be honored to go in and do it.&#8221;
Sheinbaum <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/sheinbaum-says-she-rejected-trumps-offer-send-troops-mexico-2025-05-03/">rejected</a> Trump&#8217;s proposal, saying, &#8220;Sovereignty is not for sale. Sovereignty is loved and defended.&#8221;
&#8220;We will never accept the presence of the United States military in our territory,&#8221; she added.

Trump Greenlights Military Force To Take Down Latin American Drug Cartels

Central America

MS-13

Tren De Aragua

Venezuela

The U.S. Army awarded medals to six soldiers who subdued an active shooter and quickly aided their wounded colleagues after a sergeant opened fire at Fort Stewart in Georgia on Wednesday.
At a <a href="https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1YqKDZNmgaoJV">press conference</a> on Thursday morning, the Army honored First Sgt. Joshua Arnold, Master Sgt. Justin Thomas, Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor, Staff Sgt. Robert Pacheco, Staff Sergeant Aaron Turner, and Sergeant Eve Rodarte for their heroism. The suspect is accused of using his personal handgun in the shooting. Fort Stewart prohibits personnel from carrying their own firearms at the base.
&#8220;One of the things I can say unequivocally is that the fast action of these soldiers under stress and under trauma and under fire absolutely saved lives from being lost,&#8221; said U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll.
&#8220;One of the soldiers tackled the person, so just think about this, they were unarmed and ran at and tackled an armed person who they knew was actively shooting their buddies, their colleagues, their fellow soldiers,&#8221; Driscoll added. &#8220;Another soldier jumped on top of the person to subdue them until federal law enforcement arrived. The other soldiers, using their training that they developed over years and years, started to take care of mass casualties.&#8221;
The Army <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/fort-stewart-shooting-georgia-08-07-25#cme1grzoq000h356nvib6ue5s">said</a> that Staff Sgt. Turner was the first person to subdue the shooter before Master Sgt. Thomas jumped in to help pin him down. Turner is an automated logistical specialist from Farmington, New Mexico, who has been at Fort Stewart for less than a year.
The five victims are all expected to survive, and three of them have already been released from the hospital. One of the victims who remains in the hospital is expected to recover quickly, while the other victim has a longer recovery ahead, Savannah, Georgia, CBS affiliate WTOC <a href="https://www.wtoc.com/2025/08/07/soldiers-who-subdued-fort-stewart-shooter-awarded-medals-3-injured-soldiers-released-hospital/">reported</a>.
The Daily Wire is not publishing the gunman’s name due to a company policy against contributing to the unintentional glorification of mass shooters.
The suspect was identified as a 28-year-old active-duty sergeant who enlisted in 2018. He had not seen combat and had no behavioral incidents that were known to the Army before the shooting. Brig. Gen. John Lubas said on Wednesday that the suspect was arrested for driving under the influence in May, an arrest that the Army&#8217;s top brass did not know about until after the shooting, when they entered the suspect&#8217;s name into a crime database. He was scheduled to be arraigned in the DUI case on August 20, <a href="https://www.ksbw.com/article/fort-stewart-army-sergeant-shooting-coworkers/65624655">according</a> to KSBW Action News 8.
An investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and the Army said it does not want to speculate about the shooter&#8217;s motives.

Army honors soldiers who stopped gunman

Army Honors Unarmed Soldiers Who Took Down Fort Stewart Shooter

Georgia

Heroism

Shooting

U.S. Army

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed on Tuesday that he had overturned a recent order banning traditional tactics used by drill sergeants to train new recruits, a move he says will ensure soldiers are equipped for battle.
On July 30, Col. Christopher J. Hallows, Commander of the 197th Infantry at Fort Benning, Georgia, issued a memo banning &#8220;bay tossing,&#8221; <a href="https://justthenews.com/government/security/make-basic-great-again-hegseth-looks-return-drill-sergeant-shark-attacks-basic">according</a> to Just the News. The practice involves drill sergeants entering trainees&#8217; bunk rooms — called  &#8220;bays&#8221; — unannounced, inspecting wall lockers and bunks, and then flipping over mattresses and lockers that don&#8217;t pass muster, and loudly ordering trainees to quickly clean up the mess.
Hallows said bay tossing violated Army values and amounted to &#8220;abuse&#8221; of the trainees.
&#8220;Abuse of Trainees undermines the trust of the American public by violating Army Values, disrupting military order and discipline, and destroying a positive training environment,&#8221; his memo stated. &#8220;Our mission is to provide competent, capable, well-trained Soldiers of good character, ready to fight and win our nation’s wars &#8230; there is no greater obstacle to the effectiveness of the IMT [initial military training] environment than the improper treatment of Trainees.”
Hegseth disagreed, however, and reversed Hallows&#8217; order.
&#8220;Bottom Line: Make BASIC Great Again,&#8221; a Pentagon source told Just the News. &#8220;Tossing bunks is back. Drill sergeants are back. Getting cursed at is back.&#8221;
A Pentagon source told Just The News that Hegseth&#8217;s decision was rooted in a desire to ensure that &#8220;the people we want to recruit want to be challenged, and the tougher the training the more cohesive the units are &#8230; We don’t want to have training that is designed to breed undisciplined people and recruit those that gravitate to wanting to be wimps.&#8221;
Hegseth also signaled openness to reviving &#8220;shark attacks,&#8221; where drill sergeants greet recruits upon arrival at training camps and order them to do push-ups and other tasks before they&#8217;ve even set their bags down. The exercise is meant to gauge how recruits handle pressure and chaos.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="THE SHARK ATTACK" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5jEbJRTvt6c?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The practice was largely ended in 2020 and replaced with an exercise referred to as &#8220;The First 100 Yards,&#8221; a slightly more organized and structured training exercise designed to build camaraderie and encourage teamwork under stress.
&#8220;&#8216;The First 100 Yards&#8217; is a U.S. Army Trainees first exposure to their Basic Training (BCT), Drill Sergeants, and their first opportunity to begin their transformation as members of the world&#8217;s most potent and lethal fighting force,&#8221; the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=477892021959152">Facebook</a>. &#8220;&#8216;The First 100 Yards,&#8217; a homage to their lineage of closing the last 100 yards of the fight, incorporates teamwork into a competition that features mental and physical challenges on the day they arrive to their basic training company.&#8221;
According to Jennifer S. Gunn, the director of public affairs at the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning, the initial bay-tossing ban stemmed from a specific incident in which a trainee&#8217;s personal property was damaged — and Hallows had initially endeavored to prevent that from happening again.
&#8220;I can confirm the memos are authentic and were the result of a recent review by the brigade command team,&#8221; she explained. &#8220;During a recent training cycle, an instance of corrective action violated regulation and resulted in damage to both government and trainee personal property.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
From Day Zero, Infantry Soldiers are thrown into the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USArmy</a> world.
Our Drill Sergeants teach new recruits how to work as a team, move as members of a platoon and react to stressful situations.
This is The First 100 Yards.
🎥 ➡️ Payton King <a href="https://t.co/KjRAzSz0VA">pic.twitter.com/KjRAzSz0VA</a>
— U.S. Army (@USArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/USArmy/status/1465365749195841549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2021</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;

Confirmation Hearing Held For Secretary Of Defense Nominee Pete Hegseth

‘Drill Sergeants Are Back’: Hegseth Reinstates Practices To ‘Make BASIC Great Again’

'Drill Sergeants Are Back': Hegseth Reinstates Practices To 'Make BASIC Great Again'

A gunman opened fire at Fort Stewart in eastern Georgia on Wednesday, shooting five U.S. Army soldiers, before the shooter was apprehended.
All five of the victims were treated at the base before they were transported to Winn Army Community Hospital, the Army base <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FortStewartHunterArmyAirfield/">said</a> in a post on social media. The victims, who have not been identified, are all in stable condition and expected to recover, Brig. Gen. John Lubas said at a press conference later on Wednesday. The suspected gunman was identified as a 28-year-old automated logistics sergeant assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team who has &#8220;not previously deployed to combat.&#8221; The Army believes the shooter used &#8220;a personal handgun.&#8221;
&#8220;Soldiers in the area that witnessed the shooting immediately and without hesitation tackled the soldier and subdued him,&#8221; Lubas said. &#8220;That allowed law enforcement to then take him into custody.&#8221;
Lubas added that it remains unclear what the gunman&#8217;s motivations were, saying that the shooting took place &#8220;at the soldier&#8217;s place of work&#8221; and involved his co-workers.
&#8220;Law enforcement was dispatched for a possible shooting in the 2nd ABCT complex at 10:56 a.m. The shooter was apprehended at 11:35 a.m.,&#8221; Fort Stewart said.
Fort Stewart is the largest U.S. Army installation east of the Mississippi River and is home to the Army&#8217;s 3rd Infantry Division.
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp <a href="https://x.com/GovKemp/status/1953124468479377428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1953124468479377428%7Ctwgr%5E7732c4e57e15bb37b72cf843cfe1fb9dd95aa25f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fox5atlanta.com%2Fnews%2Flockdown-fort-stewart-army-post-georgia">posted</a> on X, &#8220;As we remain in close contact with law enforcement on the ground, Marty, the girls, and I are saddened by today’s tragedy at Ft. Stewart. We are keeping the victims, their families, and all those who answer the call to serve in our hearts and prayers, and we ask that Georgians everywhere do the same.&#8221;
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/1953135134665802048">said</a> that President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting and is &#8220;monitoring the situation.&#8221;
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

Police

Army Sergeant Opens Fire At Georgia Military Base, Five Victims Expected To Survive

Crime

Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass immediately declared victory when reports began to circulate that more than 1,000 U.S. troops were being pulled back from her city, but it was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who got the last word.
Bass shared a New York Times article <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/us/troop-withdrawal-los-angeles.html">reporting</a> the imminent drawdown of 1,350 American service members — who were initially deployed to the California city to protect federal personnel and property as violent protests and riots threatened the work and safety of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents — and added her own comment.
&#8220;Another win for Los Angeles tonight: 1,000 more troops are retreating. We will continue this pressure until ALL troops are out of L.A.,&#8221; she crowed, claiming that the troops were &#8220;retreating&#8221; under pressure from politicians like herself.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Another win for Los Angeles tonight: 1,000 more troops are retreating.
We will continue this pressure until ALL troops are out of L.A.<a href="https://t.co/spbTtO09TS">https://t.co/spbTtO09TS</a>
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorOfLA/status/1950784025511292967?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hegseth responded to Bass, explaining that the troops were only leaving Los Angeles because the situation was finally under control — which it certainly was not when they had first arrived — and they were able to redeploy elsewhere having completed a successful mission in her city despite her unwillingness to help.
&#8220;You’re welcome Mayor,&#8221; Hegseth posted. &#8220;These brave troops are redeploying because their mission was so successful. You should be thanking them for saving your city from mobs &amp; chaos. We will continue to support law enforcement—even when you won’t.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You’re welcome Mayor.
These brave troops are redeploying because their mission was so successful.
You should be thanking them for saving your city from mobs &amp; chaos.
We will continue to support law enforcement—even when you won’t. <a href="https://t.co/BQPKfDQTJk">https://t.co/BQPKfDQTJk</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1950971699299586222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hegseth was not the only one to respond to the L.A. mayor&#8217;s claims.
&#8220;What an actual idiot &#8230; They are not &#8216;retreating.&#8217; They are redeploying, because they did their job, you Marxist,&#8221; actor Dean Cain replied.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
What an actual idiot&#8230; 
They are not &#8220;retreating.&#8221; They are redeploying, because they did their job, you Marxist. <a href="https://t.co/dS1vFXylcD">https://t.co/dS1vFXylcD</a>
— Dean Cain (@RealDeanCain) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealDeanCain/status/1951010235277254804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;You’re not pressuring anyone or anything. The Trump Administration moved in, quelled the chaos and did the job you’re incapable of doing. Now that the job is done, the troops are being moved out. If we left the them there indefinitely, you’d b**** about that, too. You’re a joke!&#8221; another posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You’re not pressuring anyone or anything. The Trump Administration moved in, quelled the chaos and did the job you’re incapable of doing. Now that the job is done, the troops are being moved out. If we left the them there indefinitely, you’d bitch about that, too. You’re a joke!
— Suburban Black Man 🇺🇸 (@niceblackdude) <a href="https://twitter.com/niceblackdude/status/1950788442528317898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;You realize that you are completely irrelevant and inconsequential to ANY troop movements, right? You&#8217;re like a spectator in the stands, watching a team win, and then cheering, &#8216;I DID IT!!'&#8221; another said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You realize that you are completely irrelevant and inconsequential to ANY troop movements, right?
You&#8217;re like a spectator in the stands, watching a team win, and then cheering, &#8220;I DID IT!!&#8221;
— Grateful Calvin (@shoveitjack) <a href="https://twitter.com/shoveitjack/status/1950975200729899402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Approximately 250 troops remain in Los Angeles, according to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, and they will remain there as long as necessary to continue protecting federal personnel and property.

DOD Secretary Hegseth And Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Caine Brief On Iran Strike

L.A. Mayor Declares Victory As Troops Move Out, But Pete Hegseth Has Last Word

L.A. Mayor Declares Victory As Troops Move Out, But Pete Hegseth Has The Last Word

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Karen Bass

Los Angeles

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are on the cusp of striking a &#8220;mega deal&#8221; that would send battle-tested Ukrainian drones to the United States in exchange for Kyiv receiving another batch of weapons from Washington, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/17/us-news/trump-zelensky-discuss-drone-mega-deal-for-us-to-buy-battle-ready-ukraine-uavs/">reported</a> on Thursday.
Zelensky revealed the potential deal in a discussion with the Post, saying, &#8220;The people of America need this [drone] technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal.&#8221; If a deal is struck, Ukraine also promised to share information with the United States on what it has learned about modern warfare during the conflict with Russia, according to Zelensky.
“I think this is really a mega deal, a win-win, as they say,” he said.
The White House did not respond to The Daily Wire&#8217;s request to comment.
Throughout the war, Ukraine&#8217;s drone fleet has proved to be vital in defending the country from Russia&#8217;s aerial assaults. Kyiv&#8217;s drones have also been used to launch attacks on Russia. Last month, Ukraine smuggled 117 drones into Russia, which were used for a massive assault on Russian air bases, taking out 41 Russian aircraft, including roughly one-third of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-ukraine-pulled-off-its-massive-drone-strike-inside-russia">reported</a>.
The United States military has fallen behind its adversaries, including Russia and China, in producing drones and training troops to use them in battle, according to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/business/drones-us-military-manufacturing-lags.html">report</a> earlier this week from The New York Times. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged that the United States must catch up on drone warfare technology and <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2025/Jul/10/2003752117/-1/-1/1/UNLEASHING-U.S.-MILITARY-DRONE-DOMINANCE.PDF">moved</a> last week to rescind “restrictive policies” and &#8220;red tape&#8221; getting in the way &#8220;of American manufacturing and warfighter ingenuity.&#8221;
“So while our adversaries have produced millions of cheap drones before us, we were mired in bureaucratic red tape. Not anymore,” Hegseth said in a video filmed alongside U.S. military members outside the Pentagon.
&#8220;In June, President Trump issued an executive order unleashing American drone dominance to bolster our drone industry and arm our warfighters because that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re all about,&#8221; he added.
Hegseth said that the move includes bolstering &#8220;the nascent U.S. drone manufacturing base by approving hundreds of American products for purchase by our military.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance <a href="https://twitter.com/DOGE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DOGE</a> <a href="https://t.co/esaQtswwDb">pic.twitter.com/esaQtswwDb</a>
&mdash; Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1943748870993064004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump&#8217;s relationship with Zelensky has grown warmer in recent weeks after the Ukrainian president was blasted in the Oval Office in February for his continued requests for American assistance. Earlier this month, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-have-to-trump-to-send-ukraine-more-defensive-weapons?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98We+Have+To%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+To+Send+Ukraine+More+Defensive+Weapons">vowed</a> to send Ukraine more defensive weapons as Moscow ratchets up attacks on Ukrainian cities.
“They are getting hit very hard. … We’re gonna have to send more weapons,&#8221; Trump said, adding, “I’m disappointed, frankly, that President Putin hasn’t stopped.”

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky

Trump Considering ‘Mega Deal’ To Exchange Drones, Weapons With Zelensky

Drones

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Volodymyr Zelensky

The Pentagon announced Tuesday that 2,000 National Guardsmen sent to Los Angeles to quell the June riots would be withdrawn. Pentagon Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell cited mission success as the reason for the withdrawal.
In a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-military-remove-2000-national-guard-troops-los-angeles-2025-07-15/">statement</a> Tuesday, Parnell said, &#8220;Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding. … As such, the Secretary has ordered the release of 2,000 California National Guardsmen from the federal protection mission.&#8221;
Following increased apprehension rates by ICE agents in the Los Angeles area in early June, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kill-ice-foreign-flags-and-fires-sweep-la-as-riots-erupt-against-immigration-enforcement">protests</a> against the federal agents broke out. Videos quickly surfaced of rioters throwing bricks and Molotov cocktails at armored vehicles.
Responding decisively to what he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-to-liberate-los-angeles-shut-down-migrant-riots-and-insurrectionist-mobs">called</a> &#8220;violent, insurrectionist mobs,&#8221; President Donald Trump federalized 4,000 members of the California National Guard within days. Trump argued that the government needed to step in to protect overwhelmed law enforcement personnel and federal buildings, as well as to restore order to the city.
Following closely on the heels of the deployment of the National Guard, the Trump administration then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/photos-u-s-marines-prepare-to-deploy-to-los-angeles?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=PHOTOS%3A+U.S.+Marines+Prepare+To+Deploy+To+Los+Angeles">sent</a> about 700 Marines to support local law enforcement.
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-scores-big-win-against-newsom-in-california-national-guard-clash?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Scores+%E2%80%98Big+Win%E2%80%99+Against+Newsom+In+California+National+Guard+Clash">criticized</a> the federalization of the state&#8217;s National Guard, which he argued was not only ineffective and unnecessary but unconstitutional as well. Based on his assessment of the unconstitutionality of Trump&#8217;s actions, he sued the Trump administration.
An appeals court promptly heard the case and dismissed it. &#8220;Both irreparable harm and the public interest weigh in favor of Defendants, who have an uncontested interest in the protection of federal agents and property and the faithful execution of law,&#8221; the court wrote in its decision.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass originally fumed over Trump&#8217;s deployment of soldiers to her city, <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1931789763943547121">calling</a> it a &#8220;chaotic escalation.&#8221; Within a few days of the federal troops&#8217; arrival in L.A., Bass instituted a curfew.
Since their deployment, the military personnel in L.A. have continued to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/los-angeles-mayor-protestors-swarm-ice-officers-raiding-ms-13-controlled-park?author=Sam+Korkus&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Los+Angeles+Mayor%2C+Protestors+Swarm+ICE+Officers+Raiding+MS-13-Controlled+Park">assist</a> in the enforcement of immigration law while protecting federal property. In a recent clash, the military collaborated with ICE agents to raid a park known to be controlled by MS-13 gang members.
According to a new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sen-marsha-blackburn-bill-targets-lawless-states-no-free-passes-after-anti-ice-riots">estimate</a>, the deployment of the 4,000 National Guards and 700 Marines cost the federal government around $130 million. 
Reacting to the news that half of the active National Guardsmen in Los Angeles will be withdrawn, Bass said in a <a href="https://x.com/MayorOfLA/status/1945265117202977226">post</a> that, &#8220;This retreat happened because the people of Los Angeles stood united and stood strong. … We will not stop making our voices heard until this ends, not just here in LA, but throughout our country.&#8221;

The ‘No Kings’ protests Day in Los Angeles.

Pentagon Announces Withdrawal Of Thousands Of Troops From Los Angeles

Riots

Menu