Dear Tom Brady,
Football is not like the military.
Recently on his <a href="https://lets-go.simplecast.com/episodes/tom-brady-kevin-durant-joins-and-a-full-breakdown-of-week-6-AlKGTw0X">“Let’s Go” podcast</a>, Tom Brady made a comment about work-life balance in the NFL to NBA superstar Kevin Durant, and I quote, &#8220;I almost look at football season like you are going away on deployment.”
No, Tom it’s not, it is actually nothing like that.
I was in the football business for a decade and I know how crazy the hours are. Time away from your family is tough on both parties, but I am not worrying about any of my players running over an IED, getting hit by an RPG, or being in gunfights in a foreign land.
Football is a game, one that I will love forever, but this comparison is both naive and arrogant. Yes, the NFL is unbelievably violent, but it isn’t played in Fallujah or Baghdad.
The real heroes aren’t the ones throwing passes or scoring touchdowns. Our real heroes are the ones sacrificing their lives so we can play football and live in peace.
The true heroes are the families that have to wake up and wonder every day — not if their team is going to win — but if they will ever get to see their son’s, daughter’s, brother’s, sister’s, mother or father’s face ever again.
Tom, you are the best quarterback we have ever seen, and you understand what it takes to win a Super Bowl, but this comment is beneath you and makes you seem out of touch with the people who watch you play.
With the popular demonization of police, border patrol agents, and other law enforcement professionals today, we’re headed down a dark road in society. Yet, they’re the ones who have the most to lose while we sit here reaping the rewards of their work.
It seems everyday we hear about a police officer getting shot, or fake news about our border patrol agents. We read about the weakening of the military due to policies that put party over protection — and Brady’s comment kind of puts all of that in perspective.
We are starting to take for granted the people that provide us the most and when that happens so do mistakes.
So Tom, let’s get a little perspective and remember you’re damn good at playing football, but it’s just a game and it sure as hell isn’t war.
To those who have served and are currently serving, thank you. You are the truest of heroes.
Jake Crain is co-host of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/crain-and-company">&#8220;Crain &amp; Company.&#8221;</a> the Daily Wire&#8217;s sports show hosted by former athletes and coaches Jake Crain, Blain Crain, and David Cone. Follow him @JakeCrain_ 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

NFL: SEP 18 Buccaneers at Steelers

Dear Tom Brady: Football Is Not War

Crain &amp; Company

Readers Pass

Tom Brady

U.S. Military

The U.S. military in 2022, under the leadership of President Joe Biden, received its lowest ever rating this week in a newly released exhaustive analysis from the Heritage Foundation.
The Heritage Foundation’s Index of U.S. Military Strength <a href="https://www.heritage.org/military-strength/executive-summary">assessed</a> a wide range of areas, including threats to the U.S., the condition of the U.S. military, U.S. alliances, and more.
The Wall Street Journal&#8217;s Editorial Board <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/americas-growing-military-weakness-heritage-foundation-index-of-u-s-military-strength-navy-air-force-army-11666029967">noted</a> that the assessment&#8217;s &#8220;weak&#8221; rating of the U.S. military was the first time it has ever received the score in the index&#8217;s nine-year history.
While the assessment found that the global operating environment from the U.S. perspective was largely favorable across the board, threats to the U.S. are rapidly increasing, with numerous nations posing a &#8220;high&#8221; threat against U.S. interests. The chief threats come from China and Russia, with Iran, North Korea, and others lagging behind.
In the portion of the assessment that focused on the power of the U.S. military, the analysis looked at capability, capacity, and readiness.
The assessment include the United States&#8217; nuclear capability as a separate branch in the U.S. military because &#8220;of its truly unique characteristics and constituent elements, from the weapons themselves to the supporting infrastructure that is fundamentally different from the infrastructure that supports conventional capabilities.&#8221;
The assessment noted that the U.S. military is being degraded through &#8220;underinvestment, poor execution of modernization programs, and the negative effects of budget sequestration (cuts in funding) on readiness and capacity in spite of repeated efforts by Congress to provide relief from low budget ceilings imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011.&#8221;
Skyrocketing inflation rates that were <a href="https://twitter.com/charlescwcooke/status/1580538409172733953">fueled</a> by Biden&#8217;s agenda have led to greater expenses for the military, which erased progress made at the end of the Trump-era in increasing the U.S. military&#8217;s readiness.
The scores that were given out included &#8220;very weak,&#8221; &#8220;weak,&#8221; &#8220;marginal,&#8221; &#8220;strong,&#8221; and &#8220;very strong.&#8221;
Quick highlights from the assessment:
U.S. Army — &#8220;Marginal&#8221;
<ul>
<li>&#8220;The Army is aging faster than it is modernizing. It remains &#8216;weak&#8217; in capacity with only 62 percent of the force it should have. However, 25 of its 31 Regular Army BCTs are at the highest state of readiness, thus earning a readiness score of &#8216;very strong&#8217; and conveying the sense that the service knows what it needs to do to prepare for the next major conflict.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
U.S. Navy — &#8220;Weak&#8221;
<ul>
<li>&#8220;This worrisome score, a drop from &#8216;marginal&#8217; assessed in the 2022 Index, is driven by problems in capacity (&#8216;very weak&#8217;) and readiness (&#8216;weak&#8217;). This Index assesses that the Navy needs a battle force of 400 manned ships to do what is expected of it today. The Navy’s current battle force fleet of 298 ships and intensified operational tempo combine to reveal a service that is much too small relative to its tasks.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
U.S. Air Force — &#8220;Very Weak&#8221;
<ul>
<li>&#8220;The Air Force has been downgraded once again, the second time in the past two years. The Air Force was assessed as &#8216;marginal&#8217; in the 2021 Index but, with public reporting of the mission readiness and physical location of combat aircraft implying that it would have a difficult time responding rapidly to a crisis, fell to a score of &#8216;weak&#8217; in the 2022 Index. During FY 2022, the year assessed for this Index, problems with pilot production and retention, an extraordinarily small amount of time in the cockpit for pilots, and a fleet of aircraft that continues to age compounded challenges even more, leading to the current score of &#8216;very weak.'&#8221;</li>
</ul>
U.S. Marine Corps — &#8220;Strong&#8221;
<ul>
<li>&#8220;The score for the Marine Corps was raised to &#8216;strong&#8217; from &#8216;marginal&#8217; in the 2022 Index and remains &#8216;strong&#8217; in this edition for two reasons: (1) because the 2021 Index changed the threshold for capacity, lowering it from 36 infantry battalions to 30 battalions in acknowledgment of the Corps’ argument that it is a one-war force that also stands ready for a broad range of smaller crisis-response tasks, and (2) because of the Corps’ extraordinary, sustained efforts to modernize (which improves capability) and enhance its readiness during the assessed year. Of the five services, the Corps is the only one that has a compelling story for change, has a credible and practical plan for change, and is effectively implementing its plan to change.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
U.S. Space Force — &#8220;Weak&#8221;
<ul>
<li>&#8220;The mission sets, space assets, and personnel that have transitioned to the Space Force from the other services since its establishment in December 2019 and that have been added over the past two years have enabled the service to sustain its support to the Joint Force. However, there is little evidence that the USSF has improved its readiness to provide nearly real-time support to operational and tactical levels of force operations or that it is ready in any way to execute defensive and offensive counterspace operations to the degree envisioned by Congress when it authorized the creation of the Space Force.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
U.S. Nuclear Capabilities — &#8220;Strong&#8221;
<ul>
<li>&#8220;The scoring for U.S. nuclear weapons must be considered in the context of a threat environment that is significantly more dangerous than it was in previous years. Until recently, U.S. nuclear forces needed to address one nuclear peer rather than two. Given senior leaders’ reassurances with respect to the readiness and reliability of U.S. nuclear forces, as well as the strong bipartisan commitment to modernization of the entire nuclear enterprise, this year’s Index retains its grade of &#8216;strong,&#8217; but only for now. U.S. nuclear forces face many risks that, without a continued commitment to a strong deterrent, could warrant a decline to an overall score of &#8216;marginal&#8217; or &#8216;weak.'&#8221;</li>
</ul>
Combining the scores from the six different sections, the analysis found that the U.S. military posture could only be described as &#8220;weak&#8221; and concluded that the U.S. military was at &#8220;significant risk of not being able to meet the demands of a single major regional conflict while also attending to various presence and engagement activities.&#8221;
“As currently postured, the U.S. military is at growing risk of not being able to meet the demands of defending America’s vital national interests. It is rated as weak relative to the force needed to defend national interests on a global stage against actual challenges in the world as it is rather than as we wish it were,&#8221; the analysis concluded. &#8220;This is the logical consequence of years of sustained use, underfunding, poorly defined priorities, wildly shifting security policies, exceedingly poor discipline in program execution, and a profound lack of seriousness across the national security establishment even as threats to U.S. interests have surged.”

U.S. Soldiers

New Assessment Sounds The Alarm Over The Condition Of The U.S. Military Under Biden

China

Russia

In the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cult-classic</a> &#8220;Stripes,&#8221; the late, great, heavyweight actor John Candy told his fellow &#8220;recruits&#8221; that he joined the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-army" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Army</a> so he could lose a few pounds and &#8220;walk out of there a lean-mean fighting machine.&#8221;
Now, that same fitness plan could soon be a reality for millions of obese Americans looking to serve the good ol&#8217; U-S-of-A. According to several reports, the Army is <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/10/12/no-more-tape-test-only-soldiers-crush-fitness-test.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considering</a> dropping certain weight limits for recruits so long as he or she is able to pass the physical fitness test with flying colors.
Per Military.com, &#8220;Soldiers who score at least a 540 on the <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/09/29/armys-new-fitness-test-here-real-time-no-seriously-its-future-uncertain.html">Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT</a>, will be exempt from having their body fat measured.&#8221; The highest score possible on the fitness test is 600.
It is possible to be physically fit, albeit plus size — take any NFL lineman, for instance. It would be very difficult, as the physical fitness test is still challenging, but in theory, an obese person could skip the &#8220;tape test&#8221; if they crush everything else.
The potential plan — which could allow larger recruits to avoid a potential obstacle to training — comes as a beleaguered military is struggling to figure out why recruitment is down across the board.
Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Jimmy Byrne <a href="https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/what-if-they-gave-a-war-and-everybody-was-woke-military-recruitment-crt-training-obesity-reading-labor-market-11659108526" target="_blank" rel="noopener">observed</a> in June that “Nearly every branch has struggled to meet its recruitment goals for 2022, with some falling as short as 40%. Worse yet, only about a quarter of America’s youth meet current eligibility standards — and recent surveys show only 9% are even interested.”
As pointed out by Byrne, one explanation could be the &#8220;wholesale embrace of woke politics.”
Of course, if you ask anybody in the Biden administration — such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-did-lizzo-go-from-being-oppressed-to-playing-james-madisons-flute-while-twerking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Army Secretary Christine Wormuth</a> — there&#8217;s no woke politics in the military — just diversity, inclusion, and equity (DIE) training.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecArmy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecArmy</a> Christine Wormuth gets heated while explaining the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs for soldiers. <a href="https://t.co/v9aOk4LFqc">https://t.co/v9aOk4LFqc</a> <a href="https://t.co/eo3Ccv4Zjy">pic.twitter.com/eo3Ccv4Zjy</a>
&mdash; Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) <a href="https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/1579558861090222080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In other words, the geniuses in Biden&#8217;s Pentagon cannot figure out why Americans are not interested in a military that mandates DIE-ing.
Earlier in 2022, the Army also ditched a gender- and age-neutral physical fitness test. That means women and older recruits have different requirements for physical fitness than men and younger Americans do.
In addition to woke Americans, other branches such as the Air Force have also been encouraging expectant mothers to sign up for the fight.
In September, the Air Force announced that it &#8220;has updated a policy to allow women, both enlisted and civilian, to apply and compete for an Officer Training School commission while pregnant.&#8221;
“We’re in a race for talent, and our policies need to reflect that,” Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/pregnant-candidates-can-now-apply-to-air-force-officer-training-school-without-a-waiver/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;This policy change will ensure we’re able to fully tap into the talent amongst our force as well as those looking to join us.&#8221;
It does not seem wise to have a military full of leftist pregnant women, but could it really be so bad if a bunch of folks like &#8220;Ox&#8221; in &#8220;Stripes&#8221; join the Army?
<iframe loading="lazy" title="John Candy in Stripes" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bD4xwK13lGk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Stripes

U.S. Army Reportedly Changing Controversial Body Fat Test. Good News For ‘Stripes’ Fans.

U.S. Army Reportedly Changing Controversial Body Fat Test. Good News For 'Stripes' Fans.

America

Biden Administration

Health

Obesity

U.S. Army

Woke Culture

Wokeness

In his book: The Long Game: China’s Grand Strategy To Replace American Order, former Brookings fellow Rush Doshi argues that China has “three sequential ‘strategies of displacement’ they will pursue at the military, political and economic levels” to lessen and eventually replace America’s clout in the world. He postulates that China could be successful because they play “the long game”
One of Beijing’s hegemonic strategies in the coming decades is to exert as much influence over the island nations of the Pacific Ocean as they possibly can. Their unsubtle plan is to follow in the United States’ footsteps in order to counter the imposing American military presence on Guam and Hawaii by gaining a foothold in the region of western Oceania known as Micronesia.
With Doshi’s prescient warning in mind, renewal of the Compacts of Free Association with Micronesia must be elevated to top priority in American foreign policy. Each Compact of Free Association (COFA) is a reciprocal agreement between the United States and one of the three countries compromising Micronesia: the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and the Republic of Palau. 
Under the COFAs, the U.S. federal government guarantees financial assistance over a 15-year period for full international defense authority and responsibilities.
In non-diplomatic speak, the Compact allows the citizens of Micronesia to use the U.S. dollar as currency and to freely enter the U.S. without visas while enjoying the protection of the U.S. military, along with a steady stream of cash and a boatload of federal programs and benefits. In exchange, the U.S. government is granted access to their lands and resources — most importantly their ports and airfields — in a time of war. 
The strategic necessity of having access to deep-water harbors, runways and stockpiles of materiel every several hundred miles while campaigning across the vastness of the Pacific Ocean cannot be overstated. These COFAs renew periodically, with 2023 marking the deadline for the RMI and the FSM Compacts. Palau’s is up for renewal in 2024.
So far, none of these COFAs have been renewed as their deadlines approach. This uncertain state of affairs has not gone unnoticed by People’s Republic of China. As such, Chinese emissaries are actively canvassing the western Pacific, aggressively trying to wring any concessions they can from the Micronesian states’ governments to get their proverbial nose under the tent.
The most important U.S. outpost is Guam in the Mariana Islands. It is the largest landmass in western Oceania and hosts two American military bases: Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base. A new Marine Corps base, Camp Blaz, is currently under construction.
The Chinese, however, are most interested in the Republic of Palau, a beautiful archipelago located 800 miles west-southwest of Guam. It is the closest island chain to Mainland China that doesn’t have a U.S. military base. Palau is the second largest landmass in Micronesia but unlike Guam, which a territory under the direct ministry of the United States, Palau is an independent country and therefore is under no obligation to permit any U.S. military construction in peacetime.
Micronesian islanders have a 150-year history of working with Asian countries. It was, in fact, the early Japanese settlers who brought modernization to the islands. My Palauan grandmother by marriage, who was from the “World War Two generation”, spoke better Japanese than English. When the world went to war, the Micronesians found themselves swept up in fierce battles between invading U.S. and defending Japanese armed forces. For them, the powerful Americans may have brought more freedom, but their arrival also ruined the Micronesians’ tranquil, agrarian way of life.
Two years ago, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the FSM began high-level talks to forge an agreement to build a new base. This is a step in the right direction, but a COFA has yet to be signed despite the upcoming 2023 deadline. Although still committed to the Americans, the FSM has allowed Beijing to open an embassy in the capital of Palikir on the island of Pohnpei.
For decades, the RMI has been a stalwart American ally, but a dispute with Washington is testing that loyalty. 
The Marshallese feel their claims for environmental and health damage caused by the dozens of post-WWII thermonuclear device tests are not being properly addressed. To complicate matters, a brazen display of Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) capacity for treachery has been exemplified by recently uncovered skullduggery. A Chinese couple was indicted for what the DOJ described as a &#8220;multi-year scheme to try and establish an autonomous ‘mini-state’ in the Marshall Islands”.
In light of this disquieting proof of the lengths the CCP is willing to go in their unwavering quest to acquire Micronesian territory, the RMI and the United States have agreed to speed up negotiations. This new schedule to expedite signing of the COFA illustrates Washington’s worries about China’s expanding Pacific presence. To date, the RMI has stayed dedicated to the U.S. and Taiwan, not allowing Beijing to open an embassy — yet.
Still, the ultimate goal for China remains Palau. Luckily for the U.S., Palauans are fiercely territorial and do not allow foreigners to own land in Palau. 
The Japanese bought up most of the attractive properties in Guam and Saipan during their real estate expansion boom of the 1980’s. When they tried to do the same in Palau they were stonewalled. The Chinese are attempting to succeed where the Japanese failed. Beijing is endeavoring to circumvent the COFA by purchasing Palauan land outright with offers of cash in truly astounding amounts — the likes of which have never before been seen in Palau. The fact that the PRC emissaries are dangling such munificent cash awards is prima facie evidence of how badly Beijing wants to gain a foothold in Micronesia. The Palauans have so far stuck to tradition and refused.
As with all shrewd tacticians, however, the Chinese have a contingency plan. After courting the government of the Solomon Islands in Melanesia for some time, they have made considerable headway. 
The United States, Australia, and the FSM applied extreme diplomatic pressure to thwart a new security agreement between the Solomons and Beijing, fearing that the deal could lead to a Chinese military presence in the islands and increase tensions in the region. But the Solomons Islands already switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Mainland China in 2019. 
Last month Prime Minister Sogavare signed the security agreement and decried the protests as “very insulting”. He <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220329-solomon-islands-pm-says-china-security-deal-ready-for-signing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, “We are not pressured in any way by our new friends”. He added that there is no intention whatsoever to ask China to build a military base in the Solomon Islands. In a prelude to what the Micronesians can expect from an agreement with the CCP, the first wave of Chinese “security” police arrives in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, next month to help preserve “social order”.
One hopes that the governors and legislatures of the states of Micronesia will watch closely how the true China-Melanesia dynamic unfolds and consider the meaning of an ancient phrase: “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” A COFA with communist China will be quite different from one with a democratic republic like the United States of America. Such a binding agreement with a totalitarian regime will certainly have obscure authoritarian clauses built in. 
To be sure, Xi Jinping will make soothing promises that the status quo will go on as before. But once the deal is done, the Chinese will expect robust concessions and will demand much more control than the citizens of Micronesia are accustomed to. One needs to look no further than Hong Kong to see how Beijing reneged on its promises to their once-free citizens of an egalitarian society.
The Chinese understand, however, that setting up shop in Melanesia is only second best. The islands of Micronesia are the real prizes necessary to roll back over a century of U.S. influence in an area of the Pacific they believe ought to fall within their territorial sphere of influence.
The next renewal of the Compact of Free Association may appear to be a fait accompli, but the longer Washington procrastinates, the better Beijing may begin to look to those whose ultimate loyalty is to their own island people. As the Chinese continue with promises of gargantuan amounts of cash along with enticing “security” incentives, who knows what the governments of Micronesia may decide?
All eyes in Washington should be turned toward the western Pacific for the next two years. Indeed, the next two decades. If Palau and the RMI give in and allow Beijing to establish an embassy, as the FSM already has, it could trigger a “Warm War” in the balmy Pacific between the USA and China.
At the moment, it is the Micronesian people’s independence rather than a love of the United States which keeps them from accepting the very tempting Chinese largesse. But, “every man has his price”.  The Chinese may help the Micronesians find theirs if the Americans aren’t careful.
Brian Schaeffer is a retired realtor and former naval aviator.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Streets of Palau Koror and coves of coral reefs

Beijing Dangles ‘Gargantuan Amounts Of Cash’ Over South Pacific Islands As Treaties Set To Expire

Pacific Ocean

U.S. Navy

For two decades in Iraq and Afghanistan, the American military fought for the freedom of a nation, created bonds of brotherhood between two countries, and made promises on the ground to our soldiers. But last August, with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region, 20 years of relationships were squandered in the blink of an eye.
The stark reality we learned a year ago is that, when it comes to Afghanistan, we can no longer look to our current leaders for help. Nobody’s coming. We’re on our own.
Veterans of the long War on Terror know this better than anyone. A recent survey conducted by the <a href="https://www.moreincommon.com/media/vvjpdo2k/after-kabul-more-in-common.pdf">Veterans and Citizens Initiative</a> found that 76% of American military veterans are angry about the withdrawal from Afghanistan; 73% feel betrayed; and 71% are having a hard time processing the end of the war. Our troops risked their lives and suffered immeasurable physical and moral injuries. What was it all for?
My fellow veterans and I felt this acutely last year when we launched a rescue mission to save our friend Sergeant First Class Nezammudin “Nezam” Nezami. An Afghan special forces soldier, Nezam trained at Fort Bragg, fought alongside us, and was wounded defending American freedom. And yet, when the time came for his paperwork to be processed, none of us could get the U.S. government to help.
We took it upon ourselves to work directly with the NATO military heroes in Kabul to get Nezam out, utilizing a Signal group chat populated by veterans, State Department officials, and a few media figures. Once we got Nezam safely through the wall in the Kabul airport, we realized we had created an “underground railroad” for more Afghans and their families to find safe passage. It required a treacherous journey through Taliban checkpoints, seething crowds, and rank open sewers where those seeking refuge would look for a chem-light or orange flag signal. Once located, they had to use the password or show an image of a “Pineapple,” to the Marine or soldier standing guard at the hidden entry point.
The Signal group chat supporting these efforts, now known as “Operation Pineapple Express,” grew to 150 individuals from all parts of the country. Together, we worked diligently to get as many people as we could to safety, but we knew we were on borrowed time, as everyone expected an IED to detonate somewhere amidst the chaos of Kabul airport. It did, killing 13 Americans and over 100 innocent Afghans. The bomb ended our official operations, but we continued to work the underground — and we do to this day.
While veterans and volunteers stepped up, the silence from American politicians, diplomats, and senior military leaders has been deafening. Not one senior leader resigned in protest over the embarrassment and human costs of what happened. Instead, these leaders passed off the risk to more junior active-duty members of their organizations and to the combat-fatigued Special Operations Forces veteran population. Operation Pineapple Express was just one of dozens of privately run operations where individuals stepped in to do the work that our military higher-ups and our government refused to do.
Today, more than a year later, the Kabul we left behind looks very different. The Taliban appears stronger than ever, and human rights have once again been ripped away from the Afghan people. The Taliban have reinstituted their draconian measures to keep girls out of school and women out of public professions. Mass graves of Tajik Men and targeted killings of former Afghan Commandos are the front-page headlines of human rights organizations. And as we saw with the recent drone strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, American enemies once again have a place of safety to plan future attacks.
Coming back from this failure will be immensely difficult, and we don’t seem to have the leadership in Washington to make a difference. 
As we learned all too painfully in Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Ukraine, we cannot kill our way to security. We cannot turn military decisions that affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of troops into political tools. America’s broken international promises represent a national security risk that cannot be understated. But perhaps an even greater consequence of those broken promises is the sense of betrayal and futility felt among our men and women in the service. Why did we fight? What did we fight for? These questions became a recurring callback with so many of my friends who risked their lives and sacrificed so much.
That’s why Operation Pineapple Express &#8211; like Dunkirk, Save Our Allies, and the many other volunteer efforts undertaken &#8211; was a huge uplift. It showed what people can do in spite of the mismanagement and political blundering of our leaders. The fortitude and loyalty our team members demonstrated to save our Afghan brothers and sisters &#8211; many of us not sleeping for days straight so we could save as many people as possible &#8211; embodies what makes America great. It’s not the
politicians. It’s not the military brass, either. It’s the everyday men and women who honored a promise and tried to save their fellow men and women when they needed help.
As we rue the anniversary of our tragic exit from Afghanistan, we must push past the partisan hackery and look beyond the egregious missteps of past administrations. We’re in the foxhole now, and help may not come. With veterans as our moral compass, we citizens must recognize that, at least for now, we only have each other to rely on.
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Scott Mann is a former U.S. Army Green Beret with tours all over the world including Colombia, Iraq, and multiple tours in Afghanistan. He is a warrior storyteller and the founder of <a href="https://rooftopleadership.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://rooftopleadership.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1663687115225000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3GcF36hGiIV2hK7Q3KGfD_">Rooftop Leadership</a> and the author of the instant New York Times Best-Seller, <a href="https://operationpineappleexpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://operationpineappleexpress.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1663687115225000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0lO9UavgjuC30lvYxA-5Eo">Operation Pineapple Express</a>. He has since founded <a href="https://operelief.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://operelief.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1663687115225000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1iz7N7Gg3N8vCjjEyCp3EE">Operation Pineapple Express Relief</a>, a 501c3 to help support the emergency needs of our Afghan Allies such as safe passage out of Afghanistan, plus unforeseen resettlement needs.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MOD Evacuations Out Of Kabul

‘Nobody Is Coming’: How A Dangerous Afghan Rescue Mission Became A 21st Century Underground Railroad

Afghanistan

Books

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pentagon">Pentagon</a> paused shipments of F-35s to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-military">U.S. military</a> and other buyers after discovering that an engine component in the jet is sourced from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/china">China</a>.
The Defense Contract Management Agency notified the Pentagon’s office handling F-35s that an alloy used in the plane’s turbomachine pumps comes from China. Lockheed Martin, which assembles the aircraft, may need a special exemption to bypass the Buy American Act if it wishes to restart production, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/07/pentagon-suspends-f-35-deliveries-china-00055202">Politico</a>.
The alloy is present in magnets inside the turbomachine pumps. The alloy has not harmed the jet’s integrity, and F-35s already in operation will remain in operation, according to the F-35 Joint Program Office.
“We have confirmed that the magnet does not transmit information or harm the integrity of the aircraft and there are no performance, quality, safety or security risks associated with this issue and flight operations for the F-35 in-service fleet will continue as normal,” F-35 program spokesman Russell Goemaere told Politico in a statement.
“Defense contractors voluntarily shared information with DCMA and the JPO once the issue was discovered and they have found an alternative source for the alloy that will be used in future turbomachines,” he added.
Lockheed Martin spokeswoman Laura Siebert said: “We are working with our partners and DoD to ensure contractual compliance within the supply chain. The magnet has no visibility or access to any sensitive program information. The F-35 remains safe for flight, and we are working with the DoD to resolve the issue as quickly as possible to resume deliveries.”
While the plane is assembled by Lockheed Martin, the turbomachine pumps are produced by Honeywell.
“Honeywell remains committed to supplying high-quality products that meet or exceed all customer contract requirements,” Honeywell spokesman Adam Kress told Politico. “We are working closely with DOD and Lockheed Martin to ensure that we continue to achieve those commitments on products Honeywell supplies for use on the F-35.”
In late July, the U.S. Air Force temporarily <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/air/2022/08/15/all-us-air-force-f-35s-are-flying-again-after-ejection-seat-checks/">grounded</a> all in-service F-35s in its fleet over concerns about ejector seat initiator cartridges. Service technicians inspected hundreds of cartridges across 349 jets, as well as more cartridges kept in reserve. Inspectors located four that they thought may be defective. The fleet was back to normal operations within about two weeks.

F-35

Pentagon Halts F-35 Purchases After Discovery Of Chinese Component

Airplane

Communist China

Pentagon

Supply Chain

Over a dozen former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-defense">Defense</a> secretaries and Joint Chiefs chairmen signed a letter warning of a “challenging civil-military environment” days after President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> delivered a polarizing political speech with two marines in the backdrop.
The <a href="https://warontherocks.com/2022/09/to-support-and-defend-principles-of-civilian-control-and-best-practices-of-civil-military-relations/">open letter</a> was published Tuesday on the national security website War On The Rocks. Eight former secretaries of Defense and five former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff signed onto the letter.
“We are in an exceptionally challenging civil-military environment. Many of the factors that shape civil-military relations have undergone extreme strain in recent years,” the letter begins, citing the “winding down” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan last year was defined by chaos and bloodshed as 13 U.S. service members died in a terror attack in the war’s final days.
The letter also cites strains from the “pandemic and the economic dislocations.” It said military professionals have experienced an “extremely adverse environment characterized by the divisiveness of affective polarization” that culminated in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The letter then outlines 16 “core principles and best practices” to be observed by military and civilian leaders to protect the integrity of the military from politicization and controversy. The letter comes five days after Biden stirred such a controversy by featuring two U.S. marines in the backdrop of a political speech in which he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-demonizes-millions-of-americans-while-calling-for-unity">declared</a>: “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.”
While plenty of critics blasted Biden’s language, many others took note of the conspicuous placement of the marines in the background. Presidents typically refrain from using the U.S. military as props when making political speeches, and the presence of the marines gave Biden’s speech an ominous undertone.
“The message to other military personnel, particularly other Marines, is that support for the president’s opponents is considered a threat to the constitutional Republic,” <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/09/02/no-way-biden-shouldve-used-marines-as-props-for-his-hyper-political-speech/">wrote</a> Jonathan Turley, a law professor at the George Washington University Law School.
The military leaders’ open letter appeared to address such a controversy as the U.S. military appearing to be part of a political event. It also noted that military rules expressly forbid certain political activities by service members.
“There are significant limits on the public role of military personnel in partisan politics, as outlined in longstanding Defense Department policy and regulations. Members of the military accept limits on the public expression of their private views — limits that would be unconstitutional if imposed on other citizens. Military and civilian leaders must be diligent about keeping the military separate from partisan political activity,” the letter states.
The letter was signed by former Defense secretaries Dr. Ashton Baldwin Carter, William Sebastian Cohen, Dr. Mark Thomas Esper, Dr. Robert Michael Gates, Charles Timothy Hagel, James Norman Mattis, Leon Edward Panetta, and Dr. William James Perry, and joined by former Joint Chiefs chairmen Gen. Martin Edward Dempsey, Gen. Joseph Francis Dunford Jr., Adm. Michael Glenn Mullen, Gen. Richard Bowman Myers, and Gen. Peter Pace.

Joe Biden

Former Military Leaders Warn Of Politicized ‘Civil-Military Environment’ Following Biden Speech

Department of Defense

Marines

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-orleans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Orleans</a> Archbishop announced Wednesday that an 83-year-old Louisiana nun captured by a group of gunmen five months ago while living and working in a West African country had been found.
Sister Suellen Theresa Tennyson, a member of the Marianites of Holy Cross in Lousiana, was kidnapped from her bed at a mission site in Yalgo, Burkina Faso, a landlocked country between Ghana and Niger, on April 4, 2022. Tennyson&#8217;s abduction put her on the most wanted <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://twitter.com/FBIMostWanted/status/1547686656672641027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">list</a> from the FBI.
The New Orleans Advocate <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/article_e50eae84-28a3-11ed-af14-d7577ad2a0aa.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that a letter sent to Marianites of Holy Cross members Tuesday — and confirmed by the order&#8217;s U.S. congregational leader, Sister Ann Lacour — states that Tennyson is alive and under U.S. protection in Niamey, the capital of Niger. Tennyson has requested to maintain privacy and to return home safely.
New Orleans Catholic Archbishop Gregory Aymond said in a statement to <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/new-orleans-nun-kidnapped-africa-found-safe/289-f313bf69-f2a4-4ee0-b52f-278c0489af2e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WWLTV</a> that congregational members are &#8220;deeply grateful to God, and to the women and men who made this possible.&#8221;
&#8220;The safe return of Sister Suellen Tennyson, MSC is an answer to our most heartfelt prayers,&#8221; Aymond said. &#8220;We thank God that she is safe and that she has been returned to the care of those that love her.&#8221;
In an interview with the Clarion Herald, Lacour said Tennyson detailed her kidnapping on the phone.
During the midnight hours, Tennyson reportedly was kidnapped barefoot when about ten armed gunmen burst into the convent, where she had worked for 10 years in the medical clinic.
Lacour said when Tennyson served as a pastoral minister, she would &#8220;wipe tears, give hugs, [and] import a smile.&#8221;
&#8220;She really did support the people that work in the clinic that the parish runs,&#8221; she said, adding that locals would walk for miles seeking help from the clinic.
The abductors ransacked the living quarters and kidnapped her while leaving behind her glasses, blood pressure medicine, and two other Marianite sisters.
&#8220;They destroyed almost everything in the house, shot holes in the new truck, and tried to burn it,&#8221; Lacour said. &#8220;The house itself is OK, but its contents are ruined.&#8221;
The two other Marianites at the convent in Yalgo – Sister Pauline Drouin, a Canadian, and Sister Pascaline Tougma, a Burkinabé — had few details to share surrounding the abduction, but said they believed more men were on the road at the time.
Pauline and Pascaline contacted both the U.S. Embassy in Burkina Faso and the U.S. State Department, and were relocated by authorities to Kaya, Burkina Faso — about 70 miles from the convent in Yalgo. Church officials also contacted the apostolic nuncios to the U.S., Burkina Faso, France, the Vatican&#8217;s secretary of state, and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the U.S.
Authorities said Tennyson&#8217;s case was &#8220;a high priority.&#8221;
&#8220;We don&#8217;t know who it was that abducted her, but we know that there are various gangs throughout Mali and Burkina Faso trying to capture those that they feel like they can barter for in some fashion,&#8221; Lacour told <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/new-orleans-nun-kidnapped-africa-found-safe/289-f313bf69-f2a4-4ee0-b52f-278c0489af2e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WWLTV</a>.
Local media <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://apnews.com/article/africa-religion-crime-niger-louisiana-5fd8ecdd8f9ebd21efd21f6ef4b464bf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that Burkina Faso ranks as one of the 10 countries in the Sahel region of Africa that have been under violent political uprisings with jihadi extremist groups fueling armed groups to attack civilians.
Lacour said the captors released Tennyson to the U.S. Military in Niger on August 29.
&#8220;She&#8217;s totally worn out,&#8221; Sister Ann said. &#8220;I told her how much people love her, and she doesn&#8217;t have anything to worry about.&#8221;
&#8220;I told her, &#8216;you are alive and safe,’” she added. &#8220;That&#8217;s all that matters.”
The details on why she was released have not been made public.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FBI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FBI</a> seeks information about Suellen Theresa Tennyson, an American citizen &amp; Nun living &amp; working in Burkina Faso, who was kidnapped by armed gunmen in Yalgo, Burkina Faso, on April 4, 2022, &amp; may potentially be located in Burkina Faso, Mali, or Niger: <a href="https://t.co/rdmBFW15RP">https://t.co/rdmBFW15RP</a> <a href="https://t.co/jwM27eIluC">pic.twitter.com/jwM27eIluC</a>
&mdash; FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIMostWanted/status/1547686656672641027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Rear View Of Nun Praying At Church

New Orleans Nun In Her 80s Found Alive After Gunmen In West Africa Kidnapped Her 5 Months Ago

Africa

Catholicism

Political Violence

The Vatican

Violent Crime

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-army">U.S. Army</a> colonel turned away four busloads of Americans, orphans, and others with verified paperwork guaranteeing safe passage out of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/afghanistan">Afghanistan</a>, members of a volunteer evacuation team claimed in a new documentary.
The members, comprised of military and security veterans, conducted an evacuation blitz in the final days of U.S. occupation in Afghanistan, rushing to save stranded Americans and other vulnerable groups who qualified before the Taliban took control of the country. The operators said in a new Amazon Prime Video documentary, “Send Me,” that an unnamed U.S. Army colonel “murdered” hundreds of potential evacuees by refusing them spots on flights out of the country because their papers could have been faked, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11153217/US-colonel-branded-MURDERER-condemning-bus-loads-Americans-Kabul-evacuation.html">Daily Mail</a>.
Former Army Ranger and MMA fighter Tim Kennedy said the incident took place on August 25, 2021, days before the American withdrawal concluded. Kennedy’s team of highly-skilled specialists had driven four buses filled with hundreds of people through a secret, U.S. military-controlled gate into Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport at 3 a.m.
The evacuees&#8217; documents had been verified, and the group, comprised of Americans, allies, Christians, orphans, and others, was preparing to board a flight out of Afghanistan, which the Taliban controlled by that point. A colonel with the 82nd Airborne met the buses and allegedly demanded they all be sent away.
“No, I don’t care who they are, those people get back on those buses and they go back into Kabul. Get em off this base?” the colonel said, according to Kennedy.
Kennedy said: “There’s not enough capacity in my soul to be able to mourn four busloads of people that are about to die because the time spend (sic) on anguish and mourning could have been spent saving other people.”
Former Force Recon Marine Chad Robichaux, another member of the elite evacuation team, said the colonel had “essentially just killed” the group by sending them back out of the airport in view of the Taliban, which would identify them and hunt them down for working with the Americans.
“Whoever just made the decision to turn this bus around essentially just killed – just murdered – these people. And by the way, some of those people are children,” Robichaux said. “And some of these people were women. But some of these people are Americans, that we just sent back to the Taliban.”
The final days of the 20-year U.S. involvement in Afghanistan ended in chaos and bloodshed. A day after the alleged episode with the Army colonel, an ISIS-affiliated terrorist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-isnt-about-your-son-this-is-about-my-son-mom-of-marine-killed-in-afghanistan-blasts-bidens-self-centered-response-to-her">detonated</a> a suicide bomb outside the airport&#8217;s perimeter, killing 13 U.S. service members and hundreds of Afghan civilians.
The U.S. military <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pentagon-releases-video-of-august-drone-strike-that-killed-afghan-family">launched</a> a retaliatory drone strike days later, but mistakenly killed ten civilians, including seven children, instead of an Islamic State operative. The target of the strike ended up being an aid worker who worked for a California-based company.
Kennedy appeared on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/tim-kennedy-fox-friends-everyone-needs-know-happened-kabul-airport">Fox News</a> Friday and urged the U.S. to learn from the deadly mistakes of President Joe Biden&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-hasty-withdrawal-u-s-left-behind-7b-of-military-gear-including-78-aircraft-and-12000-humvees-in-afghanistan-report">withdrawal</a> from Afghanistan.
“So many lives were lost. Today is the anniversary of 13 Americans. Hundreds of Afghans were killed at that gate — a terrorist attack during the evacuation, one of the most poorly planned strategic evacuations in American history,” Kennedy said. “If we&#8217;re not learning from this, if we’re not treating this as an opportunity to improve not just strategically, but who we are as a people, making sure that all of our allies look to us and know that we&#8217;re going to stand by them all the way to the end, that we are good allies, that we&#8217;re good friends.”
“We’re not just going to turn our back and we&#8217;re done when it&#8217;s no longer a public interest. That we’re going to work all the way through to the final finish line. There are so many important lessons to be learned here,” he said.
The extraction team saved roughly 12,000 people from Afghanistan, the team members said. Another member of the group, Army veteran Nick Palmisciano, recalled the final days of the U.S. withdrawal as desperate Afghans attempted to give their infant children to U.S. soldiers to be taken out of the country.
“It’s impossible to explain the level of desperation people felt” Palmisciano says in the documentary, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/08/28/us-army-colonel-blocked-busloads-of-americans-allies-trying-to-escape-afghanistan-documentary/">New York Post</a>. “Just think in the first couple of days people were trying to hang on to the bottom of C-17s. That’s desperation that Americans don’t understand.”

Taliban

U.S. Army Colonel Sent Busloads Of Americans, Afghan Allies To Be ‘Murdered’ By Taliban, Evac Team Says

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/whole-foods">Whole Foods</a> founder John Mackey warned that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/socialism">socialists</a> are “taking over” every facet of American society, and promised he’ll have much more to say when he steps down as CEO of the trailblazing supermarket chain.
Mackey, who founded the company in 1980 and stayed on to run it after selling it to Amazon for $13.7 billion in 2017, said freedom-hating fascists have seized control of companies, education, and even the military. The explosive comments came in an interview with <a href="https://reason.com/podcast/2022/08/10/whole-foods-john-mackey-i-feel-like-socialists-are-taking-over/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reason magazine</a>.
“They’re marching through the institutions — they’re taking everything over,” said Mackey, who is stepping down at the end of September. “They’ve taken over education. It looks like they’ve taken over a lot of the corporations. It looks like they’ve taken over the military. And it’s just continuing.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;I feel like socialists are taking over,&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/WholeFoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WholeFoods</a> CEO John Mackey tells <a href="https://twitter.com/reason?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@reason</a>. &quot;I believe in liberty and capitalism. Those are my twin values. And I feel like&#8230;a lot of the liberties that I&#39;ve taken for granted most of my life&#8230;are under threat.&quot;<a href="https://t.co/M9VC9pOone">https://t.co/M9VC9pOone</a>
&mdash; Nick Gillespie (@nickgillespie) <a href="https://twitter.com/nickgillespie/status/1557463255811080192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Although many consider Whole Foods and its parent company progressive, Mackey said he is a “capitalist at heart.” While building the company, Mackey espoused what he called “conscious capitalism,” and sought to “create financial, intellectual, social, cultural, emotional, spiritual, physical, and ecological wealth for all of [its] stakeholders.” The company promoted environmentally sound agriculture, paid living wages, and was a pioneer in providing health care to entry-level employees.
But incompetent Leftist governance, especially during the COVID pandemic, has made it difficult to champion those values while still making a profit, he said. He cited increased government unemployment benefits that made it more lucrative for prospective workers to stay jobless.
“A lot of people were making as much money, if not more money, not working at all,” he said. “And so guess what? They chose not to come back to work. They got used to it,” he said.
Even now, the younger generation that the supermarket industry relies on to unload trucks, stock shelves, and man the registers “don’t seem to want to work,” he said. The problem is most acute in Democrat-run big cities, he said.
“They only wanna work if it’s really purposeful, and [something] they feel aligned to,” he said. “You can’t hope to start with meaningful work. You’re going to have to earn it over time. Some of the younger generation doesn’t seem to be willing to pay that price, and I don’t know why.”
Mackey also lamented the Left’s ongoing assault on freedom of speech and other constitutional rights.
“I feel like with the way freedom of speech is today — the movement on gun control — a lot of the liberties that I’ve taken for granted most of my life, I think, are under threat,” he said.
The comments were apparently just a hint of what’s to come, when Mackey steps down and can speak even more freely.
“Pretty soon, you’re gonna hear about ‘Crazy John’ who’s no longer muzzled,” he said. “I’ve got six weeks. I can talk more about politics in six weeks than I can today.”

U.S.-WASHINGTON-UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

‘No Longer Muzzled’: Whole Foods Founder Issues Dire Warning About Socialists

'No Longer Muzzled': Whole Foods Founder Issues Dire Warning About Socialists

Business

Free Speech

Second Amendment

Whole Foods

U.S. Navy officials said Monday that warships would continue sailing through the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taiwan">Taiwan</a> Strait in the coming days despite the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/china">Chinese</a> Communist Party conducting several missile exercises around the island after the recent visit from U.S. House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nancy-pelosi">Nancy Pelosi</a>. 
The U.S. Naval Institute <a href="https://news.usni.org/2022/08/08/u-s-will-continue-taiwan-strait-transits-fonops-in-western-pacific-despite-growing-tension-with-china">reports</a> that the military would conduct &#8220;freedom of navigation operations&#8221; in the Indo-Pacific waters. Such visits recognize international law, allowing vessels to pass through foreign states safely. 
&#8220;We will continue to stand by our allies and partners,&#8221; Colin Kahl, undersecretary of defense for policy, told reporters at a <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3120707/usd-policy-dr-kahl-press-conference/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> Monday. &#8220;So even as China tries to kind of chip away at the status quo, our policy is to maintain the status quo of a free and open Indo-Pacific, which frankly is what I think most of the countries in the region would prefer.&#8221;
&#8220;Our policy hasn&#8217;t changed,&#8221; Kahl said. &#8220;We have a One China policy,&#8221; adding the U.S. has a commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with capabilities to defend itself, which includes the U.S. having capabilities &#8220;to preclude the use of violence to force a change in the status quo across the Strait.&#8221;
China&#8217;s communist officials view the self-governed democratic island as its territory and have said they would take it by force if necessary.
Taiwan, where 23 million people call home just 80 miles off the coast of China, has faced a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-launching-targeted-military-operations-encircling-taiwan-after-pelosi-lands-on-island">series of drills</a> after Pelosi&#8217;s trip caused tension between Beijing and Washington. China opposed the visit from the Speaker of the House and has continued flexing its military power through drills, sending several warships near the country. 
Taiwan officials condemned the &#8220;irrational action that has jeopardized regional peace.&#8221;
Yet Kahl said Pelosi&#8217;s visit hasn&#8217;t changed &#8220;one iota&#8221; of the U.S. government&#8217;s policy toward China or Taiwan.
&#8220;Legislatures from around the world go to Taiwan,&#8221; Kahl said. &#8220;Our Congress is an independent body of our government.&#8221;
&#8220;Clearly the PRC is trying to coerce Taiwan,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Clearly, they&#8217;re trying to coerce the international community, and all I&#8217;ll say is we&#8217;re not going to take the bait and it&#8217;s not going to work.&#8221;
&#8220;So it&#8217;s a manufactured crisis. That doesn&#8217;t mean we have to play into that,&#8221; Kahl added.
Currently, the military has stationed the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group and the USS Tripoli assault ship in the Philippine Sea, according to <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://news.usni.org/2022/08/08/usni-news-fleet-and-marine-tracker-aug-8-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USNI News&#8217; Fleet Tracker</a>.

PHILIPPINES-US-MILITARY-PACIFIC-DEFENCE

U.S. To Send Warships Through Taiwan Strait ‘In The Coming Days’

U.S. To Send Warships Through Taiwan Strait 'In The Coming Days'

Chinese Communist Party

Nancy Pelosi

Taiwan

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/space-force">United States Space Force</a> announced that the military branch will forego annual fitness assessments and instead wear fitness devices tracking the guardians’ physical and mental health beginning in 2023.
Guardians have undergone an annual fitness assessment similar to Air Force members. But now, with the new approach, guardians will wear a smart ring or other wearable fitness devices, likely manufactured by Garmin and Oura.
The new method could change how military leaders evaluate service members in the future while still adhering to high performance levels.
&#8220;This program will promote not just physical fitness,&#8221; Patricia Mulcahy, the Space Force deputy chief of space operations for personnel, <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/08/02/space-force-ditches-fitness-tests-members-will-wear-trackers/">wrote</a> in a memo reviewed by NPR. &#8220;It will pair fitness with robust education on diet, sleep hygiene, and other physiological factors to promote social, mental and spiritual health as well.&#8221;
Chief Master Sergeant James Seballes, senior enlisted leader for Space Force&#8217;s Training and Readiness Command, told <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/22/1113067616/the-newest-branch-of-the-military-is-taking-a-different-approach-to-fitness">NPR</a> that the devices would not only maintain fitness goals, but the technology would also offer more analysis of the guardians&#8217; activity.
&#8220;Our standards really haven&#8217;t changed, right? We still are utilizing the Air Force [physical training] standards,&#8221; Seballes. &#8220;The difference is in our approach.&#8221;
He said fitness has often been used as a &#8220;go, no-go kind of thing.&#8221;
&#8220;You either have it, or you don&#8217;t,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve known folks that can do all their [physical training] aspects and run a really fast mile and a half, but yet their eating habits are poor.&#8221;
&#8220;Their sleeping habits are poor. They&#8217;re not healthy,&#8221; Seballes added.
Patrick Hitchins, CEO of Austin-based FitRankings, which is building that platform for the Space Force, told NPR the tests have some dimensionality that favors one activity over others.
Maj. Gen. Shawn Bratton, commander of Space Training and Readiness Command, said, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11074111/Space-Force-scraps-annual-fitness-tests-guardians.html">Daily Mail</a>, that he favors the modern digital approach, believing that it might encourage service members to take care of their health more.
&#8220;There&#8217;s increased responsibility on me, not just once a year to take a fitness test, for example, but maybe to exercise 90 minutes a week,&#8221; Bratton told NPR. &#8220;The ring helps me keep track of that as well as my sleep patterns.&#8221;
NPR reports the decision to change the branch’s fitness model comes after research showed some military members developed eating disorders or other behaviors depleting their health.
Lindsay Bodell, assistant professor of psychology at Western University in Ontario, told NPR that service members who fail to meet the military requirements could lead to unhealthy and extreme behaviors.
&#8220;Some of the negative consequences might just be kind of preoccupation with certain exercise regimes or fixation on numbers,&#8221; Bodell said. &#8220;Which could end up getting in the way of other activities.&#8221;
Until the new health assessment model replaces the old next year, the latest branch of the military&#8217;s 8,400 members must undergo one minute of pushups, situps, and a timed 1.5-mile run.

SpaceX and U.S. Space Force compound in Florida

U.S. Space Force To Forego Guardians’ Annual Fitness Tests, New Method Introduced

U.S. Space Force To Forego Guardians' Annual Fitness Tests, New Method Introduced

Mental Health

U.S. Air Force

United States Space Force

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