The Washington Post, in a March 16 story, presented this gem of a quote from Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs: “Our spending today [on health care for the active, retired, and reserve US military] is greater than the entire Ministry of Defense budget in Germany.” The figure to which he refers is $38 billion. What, exactly, is the comparison supposed to signify? One could also say—because it’s true—that the Pentagon health care budget is only one third the amount Americans spend each year on booze ($116 billion). The question is: So what
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.