Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), erstwhile advocate of a return to the military draft to provide a “more equitable representation of people making sacrifices” in wartime, was joined by Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) in requesting a GAO report on the demographics of the all-volunteer force. The GAO found that casualty figures for combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq since the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism in 2001 show the majority of killed and wounded personnel were white, young, and enlisted active duty personnel. The Congressional watchdog agency noted that, as of May 28, whites had accounted for 67 percent of active duty and reserve forces and 71 percent of fatalities; African Americans, 17 percent and nine percent; and Hispanics nine percent and 10 percent.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
