The attacks cast more doubt on a tenuous month-old ceasefire that the United States has insisted is still in effect. Washington is awaiting an Iranian response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the strait and roll back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hopes to receive “a serious offer” from Iran later Friday.

The U.S. military said Friday that its forces had disabled two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade of Iran’s ports. Hours earlier, the military said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in the strait.

Iran has mostly blocked the critical waterway for global energy since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, causing a global spike in fuel prices and rattling world markets. The U.S. has imposed its own blockade of Iran’s ports.

The UAE’s Defense Ministry meanwhile said three people were wounded after air defenses engaged two ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iran. It was not clear if all were successfully intercepted.

US says it responded to an attack in the strait

The U.S. military posted video of the two Iranian tankers as their smokestacks were struck by an American fighter jet on Friday. Earlier in the week, an American military jet shot out the rudder of a tanker the U.S. military said was attempting to breach its blockade.

Late Thursday, the U.S. military said it thwarted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and struck Iranian military facilities in response. It said no American ships were hit.

“They threaten Americans, they are going to be blown up,” Rubio told reporters Friday.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called “hostile” U.S. military action, saying it violated the ceasefire. “Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X.

A U.S. strike overnight killed at least one sailor and injured 10 others aboard a cargo vessel that caught fire, a news agency affiliated with Iran’s judiciary reported. It was not clear if the ship was one of the two tankers the U.S. acknowledged striking.

U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted the ceasefire is holding. He also has reiterated threats to resume full-scale bombing if Iran doesn’t accept an agreement to reopen the strait and roll back its nuclear program.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country has been in contact with the U.S. and Iran “day and night” in an effort to extend the ceasefire and reach a peace deal.

Images show apparent oil slick off Iranian terminal

Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show what appears to be an oil slick in the Persian Gulf emanating from the western side of Kharg Island, Iran’s main crude export terminal.

Images taken Friday show the slick covering about 71 square kilometers (27 square miles) and appear to show oil still leaking from the terminal, said Ami Daniel, CEO of maritime intelligence firm Windward AI.

Daniel estimated that the equivalent of roughly 80,000 oil barrels has spilled from Kharg Island since the slick was first detected by satellite images Tuesday. It’s unknown whether the spill was caused by a malfunction, an airstrike or something else.

“This is the risk of fighting in an oil-rich area,” said Daniel, adding that it’s unlikely any cleanup efforts will be launched in Gulf waters that have become an active war zone.

He said the spill appears to be spreading southwest and within the next two weeks could potentially reach the shores of the UAE, Qatar or Saudi Arabia.

Nina Noelle, an international crisis operations expert with Greenpeace Germany, said Friday that preliminary assessment and recent images show the spill beginning to disperse and it appears unlikely that it will impact land. She said depending on wind, waves and current conditions, parts of the slick could still possibly affect some sensitive marine habitats.

“More likely, it will dissipate offshore under prevailing conditions,” Noelle said.

The Pentagon declined to comment on whether the U.S. military was tracking the spill or whether there had been recent strikes on the Iranian island. Based on the imagery taken earlier this week, the spill occurred before the most recent round of U.S. strikes.

Rubio says `unacceptable’ for an Iranian agency to control strait

Rubio said Friday that it’s “unacceptable” for Iran to have a government agency that vets and taxes ships seeking passage through the strait.

Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a shipping data company, reported Thursday that Iran has created such an agency, known as the Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

The Iranian effort to formalize control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial vessels bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea.

“Is the world going to accept that Iran now controls an international waterway?” Rubio said. “What is the world prepared to do about it?”

Iran has effectively closed the strait, a vital waterway for the shipment of oil, gas, fertilizer and other petroleum products, while the U.S. is blockading Iranian ports.

A Chinese-crewed oil tanker was attacked near the strait. China has continued to import oil from Iran despite the effective closure of the waterway.

China’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern, saying the tanker was registered in the Marshall Islands with Chinese crew on board. There were no casualties reported.

An oil tanker that passed through the Strait of Hormuz in mid-April arrived off South Korea’s coast on Friday with 1 million barrels of crude. South Korea, which last year imported more than 60% of its crude through the strait, has capped prices of gasoline and other petroleum products.

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Trump is a fighter. He fights hard, and he fights dirty. Some people may think he fights like a lunatic, but if one is fully committed, then the style of fighting is not important. Winning is important. Trump likes to win, even though he hasn’t won much in the last few years, but he does like to win. He keeps trying. He is tenacious. He is like the cobra—he strikes fast. His mouth is poisonous. But he is majestic in his snake-like qualities.

He likes to belittle his rivals. I wanted to say that he is like Muhammad Ali, in that he likes to taunt his opponents, but then, Ali was Black, and Trump would never like me to make that comparison. At the same time, I don’t think Muhammad Ali would be too happy either. Trump calls his opponents names, gives them derogatory titles, and insults their families. By the standards of civility, that may be wrong. But Trump has to be Trump. Civility is not his thing. It is actually beneath him to be civil, to show respect, or to be nice—especially if his opponent is a woman, even worse, a woman of color, who may be doing well in the polls and drawing larger crowds than him.

You see, crowd size does matter. Trump can’t have someone running against him who can claim to have a bigger crowd. That hits his masculinity where it hurts the most. He has to do what every man has done since the beginning of time. He has to inflate, enhance, and enlarge his crowd size via artificial means. He has to claim that it is much bigger than it really is because his followers are not going to question it, and those who are questioning it are not going to ask him to whip out his proof. Even then, he will just keep insisting that it is 10, 20, even 30 times bigger than, say, Martin Luther King’s. He just has to say it. Even if it is wrong, and even if it is not physically possible to stretch his crowd to such lengths, the news will make it to all corners of the world. If he repeats his claim enough times, it will echo throughout God’s kingdom, and people would only hear how big it is and believe it. Religion is all about blind faith, and he is our Messiah, the patron saint of imaginary crowd sizes.

He has to call her stupid. He has to say that she has a low I.Q. I can bet my bottom dollar that Trump does not even know what the acronym I.Q. stands for, but he is smart enough to know that saying someone has a low I.Q. is probably some sort of insult. He has no qualms about calling her dumb because he knows very well that his followers are dumb enough to just follow along. Even though she has two degrees, is a lawyer, a prosecutor, a senator, and the Vice President, it is okay to call her dumb just because she is running against him. Only a dumb person would run against Trump, knowing full well that Trump is going to say stupid, crazy, unhinged, irrational, outrageous, baseless, racist, sexist, and even borderline lunatic things about her. His followers would put all of her credentials aside and believe his rhetoric because that is what they want to believe.

It is not just his rivals that he likes to insult and belittle. He likes to extend that courtesy to our troops as well. He likes to say really obnoxious and insulting things about our bravest soldiers. Recently, he said that the civilian “Medal of Freedom” is better than the military “Medal of Honor,” our nation’s highest military award for bravery in combat. According to him, the “Medal of Honor” recipients are “… soldiers who’re either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they are dead,” while “Medal of Freedom” recipients are “beautiful and healthy.”

There are Marine veterans of almost 40 years who whine endlessly about Governor Walz and what they call his “stolen valor,” but they won’t say a thing about Trump’s complete lack of valor. Our soldiers literally put their lives on the line for our freedom, and the recipients of the “Medal of Honor” have actually given their lives for this nation, but that means nothing to Trump. He can’t really sell their lives and make money from them. Instead, those who give money to his party are better because they enrich Trump, and in return, Trump bestows upon them a “Medal of Freedom” to make them feel special and to thank them for their donations. An empty but profitable gesture from Trump. All in all, a vanity project that fits well with Trump’s personality.

Trump has every right to [S-word] on the bravery of our wounded and fallen soldiers because he was their Commander-in-Chief at one time, which gives him every right to disparage their sacrifices. If Trump were in their place, he would have never been hit by a bullet or been killed in combat. If it wasn’t for those darn bone spurs in his heels, he would have shown the world how to stay “beautiful and healthy” while fighting in a battle or trying to save your fellow soldiers. Oh, wait! As a matter of fact, he did show us exactly that when a young kid tried to take him out. The bullets didn’t even graze him.

If Trump were in Vietnam, he would not have been captured like that pesky naval aviator John McCain. He would have single-handedly won the war for us, and our military history would have been so much different, so much better. If Trump had ever been a soldier during the Civil War, as some of our “Medal of Honor” recipients were, he would have ended that war quickly and decisively. Even though it would have been the Confederacy that prevailed, Trump would have played an outsized role, as he is doing nowadays.

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he wants to keep the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate in place to protect the health of the troops, as Republican governors and lawmakers press to rescind it.

This past week more than 20 Republican governors sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking that the administration remove the mandate, saying it has hurt the U.S. National Guard’s ability to recruit troops. Those troops are activated by governors to respond to natural disasters or unrest.

Congress may consider legislation this coming week to end the mandate as a requirement to gather enough support to pass this years’ defense budget, which is already two months late.

Austin said he would not comment on pressure from the Hill.

“We lost a million people to this virus,” Austin told reporters traveling with him Saturday. “A million people died in the United States of America. We lost hundreds in DOD. So this mandate has kept people healthy.”

“I’m the guy” who ordered the military to require the vaccine, Austin added. “I support continuation of vaccinating the troops.”

Last year Austin directed that all troops get the vaccine or face potential expulsion from the military; thousands of active duty forces have been discharged since then for their refusal to get the shots.

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Keep in mind that most businesses require proof of military service. Here’s what identification you need to receive your veteran discounts.

Not all franchise locations participate in their national chain’s Veterans Day programs — be sure contact your nearest establishment to make sure they are participating.

Make sure to visit the Military.com Discounts Center for more discounts and articles. And sign up for the Military Deals and Discounts Newsletter to get even more discounts and information in your inbox on how Military Families can save big.

2022 Veterans Day Restaurant Discounts:

Veterans Day Free Meals

To honor members of the military, these restaurants are offering veterans free meals on or around Veterans Day, November 11.

Aroma Joe’s — All veterans get a free 24oz. drink on November 11.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse — On November 11, current and former military members receive a free meal from a select menu. Dine-in only.

Black Angus Steakhouse — Current and past members of the military get a free meal on November 11 at all locations from 12pm to 3pm. This deal is not available to-go.

Bob Evans — Veterans and active-duty military get a free meal from a select menu on November 11. Dine-in only.

Bombshells Restaurant and Bar— All 12 locations in Texas will provide free entrees for veterans on November 11. Other items will be discounted 20%. In addition, families accompanying veterans as well as active service members and accompanying families will receive a 20% discount on entrees and other items on Veterans Day.

California Pizza Kitchen –On November 11, veterans and active-duty military receive a complimentary non-alcoholic beverage and choice of one entrée from a special menu.

Caribou Coffee — Veterans, active military members and their spouses receive a free hot brewed coffee on November 11.

Carolina Ale House — Veterans and military members get a free rib platter with the purchase of a drink on November 11.

Cattlemens — Active, non-active, and retired military personal get a complimentary sirloin steak dinner in honor of Veterans Day. Sign up on their website on or before November 11 to receive your steak certificate. The offer will be emailed on November 12 and is valid November 12 through 22 during regular business hours for outdoor dining or dine-in. The offer is not valid on takeout orders and is valid at California locations only.

Charleys Philly Steaks — Veterans and active-duty military get free Gourmet Fries in-store with no purchase necessary on November 11. In addition, Charleys’ locations on military bases are offering free gourmet fries with the purchase of a cheesesteak and drink for all customers.

Chicken Salad Chick — On November 11, veterans and active-duty military will receive a free meal at all locations.

Chili’s –Veterans and active-duty service members get a free meal from a select menu on November 11. Available for in-restaurant only.

Cicis Pizza — Active and retired military personnel get a free adult buffet on November 11. The offer is valid for dine-in only and it does not include a drink.

Country Kitchen — Active and retired military get a free Country Scramble on November 11 at participating locations. Dine-in only.

Cracker Barrel–Veterans get a complimentary slice of Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake in-store or online on November 11.

Einstein Bros. Bagels — Veterans and active-duty military get a free hot or iced coffee (any size) with a purchase in-store on November 11. 

Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers — Veterans and active military personnel who visit on November 11 will receive a free Freddy’s Original Double with Cheese combo meal card that can be redeemed through November 30.

Golden Corral — Golden Corral is hosting their Military Appreciation Night on November 14 from 5pm to close. This includes a free “thank you” meal when dining in.

Green Mill Restaurant and Bar — Veterans and active-duty military get a free menu item at participating locations on November 11. Dine-in only.

Hooters— Active-duty military and veterans get a free entrée from the Hooters Veterans Day Menu with purchase of a beverage on November 11. Dine-in only.

Huddle House— Active-duty military members and veterans get a free MVP Breakfast Platter on November 11.

Lion’s Choice — Active-duty and retired military members get a free original roast beef sandwich on November 11. While there, veterans can also take advantage of the standing 20% discount offered daily for veterans and active-duty military. 

Logan’s Roadhouse — Veterans and active-duty military personnel can enjoy a free meal between 3 and 6 p.m. from a special menu at participating locations on November 11.

Peet’s Coffee — Active-duty military, reserves, national guard, veterans and military spouses get a complimentary drip coffee or tea all day on November 11.

Perkins — Veterans and active-duty military get a free Magnificent Seven Meal on November 11 with valid ID.

Pilot Flying J — Veterans get a free meal at participating locations November 11 through a special offer in the app.

Red Lobster — Veterans, active-duty military and reservists get a free Walt’s Favorite Shrimp, Fries, and Coleslaw on November 11. The offer is available for dine-in and To Go orders placed in-restaurant between 11:00am and 4:00pm local time.

Schlotzsky’s — Veterans and active-duty service members with a valid military ID get free chips and a small drink with an entree purchase November 11 through 30 at participating locations, in-store only.

Seven Doors Kitchen & Cocktails — Veterans and active-duty military get one free entrée and one non-alcoholic beverage on November 11 from 11am-9pm. Dine in or take away only.

Starbucks — As with previous years, Starbucks will offer a free tall (12-oz) hot brewed coffee for veterans, military service members and military spouses on November 11. As a new addition in 2022, Starbucks is expanding this offer to include a free tall (12-oz) iced coffee.

Texas Roadhouse— Veterans and active-duty military receive a meal voucher on November 11, from 11am to 2pm. These vouchers are good for dine in or carry out and can be used until May 30, 2023. There will be a specific menu to select from. 

Tuscan Brands — On November 11, Tuscan Kitchen, Tuscan Sea Grill & Bar, and Toscana Italian Chop House & Wine Bar will be serving a family style meal to veterans and one guest from 11am to 4pm. Veterans and their guest can RSVP by calling the restaurant located in the town they reside.

White Castle— Veterans and active-duty military get a free Combo Meal or Breakfast Combo Meal when dining at a participating restaurant on November 11.

Veterans Day Restaurant Deals

To honor members of the military, these restaurants are offering Veterans Day deals on or around November 11.

54th Street Grill — Veterans and active-duty military get up to $10 off any entrée on November 11. Dine-in only.

Chop House — On November 11, veterans and active-duty service members get 50% off entrees.

Eat’n Park — All former and current military personnel receive 10% off for themselves and their entire party each time they dine in for the entire month of November. Dine-in only.

Fogo de Chão— Veterans and active-duty personnel get 50% off their meal on November 11. In addition, each veteran or active-duty guest will receive 10% off food for up to three guests.

Hoss’s Steak and Sea House— Veterans and active duty service members receive 20% off any meal and beverage purchase on November 11.

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants — Veterans, National Guard, Gold Star parents and Gold Star Spouses can enjoy a select half-priced entrée on November 13. Reservations are strongly recommended.

Metro Diner — Veterans and active-duty military receive 50% off a meal on November 11.

Miller’s Ale House — Military members and veterans get 50% off their entrée of choice with proof of service on November 11.

Veterans Day Restaurant Deals

To honor members of the military, these restaurants are offering Veterans Day deals on or around November 11.

Army & Air Force Exchange Service — On November 11, MILITARY STAR cardholders will receive various deals, including 15% off food orders at participating Exchange restaurants.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. — Veterans and active-duty military get 20% off when dining in on November 11.

Cabo Wabo Cantina — On November 11, Cabo Wabo, located inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, offers veterans and active-duty service members a 20% discount on food and drinks.

CentraArchy Restaurants — Veterans and active-duty military members get an entrée from the full menu at half price on November 11.

Houlihan’s— On November 11, veterans and active-duty military members receive 50% off a specially selected set of entrees.

Joe’s Crab Shack — Veterans get 20% off their meal when they dine-in on November 11.

Luna Grill — Veterans and active-duty service members get 10% off their entire purchase with valid ID on November 11. Offer is only valid for orders placed in restaurant (dine-in or to-go).

MacKenzie River — Veterans and active military receive 25% off for their entire table on November 11 at participating locations. Use code THANKUVETS at checkout for discount to apply when ordering online.

Margaritas Mexican Restaurant— Veterans and active-duty military personnel get 50% off any entree from November 8 through 14. Dine-in only at participating locations only.

Morton’s The Steakhouse — On November 11, current and former military members get 20% off.

Quaker Steak & Lube — Veterans and active-duty military get 50% off any entrée at participating locations on November 11.

Roy Rogers — Veterans get 20% off your entire purchase with proof of service at participating locations on November 11.

Texas de Brazil— Veterans receive 25% off dinner November 8 through 11 during dinner hours. Dine-in only. Reservations highly recommended.

Tijuana Flats— Veterans and active-duty military get 50% off an adult entree on November 11. Offer is valid for in-store and takeout orders. Orders may be placed online.

TooJay’s— Veterans get 25% off when dining in on November 11.

Willy’s Mexicana Grill — Active-duty and prior military get 20% off your meal through November 30. In-store only.

Get Discounts at Restaurants All Year Long

AARP salutes you for your service to our country with a special membership offer of up to 43% off. Enjoy savings on dining, travel and more all year long with your AARP membership! Join today and save on your next meal with AARP.

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Both of his great uncles joined the U.S. Army during World War II and both were killed in action overseas in 1944. Private First Class Romaldo A. Helms died at the age of 32 in Anzio, Italy and Private First Class Reginald P. Helms died in Hotten, Belgium at the age of 33.

A local newspaper article from back then provided some details about what happened. In part, it reads, “Word has been received by Mrs. Maria Helms of the Soboba Reservation that her son, Pfc. Romaldo A. Helms, has been killed in action in Italy. The telegram from Acting Adjutant General Dunlap stated that Pfc. Helms lost his life on March 8.”

It went on to say that Helms had been in the service with the Engineers Corps for two years and overseas for 14 months. He saw action in North Africa, Sicily and at the Anzio beachhead. He was born at the Soboba Reservation on January 23, 1912, attended the San Jacinto grammar school and was a graduate of Sherman Institute (now known as Sherman Indian High School). At the time of his death, his brother Reginald was still alive and stationed at Camp Roberts.

Maria Helms had four daughters but only two sons and all lived at the Soboba Reservation. She was a member of the American Gold Star Mothers Inc., a private nonprofit organization of American mothers who lost sons or daughters in service of the United States Armed Forces. The organization was originally formed in 1928 for mothers of those lost in World War I and it holds a congressional charter. Its name came from the custom of families of servicemen hanging a banner called a service flag in the windows of their homes. The service flag had a star for each family member in the Armed Forces. Living servicemen were represented by a blue star and those who had lost their lives in combat were represented by a gold star. Maria Helms passed away in 1965 at the age of 97.

Benny Helms Jr. was in the Navy until May of 1973. He is married and has two sons, one daughter, 14 grandchildren and one great-grandson. His father, Benny Helms Sr., served in the U.S. Army and his aunt, Jessie Helms Celaya Gilmore also served in the military.

Each year, a Memorial Day ceremony is held at the Soboba Cemetery where Reginald and Romaldo are buried side by side. Their gravesites are adorned with an American flag by members of the Soboba Youth Council who also do a roll call of the nearly 50 veterans that are buried there. A Veterans Memorial was constructed several years ago “dedicated to the memory of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians and non-tribal members who gave their all for us.”

Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians | Contributed

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Americans traditionally have been wary of a large permanent military establishment, believing it to be a threat to democratic institutions. This attitude goes all the way back to the Founding Fathers who deliberately kept the army small, preferring to rely on local militia in case of an emergency. This was done to prevent the army from being used to repress the rights of any individual state during the long and ongoing battle over the issue of states’ rights; the echoes of which still reverberate to this very day. The past nine months’ events show how wise this attitude was.

During major conflicts, such as the Civil War and the two World Wars, the military would expand exponentially, only to revert to the size of a constabulary force when hostilities ended. This lasted until the onset of the Cold War when our newly established rivalry with the Soviet Bloc compelled us to maintain a large standing military force.

All American soldiers swear the same oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. Their oath is not to any political party regardless of which one currently holds the reins of power.

Career military officers occupy a unique place in American society. Ideally, they are supposed to be apolitical. They vote in elections of course, but they are not free to criticize politics openly nor to deride their Commander-in-Chief, whoever that might be. Senior officers are supposed to be promoted based on competency, efficiency, and ability, not because of loyalty to any political party.

Officers who violate these rules can be dismissed from the military. The most famous example was President Truman’s firing of General Douglas MacArthur in 1951. An open critic of the Truman administration’s handling of the Korean War, MacArthur delved into the area of foreign policy, urging the Nationalist Chinese on the island of Formosa (now Taiwan) to attack the Chinese mainland. Since this would have entailed an expansion of the war, possibly involving the Soviet Union, this was the last thing Truman wanted. MacArthur had to go.

Seventy years after MacArthur’s ignominious dismissal, another American general is in the spotlight: General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the highest-ranking military officer in the armed forces. MacArthur’s actions took place at a time when America was beginning its ascendancy to the position of global superpower; Milley’s deeds have occurred during a time when America’s dominant position is clearly in a state of decline. Both men believed in the righteousness of their cause and both served under presidents whose actions they deemed harmful to American interests. Both men acted in ways that clearly overstepped the boundaries of their authority and both fervently defended their actions, causing a great deal of controversy.

According to Bob Woodward’s and Robert Costa’s newly published Peril (and subsequently reported in the Washington Post), in October 2020 and January 2021, Milley placed phone calls to his Chinese counterpart in Beijing (which he later admitted doing). These calls were meant to reassure the Chinese we were not going to launch a nuclear strike against them. Milley stated, “If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise.”

Milley also allegedly asked his senior commanders to take on oath to him promising to obtain his approval if Trump launched a nuclear attack. A spokesman for the general stated he acted within his authority as the senior military advisor to the President and the Secretary of Defense, yet Milley failed to consult any civilian authority, a fact confirmed by his superiors in the Trump administration and by the former President himself.

General Milley also undertook at least two other controversial programs. The first was adopting Critical Race Theory as part of the reading curriculum for the military; a program which he personally defended during recent congressional hearings.

American soldiers have historically sacrificed themselves on battlefields from Europe to Asia and the Middle East to save their brothers in arms. All that mattered was the other guy wore the same uniform. Under Critical Race Theory, a soldier would be compelled not to look at the color of a fellow soldier’s uniform, but at the color of his skin, before acting. Just how this adds to the cohesiveness, comradery, and fighting efficiency of the military is not explained.

Second, Milley worked closely with Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin, who ordered a “stand down” of the entire military to hunt down “extremism” in the military. This was done in response to Joe Biden’s announcement of “white supremacists” as the greatest threat to our democracy. Accordingly, an internal review was conducted to identify any “offenders” within the ranks. Given these facts, it seems that the entire military is being both indoctrinated and politicized.

A large military establishment is now a permanent part of the American landscape. Just exactly how and against whom this force is to be used is now the question. China’s recent history provides one possible outcome. In June 1989, more than one and a quarter million protesters gathered in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to advocate for democratic reforms. Those protests had been going on for several weeks and had spread to dozens of Chinese cities. The Chinese Communist Party, perceiving an existential threat to their power, ordered the Chinese army, the People’s Liberation Army, to crush the demonstrators, most of whom were unarmed students. No one knows how many were killed, but estimates run from hundreds to several thousand.

Given Biden’s identification of the “real enemy” as white supremacists, it’s possible that the military is directing its attention to this new perceived domestic threat. According to the radical left, which appears to control the Democrat party, this enemy consists of the 75 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump in 2020.

For now, we don’t know how this will play out. Would the US Army or any segment of it, thoroughly imbued in Wokeism and Critical Race Theory, open fire on a mass of peaceful unarmed protesters if ordered to do so? Only time will tell.

Seven decades separate the actions of Douglas MacArthur and Mark Milley. During those years, the United States of America has fundamentally changed. In 1951, most Americans were fervently anti-Communist. In 2021, only 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Communism, countless millions of Americans seem willing and even eager to embrace it. This shift to the far left is only going to accelerate as more of our younger generation, thoroughly indoctrinated in Wokeism and Neo-Marxist ideology, comes of age.

Just where the U.S. military will fit in this “Brave New World” is yet to be realized. One thing, however, can be stated with a degree of certainty: the Army can never be used as an instrument of repression against our own people. The current politicization and indoctrination of the armed forces must cease. The public trust in our social institutions, not just the military, but also law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, the Justice Department, and organizations such as the CDC, NIH, FDA, and indeed the government itself, is at stake.

Caren Besner | Columnist

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of the U.S. military will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine beginning next month under a plan laid out by the Pentagon Monday and endorsed by President Joe Biden. In memos distributed to all troops, top Pentagon leaders said the vaccine is a necessary step to maintain military readiness.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the mid-September deadline could be accelerated if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise.

“I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon” licensure by the Food and Drug Administration “whichever comes first,” Austin said in his memo, warning them to prepare for the requirement.

The Pentagon plan provides time for the FDA to give final approval to the Pfizer vaccine, which is expected early next month. Without that formal approval, Austin needs a waiver from Biden to make the shots mandatory, and Biden has already made clear he supports it.

Austin’s decision reflects similar moves by governments and companies around the world, as nations struggle with the highly contagious delta variant that has sent new U.S. cases, hospitalizations and deaths surging to heights not seen since last winter. The concerns are especially acute in the military, where service members live and work closely together in barracks and on ships, increasing the risks of rapid spreading. Any large virus outbreak in the military could affect America’s ability to defend itself in any security crisis.

Austin warned that if infection rates rise and potentially affect military readiness, “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so. To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force.”

In a statement Monday, Biden said he strongly supports Austin’s message to the force and the plan to add the COVID vaccine “to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September.”

Biden said the country is still on a wartime footing and “being vaccinated will enable our service members to stay healthy, to better protect their families, and to ensure that our force is ready to operate anywhere in the world.”

Austin’s memo, which went out Monday, was followed quickly by one from Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“The Secretary of Defense intends to mandate vaccinations for all Service members in the coming weeks,” said Milley, adding that the military’s medical professionals recommended the move. At the bottom of his message, Milley scrawled a handwritten note: “Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is a key force protection and readiness issue.”

The decision comes a bit more than a week after Biden told defense officials to develop a plan requiring troops to get shots as part of a broader campaign to increase vaccinations in the federal workforce.

More broadly, the COVID-19 crisis has worsened around the country, with hospitals experiencing deeper strain in unvaccinated areas of the South. Mississippi reported that 35 medical centers are completely out of intensive care unit beds, Arkansas topped its pandemic record for COVID admissions, and the average number of people hospitalized nationwide has returned to levels not seen since February. More patients are being parked in emergency rooms while they wait for beds to open up and the average number of daily deaths is now above 500.

The country is averaging about 108,000 new infections and 700,000 vaccines administered a day.

Austin said the military services will have the next few weeks to prepare, determine how many vaccines they need, and how this mandate will be implemented. The additional time, however, also is a nod to the bitter political divide over the vaccine and the knowledge that making it mandatory will likely trigger opposition from vaccine opponents across state and federal governments, Congress and the American population.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday that he believes the military has enough vaccines to meet the requirements. He added, “You can consider this memo not just a warning order to the services but to the troops themselves.”

Democratic and Republican leaders of the House Armed Services Committee said vaccines have proven effective.

“Some may try and criticize the Secretary’s decision, using anti-vax arguments that are not supported by facts or science to politicize the conversation. These desperate attention seekers must be ignored,” said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said the vaccine will help protect troops who live in cramped conditions and don’t have the option to telework.

The decision will add the COVID-19 vaccine to a list of other inoculations that service members are already required to get. Depending on their location, service members can get as many as 17 different vaccines.

Austin’s memo also said that in the meantime, the Pentagon will comply with Biden’s order for additional restrictions on unvaccinated federal personnel, including masks, social distancing and travel limits.

According to the Pentagon, more than 1 million troops are fully vaccinated and another 237,000 have received one shot. But the military services vary widely in their vaccination rates.

The Navy said that more than 74% of all active duty and reserve sailors have been vaccinated with at least one shot. The Air Force, meanwhile, said that more than 65% of its active duty and 60% reserve forces are at least partially vaccinated, and the number for the Army — by far the largest service — appears to be closer to 50%.

Military officials have said the pace of vaccines has been growing across the force, with some units — such as sailors deploying on a warship — seeing nearly 100% of their members get shots. But the totals drop off dramatically, including among the National Guard and Reserve, who are much more difficult to track.

Some unvaccinated troops have said they’d get the shot once it’s required, but others are flatly opposed. Once the vaccine is mandated, a refusal could constitute failure to obey an order and may be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Army guidance, for example, includes counseling soldiers to ensure they understand the purpose of the vaccine and the threat the disease poses. The Army also notes that if a soldier “fails to comply with a lawful order to receive a mandatory vaccine, and does not have an approved exemption, a commander may take appropriate disciplinary action.”

Military service officials have said they don’t collect data on the number of troops who have refused other mandated vaccines, such as anthrax, hepatitis, chicken pox or flu shots over the past decade or more. And they weren’t able to provide details on the punishments any service members received as a result of the refusal.

Officials said they believe few troops have refused other mandated vaccines, and the discipline can vary.

Also, service members can seek an exemption from any vaccine — either temporary or permanent — for a variety of reasons including health issues or religious beliefs. Regulations involving the other mandatory vaccines say, for example, that anyone who had a severe adverse reaction to the vaccine can be exempt, and those who are pregnant or have other conditions can postpone a shot.

According to defense officials, senior military leaders support making the shot mandatory. In some cases, commanders have struggled to separate vaccinated recruits from unvaccinated recruits during early portions of basic training in order to prevent infections. So, for some, a mandate could make training and housing less complicated.

Navy officials said last week that there has been only one case of COVID-19 hospitalization among fully vaccinated sailors and Marines. But, the Navy said there have been more than 123 hospitalizations in a similar group of unvaccinated sailors and Marines.” It said fewer than 3% of its immunized troops have tested positive for COVID-19.

The other military services did not provide similar data.

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Veterans do not need to have a VA disability rating, have reported MST or have other documentation of the experience to get this care. 

These services may also be available to Veterans not eligible for other VA care. 

“Sexual assault and military sexual trauma are real, the implications are serious, and the impacts are lasting,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “VA is here to support military sexual trauma survivors. We want you to know that you have a safe environment here at VA and our professionals stand ready to provide you the resources you require.” 

While significant numbers of Veterans of all genders and backgrounds may have experienced MST, many survivors feel alone, ashamed or unable to ask for help. Veterans who have experienced MST and would like to learn more about VA support may call their nearest VA Medical Center or Vet Center and speak with the MST coordinator or a VA health care provider.

VA uses the term MST to refer to sexual assault or sexual harassment experienced during military service. 

Learn more  about MST and VA’s MST-related services. 

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Now in its 12th year, the Military Friendly Schools list has come to set the standard for higher education institutions to provide the best opportunities for veterans and their dependents. Military Friendly is the designation that measures a school’s commitment to student veteran and dependent recruitment, persistence, and success. Institutions were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey completed by MSJC.

This year, about 750 schools earned the prestigious Military Friendly designation. The list can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com. Military students at MSJC benefit from an array of college-wide support services, including the MSJC Veterans Resource Center.

The college’s Menifee Valley and San Jacinto campuses, which are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, each feature Veterans Resource Centers to support the transition and success of MSJC military students. Please contact Veterans@msjc.edu for additional information.

Mt. San Jacinto College serves about 27,000 students in a district covering 1,700 square miles from the San Gorgonio Pass to Temecula, with campuses in San Jacinto, Menifee, Banning and Temecula.

MSJC celebrated its largest graduating class in May 2020, awarding a record-breaking 3,415 degrees and certificates to 1,892 graduates.

MSJC • Contributed

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WASHINGTON (AP) — By the thousands, U.S. service members are refusing or putting off the COVID-19 vaccine as frustrated commanders scramble to knock down internet rumors and find the right pitch that will persuade troops to get the shot.

Some Army units are seeing as few as one-third agree to the vaccine. Military leaders searching for answers believe they have identified one potential convincer: an imminent deployment. Navy sailors on ships heading out to sea last week, for example, were choosing to take the shot at rates exceeding 80% to 90%.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Jeff Taliaferro, vice director of operations for the Joint Staff, told Congress on Wednesday that “very early data” suggests that just up to two-thirds of the service members offered the vaccine have accepted.

That’s higher than the rate for the general population, which a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation put at roughly 50%. But the significant number of forces declining the vaccine is especially worrisome because troops often live, work and fight closely together in environments where social distancing and wearing masks, at times, are difficult.

The military’s resistance also comes as troops are deploying to administer shots at vaccination centers around the country and as leaders look to American forces to set an example for the nation.

“We’re still struggling with what is the messaging and how do we influence people to opt in for the vaccine,” said Brig. Gen. Edward Bailey, the surgeon for Army Forces Command. He said that in some units just 30% have agreed to take the vaccine, while others are between 50% and 70%. Forces Command oversees major Army units, encompassing about 750,000 Army, Reserve and National Guard soldiers at 15 bases.

At Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where several thousand troops are preparing for future deployments, the vaccine acceptance rate is about 60%, Bailey said. That’s “not as high as we would hope for front-line personnel,” he said.

Bailey has heard all the excuses.

“I think the most amusing one I heard was, ‘The Army always tells me what to do, they gave me a choice, so I said no’,” he said.

Service leaders have vigorously campaigned for the vaccine. They have held town halls, written messages to the force, distributed scientific data, posted videos, and even put out photos of leaders getting vaccinated.

For weeks, the Pentagon insisted it did not know how many troops were declining the vaccine. On Wednesday they provided few details on their early data.

Officials from individual military services, however, said in interviews with The Associated Press that refusal rates vary widely, depending on a service member’s age, unit, location, deployment status and other intangibles.

The variations make it harder for leaders to identify which arguments for the vaccine are most persuasive. The Food and Drug Administration has allowed emergency use of the vaccine, so it’s voluntary. But Defense Department officials say they hope that soon may change.

“We cannot make it mandatory yet,” Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, commander of the Navy’s 2nd Fleet, said last week. “I can tell you we’re probably going to make it mandatory as soon as we can, just like we do with the flu vaccine.”

About 40 Marines gathered recently in a California conference room for an information session from medical staff. One officer, who was not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Marines are more comfortable posing questions about the vaccine in smaller groups.

The officer said one Marine, citing a widely circulated and false conspiracy theory, said: “I heard that this thing is actually a tracking device.” The medical staff, said the officer, quickly debunked that theory, and pointed to the Marine’s cellphone, noting that it’s an effective tracker.

Other frequent questions revolved around possible side effects or health concerns, including for pregnant women. Army, Navy and Air Force officials say they hear much the same.

The Marine Corps is a relatively small service and troops are generally younger. Similar to the general population, younger service members are more likely to decline or ask to wait. In many cases, military commanders said, younger troops say they have had the coronavirus or known others who had it, and concluded it was not bad.

“What they’re not seeing is that 20-year-olds who’ve actually gotten very sick, have been hospitalized or die, or the folks who appear to be fine but then it turns out they’ve developed pulmonary and cardiac abnormalities,” Bailey said.

One ray of hope has been deployments.

Lewis, based in Norfolk, Virginia, said last week that sailors on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which is operating in the Atlantic, agreed to get the shot at a rate of about 80%. Sailors on the USS Iwo Jima and Marines in the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, who also are deploying, had rates of more than 90%.

Bailey said the Army is seeing opportunities to reduce the two-week quarantine period for units deploying to Europe if service members are largely vaccinated and the host nation agrees. U.S. Army Europe may cut the quarantine time to five days if 70% of the unit is vaccinated, and that incentive could work, he said.

The acceptance numbers drop off among those who are not deploying, military officials said.

Gen. James McConville, the Army’s chief of staff, used his own experience to encourage troops to be vaccinated. “When they asked me how it felt, I said it was a lot less painful than some of the meetings I go to in the Pentagon.”

Col. Jody Dugai, commander of the Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital at Fort Polk, Louisiana, said that so far conversations at the squad level, with eight to 10 peers, have been successful, and that getting more information helps.

At the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Brig. Gen. David Doyle, has a dual challenge. As base commander, he must persuade the nearly 7,500 soldiers on base to get the shot and he needs to ensure that the thousands of troops that cycle in and out for training exercises are safe.

Doyle said the acceptance rate on his base is between 30% and 40%, and that most often it’s the younger troops who decline.

“They tell me they don’t have high confidence in the vaccine because they believe it was done too quickly,” he said. Top health officials have attested to the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

Doyle said it appears peers are often more influential than leaders in persuading troops — a sentiment echoed by Bailey, the Army Forces Command surgeon.

“We’re trying to figure out who the influencers are,” Bailey said. “Is it a squad leader or platoon sergeant in the Army? I think it probably is. Someone who is more of their age and interacts with them more on a regular basis versus the general officer who takes his picture and says, ‘I got the shot.’”

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