On Jan. 24, 2013, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lifted the ban on women serving in combat. I personally believe that this is a very bad idea. I’m not a chauvinist, I just believe that this could be counterproductive. The main reason I’m against women...
There are women in pretty much every position you can think of. There are women doctors, lawyers, firefighters and police officers. Many of us do not judge a female’s capabilities in any of these professions. However, when the Pentagon makes policy...
NIU played host to a four-legged furry hero during “The Other Forgotten Veteran,” a program sponsored by Save-A-Vet. Save-A-Vet is an Illinois-based non-profit whose mission is to rescue retired canines who have served in American military or police...
Returning home after a long trip can sometimes leave you feeling stressed, anxious or even a little bit depressed. Sometimes it’s because you left a wonderful vacation and now have to deal with the reality of being a student or an employee. Maybe you’re...
After news broke that the ban on females in combat roles would be abolished by 2016, students and Huskie Battalion members reacted to the prospect of posts being available to women for the first time. On Thursday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced...
At age 23, Craig Clendening, a Sycamore native and military veteran, was diagnosed with stage three cancer. The diagnosis came seven months after Clendening returned from serving in the military in Iraq. His aunt, Melissa Butts, said Clendening is one...
Not many people can say they have dragged cement blocks, climbed over 12 foot high walls or carried a 35 pound backpack across six miles of rugged terrain. Lt. Colonel David Dosier said the Huskie Battalion participates in local competitions like the...
On September 11, 2001 I was in my high school welding class. Welding started at 7 a.m., and we were just getting ready to take off our leathers and go on a short break before resuming the second hour. Just before 8 a.m., Beau Caldwell, a classmate walked...
Activist Lt. Dan Choi appeared at the Holmes Student Center Monday night to discuss activism and his personal struggles as an openly gay member of the United States military. A West Point graduate, Choi has been an active opponent of the military's "don't...
Aaron Brooks' column, "The US needs to cut defense spending and condense the military," was out of touch and uninformed. His argument essentially amounted to: "the U.S. spends more money than everyone else; therefore, we should spend less."What Brooks...
Have we learned anything over the past 10 years? May God have mercy on our souls because we have not. In 2010, the total amount of money appropriated for both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars equaled over a trillion dollars, according to the Congressional...
This last week saw the situation in Libya intensify as international forces got involved in the mix. Uncharacteristically (to American audiences anyway), France led the way, even firing the first shot as demonstrated here. Now U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen,...
