By Katie Lange: Medal of Honor Monday: Army Lt. Col. Teddy Roosevelt
Roosevelt’s son Theodore Roosevelt Jr. also received the Medal of Honor, one of only two father-son pairs to do so (the other is Arthur MacArthur Jr. and Douglas MacArthur). He served in World War I and WWII and gained a reputation for leading from the front.
At 56, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was the oldest man and only general to storm the beaches of Normandy on D-Day with the first wave of American troops. He earned his medal at Utah Beach for ”gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty” while leading successive waves of troops inland to their objectives.
By Katie Lange: 9 Notable Presidents Who Served
By Jim Garamone: Shanahan Discusses Results of Trip to Afghanistan, Iraq, Poland, Belgium, Germany
By Susan Christian Goulding, The Orange County Register: A World War II veteran picked up a $1,500 tab for military families at his local Chick-fil-A
Task & Purpose: The Navy just bought a fleet of robot submarines to prowl the oceans and mess with adversaries; After Valentine’s Day, it’s clear the Pentagon is in love with great power competition; Army secretary vows to correct ‘unconscionable’ health hazards in military housing system and more->
By Richard Sisk: IAVA Presses on with Ambitious Agenda after Founder Rieckhoff Departs
Rieckhoff called Butler “uniquely qualified to lead IAVA into [the] next chapter and fight on behalf of all veterans.”
In Rieckhoff’s absence, IAVA is pressing a “Big Six” agenda to curb suicides, defend GI Bill benefits, improve services for female veterans, reform government support of veterans care, push for burn pits legislation, and support medical marijuana.
“Passing the ‘Big Six’ will be a huge priority for 2019,” Butler said. “We want to present a blueprint for how Americans can empower veterans.”
Butler said he is well aware of the political reality that any progress on the agenda must come this year, before all of the legislative oxygen is drained by the 2020 presidential election season.
The general rule is that “if anything is going to get done, it will get done” in the first year of the new Congress. The second year will be consumed by presidential politics, he said.
The Angry Staff Officer: 5 Time-Saving Tips for National Guard Company Commanders
