Tom Ricks of the Washington Post occasionally brings the reading public materials direct from the front lines in Iraq.  This burst of reality written by soldiers takes us away from punditry and armchair analysis and into the harsh world our servicemen and servicewomen face as they represent America abroad.  More here.

The U.S. Army is meeting or exceeding its numerical goals for recruitment and retention, changing the tone of news stories about the Army’s personnel efforts.  Guy Raz of National Public Radio reports on how changing standards – by allowing in soldiers without high school diplomas and raising the recruiting age to 42 – has swelled the ranks but may challenge the Army’s future development.  More here.