Department of Defense (DoD)
268 Articles
Collection: Just Security’s Coverage of Trump Administration Executive Actions
Coverage of key developments, including in concise “What Just Happened” expert explainers, legal and policy analysis, and more. Check back frequently for updates.
If McDonald’s Can Fix Its Own Machines, Why Can’t the U.S. Military?
Congress should pass legislation to give U.S. service members the tools and the authority to repair their own equipment.
Hegseth Promises to Save the Pentagon Billions of Dollars. Here’s What Actually Could.
If the Trump administration wants to end wasteful Pentagon spending, it should reform the many faltering weapons programs and review its contractor ecosystem.
The New “National Defense Area” at the Southern Border: What You Need to Know
NSPM-4 creates a military area that is twice the size of Washington, D.C. and expands the military’s role in stopping cross-border migration.
Signal Gate: The Criminal Law Precedents That Are Most Relevant
A range of federal laws, including the Espionage Act and laws against the destruction of government records, could apply in this case.
No, the Defense Department Did Not “Ignore” a Judicial Order in 1973 Cambodia Bombing Case
I argued the Holtzman case. Nothing in Holtzman v. Schlesinger suggests that the military, acting under Presidential instructions, is empowered to ignore court orders.
How the Pentagon Personnel Firings Threaten Our Apolitical Military
This unprecedented purge of the nation’s top brass suggests that Trump may attempt to fill these roles with officers he perceives as loyal.
The Attempt to Purge Trans Members from the Armed Forces
The effort to purge all trans people from the military is not merely a repeat of the struggle that played out during the first Trump administration; it is an attack of a different…
What Just Happened: At Guantanamo’s Migrant Operation Center
Sending anyone from the United States to Guantanamo raises a host of legal, moral, and policy questions.
Key Takeaways for Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response from the Russia-Ukraine War
Ukraine's fight against Russia offers an important entry point to the discussion of applying CHMR practices to large-scale combat operations.
Unpacking the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on AI Infrastructure
The Biden administration's latest executive order on AI aims to balance innovation with national security, economic competitiveness, and environmental sustainability.
A Model Leahy Law Legal Memo on Assistance to Israeli Security Forces
A model Department of Defense action memo illustrates what a faithful application of the Leahy law to an alleged gross human rights violation in Israel would look like.