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List of Ongoing Military Conflicts

List of Ongoing Military Conflicts

 
Introduction: List of Ongoing Military Conflicts

No list of ongoing military conflicts is ever complete because new conflicts arise every single day.  The list of ongoing military conflicts provided in this article is provided by B’s Independent Pro-Peace Initiative—a non-profit initiative that provides complete and neutral information on violent conflicts throughout the world.

List of Ongoing Military Conflicts

Afghanistan – Civil war after occupation by western forces
Angola – Secessionist war in Cabinda
Algeria – Civil war in Azerbaijan
Brazil – Criminal insurgency in São Paulo
Burundi – transition following civil war
Cambodia – Recovery after dictatorship
Central African Republic – Political instability
Chad – Rebellion for state control, Sudan is involved
China (Xinjiang) – Independentist claims
China/Taiwan – Independentist claims
Colombia – Civil war between criminal and parliamentary groups
Comoros – Unrest
Congo – Civil war and transition
Côte d’Ivoire – civil war recovery
Cyprus – Turkish military occupation
East Timor – Transition after independence
Eritrea/Ethiopia – Border dispute
Ethiopia (Gambela) – Inter-ethnic dispute
Ethiopia (Ogaden) – Secessionist claims
Ethiopia (Oromia) – Secessionist claims
Fiji Islands – Inter-ethnic dispute
France (Corsica) – Autonomist claims
Gaza strip – Civil war
Georgia (Abkhazia) – Secessionist claims
Georgia (South Ossetia) – Secessionist claims
Guinea – Political violence
Haiti – Political violence after dictator
India – Maoist Naxalite insurgency
India (Assam) – Autonomist claims
India (Punjab) – Independentist claims
India (Tripura) – Rebellion
India and Pakistan – Dispute over Kashmir
Indonesia (Aceh) – Autonomist claims
Indonesia (Moluccas) – Civil war
Indonesia (West Papua) – Secessionist conflict
Indonesia (Sulawesi) – Religious inter-ethnic conflict
Iraq – Civil war after occupation by western forces
Israel-Palestine – West Bank dispute
Kenya – Unrest
Korea – Armistice agreement never followed
Laos – Persecution of the Hmong minority
Lebanon/Israel – Part of the larger Arab-Israeli conflict
Liberia – Transition after civil war
Mexico – Criminal and paramilitary conflicts
Mexico (Chiapas) – Autonomist claims
Moldova (Transnistria) – Secessionist claims
Morocco (Plazas de soberanía) – Dispute over territory
Myanmar – Internal conflict between ethnicities
Nepal – Transition after Maoist insurgency
Niger – Tuareg rebellion involving Mali
Nigeria (Niger delta) – Ethnic rebellion
Northern Ireland – Secessionist guerrilla
Pakistan (Balochistan) – Autonomy claims
Pakistan (Waziristan) – Pro-Taliban insurgency
Peru – Maoist insurgency
Philippines – Maoist insurgency
Philippines (Mindanao) – Secessionist guerrilla
Russian federation (Chechnya) – Independentist war
Rwanda – Transition after civil war
Saudi Arabia – Khawarij insurgency
Senegal (Casamance) – Secessionist guerrilla
Serbia (Kosovo) – Secessionist claims
Sierra Leone – Recovery following civil war
Solomon Islands – Civil war
Somalia – Civil war with Ethiopia
Spain (Basque Country) – Secessionist guerrilla
Sri Lanka – Secessionist war
Sudan (Darfur) – Secessionist war
Sudan (Eastern Front) – Autonomist claims
Sudan (Southern front) – Transition after civil war
Thailand (Southern region) – Secessionist insurgency
Tibet – Military occupation
Turkey/Kurdistan – Secessionist guerrilla
Uganda – Civil war with Southern Sudan
Vietnam (Montagnards) – Persecution of Montagnards
Western Sahara – Dispute over territory
Yemen – Rebellion

 

Naval Militia

Naval Militia

 


The Naval militia is made up of retirees or reserve members of the Navy, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard.  When the militia’s services are needed, they are allowed to receive supplies from the federal government and use available facilities designated for reserves. 

The Naval militia Association started as the Naval Reserve Association of New York in 1891.  Many states began to develop and organize militia that was recognized by the Naval militia Bureau, but the Bureau was disestablished by the Navy Department around 1950. 

Many units of militia under the Navy were mobilized in October of 1940 for World War II, and militia was called to action during Korea and Gulf War as well.  Some states still have Naval militia standing by, and these states include the following: Alaska, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. 

Other states are allowed to provide militia under federal and state law, but some state militias still remain inactive. 

The Naval Militia Association now supports militia in New York and other states.  The Association attempts to increase security for the United States by providing educational services to militia across the nation.  Additionally, the Association tries to increase communication between the US Navy, the US Marine Corps, the US Coast Guard, and US Naval Reserve, the US Marine Corps Reserve, the US Coast Guard Reserve, the Anny National Guard, the Air National Guard, and state guards and militias. 

It’s quite easy to become a member of the Association.  By joining, your funds assist the Association in providing help to programs across the nation.  You have several payment options when joining the Association as well.  You can pay $30 for the annual membership, $150 for the life membership, $250 for the Captains Club membership, or $500 for the Commodores Club membership. 

All of the payments are tax deductible and should be sent to the following address:

Naval Militia Association

1192 Park Avenue, Suite 1E

New York, NY 10128

 

A Guide to the Navy

A Guide to the Navy

What is the United States Navy?


The United States Navy is the branch of the armed forces responsible for marine-based military deployment; the division of the armed forces known as the Marines isconsidered to be a subdivision of the United States Navy, which is responsible for marine-based, on and offshore ground deployment of military activity. The United States Navy undergoes their military operations through the usage of a variety of military equipment and technology; the United States Navy operates a variety of naval – as well as airborne – military instrumentation.
Jurisdiction over the United States Navy


The United States Department of Defense operates under Federal Law as per the guidelines expressed within the disbursement of a triune governmental oversight system, which allows for the United States Navy to exist under the jurisdiction of the Executive branch of the government; this results in the appointment of the President of the United States as the Commander in Chief of the entirety of the Armed Forces. However, Military Law – a legal field classified as a subgenre of Federal Law – typically addresses the activity and behavior of military personnel.

The United States Navy Judicial system

As a service member, an individual will typically undergo circumstances that are unique to military service:
Civil Law vs. Military Law: On one hand, military law is similar to civil law in the manner that applicable legal codes specify any or all punitive recourse with regard to crimes and offenses; military law offers a specific framework for conducting, trying, and sentencing. On the other hand, military law differs from civil law – specifically with regard to matters concerning Navy – as such matters are neither standard nor applicable to civilian legislative parameters. As a result, legality specific to military service may be subject to military judicial review, as well as military court-mandated classification and punishment(s)
Court Martial: The procedures and legislative process implicit within the investigation – and prospective lawsuit – with regard to issues involving Military Law and the United States Navy may vary on an individual, case-by-case basis. A court martial exists in the event that an offense is deemed to be under the jurisdiction of both military court judicial review, as well as military court oversight; court martials may mirror the legal process that exists within civil court, yet military personnel – service members and prisoners of war – are the only individuals able to be subject to such proceedings.
The United States Navy and the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)
Individuals in the service of the United States Military are typically subject to their respective adherence to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ); the UCMJ is considered to be a code of legislative protocol with regard to legal matters applicable to service members – service members may be subject to be tried under military court in lieu of civil court. Those serving in the United States Military do so under the implicit understanding service members may be subject to Military Court hearings in lieu of Civil Court hearings. Matters undertaken under the jurisdiction of the military, such as the United States Navy, will be assessed by court officials appointed for the oversight of such matters.

A Guide to the ROTC

A Guide to the ROTC

What is the ROTC?
The ROTC stands for the Reserves Officers’ Training Corps. The ROTC is a college-based officer commissioning program that is offered predominantly in the United States of America. 
The ROTC is designed as a college elective (an optional course load that carries college credits) that focuses on building students through leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and the institution of various professional ethics.
The ROTC is effective in that it produces officers in all branches of the United States Armed Forces (with the exception of the United States Coast Guard). The ROTC graduates constitute approximately 56 percent of the U.S. Army, 11 percent of the United States Marine Corps, 20 percent of the United States Navy, and nearly 42 percent of the United States Air Force Officers. These statistics demonstrate that nearly 40 percent of all active officers in the armed services unit of the United States are graduates of ROTC programs. 
The ROTC units are organized as companies, brigades, and battalions. For example, the Air Force ROTC units are detachments with the students organized into various branches, flights, squadrons and groups. Furthermore, the NAVAL ROTC units are organized in battalions. 
The majority of Marine students within an ROTC program are integrated with the naval students; however, the Navy students are organized based on departments and divisions (similar to the organizational structure of a standard ship) and the Marines are organized in a separate company when a particular ROTC unit does not possess sufficient members to warrant an additional division. 
The Army branch of the ROTC is the largest branch of the Reserves Officers Training Corps. This is primarily due to the fact that the Army is the largest branch of the military. The Army Reserves Officers Training Corps provides the majority of officers in the Army; the remainder of the officers comes from West Point and Officer Candidate Schools or from direct commissions.
The Naval portion of the Reserves Officers’ Training Corps was founded in 1926 and the United States Marine Corps later joined in 1932.
The first Air Force Reserves Officers Training Corps unit was established in 1922 at the University of California Berkley, The Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Illinois, MIT, Texas A&M University, and the University of Washington. 

A Guide to the National Guard

A Guide to the National Guard

National Guard Defined:
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of militia members composed of individual state citizens. The United States’ National Guard is a federally recognized active armed service unit of the Army. 
The National Guard is a joint reserve unit of the United States Army, the United States Air Force and two additional subcomponents: the Army National Guard of the United States for the Army and the Air Force’s Air National Guard of the United States. 
The National Guard was established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code; the National Guard is affirmed as a branch of the military who serves as part of the first-line defense of the United States of America. 
The National Guard is divided into various united who stationed in each of the 50 states and operates under their respective state governors or territorial adjutant general. Dissimilar to other armed forces unit, the National Guard is not always active; the National Guard must be called for active duty by the particular state governors or territorial adjutant general. Typically the National Guard will be called to service to aid in situations of distress and to help respond to domestic emergencies and disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, fires, and earthquakes. 
The National Guard is administered by the National Guard Bureau, which is a joint activity under the Department of Defense. The National Guard Bureau offers a line of communication for the National Guard to the United States Department of Defense. Additionally, the National Guard Bureau provides policies and requirements for training and funds for both the Army National Guard and the state Air National Guard unity. The Bureau allocates federal funds to the National Guard to help carry out the unit’s functions and services. 
Similar to other branches of the armed services, the National Guard must adhere to the legality regulations imposed by the Federal and State governments of the United States

Military Law vs. Federal Law
The United States Department of Defense operates under Federal Law as per the guidelines expressed within the disbursement of a triune governmental oversight system, which allows for the United States National Guard to exist under the jurisdiction of the Executive branch of the government; this results in the appointment of the President of the United States as the Commander in Chief of the entirety of the Armed Forces. However, Military Law – a legal field classified as a subgenre of Federal Law – typically addresses the activity and behavior of military personnel; this can include:
Absent Without Leave (AWOL): The unlawful desertion of a service member with regard to their respective commitment to the United States National Guard; individuals deemed to have abandoned positions may be tried by military court and subsequently court martialed.
Martial Law: Martial Law is the instatement of Military rule over specific jurisdictions within a country or nation; in many cases with regard to the implementation of heightened security measures, the United States National Guard may be appointed in the event that the acting body of civil law enforcement is unable to maintain sufficient order.
Judge Advocate General (JAG Corps): The JAG Corps – or Judge Advocate General Corps – are classified as the acting legal body within the United states National Guard. JAG Corps not only oversee the court martial process, but also are responsible for upholding the maintenance of the protocols and parameters expressed within the UCMJ; in many cases, the legal issues addressed by the acting JAG Corps are specific – these include: war crimes, treason, sedition, refusal to obey orders, undue violence, and offenses directed against military personnel.

Read to Learn What a Veteran Is

Read to Learn What a Veteran Is

What is a Veteran?
A veteran is an individual who has gone through long service or experience in a particular occupation or field. Specifically, the term is most commonly attached to experiences and service sacrificed in times of war. 
A military veteran is a person who has served (or who is currently serving) in the armed services units of the United States. As a result of this status, a military veteran has direct exposure to acts of military conflict, specifically instances of armed combat. 
Following their stints in the armed forces unit, a Veteran is susceptible to the same liability in regards to illegal actions as an everyday citizen would be. That being said, there are numerous government grants that are offered to servicemen to aid in their transition back to “everyday life.” Additionally, the following bullet points will illustrate and elucidate upon the military court system as well as the federal laws, which are aimed at regulating military procedure. 

Law as it pertains to the Military:
The United States Department of Defense operates under Federal Law as per the guidelines expressed within the disbursement of a triune governmental oversight system, which allows for the United States # to exist under the jurisdiction of the Executive branch of the government; this results in the appointment of the President of the United States as the Commander in Chief of the entirety of the Armed Forces. However, Military Law – a legal field classified as a subgenre of Federal Law – typically addresses the activity and behavior of military personnel; this can include:
Absent Without Leave (AWOL): The unlawful desertion of a service member with regard to their respective commitment to the United States #; individuals deemed to have abandoned positions may be tried by military court and subsequently court martialed.
Martial Law: Martial Law is the instatement of Military rule over specific jurisdictions within a country or nation; in many cases with regard to the implementation of heightened security measures, the United States # may be appointed in the event that the acting body of civil law enforcement is unable to maintain sufficient order.
Judge Advocate General (JAG Corps): The JAG Corps – or Judge Advocate General Corps – are classified as the acting legal body within the United states #. JAG Corps not only oversee the court martial process, but also are responsible for upholding the maintenance of the protocols and parameters expressed within the UCMJ; in many cases, the legal issues addressed by the acting JAG Corps are specific – these include: war crimes, treason, sedition, refusal to obey orders, undue violence, and offenses directed against military personnel. 

Military Spouses Residency Relief Act

Military Spouses Residency Relief Act

 

MILITARY SPOUSES RESIDENCY RELIEF ACT TEXT

What is the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act?

The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act was signed into law on November 11, 2009.  The law makes changes to the tax code and voter requirements of the spouses of members of the United States Armed Forces.  The Act allows the spouses of military personnel who are stationed in another state, away from their domicile, to claim the tax benefits associated with their domiciled state instead of having to file tax returns for both the domiciled state and the residing state.  The Act applies to income from self-employment as well as employee income.  It also applies to personal property.  The Act does not affect the disposition of real property.  Issues regarding real property, such as houses and land, are considered to be under the jurisdiction in which the real property is situated in. 

Why was the Military Spouses Residency Act passed?

Under the previous federal law spouses of military personnel were required to file tax returns for the state in which they were domiciled and also in the state where they resided with their active duty spouse.  The law was enacted to make it easier for spouses of military personnel and provide them with the same tax benefits as their military personnel spouses.

What are the requirements of the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act?

In order for a the spouse of a member of the armed forces to be eligible to receive military spouse status the spouse must be living in a state other than that which is designated as his/her domicile; the spouse has relocated to that location for the sole reason of staying with the spouse; the military spouse is living in the non-domicile state as per requirements of his or her active duty.

WHAT IS A DOMICILE?

There is a difference between a domicile and a residence.  An individual can have more than one residence but only one domicile.  A domicile is the place where an individual legally resides or has the intention of residing in the near future.  This is to say that if an individual has his or her primary residence in New Jersey and has a summer house in Montana then he or she has two residences.  However, because New Jersey is where the individual maintains a permanent residence it is his or her domicile. 

The designation of a domicile is not always cut and dry.  A domicile is created when that person leaves his or her former domicile and embarks on entering a new domicile.  The individual will be designated as having a new domicile when he or she enters the new state with the intention of living there permanently.

Intention is not bases solely on the opinion of the individual's statements.  When courts consider domicile of an individual they look at bank records, drivers licenses, tax returns, job locations and a number of other factors.

What must be provided to the government to by a military spouse?

In order to qualify for the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act a spouse must offer documentation that specifically confirms the individual is a spouse of a member of the United States Armed Forces who is living outside of his or her domicile for the sole purpose of complying with military requirements.  These documents include:

• Spouses military ID card

• Serviceman's Leave and Earnings Statement

• Serviceman's W-2

• Spouse's drivers license

• Spouse's voter registration card

• Marriage license or divorce decree

• Declaration of permanent state of residency

What are the benefits of the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act?

The main benefit associated with the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act is the option of choosing a domicile.  When a serviceman is relocated to a military designated location outside the stat of the individuals domicile the spouse of that serviceman has the option of relocating to that location and taking advantage of that states tax laws.  However, the spouse has this as an option.  If he or she wishes they may still claim the domicile as the only designated state which should be privy to state income taxes.  In the alternative, the spouse may choose to adopt the serviceman's stationed location as the new domicile.

There are many things to consider when contemplating this option.  Every state has different laws affecting taxation, divorce, child custody, personal property rights, in-state tuition for state universities and a plethora of other regulations that make it advantageous to change one's domicile.  

The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act also allows spouses who relocate to their serviceman spouses stationed residency to maintain voter rights in the domiciled state of the spouse.  This means that in order for the spouse to be able to vote he or she will be required to re-enter the domiciled state or send in an absentee ballot.

Currently there are 9 states in the Union that do not have state income taxes.  Those are: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.  Therefore it is beneficial for the spouse of a serviceman to retain this as his or her domicile.  

What to do if you are a spouse of a serviceman?

If you are the spouse of a member of the United States Armed Forces it is beneficial to discuss the issue of the Military Spouses Residence Relief Act with a lawyer or someone provided by the military to counsel on these matters.  Changing a domicile can have far reaching and long lasting effects when concerning tax and property rights.  It is important to speak with someone before any decisions are made.

 

Military Spouses Residency Relief Act Text

Military Spouses Residency Relief Act Text

 

One Hundred Eleventh Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the sixth day of January, two thousand and nine

An Act

To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to guarantee the equity of spouses of military personnel with regard to matters of residency, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Military Spouses Residency Relief Act’.

SEC. 2. GUARANTEE OF RESIDENCY FOR SPOUSES OF MILITARY PERSONNEL FOR VOTING PURPOSES.

(a) In General- Section 705 of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. App. 595) is amended–

(1) by striking ‘For’ and inserting the following:

‘(a) In General- For’;

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

‘(b) Spouses- For the purposes of voting for any Federal office (as defined in section 301 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431)) or a State or local office, a person who is absent from a State because the person is accompanying the person’s spouse who is absent from that same State in compliance with military or naval orders shall not, solely by reason of that absence–

‘(1) be deemed to have lost a residence or domicile in that State, without regard to whether or not the person intends to return to that State;

‘(2) be deemed to have acquired a residence or domicile in any other State; or

‘(3) be deemed to have become a resident in or a resident of any other State.’; and

(3) in the section heading, by inserting ‘and spouses of military personnel’ before the period at the end.

(b) Clerical Amendment- The table of contents in section 1(b) of such Act (50 U.S.C. App. 501) is amended by striking the item relating to section 705 and inserting the following new item:

‘Sec. 705. Guarantee of residency for military personnel and spouses of military personnel.’.

(c) Application- Subsection (b) of section 705 of such Act (50 U.S.C. App. 595), as added by subsection (a) of this section, shall apply with respect to absences from States described in such subsection (b) on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, regardless of the date of the military or naval order concerned.

SEC. 3. DETERMINATION FOR TAX PURPOSES OF RESIDENCE OF SPOUSES OF MILITARY PERSONNEL.

(a) In General- Section 511 of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. App. 571) is amended–

(1) in subsection (a)–

(A) by striking ‘A servicemember’ and inserting the following:

‘(1) IN GENERAL- A servicemember’; and

(B) by adding at the end the following:

‘(2) SPOUSES- A spouse of a servicemember shall neither lose nor acquire a residence or domicile for purposes of taxation with respect to the person, personal property, or income of the spouse by reason of being absent or present in any tax jurisdiction of the United States solely to be with the servicemember in compliance with the servicemember’s military orders if the residence or domicile, as the case may be, is the same for the servicemember and the spouse.’;

(2) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) as subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g), respectively;

(3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection:

‘(c) Income of a Military Spouse- Income for services performed by the spouse of a servicemember shall not be deemed to be income for services performed or from sources within a tax jurisdiction of the United States if the spouse is not a resident or domiciliary of the jurisdiction in which the income is earned because the spouse is in the jurisdiction solely to be with the servicemember serving in compliance with military orders.’; and

(4) in subsection (d), as redesignated by paragraph (2)–

(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘or the spouse of a servicemember’ after ‘The personal property of a servicemember’; and

(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘or the spouse’s’ after ‘servicemember’s’.

(b) Application- Subsections (a)(2) and (c) of section 511 of such Act (50 U.S.C. App. 571), as added by subsection (a) of this section, and the amendments made to such section 511 by subsection (a)(4) of this section, shall apply with respect to any return of State or local income tax filed for any taxable year beginning with the taxable year that includes the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. SUSPENSION OF LAND RIGHTS RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT FOR SPOUSES OF MILITARY PERSONNEL.

(a) In General- Section 508 of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. App. 568) is amended in subsection (b) by inserting ‘or the spouse of such servicemember’ after ‘a servicemember in military service’.

(b) Application- The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to servicemembers in military service (as defined in section 101 of such Act (50 U.S.C. App. 511)) on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

 

With Pentagon Sued, Questions Erupt Over Women in Combat

With Pentagon Sued, Questions Erupt Over Women in Combat

 

Historically, American women have served the military primarily as nurses, medics, and other non-combat support roles.  While women have worked in combat zones in every war since the Revolutionary War, they have not been enlisted as combat troops.  The American Civil Liberties Union announced today that it is suing the Department of Defense in order to end the policy of sex discrimination of combat troops.

If the courts ruled in the ACLU's favor, this would represent perhaps the largest shift ever of women's military roles in the United States.  While asking for women to be represented in combat roles even a decade ago might have been viewed as a major issue, several key factors have changed since that time.

One of those factors is that today's Supreme Court has three women, not just two, and those women have been highly influential in court decisions.  Another is the end of the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy, which some felt reflected an increasing willingness for the military to liberalize its attitudes about both gender and sexuality.

Historically, intermediate scrutiny has been applied to claims of gender discrimination.  This means that if there is an important governmental interest in having the discriminatory law, it can still be applied constitutionally (for example, sex-segregated bathrooms are generally assumed to be important from a public safety perspective).  The U.S. government has so far kept women out of combat roles by saying that morale would be affected by women's presence as combat troops.

However, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have changed how the military handles women in combat zones, according to the ACLU's lawsuit.  Today, women who are classified as non-combat troops are still likely to fight in combat zones, and many are wounded or killed while engaging in combat.

The real effect of the men-only combat policy, according to the plaintiffs, is to exclude women from receiving higher pay for combat duty and assignments that could lead to faster promotions.  Many women in the military today, according to the suit, would be able to advance more quickly in their military career and achieve more if they were allowed to take assignments that included combat roles.

Several of the women currently suing through the ACLU are Purple Heart recipients, meaning that they have been injured in a military conflict.  According to these women, the prohibition on female combat troops is outdated and keeps women from excelling in the military, while keeping commanding officers from being able to use the best troops for the job without regard to gender.

Although it may take some time to wind through the court system, this lawsuit could prompt President Obama to request a change in the Pentagon's policies.  Earlier this year, the Department of Defense stopped prohibiting women from being assigned to roles that would require them to live with men.

The Department of Defense has so far declined to comment on the case, and says that it reserves the right to open more jobs to women in the military.

Sources: aclu.org, uscourts.gov, usnews.com

A Careful Look at War Crimes

A Careful Look at War Crimes

What are War Crimes?
A war crime refers to a serious violation of the laws present in an armed conflict (also known as International humanitarian law). Such actions give rise to individual criminal responsibility; although the actions in a war are violent and in many cases inhumane, there is a firm legal code that surrounds a state of war. 
Examples of war crimes include the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents as well as the murder of common citizens in occupied territories. The killing of hostages or the ill-treatment of prisoners of war is also considered war crimes. 
War crimes were established during the Geneva Conventions, which are four intertwined treaties adopted between 1864 and 1949. Such treaties outlined a legal basis for International law with regard to war conduct. That being said, not all nations have signed the Geneva Convention and as such retain a different code and value system with regard to wartime conduct. Domestically speaking, the United States has developed military laws that are separate from the Geneva Convention.
War crimes are significant aspects of international humanitarian law because they are specific areas in which international tribunals (such as the Nuremberg Trials and Tokyo Trials) have been convened. Through the administration of these trials the definition and the attached punishments have been elucidated upon. For example, the modern concept of a war crime was further expanded under the auspices of the Nuremberg Trials. During this time, the charter who oversaw the trials (the London Charter) further defined war crimes as any violation against peace and crimes against humanity.

Military Law vs. Federal Law
The United States Department of Defense operates under Federal Law as per the guidelines expressed within the disbursement of a triune governmental oversight system, which allows for the United States to exist under the jurisdiction of the Executive branch of the government; this results in the appointment of the President of the United States as the Commander in Chief of the entirety of the Armed Forces. However, Military Law – a legal field classified as a subgenre of Federal Law – typically addresses the activity and behavior of military personnel; this can include:
Absent Without Leave (AWOL): The unlawful desertion of a service member with regard to their respective commitment to the United States #; individuals deemed to have abandoned positions may be tried by military court and subsequently court martialed.
Martial Law: Martial Law is the instatement of Military rule over specific jurisdictions within a country or nation; in many cases with regard to the implementation of heightened security measures, the United States # may be appointed in the event that the acting body of civil law enforcement is unable to maintain sufficient order.
Judge Advocate General (JAG Corps): The JAG Corps – or Judge Advocate General Corps – are classified as the acting legal body within the United states #. JAG Corps not only oversee the court martial process, but also are responsible for upholding the maintenance of the protocols and parameters expressed within the UCMJ; in many cases, the legal issues addressed by the acting JAG Corps are specific – these include: war crimes, treason, sedition, refusal to obey orders, undue violence, and offenses directed against military personnel. 
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