A new issue of Soldiers is out. A new issue of Airman is out. In following Odysseus home to Ithaca, Aeneas out of the burning city of Troy, or Othello to Cyprus, future officers refine an essential skill: They discover new ways to map space and measure time. Siamese twins sharing the same brain: How the military and the civilian are blurring in Washington. From Stars and Stripes, a special section on Heroes 2011, including an article on the quiet heroism of America's secret warriors. Military service is unique, and the challenges faced by service members are unlike those of other professions; violent death is a real possibility while wearing a service uniform — but does this make everyone who served a hero? Lea Carpenter on the intellectual life of a Navy SEAL. Our lefty military: As we look for a model of liberal values, such as investing in people and guaranteeing them health care, how about turning to the United States military? Alexander Kees on regulation of private military companies. The moral logic of survivor guilt: The sense of guilt and betrayal surviving soldiers feel originates not just in what they've done, but in who they are. The troops returning from Afghanistan this year face a bleak homecoming: the nation's commitment to their families is flagging — particularly at the broken-down schools that serve soldiers' kids. A review of Unwarranted Influence: Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Military-Industrial Complex by James Ledbetter and Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex by William D. Hartung. Invisible, Inc.: Got an army you need to hide? With more than a million soldiers in a dozen countries wearing his camouflage patterns, Guy Cramer is now hoping to change how the Pentagon dresses.
