Hegseth's plan to screen military members for low testosterone...

Hegseth's plan to screen military members for low testosterone raises concern for doctors: "Not a performance drug"

By Kerry Breen

July 16, 2026 / 3:37 PM EDT / CBS News


A day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that U.S. service members over the age of 30 will be annually screened for "testosterone deficiency," doctors are expressing skepticism of the program and its goals.

Hegseth said all service members over 30 will be screened as part of their regular health assessments, and that younger ones will have the option of being tested to ensure that they "have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best." If they are recommended for treatment, they'll have the option to receive testosterone replacement therapy.

Hegseth has commented frequently on the physical standards of the military, connecting appearance and masculinity to combat readiness. Hegseth did not say what the new policy might mean for female service members, and other details have not yet been announced.

Doctors flagged a range of concerns about the policy, which is likely to be costly to implement. National organizations including The Endocrine Society and the American College of Physicians recommend against general screenings for testosterone levels, which can fluctuate based on age, lifestyle and even the time of day.

"Testosterone in the normal range is not a performance drug," said Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical correspondent and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News. "For a man whose level is genuinely low, replacement can help libido and mood a little. It has not been shown to sharpen thinking, fix fatigue, or make a healthy 30-year-old a better soldier."
"No link to how masculine they are or feel or look"

Testosterone is a hormone naturally produced by the body. It helps maintain muscle and bone mass, and impacts mood and energy levels. It impacts libido and supports sperm production in men. But it isn't inherently linked to an increase in strength or capability, said Dr. Marcus Goncalves, director of the Holman Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at NYU Langone Health.

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Trump says US forces are 'clearing' Strait of Hormuz

By Reuters

April 11, 20269:43 AM EDT

President Donald Trump arrives to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS/File

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on ​Saturday posted on social media that the United States ‌military has started to clear the Strait of Hormuz, and that all of Iran's minelaying ships have been sunk.
"We're now starting the ​process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz," ​Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, adding that "all ⁠28" of Iran's "mine dropper boats are also lying at ​the bottom of the sea".

Minutes before Trump's post, reports ​started to emerge about the presence of U.S. naval ships in the strait.

An Axios journalist, citing an unnamed U.S. official, posted that "several" U.S. ​ships had crossed the strait on Saturday, though Iranian ​state TV soon after reported a denial from an official with ‌Iran's ⁠military.

Trump has repeatedly said that American forces have destroyed Iran's navy and air force while crippling its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

But fear of Iranian attacks on shipping over ​the past several ​weeks has ⁠effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical conduit for global oil supplies. Throttling ​the strait has disrupted global energy markets.

U.S. gasoline ​prices have ⁠spiked even though most of the oil that flows through the waterway does not go to the United States.
Representatives from ⁠the ​U.S. and Iran began talks hosted by ​Pakistan in Islamabad on Saturday amid a fragile ceasefire in the conflict.


Reporting ​by Jason Lange; Editing by Jan Harvey and Sergio Non

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Worship Resources in a Time of War

March 2, 2026


As the United States has begun military combat operations in Iran, we are called to pray and ask for God’s mercy.

Several resources are available to assist you.

Below are three prayers from the resource Prayer Book for the Armed Services. (In addition to the print resource, PBAS is available digitally through Sundays and Seasons.)

Time of war

Eternal God, whose steadfast love never ends, we ask that you look upon the nations now engaged in war and hasten the day of peace. Look in mercy on those exposed to peril, conflict, sickness and death; and show compassion to the dying. In your good providence, remove all causes and occasions of war. Incline the hearts of all people to follow the path to peace and concord, that war may cease and the day of reconciliation may come quickly, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Those Who Suffer from War

Merciful God, you grieve amid the pain, fear and suffering of your children. Look with compassion on all who endure the miseries of war. Be mindful, too, of those who day and night face peril in defense of our nation. Guide them in their duties as they seek justice for those subjected to tyranny and liberty for those who are oppressed. Eternal Protector of the helpless, hear the cry of the distressed and grant speedy deliverance in a new day of peace and concord. Amen.

Those in the country’s service in a time of war

Almighty God, let your protection be upon all those who are in the service of our nation. Guard them from all danger and harm; sustain and comfort those at home, especially in hours of anxiety, loneliness, and sorrow. Prepare the dying for death and the living for your service. Uphold those who bear arms on land and sea and in the air; and grant unto us and all nations a speedy, just and lasting peace, the glory of your holy name. Amen.

Senate Chaplain Barry Black's prayer at hearing to increase affordable housing

  

Senate Chaplain Barry Black's prayer at hearing to increase affordable housing - March 2, 2026

Chaplain Barry Black:

Mighty God..> we pray in YOUR POWERFUL NAME, Amen.

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Embattled chaplains group forms new denomination named Anglican Reformed Catholic Church

By Michael Gryboski, Editor Friday, December 26, 2025

The Rt. Rev. Derek Jones, bishop of the Anglican Church in North America's Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy, gives a speech in March 2025. | YouTube/Saint Luke's Anglican, Hilton Head Island

A chaplains group facing a legal battle with the Anglican Church in North America has launched a new denomination known as the Anglican Reformed Catholic Church.

Bishops with the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy recently established the ARCC, with it being officially incorporated in Alabama as a new nonprofit organization.

JAFC Bishop Derek Jones will serve as the leader of the new denomination, according to Virtue Online. The group's leaders are calling ARCC “classic Anglican.”

“We live in the tradition and prayer book expression we have all known and loved in the JAFC for nearly 20 years,” they told Virtue Online.

“It is Reformed and Catholic as Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, Bishop John Jewel, Bishop Lancelot Andrewes, and other Anglican reformers envisioned — ancient in faithfulness to the witness of the Apostles and formulated in the ancient Creeds and Councils.”

Why the Pentagon is investigating Sen. Mark Kelly

Dems urging troops to ‘disobey’ are playing a dangerous game

By
Post Editorial Board
Published Nov. 19, 2025, 5:27 p.m. ET

National Guard troops seen in Memphis on Nov. 18, 2025.REUTERS/Karen Pulfer Focht


Disgusting: Democratic members of Congress are now actively encouraging troops to disobey their commanders.

That’s the clear thrust of the one-minute video released Tuesday featuring Sens. Elissa Slotkin (Mich) and Mark Kelly (Ariz.) warning “This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals . . . against American citizens.”

Other veterans now serving in the House chime in: “Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal orders,” pronounce Reps. Chris Deluzio (Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (NH), Chrissy Houlahan (Pa.) and Rep. Jason Crow (Colo.).

Yes, they’re all emphasizing the duty to disobey illegal orders — but if they actually saw any real sign that the president or other high commander is issuing such orders, they’d be doing a lot more than just cutting an ad.

Indeed, they plainly don’t believe one word they’re saying, or they’d detail exactly what illegal orders Team Trump has issued.

All of them know that the modern US military takes great care to lay out what constitutes an illegal order; no one now in uniform has the least need for added instruction about it.

The real target audience is the Bluesky addicts and so on who’ll wallow in this propaganda porn — a fantasy that pretends President Donald Trump is an out-of-control dictator poised to sic the military on civilians in some sort of coup, and so panders to progressives’ desperate desire to see themselves as stalwart patriots resisting an outlaw regime.

It’s a disgrace that these veterans are milking their own service to rally partisan support (and raise funds down the line, no doubt) by insinuating that the sitting president is ordering service members to violate the Constitution.

Worse is the real and obvious danger that some in lower ranks could take this nonsense seriously, and think they have a duty to indulge in quiet acts of mutiny — disobeying legitimate orders because they foolishly trust a US senator to play it square with them.

That is: Two members of the Senate and four of the House are all but calling on soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen to defy legal orders — or, say, leak classified info or otherwise sabotage the chain of command.

Until now, we’ve respected Kelly and Slotkin; it’s appalling to see them sink so low.

This isn’t simply a cynical stunt; it’s a contemptible gambit that tiptoes to the edge of sedition. For shame.

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Democrats to Troops: Don’t Follow Unlawful Orders

New York Post

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Fuerzas Comando 2025

News | Aug. 18, 2025
Fuerzas Comando 2025

By Maj. Trevor Wild,
ILOPANGO, El Salvador –

Sixteen special operations teams from across Central and South America and the Caribbean will gather in Ilopango, El Salvador, Aug. 18–29, for Fuerzas Comando 2025, the 19th iteration of the premier special operations skills competition and senior leadership seminar.

Established in 2004, Fuerzas Comando is a 10-day event designed to test participants’ skills through a friendly competition among special operations forces. The event promotes interoperability and military-to-military relationships through cordial contests, enhances training knowledge, and strengthens regional cooperation.

Concurrently, a senior leadership seminar will convene, uniting top multinational special operations leaders to address transnational threats impacting defense and stability across the region.

Participating nations include Argentina, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and the United States.

Fuerzas Comando 2025 is sponsored by U.S. Southern Command and executed by Special Operations Command South in partnership with the Fuerza Armada de El Salvador.

The competition will feature a series of evaluated events:
Day 1: Weapons zero (non-graded)
Day 2: Physical training event (100 points) and opening ceremony
Day 3: Assaulter stages 1 and 2 / Sniper stage 1 (300 points)
Day 4: Assaulter stages 3 and 4 / Sniper stages 2 and 3 (300 points)
Day 5: Assaulter stage 5 / Sniper stages 4 and 5 (400 points)
Day 6: Assaulter stages 6 and 7 / Sniper stage 7 (400 points)
Day 7: Assaulter and sniper stage 8 / Combined assault (300 points)
Day 8: Ruck event (200 points)
Day 9: Obstacle course (200 points)
Day 10: Water event (200 points)
Day 11: No evaluation
Day 12: Closing ceremony

For updates and standings, follow @SOCSOUTH and @FUERZARMADASV on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

“Juntos somos Fuerzas Comando.”

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