The U.S. Air Force has awarded its Meritorious Service Medal to a 19-year combat veteran who claimed his commanding officer fired him because of his views on same-sex marriage.

Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Monk received the award, the second-highest non-combat recognition the Air Force can bestow, on Feb. 12. It is the best sign Monk won’t be punished for filing a religious discrimination complaint, said Michael Berry, senior council with the Liberty Institute, which represents Monk.

A map showing the position of U.S. Navy ships on the day terrorists attacked the special mission in Benghazi, Libya, killing four Americans, suggests the military had enough fire power in the region to intervene, according to a government watchdog group.

The controversial F-35 program took another blow last week when the Navy requested a break from producing F-35C, its variant of the problem-plagued and expensive Joint Strike Fighter.

Lone Survivor, the new movie based on Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell’s 2007 memoir about an ill-fated 2005 operation in Afghanistan, is the latest film to collaborate with the military to depict a more realistic portrayal of the Navy’s Special Forces. 

The film opens like a recruitment video, with documentary footage of intense SEAL training, and pays tribute to the SEALs: In messy, uncertain wars, they’re elite practitioners of precision. In the era of the superhero film, the Navy SEALs have inspired filmmakers as the real thing.

The United States is racing to keep pace with increased activity in the once-sleepy Arctic frontier, but it is far from taking the lead. 

Nations across the world are hurrying to stake claims to resources in the Arctic, which might be home to 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil and 30 percent of its untapped natural gas. The area also includes emerging fisheries and mineral deposits, and both tourist and cargo traffic is increasing along the Northern Sea Route, one of two summertime shortcuts across the top of the Earth.

The number of intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, is dwindling, their future defense role is in doubt, and missteps and leadership lapses documented by The Associated Press this year have raised questions about how the force is managed.

The Senate passed a defense bill with strong bipartisan support last week that includes important language to strengthen and protect the religious freedom of military members and chaplains.