Story by Cpl Kathy Nunez
Date Posted:10.16.2015 17:05
WASHINGTON - The Department of Defense honored the Quantico Injured Military Sportsman Association with the Spirit of Hope award Oct. 16, 2015, at the Pentagon.
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2014 – Anyone who saw the American flag unfurled at the Pentagon on Sept. 12, 2001, knows how Francis Scott Key felt two centuries ago when he was inspired to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
By Department of Defense news, Defense Media Activity
22 July 2014
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office announced that the remains of a U.S. serviceman lost during World War II have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors, according to a DoD news release issued July 21.
Continue reading "DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IDENTIFIES MISSING WORLD WAR II MARINE" »
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 24, 2014
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department announced Saturday it had canceled ongoing military exercises with Thailand as a result of the military coup in the Southeast Asian country.
Continue reading "US cancels military exercises with Thailand" »
Courtesy Video | Pentagon Channel | Date: 05.19.2014
Operations are returning to normal at Camp Pendleton, CA, after wildfires last week
Continue reading "Evacuation Orders Lifted at Camp Pendleton" »
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2014 – Since the founding of the Marine Corps in 1775, Marines have answered the nation's call, faithfully protecting the American people and maintaining a world-class standard of military excellence, the Marine Corps commandant said today.
Continue reading "Marines ‘Will Do Same With Less,’ Amos Says" »
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service
ARLINGTON, Va., June 11, 2013 – Service members and veterans transitioning from the military to Veterans Affairs for treatment or between military treatment facilities now have access to greater consistency in psychological health and traumatic brain injury care, a Defense Department official said here today.
Continue reading "Program Aids Mental Health Care for Transitioning Troops" »
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2013 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has replaced the Distinguished Warfare Medal, DOD officials announced today.
Continue reading "Hagel Replaces Distinguished Warfare Medal With New Device" »
Afghans want the hundreds of bases and other outposts handed over to them as troops withdraw. But the U.S.-led coalition says Afghanistan lacks the capabilities for maintaining and defending all of them.
By Shashank Bengali, Los Angeles Times
March 2, 2013, 5:50 p.m.
KABUL, Afghanistan — Late last year, before leaving Forward Operating Base Tillman for the last time, U.S. troops took apart every inch of the remote outpost near the border with Pakistan, from the dirt-packed barricades to the flat-screen TVs in the intelligence center.
Continue reading "U.S., Afghan officials at odds over fate of military bases" »
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2013 – The new Distinguished Warfare Medal recognizes the changing face of conflict in the 21st century, said Juliet Beyler, the acting director of officer and enlisted personnel management in the Pentagon.
Continue reading "New Medal Recognizes Changing Face of Conflict, Official Says" »
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 037-13
January 24, 2013
Today, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey announced the rescission the 1994 Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule for women and that the Department of Defense plans to remove gender-based barriers to service.
10/1/2012 By Terri Moon Cronk , Headquarters Marine Corps
WASHINGTON — Beginning Oct. 1, 2012, active-duty members of the Army, Navy and Air Force will be able to contribute to the Roth Thrift Savings Plan as part of their investment planning, Defense Financing and Accounting Service officials said today.
Continue reading " Roth Contributions to Open to All Active-duty Troops " »
By Tom Vanden Brook - USA TODAY
Posted : Monday Oct 1, 2012 9:31:50 EDT
WASHINGTON — Data collected from roadside explosions in Afghanistan and Iraq show troops in Mine Resistant Ambush Protected trucks are as much as 14 times more likely to survive the blast than those riding in Humvees, the Pentagon’s No. 2 official told USA TODAY.
Continue reading "Official says MRAPs made the difference in wars" »
By Robert Burns - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Sep 27, 2012 17:20:29 EDT
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday there can be no doubt that terrorists had planned and carried out the attack on the U.S. Consulate in eastern Libya two weeks ago that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.
Continue reading "SecDef: Terrorists behind U.S. Consulate attack" »
By Kimberly Dozier - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Aug 21, 2012 19:17:17 EDT
WASHINGTON — A group of retired special operations and CIA officers who claim President Obama revealed secret missions and turned the killing of Osama bin Laden into a campaign centerpiece are coming under criticism from some of their own.
Continue reading "Special operators to anti-Obama groups: Zip it" »
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 25, 2012 11:41:54 EDT
The Defense Department launched a new website Wednesday listing the 10 troops who have received Medals of Honor since 2001, the first step in the creation of an official database designed to deter fraudulent claims of military valor.
Continue reading "Pentagon launches new valor medals database" »
7/13/2012 By Lance Cpl. Ali Azimi , Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif. — The Department of Defense has put a ban on all products containing DMAA. These products, formerly sold on base at GNC stores, were pulled off shelves at the beginning of this year. Service members are prohibited from using the supplements pending further testing on their health effects.
By Tom Vanden Brook - USA Today
Posted : Wednesday Jul 11, 2012 6:42:19 EDT
Moving the mountain of military gear out of Afghanistan after more than a decade of war will cost billions of dollars and prove far more difficult than last year’s withdrawal from Iraq, the Pentagon’s No. 2 official said Tuesday.
Continue reading "Pentagon: Afghanistan exit will cost billions" »
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jul 10, 2012 16:09:20 EDT
After years of rejecting the idea, the Pentagon is now considering the creation of a publicly accessible database of military valor awards as a way to deter military fakers.
Continue reading "Pentagon will consider creating medals database" »
By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Apr 22, 2012 10:06:22 EDT
A Defense Department inspector general report found gaps in the care, treatment and transition programs for wounded Marines — plus poor morale fueled by idled hands, long waits for medical review boards, mixed messages about using and abusing medications and illegal drugs, and the sense their units had forgotten them. Worse, investigators found, wounded warriors complained they were put on public display, much like in a petting zoo, when charities visited and wanted the “visibly wounded” for their events.
Continue reading "DoD reports gaps in care of wounded warriors" »
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 22, 2012 – Service members and veterans whose military service was involuntarily extended under the “Stop Loss” program between the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Sept. 30, 2009, are eligible for special retroactive pay, and they now have more time to apply for it.
Continue reading "Officials Extend Deadline to Apply for ‘Stop Loss’ Pay" »
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Feb 24, 2012 13:28:00 EST
U.S. commanders plan to cut the Marine Corps’ footprint in southwestern Afghanistan dramatically this year, from about 17,000 personnel now to about 7,000 in October, said the top officer in the region.
Continue reading "10,000 Marines to be cut in Afghanistan" »
Staff report
Posted : Thursday Feb 23, 2012 19:05:30 EST
The Defense Department announced the names late Thursday of 78 service members who have been invited to attend the Feb. 29 White House dinner hosted by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Continue reading "78 service members to dine at White House" »
By Leo Shane III
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 8, 2012
WASHINGTON — Defense officials will allow female troops to work in front-line battlefield units for the first time but still bar them from combat infantry jobs under rules announced Thursday.
Continue reading "More combat opportunities for women, but still no infantry" »
By Pauline Jelinek and Robert Burns/ Associated Press
Posted: 01/13/2012 01:01:50 AM PST
WASHINGTON -- Pentagon leaders scrambled Thursday to contain damage from an Internet video purporting to show four Marines urinating on Taliban corpses -- an act that appears to violate international laws of warfare and further strains U.S.-Afghan relations.
Continue reading "Defense secretary promises probe of Marines video" »
Web video shows apparent Marines urinating on bodies of dead Taliban
By James K. Sanborn - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jan 12, 2012 10:58:33 EST
Commandant Gen. Jim Amos condemned a web video that surfaced Wednesday that appears to show Marines in Afghanistan urinating on dead Taliban fighters, and the Corps’ top officer has requested an investigation into the matter by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Continue reading "Amos vows to investigate desecration of dead" »
Iraq playbook used as U.S. transitions to advisory role
Written by
Michelle Tan, Dan Lamothe and Jeff Schogol | Military Times
2:00 AM, Dec. 31, 2011
Defense Department leaders continue to apply the Iraq playbook to operations in Afghanistan as more U.S. fighting forces transition from combat missions to advisory roles.
By taniameireles2
– November 17, 2011
The Department of Defense (DoD) recently published the 2011 DoD Compensation and Benefits Handbook, a comprehensive resource guide describing compensation and other benefits Service members and their families would be entitled to upon separation or retirement as a result of serious injury or illness.
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2011 – President Barack Obama joined Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard today to announce expanded military-to-military relationships between the two countries as they commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Australia-New Zealand-U.S. alliance.
Continue reading "Obama Announces Expanded U.S. Military Presence in Australia" »
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2011 – Medal of Honor recipient Marine Corps Sgt. Dakota Meyer plans to raise $1 million in scholarship money for the children of wounded Marines and Navy corpsmen, and challenges the American public to match it.
Continue reading "MOH Recipient Issues Scholarship Challenge" »
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 27, 2011 – Officials here at the National Naval Medical Center declared a new chapter in military health care as a procession of ambulances delivered the last 18 inpatients from Walter Reed Army Medical Center this morning, a final milestone as the two flagship hospitals consolidate.
Continue reading "Arrival of Patients Marks New Beginning at Bethesda" »
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Aug 10, 2011 8:41:48 EDT
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — The commandant of the Marine Corps is telling troops at a North Carolina aviation base that force reductions will mean not every Marine who wants to re-enlist will have that option.
Continue reading "At Cherry Point, Amos warns of upcoming cuts" »
Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
4:50 p.m., Aug. 3, 2011
Last year a surge of Marines flooded into the poppy fields and mud-walled towns of southwestern Afghanistan, where their doubled-up force confronted the Taliban in a region that had long been a bastion of the insurgency.
Continue reading "Marines prepare for drawdown in Helmand province" »
Story Number: NNS110803-17
Release Date: 8/3/2011 12:10:00 PM
By Shoshona Pilip-Florea, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy Surgeon General cautioned his commanding officers, medical providers and personnel on the negative health effects and legal consequences of using synthetic marijuana like Spice and other designer drugs in a message sent to all of Navy Medicine Aug. 2.
Continue reading "Navy Surgeon General Warns of Health Effects of Spice" »
By Julie Watson - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Aug 2, 2011 21:51:48 EDT
SAN DIEGO — The top leader of the Marine Corps said Tuesday that he wants the first black members of the Marines to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and hopes their story will inspire more black men and women to join the Corps and rise through its ranks.
Continue reading "Amos seeks award for first black Marines" »
Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:20:00 -0500
From a Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune News Release
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C., July 15, 2011 - Officials here are preparing for the scheduled July 18 delivery of the inaugural shipment of biodiesel fuel that's grown, processed and blended exclusively in North Carolina for the military.
Continue reading "Lejeune Prepares for 'Green' Biodiesel Fuel Delivery" »
By Matthew Lee - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jul 11, 2011 10:42:33 EDT
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will formally protest Monday’s attack on the U.S. embassy and the American ambassador’s residence in Syria and may seek compensation for damage caused when a mob breached the wall of the embassy compound before being dispersed by Marine guards.
Continue reading "Marines repel attack on U.S. embassy in Syria" »
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan, July 10, 2011 – Progress is undeniable in Helmand province where three districts that were once the heartland of the Taliban saw an 80 percent reduction in enemy activity since August 2010, Marine commanders said here today.
Continue reading "Marines Discuss Counterinsurgency Successes in Helmand" »
By Kevin Baron
Stars and Stripes
Published: July 1, 2011
WASHINGTON — "Welcome aboard, sir."
Continue reading "Panetta takes oath, begins a busy first day as defense secretary" »
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 567-11
July 01, 2011
“Today, I was honored to take the oath of office to become the 23rd Secretary of Defense. I am mindful of the great responsibility the President has entrusted to me, and I will work with you -- America’s men and women in uniform and this Department’s civilian employees -- as I lead the Department of Defense in its mission to protect our citizens and our nation’s interests around the world. My long career in public service began in the 1960s when I proudly donned the uniform of this country as a young Army intelligence officer. In the decades since, my respect for the military has only grown stronger.
Continue reading "Message to the Department of Defense from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta" »
By Kevin Baron
Stars and Stripes
Published: June 30, 2011
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama surprised Defense Secretary Robert Gates by presenting him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor the president can bestow, during a warm farewell ceremony Thursday, Gates’ last day at the Pentagon.
Continue reading "Obama bids Gates farewell with the Medal of Freedom" »
By Phil Stewart, Missy Ryan and David Alexander
WASHINGTON | Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:11am IST
(Reuters) - Robert Gates, in his final interview as U.S. defense secretary, grew quiet as he tried to articulate the heavy toll his job took on him over the past four and a half years -- every day of them during wartime
Continue reading "Outgoing U.S. defense chief weighs toll of war" »
June 29, 2011
Homemade remote-controlled bombs, also known as improvised explosive devices or IEDs, have been one of the biggest killers of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continue reading "U.S. Military Searches For A Device To Stop IEDs" »
By Leo Shane III
Stars and Stripes
Published: June 28, 2011
WASHINGTON – The incoming head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan on Tuesday offered support for the president’s drawdown of American troops from that battlefield but also vowed to slow down those departures if the situation begins to deteriorate.
Continue reading "Allen vows to slow Afghanistan drawdown if conditions deteriorate" »
Petraeus says coalition forces have already shifted out of some parts of the country and handed security responsibility off to the Afghans.
By Yochi J. Dreazen and Sara Sorcher
Updated: June 27, 2011 | 9:07 a.m.
June 27, 2011 | 6:00 a.m.
President Obama’s announcement last week that 10,000 troops would leave Afghanistan this year set off a political firestorm, with Democrats accusing Obama of withdrawing too few troops and Republicans accusing him of withdrawing too many.
Continue reading "U.S. to Begin 'Thinning Out' Its Afghan Forces" »
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
ARLINGTON, Va., June 13, 2011 – A Defense Department organization is making it easier for military spouses to maintain professional licenses as they move from state to state.
Continue reading "Military Spouses Get Help With Professional Licenses" »
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Jun 5, 2011 9:04:05 EDT
The Marine Corps and Army could soon field blast-resistant floor mats in thousands of military vehicles to protect U.S. troops in combat, military officials said.
By ROBERT BURNS
AP National Security Writer
Jun 4, 9:14 AM EDT
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Saturday during his farewell trip to Afghanistan that success of the U.S. mission is paramount and the "most costly thing of all would be to fail."
Continue reading "In Afghanistan, Gates bidding farewell to troops" »
Story by Pfc. Daniel Valle | III Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs | Date: 06.02.2011
OKINAWA, Japan - All social security numbers will be removed from Department of Defense identification cards and be replaced by a DOD identification number beginning June 2011.
Continue reading "DOD to remove social security numbers from ID cards" »
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 24, 2011 – Service members and their families can visit a wide array of museums free of charge from Memorial Day through Labor Day, courtesy of the second-annual Blue Star Museums program.
By Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 20, 2011
WASHINGTON – Combat troops in Afghanistan suffer from high rates of sleep deprivation, a recent Army mental health report indicates, but not from factors that might be suspected.
Continue reading "Sleep loss a chronic problem for Afghanistan troops, Army says" »
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.,, May 12, 2011 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates spoke with Marines and soldiers and watched them train today at two East Coast military bases, thanking them for their service, and -- 48 days away from his June 30 retirement -- saying goodbye.
Continue reading "Gates to Troops: U.S. Must Sustain Force Excellence" »
'I want to be clear.... We will step out smartly to faithfully implement this new law,' Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos tells his troops via video. Sessions are being held at bases worldwide.
By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times
May 1, 2011
Reporting from Camp Pendleton—
The presentation was direct, even matter-of-fact, giving no hint of the large-scale cultural shift that the new policy represents — or of the passionate debate it provoked among politicians, religious leaders and other civilians.
Continue reading "Marines briefed matter-of-factly on 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal" »
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Apr 27, 2011 16:46:36 EDT
Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen will be nominated to replace Army Gen. David Petraeus in Afghanistan and is expected to take command by September, a senior White House official said Wednesday.
Continue reading "Lt. Gen. John Allen to lead in Afghanistan" »
By Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes
Published: April 25, 2011
WASHINGTON — It’s no longer necessary for Marines suffering from mild traumatic brain injuries to have been knocked unconscious to qualify for a Purple Heart, a retroactive change that could affect thousands of troops who have served in battle since Sept. 11, 2001.
Continue reading "More Marines now eligible to receive Purple Heart for TBI" »
By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY
04.19.11
A rise in the number of troops wounded from buried bombs in Afghanistan has the Pentagon experimenting with new forms of protection, ranging from heavyweight chaps and Kevlar underwear to ground-penetrating radar systems.
Continue reading "Pentagon rushes underwear armor to Afghanistan" »
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2011 – Defense Department officials today launched the Pentagon’s newest initiative to support victims of sexual assault.
Continue reading "DOD Launches Sexual Assault Response Helpline" »
By Jeanette Steele
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 8:01 a.m.
An Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran from Camp Pendleton has been named Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, the highest enlisted position in the Corps.
Continue reading "Camp Pendleton Marine is named top Sgt. Major" »
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 282-11
April 07, 2011
“The department remains hopeful that a government shutdown will be averted. The President has made it clear that he does not want a government shutdown, and the administration is working to find a solution with which all sides can agree. However, prudent management requires that we plan for an orderly shutdown should Congress be unable to pass a funding bill before our current funding expires on April 8.
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, April 7, 2011 – While emphasizing that service members eventually will receive the pay they would earn during a government shutdown, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates acknowledged here today that if the government shuts down for a week starting tomorrow, their mid-month paychecks would include only the pay they earned for the first week of the month.
Continue reading "Shutdown Could Affect Young Troops Most, Gates Says" »
By Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes
Published: March 16, 2011
WASHINGTON — If the deteriorating situation at a Japanese nuclear plant veers toward a worst-case meltdown scenario, people across the country — including 86,000 American servicemembers, civilian employees and their dependents — could face an unprecedented atomic disaster.
Continue reading "Pentagon preparing for a nuclear worst-case scenario at Fukushima" »
Mar 15, 4:16 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Amid signs of deepening war weariness among Americans, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said Tuesday he will soon recommend a plan for beginning troop reductions, while embracing President Barack Obama's goal of pursuing a long-term military partnership with the Afghan government.
Continue reading "Petraeus: Afghan war gains enable US troop cuts" »
The New York Times
By THOM SHANKER and ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: March 14, 2011
WASHINGTON — The United States military is preparing to start withdrawing, as planned, as many as several thousand troops from Afghanistan in July.
Continue reading "First to Leave Afghanistan Will Be Noncombat Troops" »
Navy ships, Marine forces and non-governmental relief teams are being dispatched to the disaster-stricken areas of Japan to provide humanitarian assistance and to search for survivors.
By Ken Dilanian, Washington Bureau
March 12, 2011, 8:59 a.m.
Reporting from Washington --
U.S. Navy ships and aircraft were converging on disaster-stricken Japan Saturday, while the main U.S. aid agency dispatched two urban search-and-rescue teams to help look for trapped survivors.
Continue reading "U.S. military, aid teams headed for Japan" »
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 11, 2011 – U.S. forces are swinging into action to assist Japan in the wake of a magnitude 8.9 earthquake that struck early this morning.
Story by Staff Sgt. Ryan Smith | Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division | Date: 03.08.2011
Date Posted: 03.09.2011 11:19
FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan – Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited the Marines of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 8, during a tour of Forward Operating Base Jackson, March 8. The tour included a brief by Lt. Col. Jason Morris, commanding officer of 3rd Bn., 5th Marines, an address to the Marines of FOB Jackson, a question and answer period and a lunch with a few of the battalion non-commissioned officers.
Continue reading "Secretary of Defense visits FOB Jackson" »
The New York Times
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: March 8, 2011
SANGIN, Afghanistan — More American forces have died in this mountainous, hauntingly beautiful Taliban narcotics center than in any other place in the nearly 10-year-old war — 29 Marines in the last five months alone. In December, the Pentagon was so worried that helicopters might come under fire, that it canceled plans for Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to visit.
Continue reading "Gates Sees Crucial Test for U.S. in Afghanistan" »
Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
March 08, 2011
LT. COL. JASON MORRIS: Okay. Good morning, 3/5 [3rdBattalion, 5th Marine Regiment]. Oo-rah!
Continue reading "Remarks by Secretary Gates to Service Members in Sangin, Afghanistan" »
US defence secretary Robert Gates praises marines for 'dramatic turnaround' after British forces pulled out
* Ewen MacAskill in Sangin
* guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 8 March 2011 17.01 GMT
The US claims its marines have managed to subdue the notoriously violent Sangin district in Afghanistan within five months of their arrival, a goal that eluded British forces for four years.
Continue reading "US claims to have driven Taliban out of Sangin" »
The New York Times
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: March 7, 2011
KABUL, Afghanistan — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Monday that the United States was “well positioned” to begin withdrawing some American troops from Afghanistan in July, but he said that a substantial force would remain and that the United States was starting talks with the Afghans about keeping a security presence in the country beyond 2014.
Continue reading "Gates Says U.S. Is in Position to Start Afghan Pullout" »
The New York Times
By THOM SHANKER
Published: March 6, 2011
WASHINGTON — American military planners are sifting through a range of options as the United States, like other Western nations, weighs the response to the bloody Libyan military assaults on rebels trying to oust Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.
Continue reading "US Military Intervention in Libya Carries Risks" »
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: March 1, 2011
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Tuesday played down the possibility of American military intervention in Libya, saying that there was no agreement within NATO about the use of force and that now was not the time for the United States to be entering into another war in the Middle East.
Continue reading "Gates Plays Down Idea of U.S. Force in Libya" »
By Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 23, 2011
The Marine Corps is planning a “reset,” a top general said Wednesday, shrinking in size but expanding its ability to function as “the tip of the spear” in conflict or crises around the globe.
Continue reading "Review calls for fewer Marines but greater capabilities" »
By William Cole
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Feb 22, 2011
The head of the Marine Corps told Kaneohe Bay Marines that the area they have operated in on recent deployments, the Nawa district in Helmand province, has become the "poster child for how things have gone well in Afghanistan."
Continue reading "Isle Marines' success in Afghanistan praised" »
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
February 18, 2011
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs Dennis M. McCarthy presented the 2010 Department of Defense Reserve Family Readiness Awards winners today at the Pentagon.
Continue reading "2010 Reserve Family Readiness Awards Presented" »
By Kevin Baron
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 15, 2011
WASHINGTON — Afghanistan war commander Gen. David Petraeus is not leaving his post anytime soon, the Pentagon said late Tuesday, tamping down a flurry of speculation after London’s The Times newspaper reported he was on his way out.
Continue reading "Pentagon denies Petraeus leaving Afghanistan post early" »
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 14, 2011 13:45:00 EST
Health care coverage rates for working-age military retirees would increase about 13 percent under a controversial plan unveiled by Pentagon officials Monday.
Continue reading "Gates defends plan to raise some Tricare fees" »
Gen. James F. Amos makes his first visit to Kaneohe Bay since becoming commandant
By William Cole
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Feb 11, 2011
The new commandant of the Marine Corps revealed during a visit to Marine Corps Base Hawaii yesterday that the size of the Corps would drop to 186,800 from 202,000 after the U.S. pulls out of Afghanistan.
Story by Lance Cpl. Vanessa American Horse | Marine Corps Base Hawaii – Kaneohe Bay | Date: 02.10.2011
From pay freezes to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps addressed several newsworthy issues during a visit here Feb. 10.
Posted: Tuesday, February 8, 2011 9:02 pm
Gen. James Amos, the commandant of the Marine Corps, delivered a major speech in San Francisco Tuesday evening outlining his vision for a smaller and lighter "middleweight force."
Continue reading "Gen. James Amos outlines vision of Marine Corps" »
February 8, 2011 | 7:47 pm
The Marine Corps of the future will be smaller and use lighter vehicles and lighter personal protective gear but retain its ability to respond swiftly and with intimidating firepower to any global crisis, Commandant Gen. James Amos said Tuesday night.
Continue reading "Marine Corps will be smaller, lighter but just as deadly, commandant promises" »
Story by Lisa Daniel | Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs | Date: 02.08.2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Psychological health is among the military's most critical and most promising areas of medical treatment, the Defense Department's assistant secretary for health affairs said Feb. 8.
Continue reading "Top Doctor Cites Importance of Psychological Health" »
Staff report
Posted : Tuesday Feb 8, 2011 11:46:35 EST
The Marine Corps’ top officer will reveal Tuesday night how he intends to shape the service once combat comes to an end in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Amos set to map out drawdown, future capabilities" »
By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2011 – Deployed service members often count on connections home -- whether it’s e-mail, Skype, Facebook or Twitter -- for encouragement, comfort or just a welcome diversion.
Continue reading "‘Cheetahs’ Offer Swift Connection Home for Deployed Troops" »
By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2011 – From benefits and compensation to education and training, an online directory is providing wounded warriors, veterans and their families a direct connection to thousands of state, local and national resources.
Continue reading "Directory Links Wounded Warriors, Families to Resources" »
Published January 29, 2011| FoxNews.com
The Egyptian military is protecting the U.S. Embassy as protesters continue to take to the streets in opposition of President Hosni Mubarak, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News.
Continue reading "Egyptian Military Protecting U.S. Embassy, Official Says" »
Washington Post Foreign Service
Story by: Joshua Partlow
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
KABUL - Gen. David H. Petraeus on Tuesday offered an optimistic assessment of the war in Afghanistan, writing to his subordinates that coalition and Afghan troops in the past year "inflicted enormous losses" on mid-level insurgents and "took away some of their most important safe havens."
Continue reading "Petraeus offers optimistic assessment of war in Afghanistan" »
New York Times
By Christopher Drew
Published January 25, 2011
Shortly before making a final push to ensure that the Marine version of the F-35 fighter was not canceled, the service’s commandant, Gen. James F. Amos, called in a former Marine corporal for a frank talk.
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2011 – Additions to the TRICARE military health plan’s website are giving beneficiaries easier access to their personal health data, more convenient appointment scheduling and better communication with their health care providers, the top TRICARE official reported.
Continue reading "TRICARE Improves Online Communication, Access" »
By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2011 – The face of the American Red Cross’ wartime mission could be conveyed through countless images of volunteers greeting wounded warriors on flightlines, offering comfort to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and providing much-needed support to family members back home.
Continue reading "Red Cross Continues Legacy of Troop, Family Support" »
Courtesy Story | Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs | Date: 01.19.2011
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Defense Department is using virtual-world interactivity to educate and help warfighters and others who are reluctant to seek more direct care to deal with post-traumatic stress, said an official at the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, also known as "T2."
Continue reading "'Virtual World' Helps With Post-traumatic Stress" »
By Cpl. Scott Schmidt/Headquarters Marine Corps
Published: January 18, 2011
ARLINGTON, Va. — The relevance of the Marine Corps as America’s expeditionary force in readiness was among the commandant of the Marine Corps’ key talking points during a visit to the Surface Naval Association Jan. 13.
Continue reading "Marine commandant reconfirms Marines as expeditionary" »
By Cpl. Scott Schmidt/Headquarters Marine Corps
Published: January 18, 2011
ARLINGTON, Va. — The relevance of the Marine Corps as America’s expeditionary force in readiness was among the commandant of the Marine Corps’ key talking points during a visit to the Surface Naval Association Jan. 13.
Continue reading "Marine commandant reconfirms Marines as expeditionary" »
Story by Christine Cabalo | Marine Corps Base Hawaii – Kaneohe Bay | Date: 01.18.2011
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Hawaii — Students of every age on base are finding solutions to their homework problems with free access an online study aid.
Continue reading "DoD offers free access to online studying aid" »
Increased demand taxes current cadre
By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jan 15, 2011 9:49:07 EST
A recent review of the Marine Corps’ and Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps revealed a community strained by heavy workloads and in need of more personnel.
Staff report
Posted : Thursday Jan 13, 2011 19:16:24 EST
The Defense Department has finally formalized its plan to expand Tricare coverage for dependent children through age 26, bringing the military’s policy in line with the national health care reform law enacted last year.
Continue reading "DoD expands Tricare coverage for older children" »
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2011 – As Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates presses for a modest increase in health plan premiums for working-age military retirees to help offset rising health care costs, the head of the TRICARE Management Activity reported progress already made in improving efficiencies as well as the quality of health care services.
Continue reading "Health Plan Officials Work to Improve Efficiency, Care" »
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2011 – Though Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates seeks modest premium increases for working-age military retirees who use the TRICARE Prime health plan, the benefit will remain free to service members, defense officials emphasized today.
Continue reading "Health Plan to Remain Free for Troops, Officials Emphasize" »
The United States assured that the latest announcement to send more than 1,000 Marines would stay in Afghanistan for short-term and that it would not exceed the set limit of 100,000 troops in the region.
Reporter: AHN Staff
Location: Pentagon, United States Published: January 7, 2011 06:47 am EST
In an attempt to accelerate the pace of progress in southern Afghanistan, the United States has announced to dispatch nearly 1,400 additional Marines later this month.
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2011 – Budget pressures that have proven greater than anticipated mean the Defense Department will trim end strength in its ground forces beginning in four years, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
Continue reading "DOD Directs Army, Marine Drawdowns for 2015, 2016" »
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2011 – About 1,400 service members of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit will deploy to southwestern Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command officials announced today.
Continue reading "Marine Unit Deploys About 1,400 Troops to Afghanistan" »
By THOM SHANKER and CHRISTOPHER DREW
Published: January 6, 2011
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Thursday that the nation’s “extreme fiscal duress” now required him to call for cuts in the size of the Army and Marine Corps, reversing the significant growth in military spending that followed the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Continue reading "Pentagon Seeks Biggest Military Cuts Since Before 9/11" »
Pentagon Plans to Send 1,400 Extra Marines to Supplement Spring Campaign
By ADAM ENTOUS And JULIAN E. BARNES
* JANUARY 4, 2011
WASHINGTON—Defense Secretary Robert Gates has decided to send an additional 1,400 Marine combat forces to Afghanistan, officials said, in a surprise move ahead of the spring fighting season to try to cement tentative security gains before White House-mandated troop reductions begin in July.
By VICTOR REKLAITIS, INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY Posted 01/04/2011 05:24 PM ET
One key for leaders is to find a balance between getting out front and sitting back to see the big picture, says Lt. Col. Anthony Henderson.
Continue reading "Anthony Henderson Triggered A Marine Triumph In Afghanistan" »
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Jan 2, 2011 9:37:01 EST
U.S. troops may be among the most vulnerable Americans to identity theft. That’s because the U.S. military is overusing Social Security numbers and putting at risk troops’ most basic personal information, according to a recent report from several professors at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
Continue reading "Policy puts troops at risk for identity theft" »
Just 69,000 of 145,000 Eligible Servicemen and Women Filed for Compensation for Serving Past Their Original Discharge Date
By Byron Pitts
Dec. 26, 2010
(CBS) Michael Pereira served his country with honor -- in Afghanistan. Four years ago, he looked forward to leaving the service to be with his wife and family. But he was forced to put his civilian life on hold, reports CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts.
Continue reading "$250M Unclaimed in Stop Loss Compensation Act" »
Al Pessin | The Pentagon
21 December 2010
2010 was a transformative year for the U.S. effort in Afghanistan, with 30,000 additional troops and thousands more civilians flowing into the country to implement President Barack Obama's revised strategy for winning the now nine-year-old war.
Continue reading "Transformative Year in Afghanistan Leaves Many Challenges for US in 2011" »
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
U.S. Department of Defense
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20, 2010 – Afghan and coalition forces killed and detained several insurgents in operations today throughout Afghanistan, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill Insurgents, Find Weapons" »
By Jeanette Steele
Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 7:31 p.m.
A much-anticipated White House report card on the Afghanistan war concludes that the Taliban are hamstrung in many regions and that al-Qaeda leaders have suffered grave losses since the American military surge began early this year.
Continue reading "White House report cites progress in Afghanistan" »
Story by Jim Garamone | Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs | Date: 12.16.2010
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen got the clear and unvarnished truth about conditions in some of the toughest areas in Afghanistan when he stopped at forward operating bases in Helmand and Kandahar provinces Dec. 16.
Continue reading "Mullen Gets Unvarnished Look at Afghanistan Mission" »
Story by Jim Garamone | Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs | Date: 12.14.2010
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Though the last of the U.S. surge troops only reached Afghanistan last month, they already are achieving successes, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pakistani reporters here Dec. 14.
Continue reading "Mullen Discusses Surge Successes in Afghanistan" »
By Kevin Baron
Stars and Stripes
Published: December 14, 2010
ARLINGTON, Va. — The nation’s top Marine Corps officer said he read the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” report and troop survey repeatedly, thoughtfully, and without prejudice before deciding he could not endorse a change that might bring distractions or endanger the lives of Marines in combat.
Continue reading "Marine commandant concluded DADT repeal may risk lives" »
By KIMBERLY DOZIER and ANNE GEARAN
Associated Press Writers
Dec 10, 7:53 PM EST
WASHINGTON (AP) -- New U.S. intelligence reports paint a bleak picture of the security conditions in Afghanistan and say the war cannot be won unless Pakistan roots out militants on its side of the border, according to several U.S. officials who have been briefed on the findings.
Continue reading "Bleak Afghan and Pakistan intelligence reviews" »
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, Dec. 8, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today noted the value of the work the 1st Marine Logistics Group does here for the war effort, and extended his personal thanks.
Continue reading "Gates Visits Marines on Camp Leatherneck" »
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2010 – Commanders in Afghanistan are re-balancing the strategy to confront the realities on the ground, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
Continue reading "Commanders Re-balance Strategy in Afghanistan" »
Gen. James Amos Is New Marine Corps Commandant
POSTED: 6:26 pm PST December 8, 2010
UPDATED: 7:18 pm PST December 8, 2010
SAN DIEGO -- Gen. James Amos, the newly appointed Commandant of the Marine Corps, said he believes the tide is turning in Afghanistan and that Marines are making a difference.
Continue reading "Top-Ranking Marine Confident In Afghanistan Effort" »
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Dec 7, 2010 21:49:09 EST
Marine forces in Afghanistan have launched an “aggressive winter campaign” in Helmand province that will include special operations raids, conventional military operations and efforts to improve the economy by creating jobs, said the senior Marine commander in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "‘Aggressive winter campaign’ in Helmand" »
By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press
Dec 7, 4:53 PM EST
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A senior Marine general in Afghanistan on Tuesday declared the battle in the southern Taliban stronghold of Marjah "essentially over."
As US troop levels have surged in the Afghanistan war, so has the number of IEDs – and their effectiveness. Their simplicity is making them hard to detect.
By Anna Mulrine, Staff writer / December 7, 2010
Washington
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is touring Afghanistan this week to gauge progress on the ground, but back in Washington, the Pentagon is already wrestling with what to do about the “significant” increase in the number and effectiveness of roadside bombs throughout the country.
Continue reading "Afghanistan war: why IEDs are taking a mounting toll" »
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 7, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived in Afghanistan today for troop visits and meetings with key U.S. leaders and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Courtesy Story | Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs | Date: 12.06.2010
WASHINGTON - Before he went to the southern area of Afghanistan's Helmand province in October 2009 he wondered whether success was possible, a Marine Corps colonel said during an interview here, Dec. 6.
Continue reading "Time, Trust Key to Progress in Afghanistan" »
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2010 – Enemy sanctuaries throughout southern Afghanistan are being cleared, and the results are encouraging, a senior military official said on background recently.
Continue reading "Senior Official Details Success, Challenges in Afghanistan" »
By Giulia Lasagni - Medill News Service
Posted : Thursday Dec 2, 2010 15:42:00 EST
While improvised explosive devices are killing an increasing number of U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan, American officials are trying to limit the flow of one the key ingredients in the bombs.
Continue reading "U.S. cracks down on IED chemical in Afghanistan" »
* By David Axe Email Author
* November 30, 2010 |
* 11:41 am |
At first glance, the Marine Corps’ hottest new weapon looks just like a standard cargo plane. For the “Harvest Hawk” gunship, the external differences are subtle. A sensor pod jutting from one of the under-wing fuel tanks of the KC-130J aircraft. A rack under the left wing for four Hellfire missiles. A clutch of 10 smaller Griffin missiles fixed to the ramp. With these $10-million add-ons, plus extra training for the crew, any similar plane in the Marine Corps inventory becomes a cheaper version of the Air Force’s powerful, custom-made AC-130 gunship.
Continue reading "Marines’ Instant Gunship Blasts Taliban, Pentagon Bureaucracy" »
By ELISABETH BUMILLER and THOM SHANKER
Published: November 28, 2010
WASHINGTON — Francis Brady enjoys a six-figure salary and generous benefits at the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, but as a retired Marine lieutenant colonel he and his family remain on the military’s bountiful lifetime health insurance, Tricare, with fees of only $460 a year. He calls the benefit “phenomenal.”
Continue reading "Gates Seeking to Contain Military Health Costs" »
The Taliban's foothold has grown and violence has reached new highs, it says, although some areas in the south have seen modest security gains.
By David S. Cloud, Los Angeles Times
November 23, 2010|6:19 p.m.
Reporting from Washington —
The Taliban insurgency has spread to more of Afghanistan in recent months and violence has reached new highs, though there have been "slow and incremental" security gains in areas of the south where tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops have deployed, according to a Pentagon report released Tuesday.
Continue reading "Pentagon offers grim status report on Afghanistan" »
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2010 – Progress across Afghanistan remains uneven, with modest gains in security, governance and development in key areas, according to a Defense Department report sent to Congress today.
Continue reading "Afghanistan Report Shows Security, Governance Gains" »
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1075-10
November 19, 2010
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness announced today the names of 14 people who will serve on the Department of Defense Task Force for Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces.
Continue reading "DOD Establishes Wounded Warrior Task Force" »
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1070-10
November 18, 2010
Although thousands of miles from wherever they may call home, America’s military won’t miss the tastes and smells of a hearty Thanksgiving meal later this month. Preparations for providing 244,000 pounds of turkey, 8,600 cans of sweet potatoes and more than 38,000 pies began in the early spring. By now, dining facilities and other distribution points throughout Iraq and Afghanistan have received the food to be used in preparing Thanksgiving meals. In all, about 225 locations are serviced.
Continue reading "Defense Logistics Agency to Provide Holiday Meals for Troops" »
* November 16th, 2010 6:18 am ET
Jim Kouri
The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps will update their policies and procedures to better assess internal security threat such as last year's shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, according to American Forces Press Service's Lisa Daniel.
Continue reading "Pentagon's internal threat review for all military branches released" »
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2010 – Just in time for Veterans Day, a new, state-of-the-art Web portal is being rolled out tomorrow to help veterans – as well as reserve-component members, their families and wounded warriors – land jobs with civilian employers who value their military experience.
Continue reading "Portal Helps Vets, Reserves, Guardsmen Land Jobs" »
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 – The July 2011 target to begin handing over territory in Afghanistan to Afghan security forces is a marker for the Afghan government, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
Continue reading "Spokesman Explains Significance of July 2011 in Afghanistan" »
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 – With Veterans Day around the corner, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and his wife, Deborah, sat down with reporters this week to raise visibility on issues important to military families and veterans.
Continue reading "Chairman and Wife Speak Out on Veterans’ Challenges" »
By GORDON LUBOLD | 11/4/10 4:35 AM EDT
Looking to push his cost-cutting reforms to new realms, Defense Secretary Robert Gates may set his sights on runaway military health care costs — an area that members of Congress have so far been reluctant to tackle.
By Kevin Baron
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 3, 2010
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Two weeks after becoming the new top Marine, Commandant Gen. James Amos laid out his vision for a “middleweight” expeditionary force responding to global hotspots and coastal cities rendered unstable by poverty, competition for resources, and ideological extremism.
Continue reading "Amos offers vision for U.S. Marine Corps' future at town hall" »
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2010 – Defense Department officials are working to remind veterans and current servicemembers who were involuntarily retained in the military under the so-called “Stop Loss” program to apply for special pay before the Dec. 3 deadline.
Continue reading "‘Stop Loss’ Special Pay Application Deadline Approaches" »
Courtesy Story | Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs | Date: 10.29.2010
WASHINGTON - Calling post-traumatic stress "the military health issue of our era," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last night re-emphasized his commitment to ensuring that war veterans and their families get all the help they need to deal with war's invisible scars.
Continue reading "Mullen Renews Commitment to 'Military Health Issue of Our Era'" »
10/29/2010 By Sgt. Jimmy D. Shea , Headquarters Marine Corps
WASHINGTON — The 35th commandant, Gen. James F. Amos, tells Marines to prepare for what the future holds – a transformed, flexible and lighter force ready to respond to any contingency.
By Kevin Baron
Stars and Stripes
Published: October 28, 2010
WASHINGTON — Tasked to redefine the future of the Marine Corps, Commandant Gen. James Amos has pledged to aggressively experiment with unit sizes and the Corps’ overall structure in a rebalancing effort he says will make the Marines a lighter force, ready to fight anywhere they’re called.
Continue reading "Marine commandant vows to make Corps lighter, more mobile" »
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Oct 27, 2010 20:07:25 EDT
Gen. Jim Amos issued his first major communiqué as commandant Wednesday, a sweeping set of tasks that target areas of the institution for improvement, consolidation and efficiency, and direct an increase in personal and professional development opportunities for individual Marines.
Continue reading "Commandant spells out priorities for Corps" »
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2010 – A free smart phone mobile application that will help servicemembers, veterans and family members track their emotional health is now available, Defense Department officials announced this week.
Continue reading "DOD Unveils Smart Phone Mental Health Application" »
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2010 – Insurgents in Afghanistan’s Helmand province have lost the momentum to NATO and Afghan forces, and those forces will continue to take on the Taliban all through the winter, the commander of NATO’s Regional Command Southwest said today.
Continue reading "Insurgents Lose Momentum in Helmand, NATO General Says" »
Story by Lisa Daniel | Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs | Date: 10.27.2010
WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Oct. 27 offered a warning of what to expect for veterans, the military services and the nation after a decade of war
Continue reading "Chairman Notes Persistent Conflict's Long-term Impact" »
By Megan McCloskey
Published: October 27, 2010
ARLINGTON, Va. — Neighborhood watch programs, typically the domain of riled-up, would-be crime stoppers in community associations across America, are apparently catching on in the Marjah district of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Neighborhood watch gaining foothold in Marjah" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Photo by Jim Garamone
Date Taken: 10.22.2010
Photo ID:331843
VIRIN:101022-D-7203C-018
Location:WASHINGTON, DC, US
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates presents an award to Gen. James T. Conway during a Passage of Command of the United States Marine Corps ceremony at the Marine Barracks, Washington, Oct. 22.
Continue reading "Amos Succeeds Conway as Marine Commandant" »
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2010 – With more than 260,000 students attending about 6,000 colleges and universities this fall under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, officials are continuing an active outreach effort to ensure current military members and veterans don’t miss out on the new program’s education benefits.
Continue reading "Officials Tout Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
By Karen Parrish
Date 10.19.2010
WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's Federal Voting Assistance Program has a solution for overseas service members and other U.S. citizens living outside the country who haven't received an election ballot: get it online.
Continue reading "Online Ballots Can Help Overseas Votes Count" »
19 Oct 2010 02:00:43 GMT
Source: Reuters
By David Alexander
WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The Pentagon urged news organizations on Monday not to publish classified U.S. documents due to be released by WikiLeaks as U.S. officials brace for a mass disclosure of leaked Iraq war files by the whistle-blower website.
Continue reading "Pentagon cautions news media on WikiLeaks documents" »
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Oct 18, 2010 18:25:26 EDT
Last November, President Obama announced that 30,000 additional U.S. troops, including 8,500 Marines, would deploy to Afghanistan. The troops would push the Corps’ footprint in hostile Helmand province to more than 20,000.
Continue reading "76 Marines killed in Afghanistan since May 1" »
17 Oct 2010 17:45:48 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Sunday it had a 120-member team prepared to review a massive leak of as many as 500,000 Iraq war documents, which are expected to be released by the WikiLeaks website sometime this month.
Continue reading "Pentagon braces for huge WikiLeaks dump on Iraq war" »
Camp Pendleton-based Marines said it could take years, even decades, to achieve long-term stability in the impoverished and insurgent-filled country
By Gretel C. Kovach
Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 10:21 p.m.
HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN — Halfway around the world on U.S. bases planted in the lush river valleys and barren deserts of southern Afghanistan, there is no escaping the headlines.
Published October 16, 2010
FoxNews.com
WikiLeaks is believed to be preparing to release around 400,000 classified Pentagon documents on the Iraq war this week, the Associated Foreign Press reported Friday.
Continue reading "WikiLeaks Set to Release 400,000 Secret Iraq War Docs" »
By Robert Burns - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Oct 15, 2010 16:46:54 EDT
WASHINGTON — No U.S. intelligence sources or practices were compromised by the posting of secret Afghan war logs by the WikiLeaks website, the Pentagon has concluded, but the military thinks the leaks could still cause significant damage to U.S. security interests.
15 Oct 2010 00:56:27 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Arshad Mohammed
WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - The United States hopes any Kyrgyz government formed after Sunday's inconclusive elections will allow a U.S. air base to remain and it is ready to work with all the parties, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.
Continue reading "US hopes to keep Kyrgyzstan base, sees stability" »
10 Oct 2010 16:41:04 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Washington's push on Pakistan to get tough on militants on its territory is prompted by worries about an attack on U.S. soil, a concern the United States will press in talks with Islamabad later this month.
Continue reading "Blunt US warnings to Pakistan prompted by terrorism fear" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
Date 10.08.2010
WASHINGTON - The International Security Assistance Force condemned the Oct. 8 brutal attack by insurgents at a mosque in Afghanistan that killed 12, including the governor of Kunduz, and wounded 18 others, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Coalition Condemns Afghanistan Mosque Killings" »
By Noah Shachtman
October 7, 2010 | 1:59 pm
U.S. troops first started driving Humvees in the 1980s. At the rate things are going, they may keep on driving ‘em forever. In recent days, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and Army officials have complained that the Hummer successors are too heavy and too expensive. Which may put a decade-long effort to restock the military’s light tactical vehicle fleet in the ditch. Again.
Continue reading "Don’t Pimp My Ride: Marines May Stick With Humvees" »
07 Oct 2010 19:13:39 GMT
Source: Reuters
By David Alexander
WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Top U.S. defense officials are concerned some elements of Pakistan's spy agency may be interacting improperly with the Taliban and other insurgent groups, a Pentagon spokesman said on Thursday.
Continue reading "Pakistan spy agency's militant links worrying - US" »
By James K. Sanborn - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Oct 5, 2010 9:33:22 EDT
To combat the danger of rollovers, the joint program office that provides Mine resistant vehicles for the Marine Corps and Army is working to field a new detection device that will alert drivers when an MRAP rollover is likely. The aim is to avoid potentially fatal accidents or, in worst-case scenarios, alert passengers that a rollover is imminent so they have time to brace for it.
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
Published: October 4, 2010
With insurgents increasingly attacking the American fuel supply convoys that lumber across the Khyber Pass into Afghanistan, the military is pushing aggressively to develop, test and deploy renewable energy to decrease its need to transport fossil fuels.
Continue reading "U.S. Military Orders Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels" »
By CHARLIE SAVAGE
New York Times
Posted: Sunday, October 3, 2010 7:26 pm
WASHINGTON -- Over the past nine years, as the Army has cycled hundreds of thousands of soldiers through combat duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, it has also court-martialed 34 on murder or manslaughter charges in the killings of civilians in those conflict zones. Twenty-two were convicted, and 12 acquitted.
Continue reading "Latest Afghan civilian killings may be most gruesome" »
Some experts point to battlefield changes; others cite politics
By David Zucchino, Tribune Newspapers
4:30 p.m. CDT, October 2, 2010
President Barack Obama approved Medal of Honor awards last month for two soldiers who fought in Afghanistan, but the number of honorees from the conflicts there and in Iraq is far lower than for previous wars.
Continue reading "Pentagon pressured over few recent Medals of Honor" »
By BOB CHRISTIE, Associated Press Writer
Fri Oct 1, 8:40 pm ET
TUCSON, Ariz. – The U.S. and Pakistan can work through a rift that has led to the closing of a key supply route for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday.
Continue reading "Joint Chiefs head says Pakistan rift can be fixed" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Christen McCluney
Date 09.30.2010
WASHINGTON - A select number of service members are learning ways to become experts in Afghan culture through the Afghan Hands Program.
Continue reading "Afghan Culture Lessons Help U.S. Troops in Afghanistan" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
Date 09.30.2010
WASHINGTON - Some parts of western Afghanistan could begin transitioning security to Afghan forces within six to nine months, the top NATO force commander in the region said Sept. 30.
Continue reading "NATO Leaders See Security Gains in Western Afghanistan" »
Dunford confirmed as assistant commandant, gets 4th star
Staff report
Posted : Thursday Sep 30, 2010 14:25:36 EDT
The Senate has confirmed Gen. Jim Amos to become the Marine Corps’ 35th commandant.
By Jeff Schogol
Stars and Stripes
Published: September 30, 2010
WASHINGTON — Congress has extended the deadline to December for veterans to apply for retroactive stop-loss pay.
Continue reading "Deadline extended to apply for retroactive stop-loss pay" »
By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY
Thursday Sep 30, 2010 19:14:15 EDT
WASHINGTON — A dog's nose can be a troop's best friend.
Makeshift bombs account for two-thirds of all troops wounded in Afghanistan, and improvised explosive devices are the No. 1 killer. High-tech devices to find them and prevent them from exploding are proven lifesavers.
Anne Flaherty, The Associated Press
Published Wednesday September 29th, 2010
DURHAM, N.C. - Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday that most Americans have grown too detached from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and see military service as "something for other people to do."
By Viola Gienger
Sep 29, 2010 11:20 AM PT
The war in Afghanistan is showing “signs of progress,” and the U.S. strategy probably won’t require significant changes in a status review in December, President Barack Obama’s top military adviser said.
Continue reading "Afghan War `Progress' Signals Little Change Needed, Mullen Says" »
29 Sep 2010 01:47:08 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Some senior Taliban leaders appear to be open to reconciliation with Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government, but contacts are in the embryonic stage and not likely to bear fruit soon, NATO's top civilian in Afghanistan said on Tuesday.
Continue reading "Taliban contacts still at embryonic stage-NATO envoy" »
Staff report
Posted : Tuesday Sep 28, 2010 13:52:14 EDT
The Senate Armed Services Committee approved this morning Gen. Jim Amos’ nomination to become the 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps and Lt. Gen. Joseph Dunford’s nomination to become assistant commandant.
By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY
September 27, 2010
WASHINGTON — The hottest U.S. weapon in Afghanistan lacks a lethal capability, floats thousands of feet in the air and doesn't carry troops.
Continue reading "Demand for spy balloons in Afghan war hits high" »
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
No. 876-10
September 27, 2010
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today Absentee Voting Week from Sept. 27 to Oct. 4. The week will encourage all citizens voting under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act who have not received their absentee ballot to go to http://www.FVAP.gov to fill it out as soon as possible.
Continue reading "DOD Announces Absentee Voting Week; Launches Electronic Voting Support Wizard" »
By MARK MAZZETTI and ERIC SCHMITT
Published: September 27, 2010
WASHINGTON — The C.I.A. has drastically increased its bombing campaign in the mountains of Pakistan in recent weeks, American officials said. The strikes are part of an effort by military and intelligence operatives to try to cripple the Taliban in a stronghold being used to plan attacks against American troops in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "C.I.A. Steps Up Drone Attacks on Taliban in Pakistan" »
By Bob Woodward
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 27, 2010; 12:34 AM
The first of three articles adapted from "Obama's Wars" by Bob Woodward.
President Obama was on edge.
Continue reading "Military thwarted president seeking choice in Afghanistan" »
By ANNE GEARAN, AP
posted: September 24, 2010
WASHINGTON -Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that the Obama administration's redrawn Afghanistan war strategy is sound, answering claims in a new book that the plan was a politically driven hodgepodge.
Continue reading "Gates says he has no doubts about war strategy" »
23 Sep 2010 21:10:20 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Phil Stewart and David Alexander
WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's defense chief and top military officer on Wednesday played down chances for any major changes in Afghan war strategy at a White House review in December, saying they saw "tweaks" instead.
Continue reading "US Afghan war review unlikely to prompt big changes" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
Date 09.23.2010
WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces continued their pursuit of Taliban commanders in recent operations, taking numerous insurgents into custody in the process, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Afghan, Coalition Forces Pursue Taliban Commanders" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Heather Forsgren Weaver
Date 09.22.2010
WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials are urging service members to be aware of identity theft and are providing ways for them to protect themselves, the director of DOD's personal finance office said.
Continue reading "Official Urges Protection Against Identity Theft" »
22 Sep 2010 20:31:42 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Phil Stewart and David Alexander
WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - General David Petraeus said on Wednesday he has completed a draft plan to start thinning NATO forces in parts of Afghanistan next year, but cautioned that the transition process would be slow.
Continue reading "Reuters Summit-Petraeus identifies areas for Afghan transition" »
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2010 – Marine Corps Gen. James F. Amos today vowed to make winning in Afghanistan his top priority if he is confirmed as the 35th commandant of the Marine Corps.
Continue reading "Amos: Marines ‘Ready to Respond to Any Crisis’" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
Date 09.21.2010
WASHINGTON - The addition of U.S. forces in northern Afghanistan has changed the face of the NATO mission there, the top U.S. commander for the NATO International Security Assistance Force element in the region said, Sept. 21.
Continue reading "More Troops Provide 'Game-Changer' in Afghanistan" »
By ANNE FLAHERTY (AP) – September 21, 2010
WASHINGTON — Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins says she'll vote against a bill that would allow gays to serve openly in the military unless Democrats agree to extend debate so that her colleagues can weigh in on other issues.
Continue reading "Man chosen to lead Marines against lifting gay ban" »
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2010 – U.S. military personnel continue to aid millions of Pakistanis affected by flooding in the country, defense officials said today.
Continue reading "Pakistan Aid Approaches 8 Million Pounds" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
Date 09.20.2010
WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces protected Afghan citizens from numerous attacks planned for the Sept. 18 parliamentary elections and in the days surrounding them, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Forces Protect Afghans During Elections" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
Date 09.20.2010
WASHINGTON - Insurgent attacks during Afghanistan's Sept. 18 parliamentary elections were down a third from the 2009 Afghan presidential election, and fewer than 1 percent of polling stations experienced significant violence, a Pentagon spokesman said, Sept. 20.
Continue reading "Attacks Down, Voting Up in Afghan Elections" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
Date09.17.2010
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON - Intelligence information and tips from local Afghans have driven several recent operations in Afghanistan, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Intelligence, Tips Drive Operations in Afghanistan" »
By HELENE COOPER, DAVID E. SANGER and THOM SHANKER.
Published: September 16, 2010
WASHINGTON — When President Obama descended into the White House Situation Room on Monday for his monthly update on Afghanistan and Pakistan, the new top American military commander, Gen. David H. Petraeus, ticked off signs of progress.
Continue reading "Once Wary, Obama Relies on Petraeus in Afghanistan" »
US Defense Chief Sees Signs Of Progress In Afghanistan But Says He'll Remain Cautious
Sep. 16, 2010
(AP) WASHINGTON (AP) - Evidence is building that the Obama administration's surge strategy is working in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, citing recent assessments from the new top U.S. and NATO commander and Gates' personal impressions from a recent trip to Afghan battlefields.
Continue reading "Gates: Surge Seems To Be Working In Afghanistan" »
Commandant says living Marine may be in line for Medal of Honor
By MARK WALKER
North County Times
Posted: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 6:56 pm
Marines in Afghanistan's Helmand province are showing restraint as insurgents increasingly use children and teenagers as human shields and to plant roadside bombs, the commandant of the Marine Corps said Wednesday.
Continue reading "Conway says Marines exercising patience in Afghanistan" »
(AFP) – September 15, 2010
WASHINGTON — NATO's withdrawal from Afghanistan will be gradual and not a brusque "lights out" next August, the commander of international forces there, US General David Petraeus, said Wednesday.
Continue reading "'NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan will be gradual'" »
ABC News' Martha Raddatz Asks Petraeus About Koran, Afghan War, Troop Drawdown
AFGHANISTAN, Sept. 14, 2010
Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent ABC News' Martha Raddatz interviewed International Security Assistance Force Commander U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander in Afghanistan.
MARTHA RADDATZ: General, let's start with the developments overnight. And we spoke yesterday -- in the helicopter on your battlefield circulation about what was happening with the planned burning of the Koran. It looks like now, that the pastor in Florida says he will either put it on hold or not go ahead with it. Your reaction to that and whether the damage is already done.
Continue reading "TRANSCRIPT: Gen. Petraeus ABC News Exclusive Interview" »
Exclusive: Petraeus Concedes War in Afghanistan Could Take Another 10 Years
By MARTHA RADDATZ and KRISTINA WONG
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2010
Upon the ninth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, ABC News' Martha Raddatz interviewed four-star Gen. David Petraeus, who was appointed to replace former Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan in June.
In an exclusive interview, Petraeus explained his decision to speak out against a Florida preacher's plan to burn Korans, and conceded that a successful counterinsurgency campaign could take up to 10 more years, but said he intended to stick to the 2011 drawdown date.
By Corey Flintoff
Tue., September 14, 2010 5:28pm (EDT)
Gen. David Petraeus tells NPR that U.S. and NATO forces are set to begin "more nuanced" major operations around Kandahar to win back areas that, despite the presence of international forces for years, "were never cleared."
Continue reading "Gen. David Petraeus: U.S. To Pursue 'More Nuanced' Operations In Kandahar" »
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Sep 14, 2010 17:10:56 EDT
Defense officials have expanded the time frame for classes that qualify for payment under the current Military Spouse Career Advancement Account program.
Continue reading "DoD extends cutoff on MyCAA class dates" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Staff Sgt. James Lally
Date09.10.2010
By J.D. Leipold
Army News Service
WASHINGTON - The quantity and quality of officers, noncommissioned officers and recruits in the Afghan army is rising, the deputy commander of the NATO training mission in Afghanistan said this week.
Continue reading "Trainer Sees Positive Trends in Afghan Army" »
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today personally called a Florida pastor to try to stop him from burning the Quran on the 9th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Gates and other senior administration officials feared the pastor's pledge to burn the Muslim holy book would put U.S. forces at risk.
Continue reading "Gates Urges Florida Church to Nix Quran Burning" »
From Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent
September 5, 2010 8:17 p.m. EDT
Washington (CNN) -- As many as 2,000 additional troops -- including a number of U.S. forces -- may be headed to Afghanistan in the coming weeks under a plan being proposed by Gen. David Petraeus, CNN has learned.
Continue reading "Sources: As many as 2,000 more troops may be going to Afghanistan" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by John Banusiewicz
Date09.03.2010
KABUL - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff discussed progress and challenges in Afghanistan with top military and diplomatic officials during a three-hour visit here today.
Continue reading "Mullen Gets Afghanistan Updates in Kabul" »
by Daphne Benoit Daphne Benoit – September 3, 2010
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AFP) – US Defense Secretary Robert Gates Friday met US soldiers at the "tip of the spear" in the Taliban's Afghan heartland as a pivotal surge of 30,000 extra troops neared completion.
Continue reading "Gates meets US troops in Afghan Taliban heartland" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Jim Garamone
Date09.02.2010
KABUL, Afghanistan - There are now enough resources in Afghanistan to deliver "tangible and lasting results," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a joint news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai here Sept. 2.
Continue reading "Gates, Karzai Discuss Way Ahead in Afghanistan" »
02 Sep 2010 17:02:34 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Jim Wolf
WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Insurgents in Afghanistan's Helmand province, the Taliban's opium-producing heartland, are operating with less than half the cash they had a year ago, the commander of coalition forces in the area said Thursday.
Continue reading "Afghan insurgents' opium earnings cut-U.S. general" »
by Daphne Benoit Daphne Benoit – September 2, 2010
KABUL (AFP) – US Defence Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Kabul Thursday on a surprise visit following a trip to Iraq, where he attended ceremonies to mark the formal end of the American combat mission there.
Continue reading "US defence chief Gates on surprise Afghan visit" »
by James Rosen
Published September 02, 2010
JAMES ROSEN: Mr. Secretary, thank you for this honor. I’m told by my friend, Geoff Morrell, I only have seven to ten minutes for this.
Continue reading "TRANSCRIPT: FOX News Interview with Defense Secretary Robert Gates" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
Date08.31.2010
WASHINGTON - A senior insurgent leader believed to be responsible for coordinating the movement of fighters across three provinces in Afghanistan was captured by Afghan-led security forces, military officials reported, Aug. 31.
Continue reading "Officials Confirm Capture of Insurgent Leader" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Jim Garamone
Date08.31.2010
MILWAUKEE - The U.S. military has fought two separate wars in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the American Legion here today.
Continue reading "Gates: Commanders Have Resources to Win in Afghanistan" »
31 Aug 2010 09:52:58 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Paul Tait
KABUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan from next July will begin with a general "thinning out" of forces rather than any large-scale drawdown, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces said on Tuesday.
Continue reading "Afghan withdrawal won't be a "hand-off" - Petraeus" »
By MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press Writer - Mon Aug 30, 5:46 pm ET
WASHINGTON – A Democratic congressman, just back from Afghanistan, criticized Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday for failing to stem corruption infesting his country's government.
Continue reading "Congressman calls meeting with Karzai disturbing" »
by Shaun Tandon Shaun Tandon – Fri Aug 27, 12:06 pm ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Faced with mounting criticism over Afghanistan, US President Barack Obama is leaving a persistent -- and, some say, strategic -- ambiguity about a July 2011 goal to start withdrawing troops.
Continue reading "Under attack, Obama holds cards on Afghan pullout date" »
By Sue Pleming and Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON | Thu Aug 26, 2010 4:43pm EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States expects the Taliban to increase attacks in next month's parliamentary elections, including in Afghanistan's north where insurgents have made inroads, a senior U.S. defense official said on Thursday.
Continue reading "U.S. concerned over Afghan voter turnout, violence" »
From correspondents in Washington
From: AFP August 26, 2010 4:48AM
WIKILEAKS today released a CIA memo analysing the risks of terrorists operating from the United States, but the document offered no dramatic revelations of government secrets like the website's earlier leaks.
Continue reading "WikiLeaks posts 'classified' CIA document " »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
Date08.26.2010
CHICAGO - At last night's Major League Baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles here, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff couldn't help but notice the difference between the nation's support for today's service members and veterans and the reception returning servicemembers received when they came home from Vietnam early in his military career.
Continue reading "American Support Boosts Troop Morale, Mullen Says" »
By the CNN Wire Staff
August 25, 2010 1:32 p.m. EDT
Washington (CNN) -- In what would mark a major shift in counter-terrorism strategy, the Obama administration is considering adding military assets to the fight against al Qaeda in Yemen, a U.S. official said Wednesday.
Continue reading "Official: U.S. may refocus counter-terrorism fight on Yemen" »
By BRIAN KNOWLTON
Published: August 25, 2010
WASHINGTON — A top Pentagon official has confirmed a previously classified incident that he describes as “the most significant breach of U.S. military computers ever,” a 2008 episode in which a foreign intelligence agent used a flash drive to infect computers, including those used by the Central Command in overseeing combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continue reading "2008 Attack on Military Computers Is Confirmed" »
by Tom Bowman
August 24, 2010
For more than 200 years, the Marine Corps has prided itself on dramatic amphibious landings.
Continue reading " Marines Need To Regain 'Maritime Soul,' Gates Says" »
By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 24, 2010; 8:43 PM
The commandant of the Marine Corps said Tuesday that Taliban leaders may be misleading their own forces into believing that they only have to keep fighting through the middle of next year, when U.S. troops are slated to begin pulling out of Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Taliban may be misleading its forces on U.S. timetable, U.S. general says" »
24 Aug 2010 15:14:23 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Phil Stewart and Sue Pleming
WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's July 2011 date to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan has given a morale boost to Taliban insurgents, who believe they can wait out NATO forces, the top U.S. Marine said on Tuesday.
Continue reading "Obama's Afghan withdrawal date bolsters enemy-Marines" »
By ANNE FLAHERTY , Associated Press
Last update: August 24, 2010 - 9:19 AM
WASHINGTON - Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway says it will probably be a "few years" before Afghanistan will be secure enough for the Marines to leave.
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
Date08.23.2010
WASHINGTON - Numerous insurgents were killed or captured in recent operations in Afghanistan, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Operations in Afghanistan Result in Insurgents Killed, Captured" »
23 Aug 2010 21:20:23 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Sue Pleming
WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - High drop-out and illiteracy rates mean it will take until late October 2011 to build up Afghanistan's police and military so they can take the lead in more areas, a senior U.S. commander said on Monday.
Continue reading "Afghan security force training faces big hurdles" »
Published: Aug. 23, 2010 at 9:04 AM
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Al-Qaida might play a larger part in the war in Afghanistan than previously believed, The Washington Post reported.
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
Date08.20.2010
WASHINGTON - Insurgents launched an unsuccessful attack on International Security Assistance Forces at Forward Operating Base Bostick, located in the Nari District of eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province Aug. 20, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command officials reported.
By PAULINE JELINEK
Associated Press Writer
Posted: Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010
WASHINGTON The Pentagon is denying it had direct contact with WikiLeaks and says the military is not interested in helping the website review classified war documents to post online.
Continue reading "Pentagon denies WikiLeaks talks about documents" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
Date08.18.2010
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Defense Department officials today released a letter the Pentagon's top lawyer sent to a man purported to be an attorney for the WikiLeaks website, which published tens of thousands of classified documents last month and is threatening to release 15,000 more.
Continue reading "Pentagon Releases Letter Sent to Purported WikiLeaks Attorney" »
16 Aug 2010 14:59:40 GMT
Source: Reuters
NEW YORK, Aug 16 (Reuters) - The former U.S. Army commander of forces in Afghanistan who was fired for making disparaging comments about his civilian superiors has been hired to teach at Yale, one of America's top universities.
Continue reading "Ex-U.S. commander in Afghanistan to teach at Yale" »
16 Aug 2010 14:22:01 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will retire sometime in 2011, CNN reported on Monday.
Continue reading "U.S. Defense Secretary Gates says to retire in 2011" »
15 Aug 2010 14:34:55 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The new U.S. commander in Afghanistan said he sees "areas of progress" in the war but meeting President Barack Obama's goal of beginning a pullout of U.S. troops in July 2011 will depend on conditions at the time.
Continue reading "Petraeus sees 'areas of progress' in Afghan war" »
By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press Writer
Aug 15, 2010
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Progress in Afghanistan only began this spring and needs time to take root, Army Gen. David Petraeus said in comments broadcast Sunday that were aimed at shoring up American support for the war.
Continue reading "Petraeus: Progress in Afghanistan will take time" »
‘We did not have the organizations that are required,’ U.S. commander says
msnbc.com
August 15, 2010
U.S. military leaders inherited a faulty strategy for the war in Afghanistan at the end of the Bush administration and are still working to “refine the concepts,” the U.S. commander said in an interview airing Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Continue reading "Petraeus cites Bush-era shortcomings in Afghanistan" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
Date08.13.2010
Location:AF
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition security forces captured several Haqqani terrorist network and Taliban leaders in Afghanistan this week during 48 separate operations, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Operations in Afghanistan Net Haqqani, Taliban Leaders" »
Associated Press
August 13, 2010
WASHINGTON – The new U.S. commander in Afghanistan says the goal of starting an American pullback by July 2011 will depend on conditions at the time.
Continue reading "Petraeus hedges on July 2011 Afghan pullback goal" »
Acknowledging concerns among current and former Marines that the Corps has evolved into another ground combat force, the Defense secretary aims to define the service's future path.
By David S. Cloud, Los Angeles Times
August 12, 2010
Reporting from San Francisco —
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is ordering a review of the future role of the Marine Corps amid " anxiety" that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had turned the service into a "second land army."
Continue reading "Defense chief Gates orders review of Marines' role" »
Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Courtesy Story
Date08.12.2010
Location:WASHINGTON, DC,
WASHINGTON - Partnered Afghan and coalition forces continue to put pressure on insurgents in Afghanistan, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Afghan, Coalition Forces Keep Pressure on Insurgents" »
12 Aug 2010
Source: Reuters
SAN DIEGO, Calif., Aug 12 (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Thursday told WikiLeaks it would be the "height of irresponsibility" if it went through with a new threat to publish outstanding documents it had on the Afghan war.
Continue reading "Pentagon cautions WikiLeaks over new document dump" »
WASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Targeted strikes by U.S. special forces against insurgents around Kandahar are yielding results, but war planners expect tough fighting ahead and more casualties, a U.S. military official said on Wednesday.
Continue reading "US braces for Kandahar fight, anti-corruption battle" »
The Department of Defense announced today that Ibrahim al Qosi was sentenced to 14 years in confinement for conspiracy and providing material support to al Qaeda.
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 11, 2010 – The USS Peleliu will provide helicopter capabilities to aid Pakistan as the government there works to combat floods that are affecting 14 million people.
Continue reading "USS Peleliu to Provide Helos for Pakistan Relief" »
12 Aug 2010
By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Targeted strikes by U.S. special forces against insurgents around Kandahar are yielding results, but war planners expect tough fighting ahead and more casualties, a U.S. military official said on Wednesday.
Continue reading "CORRECTED-US braces for Kandahar fight, anti-corruption battle" »
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The Associated Press
By ANNE GEARAN AP National Security Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States expects heavy fighting around the key Afghan city of Kandahar through this fall, one Pentagon official said Wednesday, dimming hopes for big gains in the war ahead of U.S. elections and a White House review of its war strategy.
Continue reading "US military sees heavier fighting in fall" »
KABUL, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai will set a deadline for disbanding all private security firms, his office said on Tuesday, but the U.S. military played down the announcement and said no decision had yet been reached.
Continue reading "Afghanistan says time running out for security firms" »
Marine Gen. James Mattis will be sworn in as commanding general of U.S. Central Command at a Wednesday evening ceremony.
KABUL, Afghanistan - International Security Assistance Force Joint Command officials have provided details on numerous recent operations throughout Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Officials Provide Details of Afghanistan Operations" »
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department plans to shed one of its 10 major military commands as Defense Secretary Robert Gates tries to pare billions from the Pentagon budget, Gates said Monday at a news conference.
With an Oct. 21 deadline approaching to apply for a $500 monthly stop-loss allowance, the Defense Department appears to have exhausted most conventional means of trying to contact eligible veterans and is now asking current service members to get involved by calling any buddies who may be eligible.
Continue reading "DoD to troops: Tell buddies about stop-loss pay" »
WASHINGTON— An online whistle-blower’s threat to release more classified Pentagon and State Department documents is raising difficult questions of what the government can or would do, legally, technically or even militarily to stop it.
Continue reading "Can the government actually plug the WikiLeak?" »
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon demanded Thursday that a website that solicits leaked government secrets cancel any plan to publish more classified military documents and pull back tens of thousands of secret Afghan war logs already posted on the Internet.
Continue reading "Pentagon demands return of leaked documents" »
WASHINGTON - It can't be shot, it can't be destroyed with a mortar or rocket-propelled grenade, and most of the time it can't even be seen. But corruption within police and military units is one of the biggest threats facing the Afghan national security forces.
Continue reading "Corruption Battle Continues in Afghanistan" »
WASHINGTON — Bombs planted by insurgents have killed 75 percent more Afghan civilians this year than in 2009 as the Taliban increasingly target villagers in a campaign of intimidation, according to military reports provided to USA Today.
The top commander in Afghanistan on Wednesday issued updated rules that limit the use of artillery and airstrikes but recognize the right to use firepower in self-defense.
WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - A Senate panel on Wednesday voted to confirm General James Mattis as the new head of the U.S. military command overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continue reading "US Senate panel confirms Mattis as Centcom commander" »
WASHINGTON - Coalition and Afghan forces have detained more than 50 insurgents in Afghanistan in recent days, including a senior Taliban explosives expert and an arms and drug trafficker, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Coalition, Afghan Forces Capture Taliban Leaders, Others" »
By Anne Gearan - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Aug 4, 2010 14:42:09 EDT
WASHINGTON — The author of the Rolling Stone article that ended the military career of Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the former top commander in Afghanistan, has been denied permission to join U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Continue reading "Rolling Stone writer denied embed permission" »
WASHINGTON - For anyone who has served in the U.S. military, whether in uniform or as a family member, the concept of sharing lessons learned is a familiar one. A new Defense Department blog that launches today seeks to bring those lessons to an accessible online platform.
Continue reading "Defense Department Launches 'Lessons Learned' Blog" »
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Aug 2, 2010 17:52:24 EDT
A Marine veteran in Congress wants to lift new restrictions on tobacco being sent through the mail so that families and friends can continue to send cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to troops in combat.
Continue reading "Hunter seeks loophole to let troops get smokes" »
WASHINGTON, July 30 (Reuters) - U.S. officials are worried about what other secret U.S. documents the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks may possess and have tried to contact the group without success to avoid their release, the State Department said on Friday.
Continue reading "U.S. worried more secret documents may be released" »
By Kate Brannen - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jul 30, 2010 17:22:21 EDT
Soon after the new Afghan counterinsurgency guidance issued by Army Gen. David Petraeus went up on two Internet sites, it was pulled off again. But it is not expected to change drastically when it is rereleased publicly.
Continue reading "Petraeus COIN guidance put online, taken down" »
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jul 30, 2010 14:47:49 EDT
WASHINGTON — The Army says a soldier charged with leaking U.S. war secrets to the Wikileaks website would be tried at a military installation in the Washington area if a general court-martial is ordered.
Continue reading "Soldier accused of leaks would be tried in U.S." »
The Taliban has issued a warning to Afghans whose names might appear on the leaked Afghanistan war logs as informers for the Nato-led coalition.
Continue reading "Wikileaks Afghanistan: Taliban 'hunting down informants'" »
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jul 30, 2010 8:49:47 EDT
The Defense Department’s top civilian and military officials blasted the leak and subsequent publication of 91,000 pages of classified documents this week relating to the war in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Gates, Mullen: Leakers are endangering troops" »
WASHINGTON, July 29 (Reuters) - The whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks may have blood on its hands, the Pentagon said on Thursday, warning its unprecedented leak of secret U.S. military files could cost lives and damage trust of allies.
Continue reading "WikiLeaks may have blood on its hands, U.S. says" »
By Kimberly Dozier - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jul 29, 2010 9:27:24 EDT
WASHINGTON — Call it the big information chill, looming across the military and intelligence communities. After the massive Afghan war data spill by WikiLeaks, some veteran intelligence officers and experts are calling for a tightening of access to information and more monitoring in the spy community's lower levels.
Continue reading "WikiLeaks may cause tighter access to secrets" »
WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - Richard Holbrooke, the top U.S. envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, sought on Wednesday to allay growing concerns in Congress over the course of the war, saying the task is difficult but can succeed.
Continue reading "Holbrooke tries to ease lawmakers' Afghan war fears" »
WASHINGTON - The classified military documents released by the group WikiLeaks.org could not only threaten the lives of U.S. troops, but the Afghan civilians with whom they work, a top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said July 28.
Continue reading "Document Leaks Could Endanger Afghan Civilians" »
WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's pick to lead the U.S. military command overseeing operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere said on Tuesday he wanted top leaders of two major insurgent groups designated as terrorists.
Continue reading "US general wants Afghan militants branded terrorists" »
By Anne Flaherty - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jul 27, 2010 17:46:44 EDT
WASHINGTON — The general chosen to lead U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that victory in Afghanistan was possible and expressed optimism that troops would start coming home in a year.
Continue reading "Victory in Afghanistan is possible, Mattis says" »
By Ishtiaq Mahsud - Associated Press Writer
Posted : Sunday Jul 25, 2010 14:10:08 EDT
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — Unmanned U.S. aircraft fired missiles at houses in two different parts of northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 12 militants in attacks that occurred hours apart, intelligence officials said.
Continue reading "US drones kill 12 militants in NW Pakistan" »
By Anne Flaherty - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jul 23, 2010 21:38:49 EDT
WASHINGTON — Gen. Stanley McChrystal ended his 34-year career as an Army officer Friday in an emotional retirement ceremony at his military headquarters here, marking the last chapter of his swift and stunning fall from grace.
Continue reading "McChrystal retires in military ceremony" »
WASHINGTON — Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal retired on Friday with the full pageantry of a 17-gun salute, an Army marching band and an emotional send-off from the secretary of defense, but with his own acknowledgment that he was not leaving the military on his own terms.
Continue reading "McChrystal Ends Service With Regret and a Laugh" »
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 21, 2010 11:58:03 EDT
The My Career Advancement Accounts tuition program for military spouses will reopen to new enrollees Oct. 25, with some major restrictions on eligibility and funding, defense officials announced Tuesday.
Continue reading "DoD officials explain new spouse tuition rules" »
WASHINGTON - Numerous insurgents were killed or captured during recent Afghan-coalition operations conducted across Afghanistan, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Numerous Insurgents Killed, Captured in Afghanistan" »
WASHINGTON - The influence of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps in the development of Afghanistan's military forces is possibly most apparent in its training regimen.
Continue reading "Better NCO Training Boosts Afghan Army's Capabilities" »
WASHINGTON - The global air community relies on English as the standard language in the cockpit, which poses a big challenge for getting the Afghan air force off the ground quickly.
Continue reading "Language Lab Helps Afghan Air Force Take Off" »
SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — The future of a smoking ban in the U.S. military remains uncertain a year after it was proposed.
Continue reading "DOD yet to proceed on proposed smoking ban" »
The new military commander in Afghanistan and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee are urging the State Department to add to its terrorist list some Afghan insurgent commanders who operate from hiding places in neighboring Pakistan.
WASHINGTON —
The new military commander in Afghanistan and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee are urging the State Department to add to its terrorist list some Afghan insurgent commanders who operate from hiding places in neighboring Pakistan.
Continue reading "Petraeus wants Taliban in Pakistan on terror list" »
WASHINGTON - Military officials have provided details on numerous recent operations in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Officials in Afghanistan Describe Recent Operations" »
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jul 9, 2010 14:10:51 EDT
Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis has been recommended by the Defense Department to lead U.S. Central Command.
Continue reading "Pentagon picks Mattis to take over CENTCOM" »
WASHINGTON - NATO Training Mission Afghanistan is developing a system that will help integrate training provided to Afghanistan's security forces and civil servants.
Continue reading "Command Works on Integrated Training for Afghan Forces" »
WASHINGTON - Afghan and international security forces conducted combined operations in Afghanistan's Ghazni, Helmand and Logar provinces last night, detaining a Taliban commander and several suspected insurgents, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Forces Conduct Operations in Three Afghan Provinces" »
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jul 2, 2010 14:22:15 EDT
Commandant Gen. James Conway has given Marine acquisitions officials approval to buy hundreds of 5.56mm infantry automatic rifles, Marine officials said, but it still isn’t assured the weapon will be widely fielded.
Continue reading "Conway eyes additional testing for auto-rifle" »
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jul 1, 2010 12:16:23 EDT
The Marine Corps will gain two more three-star generals with the promotions announced Thursday by Defense Secretary Robert Gates
By Aamer Madhani - USA Today
Posted : Friday Jun 18, 2010 10:27:35 EDT
The U.S. government, which is pressing Iraqi and Afghan leaders to get tough on internal corruption, is doing the same in its ranks.
Continue reading "War zone corruption allegations rise sharply" »
ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT — U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is trying to soothe the put-out authoritarian leader of Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic that helps move supplies and soldiers to the war in landlocked Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Gates courts put-out Azerbaijan, a key Afghan hub" »
By Anne Flaherty and Pauline Jelinek - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jun 1, 2010 17:25:28 EDT
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has stopped refueling tanker planes at its Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan as the U.S. renegotiates fuel prices with the Kyrgyz government, officials said Tuesday.
Continue reading "U.S. stops refueling tanker planes at Manas" »
By Anne Gearan - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday May 29, 2010 10:33:38 EDT
WASHINGTON — In the make-or-break struggle for Kandahar, birthplace of Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgency, U.S. commanders will try to pull off the military equivalent of brain surgery: defeating the militants with minimal use of force.
Continue reading "Battle for Kandahar will be non-traditional" »
By Robert H. Reid - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday May 28, 2010 9:06:07 EDT
KABUL, Afghanistan — The American military death toll in Afghanistan surpassed 1,000 at a time when President Barack Obama's strategy to turn back the Taliban is facing its greatest test — an ambitious campaign to win over a disgruntled population in the insurgents' southern heartland.
Continue reading "U.S. toll passes 1,000 deaths in Afghanistan" »
By Matthew Lee and Pauline Jelinek - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 13, 2010 16:59:18 EDT
WASHINGTON — Shortly after the president of Afghanistan walked among the graves of American military who died for his country, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan said Thursday the success or failure of a push for control of an area considered key to winning the war can’t be judged until the end of the year.
Continue reading "McChrystal: Months to see results in Kandahar" »
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 13, 2010 18:14:23 EDT
The top general in Afghanistan said Thursday he believes the concept of “courageous restraint” should be recognized but that a new medal to do so isn’t the answer.
Continue reading "McChrystal: No need for a different medal" »
WASHINGTON - Changing the perceptions of the Afghan people about the coalition, their own government and the Taliban will be key to success in that nation, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. forces in Afghanistan said here, March 13.
Continue reading "Afghan Perceptions Key to Success, McChrystal Says" »
By John T. Bennett - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday May 13, 2010 14:14:35 EDT
For the next “five to 10 years,” the military likely will remain engaged in the same kinds of conflicts it has been fighting since 2001, said Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright.
Continue reading "Cartwright: Expect war for 5-10 more years" »
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Strategic Command officials are urging renewed vigilance against Internet-based identity theft after detecting a widespread "phishing" expedition against service members.
Continue reading "Officials Warn of 'Phishing' Scams Targeting Troops" »
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon Channel, the Defense's Department's broadcast vehicle for the latest Defense Department news, has unveiled its latest "widget" for podcasts.
Continue reading "Defense Media Activity Launches Podcast Widget" »
WASHINGTON — Not nearly enough trained Afghans are available to take control of key Taliban strongholds like Marjah after the military has pushed out the enemy, U.S. officials told a Senate panel on Thursday.
Continue reading "US says too few Afghans to take control in Marjah" »
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2010 – President Barack Obama signed legislation today to improve health care for veterans and to recognize the important role that family caregivers play in the recovery of wounded personnel.
Continue reading "Obama Signs Veterans, Caregivers Legislation" »
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., May 3, 2010 – The types and numbers of Navy ships will change, but the quality of the sailors and Marines aboard those ships and serving ashore must endure, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
Continue reading "Navy, Marines Need Adaptable People, Gates Says" »
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., May 3, 2010 – The Navy and Marine Corps are going to have to question some embedded thinking, such as whether the Navy needs 11 carrier battle groups or whether the Marines ever will launch another amphibious landing, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
Continue reading "Gates: Sea Services Must Question Embedded Thinking" »
Posted : Saturday May 1, 2010 10:02:01 EDT
The U.S. military has sent so many of its 6,500 UAVs to the Middle East that other operating theaters are going without, says Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Glenn Walters, deputy director for resources and acquisition for the Pentagon’s Joint Staff.
Continue reading "Afghan surge strips UAVs from forces elsewhere" »
FORT CARSON, Colo. – The All-Marine Warrior Games Team training camp kicked off with a dinner for athletes and staff April 27, at the Colorado Inn. The team, guests and staff celebrated the beginning of the training, as well as the mark of a new tradition when the games commence May 10 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan, April 20, 2010 – An Afghan National Army Air Corps C-27A Spartan cargo aircraft took off from Kabul International Airport to conduct an International Security Assistance Force mission transporting weapons and cargo for Afghan National Police.
Continue reading "Face of Defense: Father, Son Serve in Afghanistan" »
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Apr 14, 2010 17:07:11 EDT
Equipment and supplies for the 30,000 U.S. ground troops surging into Afghanistan is there waiting for them as a result of an all-out logistics effort, senior military officials said Wednesday.
Continue reading "Afghanistan war readiness forces tradeoffs" »
ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, April 13, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates expressed confidence today that political upheaval in Kyrgyzstan won’t cause the United States to lose use of an air base that’s critical to supplying operations in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Gates Expresses Confidence in Continued Manas Access" »
One from each branch honored with annual award
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates Friday announced the winners of the 2010 Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence.
WASHINGTON, April 8, 2010 – The number of improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan has doubled. So has the number of American casualties.
Continue reading "Counter-IED Organization Concentrates on Afghanistan" »
WASHINGTON, April 8, 2010 – U.S. Joint Forces Command has developed a computerized training program that immerses ground troops in the sights, sounds and smells of war, officials there say.
Continue reading "Immersion Training Prepares Troops for Reality of War" »
WASHINGTON - In the lead-up to the summer fighting season in Afghanistan, the Defense Department is focused on helping troops counter the threat of makeshift bombs, employing among other things, cameras to catch insurgents in the act of planting explosives, a senior department official said last week.
Continue reading "Department Employs Cameras in Counterinsurgency Fight" »
U.S. forces in Afghanistan are using a controversial tool in their efforts to hold the ground recently captured from the Taliban. It is the work of civilian anthropologists and other social science researchers, who advise military commanders on how to win the hearts and minds of local people.
Continue reading "Marines Tap Social Sciences In Afghan War Effort" »
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - In order to develop a more secure environment for the people of eastern Afghanistan, Afghan national security forces and coalition forces encourages Afghans to participate in the Department of Defense's Rewards Program.
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Department of Defense (web) has unveiled a new weapons system that'll be used on the ground in Afghanistan. The Gunslinger Package, as it's known, is designed to help give soldiers an extra set of eyes and ears when it comes to distinguishing friend and foe in a warzone.
KABUL - The coalition record on civilian casualties has improved significantly as a new strategy has gone into place in Afghanistan, but American leaders continue to hammer home how important it is to avoid killing civilians.
Continue reading "Chairman Emphasizes Eliminating Civilian Casualties" »
The U.S. Defense Department says efforts to seize control of the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar are well underway in advance of what is expected to be a major military operation in June against militants in southern Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Pentagon: Operations Underway Against Taliban in Kandahar" »
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Defense Department is rolling out a new set of guidelines for the treatment of mild traumatic brain injury among service members in combat areas.
Continue reading "New Protocol to Provide Early Brain Injury Detection" »
Note: DoD and MilitaryHOMEFRONT do not endorse the organization sponsoring this donation and do not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer. Please see detailed Disclaimer statement below.
MilitaryHOMEFRONT is pleased to announce "NEW INFORMATION" about the NFL Players Donation that is available to all Armed Forces personnel, including members of the Reserves, Active Duty, and their families. The program has been extended to military families and veterans for a fourth consecutive year. Through the Victory Sports Group (VSG) sponsorship, and NFL players associated with VSG, military personnel can obtain SAT/ACT Standard Power Prep program(s) for only shipping and handling costs. The SAT/ACT Standard Power Prep programs normally cost $199.00. The SAT/ACT Power programs are available as a DVD ROM set. Families may now use the program for an entire year even if the program is requested the last day of the sponsorship.
Continue reading "MilitaryHOMEFRONT NFL Players Donation: Privacy Advisory" »
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Feb 27, 2010 9:15:28 EST
Users of unclassified .mil computers are now allowed to access social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter — subject to local control if bandwidth demand or web integrity become issues.
Today the Department of Defense released a policy memorandum regarding the safe and effective use of Internet-based capabilities, including social networking services (SNS) and other interactive Web 2.0 applications.
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes online edition, Thursday, January 7, 201
WASHINGTON — Military members serving overseas will have to resubmit their voter registration this year if they hope to cast a ballot in the November midterm elections.
Continue reading "Overseas military will have to register again to get ballots this year" »
Staff report
Posted : Thursday Jan 7, 2010 13:34:03 EST
Marines and Afghan border police recently seized more than six tons of illegal drugs during operations in southern Afghanistan.
Continue reading "6 tons of illegal drugs seized in Afghanistan" »
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Dec 18, 2009 16:30:29 EST
In the eight years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, American troops have deployed almost 3.3 million times to Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Defense Department data.
Continue reading "2 million troops have deployed since 9/11" »
By Dan Lamothe and Trista Talton - Staff writers
Posted : Monday Dec 7, 2009 16:26:51 EST
The Pentagon announced Monday that 8,500 additional Marines will deploy to Afghanistan, including 1,500 by the end of the month as part of battalion task force headed by Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 1st Battalion, 6th Marines.
Continue reading "Numerous Lejeune units to deploy in surge" »
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Oct. 28, 2009 – U.S. Postal Service officials have announced recommended mailing dates for delivery by Christmas to U.S. servicemembers serving in Afghanistan and other overseas locations.
Continue reading "Postal Service Announces Holiday Mailing Guidelines" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2009 – Pentagon officials today announced additional replacement units scheduled to deploy next year to Afghanistan as part of the requirement to maintain the current level of security efforts there, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today.
Continue reading "Pentagon Officials Announce 2010 Afghanistan Deployments" »
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, Oct. 14, 2009 – U.S. Marines and sailors were part of a four-nation coalition that stormed the beaches near here during a major amphibious assault demonstration Oct. 12.
Continue reading "Marines, Sailors Join Coalition in Exercise" »
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Oct. 14, 2009 – Marines here have brought new meaning to the expression “goat rope” by helping local farmers with free veterinary care for their goats, sheep and cows.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2009 – American Forces Press Service, the Defense Department’s vehicle for news and feature content on the Defense.gov Web site, has unveiled a “widget” for photographs.
Continue reading "Defense Department Launches Photography Widget" »
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2009 – Checks for up to $3,000 soon will be available to students who have applied for Veterans Affairs educational benefits and who have not yet received their government payment
Continue reading "VA to Provide Emergency Checks to Students Awaiting Benefits" »
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates used the strongest terms in trying to persuade the Associated Press to refrain from running a graphic picture of a Marine taken shortly after the service member was wounded in southern Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said here today.
Continue reading "Gates Objects to News Photo of Dying Marine" »
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is objecting “in the strongest terms” to an Associated Press decision to transmit a photograph showing a mortally wounded 21-year-old Marine in his final moments of life, calling the decision “appalling” and a breach of “common decency.”
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2009 – Hours into the new Operation Eastern Resolve II in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, defense officials report that U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers are confronting “some resistance” as they work to secure the area for the Aug. 20 elections.
Continue reading "Effort Aims to Secure Southern Afghanistan for Elections" »
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon is reviewing the use of Facebook and other social networking sites on its computers with an eye toward setting rules on how to protect against possible security risks.
Continue reading "Pentagon reviews social networking on computers" »
WASHINGTON, May 7, 2009 – Tanya Queiro, a former Marine Corps noncommissioned officer, was named the 2009 Military Spouse of the Year at a ceremony held here today.
Continue reading "Former Marine NCO Takes Military Spouse of the Year Honors" »
New GI Bill Transfer Rules Give Members More Control
Servicemembers nearing the end of their careers will find it easier than first thought to transfer new Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits to their spouse or children, under Department of Defense regulations.
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2009 – A former Marine sergeant turned country-music artist is using his newfound fame to urge Americans to do more to support the men and women returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Singer Uses Stage to Bring Attention to Servicemembers’ Sacrifices" »
WASHINGTON, April 1, 2009 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has approved a policy change that, under strictly delineated conditions, allows media filming of dignified transfer operations of fallen servicemembers’ remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
Continue reading "Gates Signs Policy Change for Dignified Transfer Operations at Dover" »
Pursuant to President Obama’s decision today, Secretary Gates ordered the deployment of two additional combat units, totaling more than 12,000 troops, to Afghanistan. The 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB), from Camp Lejeune, N.C., with approximately 8,000 Marines will deploy to Afghanistan in late Spring 2009.
Continue reading "DoD Announces Afghanistan Force Deployment" »
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2009 – Sixteen million new toys were distributed to 7.6 million children over the Christmas holiday through the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.
Continue reading "Toys for Tots Successful Despite Slow Economy" »
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2009 – A series of educational assistance programs administered by the Veterans Affairs Department, commonly called the GI Bill, have helped servicemembers pursue post-secondary learning for decades.
Continue reading "New GI Bill Carries Different Eligibility, Benefits" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2009 – Stephen Cochran was a normal 19-year-old with a dream of making music his life when the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks led him down an unplanned path to the Marine Corps.
Continue reading "Face of Defense: Country Music Star Earned Stripes in Iraq, Afghanistan" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2009 – A civilian journalist received a top Navy honor in Iraq on Jan. 24 for his heroism in saving a Marine’s life while in Afghanistan.
Continue reading "Navy Honors Civilian Journalist for Saving Marine’s Life" »
TRIANGLE, Va., Jan. 27, 2009 – The National Museum of the Marine Corps here has maintained its position as a top Virginia attraction, with more than 500,000 visitors recorded in 2008, museum officials said.
Continue reading "Marine Corps Museum Attracts Half-million Visitors in 2008" »
By Jeff Schogol and John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, January 7, 2009
ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. troops serving in Morocco and Burkina Faso or who are helping share intelligence with Turkey are eligible for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24, 2008 – The highest-ranking U.S. military officer often says he learns as much from the troops as he does from commanders.
Continue reading "Mullen Uses Trip to Assess Situation in Afghanistan" »
By Tom Philpott, Special to Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, December 13, 2008
The pilot for a new, jointly-developed DoD-VA disability evaluation system (DES), set to expand from five to 22 military bases by May, does much of what proponents hoped it would.
Continue reading "Disability reforms bring higher ratings, faster pay" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2008 – Military Family Appreciation Week begins tomorrow, and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a message today noting the observance.
Continue reading "Chairman Notes Military Family Appreciation Week" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2008 – Recent changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act will extend the period of unpaid, job-protected leave that eligible family members can take to care for wounded warrior spouses, Labor Department officials said.
Continue reading "Changes to Leave Act Benefit Wounded Warriors, Families" »
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Nov 14, 2008 12:43:37 EST
Eighteen months after banning access to YouTube and other social networking and entertainment sites on Defense Department computers, the Pentagon has launched a site where troops and families can upload and share videos.
Continue reading "Pentagon launches its own version of YouTube" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2008 – A troop-support group that provides education on the brain’s and body’s natural responses to stress launched its redesigned Web site yesterday.
“Our Web site is completely redesigned to power our mission of providing the best education, training and resources for supporting strength and resilience in all areas of military life,” said Elizabeth Hawkins, executive director of “One Freedom.”
Continue reading "Troop Support Group Launches New Web Site" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2008 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said a new handbook is another step in improving the care and support wounded, ill or injured troops and their families deserve. The handbook compiles the myriad information they need in one succinct, easy-to-read publication.
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Oct 15, 2008 12:51:27 EDT
Troops and family members are invited to join a live Oct. 20 Webcast of a Pentagon summit meeting that will explore the best ways to support families of service members who are killed, seriously wounded or become ill or injured.
Continue reading "DoD to hold family support summit Oct. 20" »
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Stars and Stripes
The Department of Defense has announced free family memberships for many servicemembers and their families at participating YMCAs. The new program is effective immediately.
Continue reading "DOD, YMCA team up to offer free memberships" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2008 – Overseas-deployed servicemembers and other troops serving outside their home states need to fill out and forward their absentee ballots so their votes can be counted as part of the Nov. 4 federal and state elections, Defense Department officials said today.
Continue reading "Officials Urge Military Voters to Send in Absentee Ballots" »
By Bryan Mitchell - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Sep 16, 2008 9:57:26 EDT
Up to 2,000 Marines will deploy to Afghanistan in November to replace the 3,400 leathernecks scheduled to return home in the coming months, the Defense Department announced Monday.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2008 – The Defense Department announced today the deployment of two additional units to Afghanistan, following up on President Bush’s announcement last week that he will beef up the U.S. presence there while reducing it in Iraq.
Continue reading "Defense Department Announces New Forces for Afghanistan Mission" »
FORT LESLEY J. MCNAIR, D.C., Sept. 9, 2008 – The United States will continue to reduce its troop strength in Iraq, but will increase its footprint in Afghanistan, President Bush said here today.
SCHINNEN, Netherlands, Sept. 5, 2008 – With the Democratic and Republican national conventions now behind us, the 2008 presidential campaign enters the home stretch as Americans look toward Election Day, Nov. 4.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2008 – After being medically retired from the Army last year as a result of mental wounds he suffered in Iraq, Michael Bradley faced a daunting challenge that would later prove pivotal in his recovery: holding down a job in the civilian world.
Continue reading "Afflicted Soldier Exemplifies ‘America’s Heroes at Work’" »
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2008 – Servicemembers traveling for official business, including deployments, will continue to receive full reimbursement for reasonable, authorized excess baggage fees, defense officials said.
Continue reading "Official Travelers Can Claim Reimbursement for Excess Baggage Fees" »
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2008 – Tomorrow the United States observes National Flag Day, an annual tribute to the American flag, the ideals it stands for and the sacrifices made to preserve them.
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2008 – Military spouses embody the courage, nobility of duty, and love of country that inspire every American. On Military Spouse Day, we pay tribute to the husbands and wives who support their spouses in America's Armed Forces during times of war and peace.
The legacy of military spouses began when colonial Americans were fighting for independence. Martha Washington boosted the morale of her husband's troops by visiting battlefields and tending to the wounded. Since then, members of our Armed Forces have served our Nation accompanied by the steadfast love and support of their spouses and families.
Continue reading "President's Proclamation Honors Troops' Spouses" »
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2008 – As a means of combating identity theft, the Defense Department will issue identification cards without full Social Security numbers printed onto them, a senior official said here today.
Continue reading "Department to Phase Out Full Social Security Numbers on IDs" »
WASHINGTON, March 16, 2008 – A new award administered by troop support groups and sponsored by a major corporation aims to recognize the sacrifices made by military moms.
The Operation Homefront Military Motherhood Award will provide the winner with $5,000 and a free trip to the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Continue reading "America Supports You: Award Honors Military Moms" »
BRYAN WHITMAN (deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Public Affairs): Yeah, let's go for it. It is 9:00. Let me thank you all for returning this week and see if we got General Kelly, if he can hear me okay. General Kelly, it's Bryan Whitman at the Pentagon. How are you?
Continue reading "DoD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Kelly from Iraq" »
By Gregg Zoroya - USA Today
Posted : Tuesday Feb 26, 2008 6:06:57 EST
Rows of hot line operators with muted voices mask the desperation of incoming calls on a recent afternoon: a soldier back from Iraq with a drinking problem and a broken marriage; an Army recruiter in the throes of depression; a Marine in Iraq eager to reach his wife after the birth of his son.
Continue reading "DoD: Hot line calls rise 40 percent every year" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2008 – The deployment of 3,200 U.S. Marines to Afghanistan this spring represents a one-time troop movement that partially fulfills a long-time request by NATO commanders for additional forces, a senior Pentagon spokesman said here today.
Continue reading "Marine Deployment to Afghanistan ‘One-Time Deal,’ Official Says" »
This holiday season, the American Red Cross will make sure holiday greetings generically addressed to wounded servicemembers at military medical facilities around the country will find a home.
Continue reading "Red Cross to Deliver Holiday Cards to Wounded" »
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2007 – When people ask him why the U.S. military should be helping Iraq establish a free and stable society, Marine Gunnery Sgt. Jeremy M. de Vries cites how France helped the American colonies gain their independence from Great Britain during the Revolutionary War.
Continue reading "Why We Serve: U.S. Helping Iraqis to Achieve Freedom, Marine Says" »
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2007 – The new Military Advanced Training Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here represents “an evolution in how we embrace, treat and honor,” wounded warriors, the Army vice chief of staff said at yesterday’s opening ceremony.
Continue reading "New Center Makes Good on Military’s Commitment to Wounded Warriors" »
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2007 – Army National Guard Spc. Marco Robledo wants to go home to Arkansas in November standing on his own two feet. A roadside bomb claimed the combat engineer’s left leg and arm in Iraq in May. Since then, he has been recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.
Continue reading "New Amputee Care Center Opens at Walter Reed" »
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2007 – The Dallas Songwriters Association is inviting aspiring songwriters who happen to wear a military uniform to enter their original tunes in its 2007/2008 “Songs from the Soul of Service” contest.
Continue reading "America Supports You: Troops Invited to Submit Original Songs" »
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2007 – President Bush has nominated Marine Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis to receive his fourth star and to lead U.S. Joint Forces Command, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced yesterday.
Continue reading "Bush Nominates Mattis to Lead U.S. Joint Forces Command" »
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2007 – The Senate confirmed Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen and Marine Corps Gen. James E. “Hoss” Cartwright as chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, respectively, Aug. 3.
Continue reading "Senate Confirms Mullen, Cartwright for Top Military Positions" »
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2007 – The Defense Department is blocking access to many popular Internet sites from department-owned computers due to bandwidth issues, U.S. Strategic Command officials said today.
Continue reading "Defense Department Blocks Internet Sites to Protect Grid" »
The Department of Defense announced today a program to recognize service members who deploy or mobilize beyond the established rotation policy goals. The goals for the Active and Guard/Reserve units are one year deployed to two years at home station (1:2) and one year mobilized to five years demobilized (1:5) respectively.
Continue reading "DoD Announces Program to Recognize Frequent Deployment" »
The Department of Defense, together with Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration, has partnered to pursue an interoperable network for sharing electronic medical information. This marks the first time that DoD has formed a network with and a non-federal entity to share electronic medical records.
WASHINGTON - The Marine Corps is recalling 1,800 reservists to active duty, citing a shortage of volunteers to fill some jobs in Iraq.
Continue reading "Marine Reservists Involuntarily Recalled" »
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2007 – Over the next week, 1,800 Individual Ready Reserve Marines will receive notice from the Marine Corps that they are needed in Iraq, an official announced today.
Continue reading "Marines to Alert 1,800 Individual Ready Reservists for Reactivation" »
WASHINGTON, March 23, 2007 – Defense Department officials have launched an investigation into recent computer hackings of servicemembers’ home computers that compromised personal information and led to the redirection of funds from their military pay accounts.
Continue reading "DoD Investigates Hacking of Troops’ Personal Computers" »
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2007 – “The Marines,” a PBS documentary highlighting the history and heart of the smallest branch of the U.S. armed services, airs tomorrow on PBS stations nationwide at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
Filmmakers given access to Marine Corps training facilities in Parris Island, S.C.; Quantico, Va.; and Twentynine Palms, Calif., aimed to capture how a warrior culture and ethos is instilled at the Marine Corps the moment a recruit arrives at boot camp.
Continue reading "PBS Documentary ‘The Marines’ Captures Corps’ Values" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2007 – Twelve U.S. soldiers were killed when the Blackhawk helicopter in which they were riding crashed northeast of Baghdad Saturday afternoon, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today.
Initial reports erroneously claimed that 13 individuals were killed, officials said.
Continue reading "12 U.S. Soldiers Die in Helicopter Crash" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2007 – The second servicemember to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in the Iraq war was inducted into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes today.
Continue reading "Medal of Honor Recipient Honored at Pentagon" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2006 – The Defense Department’s top civilian welcomed the Marine Corps’ new commandant today during a change-of-command ceremony at the Marine Barracks here.
Continue reading "Rumsfeld Welcomes New Marine Corps Commandant" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2006 – President Bush officially declared this week National Veterans Awareness Week and urged all Americans to honor veterans who “stepped forward when America needed them most.”
Continue reading "President, Senate Recognize National Veterans Awareness Week" »
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII (Aug. 28, 2006) -- This year’s Summer Reading Program, coordinated by Marine Corps Community Services here, and the Base Library, officially came to end Aug. 12 during an official Wrap Up Party held in the Reading Room of the library. The festivities began at 1 p.m. and ended at 2 p.m.
Continue reading "Summer Reading Program wraps up with 'Pirate' party" »
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2006 – The United States will provide funding and other assistance to support a U.N. plan to end warfare between Lebanon-based Hezbollah guerrillas and Israel, President Bush said here today.
Recently passed U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 has authorized a 15,000-strong international force to deploy as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah. A brokered cease-fire has reduced fighting between the two antagonists after they fought a month-long trans-border battle using rockets, mortars and ground troops.
Continue reading "Bush: U.S. Will Assist U.N. Stabilization Plan In Lebanon" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – (Aug. 18, 2006) -- Before “blogging” was a household word, Marines and sailors used word-of-mouth, underground newsletters or television interviews to discuss concerns and state their sentiments for their beloved Corps. Today, some service members are using Web blogs on the World Wide Web to converse on several topics, including personal views on the war and opinions about their chain of command. Devil dogs and seamen must know the guidelines just released by the Department of Defense before typing their next blog entry.
The U.S. Navy will christen Makin Island, the newest and last ship in the Wasp-class of amphibious assault ships, on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006, during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Miss.
Continue reading "Navy Christens New Amphibious Assault Ship Makin Island" »
The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that a U.S. Marine missing in action from World War II has been identified and is being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
The Navy will christen the newest San Antonio Class Amphibious Transport Docking ship Green Bay at 10 a.m. CDT on Saturday, July 15, 2006, during a ceremony at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems – Avondale Operations, Avondale, La.
Continue reading "Navy Christens Amphibious Transport Dock Ship Green Bay" »
MIAMI - The nation's top general testified emotionally Monday about the importance of immigrants in the military, recalling his father's struggles as an Italian immigrant and his own service in Vietnam.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace paused several times as he spoke at a Senate committee hearing on immigration and appeared choked up as he discussed his parents' hardships and his siblings' success now.
Continue reading "Pace Talks About Immigrants in the Military" »
The Department of Defense announced today the eligibility determination period for the new TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) program, and as a result, every member of the selected reserve will now have the option to purchase their health coverage from TRICARE.
Continue reading "DoD Makes Changes to Qualifications for TRICARE Reserve Select" »
By Teri Weaver, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Tuesday, June 27, 2006
U.S. NAVAL HOSPITAL, GUAM — Like most other military and Guam governmental agencies, Guam’s military school system awaits details to begin planning the major construction and staffing increases needed as 8,000 Marines come to the island.
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2006 – A new display commemorating the service of military chaplains was dedicated June 23 in a ceremony at the Pentagon.
David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, speaks during an exhibit dedication ceremony to military chaplains at the Pentagon, June 23. The display is the first in the Pentagon to specifically honor chaplains. It consists of four backlit panels that highlight the accomplishments and service of military chaplains. It is located on the fifth floor of the building's A ring
Continue reading "Pentagon Display Honors Military Chaplains" »
WASHINGTON, June 21, 2006 – Seven Marines and a sailor were charged today with kidnapping, murder and conspiracy in connection with the death of an Iraqi civilian in Hamdania, Iraq, in late April.
Continue reading "Marines, Sailor Face Charges in Iraqi Civilian's Death" »
The Department of Defense announced today the formation of a congressionally-directed task force to examine matters related to mental health and the Armed Forces.
Continue reading "DoD Establishes Mental Health Task Force" »
GEN. HAM: Good afternoon. ..
...And with that, I'd be glad to take your questions. Please, sir.
Q General, President Bush said today that Iraqi and U.S. forces are working to restore security in Ramadi. Could you tell us specifically what's being done in Ramadi? Also, the U.S. military death toll is nearing 2,500, and could you give us your thoughts on the mounting toll?
BAGHDAD, June 8, 2006 – Jordanian terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi died in an air strike north of Baghdad yesterday evening, U.S. officials have confirmed.
Continue reading "Coalition Forces Kill Top Terrorist in Iraq" »
HIT, Iraq, June 6, 2006 – The soldiers and Marines here put up with more adversity in their deployment than most Americans will see in a lifetime. And they do it with a great attitude.
Continue reading "Commentary: Soldiers, Marines Drive on Through Adversity" »
HIT, Iraq, June 4, 2006 – Bringing the Iraqi army to the lead in the country's beleaguered Anbar province is a tough assignment. But Marines assigned to the military transition team at Firm Base 4 here have taken it on.
Continue reading "Marine Adviser Building Iraqi 'Super Company' in Hit Region" »
Culinary specialists assigned to the amphibious transport dock USS Ogden (LPD 5) are cooking four daily meals aboard Iraq 's Al Basrah (ABOT) and Khawr Al Amaya (KAAOT) Oil Terminals for the Sailors assigned to Mobile Security Detachment (MSD) 71.
On May 29, President Bush signed the Heroes Earned Retirement Opportunities (HERO) Act, which amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow service members to still exclude their military compensation from federal income tax, but also contribute to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) while serving in a combat zone tax exclusion area.
Continue reading "President Signs New Tax Legislation for Military Personnel" »
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2006 – Eight Marines and a sailor died in two separate incidents in Iraq yesterday. Three servicemembers also are missing after a vehicle accident in floodwaters, military officials reported today.
A U.S. Marine Corps 7-ton truck rolled over in a flash flood near Asad, resulting in five Marines dead, one injured, and two Marines and one sailor missing. The vehicle was on a combat logistics convoy in Anbar province with eight Marines and one Navy corpsman on board.
Continue reading "Eight Marines, One Sailor Killed in Iraq Incidences" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2006 – The 8th Iraqi Army Division now has responsibility for military operations across two large provinces, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters in Baghdad yesterday.
Continue reading "Iraqi Army Division Takes Security Lead in Two Provinces" »
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Jan. 27, 2006 – Just one day after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, nations around the world mobilized and formed a military coalition. Their goal: to combat global terrorism.
Continue reading "International Coalition Strong Heading into Fifth Year" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2006 – The Marine Corps Special Operations Command, the newest addition to the special operations community, will be a complementary force that will ease the strain on other services' elite units and will contribute to the nation's readiness in the global war on terror, the new unit's commander said here today.
Continue reading "Marine Corps Special Ops Will Add to Military Capability, Commander Says" »
As the United States confronts terrorism, military personnel have to make a cultural shift as they fight what officials now call "the Long War," senior DoD officials said.
Army Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in an interview that the generation of servicemembers entering the military today must focus on how the United States will deal with extremist networks that threaten America and its allies.
Continue reading "Military Culture Must Change for 'Long War'" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2006 – Humanitarian efforts continue in Afghanistan as coalition forces helped remove snow from impassable roads and built "hygiene facilities" at a small school. In addition, international diplomats visited a provincial reconstruction team Jan. 21.
Continue reading "U.S., Coalition Efforts Helping Improve Afghanistan" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2006 – Wounded servicemembers have an extra helping hand thanks to Operation First Response, a group specializing in providing them supplies and funds during their recuperation.
Continue reading "America Supports You: Virginia Group Supports Wounded Troops, Families" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2006 – President Bush said today he will listen to military ground commanders, not polls or focus groups, when making decisions about force levels in Iraq.
Continue reading "Bush: Progress Continues in Terror War, But Threat Remains" »
FORWARD OPERATING BASE HIT, Iraq, Jan. 23, 2006 – Eight days of back-breaking searches through villages and fields along the western Euphrates River Valley have yielded thousands of pieces of ordnance as Iraqi soldiers and U.S. Marines continue Operation Koa Canyon in Iraq's Anbar province. (22nd MEU)
Continue reading "Iraqi, Coalition Forces Continue Operation Koa Canyon" »
BROOKE ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, Texas, Jan. 23, 2006 – "Hey doc, when am I going upstairs? Hey doc, this bed is uncomfortable, when am I going to be admitted?"
Continue reading "Commentary: Bond of Wounded Warriors Crosses Generations" »
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2006 – When not appearing on the CBS show "CSI: New York" as Detective Mac Taylor, actor Gary Sinise devotes much of his time to raising support for U.S. troops.
Sinise, who is planning his third trip to Iraq with the United Service Organizations, appeared on ABC's "This Week" today to talk about his new venture to help the children who have felt the effects of the war in Iraq.
Continue reading "Actor Discusses Support for Troops, Iraqi Children" »
OPSEC- great thing to reaccquaint yourself with.
Continue reading "Operations Security and Internet Safety" »
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2005 – Quitting in Iraq before the mission is finished would be an invitation to more terrorist violence against the United States, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today.
Continue reading "Rumsfeld: Quitting Is No Option in Iraq" »
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2005 – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has changed the way it administers contracts for rebuilding Iraq, officials said.
Continue reading "Corps of Engineers Restructures Contracting Support in Iraq" »
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2005 – The U.S. is already on the road to complete victory in Iraq, the president's national security adviser told Sunday talk show hosts today.
Continue reading "National Security Adviser Outlines Progress in Iraq" »
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2005 – Two U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopters involved in combat operations made emergency landings today in separate locations in southern Afghanistan, injuring five U.S. soldiers and one Afghan National Army soldier.
Continue reading "Emergency Landings Injure Six in Afghanistan" »
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2005 – Operation Shank wrapped up today, officials in Iraq announced.
Continue reading "One Iraq Operation Ends, Another in Final Stages" »
President Bush remembered America's deployed servicemembers who he said are "serving the cause of peace" during the Dec. 1 Christmas Pageant of Peace and lighting of the national Christmas tree here.
Continue reading "Bush Salutes Troops During Tree Lighting" »
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2005 – The success of joint Iraqi and coalition operations in Iraq will ensure a safe voting environment for Iraqi national elections, a senior military official in Iraq said today.
Continue reading "Iraqis Will Have Secure Voting Environment, General Says" »
ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 30, 2005 – A team of eight U.S. soldiers is engaged by a larger enemy force behind unfriendly lines. The team is hit by three rocket-propelled grenades and three improvised explosive devices, yet they still fight, killing 35 enemies.
Continue reading "Gaming is More Than Just Play for Military Services" »
The Department of Defense announced today the implementation of traumatic injury protection insurance under the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program as enacted by section 1032 of Public Law 109-13.
Continue reading "DoD Announces Implementation of Traumatic Injury Protection" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2005 – Two Task Force Baghdad soldiers were killed when their patrol struck a roadside bomb north of Baghdad today, military officials reported.
Continue reading "Two Soldiers Killed, One Injured in Separate Incidents" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2005 – U.S. and coalition initiatives to create well-trained and -equipped Iraqi security forces are paying off, with Iraqis taking on more of the fight, a U.S. Central Command general said Nov. 28 at the Heritage Foundation here.
Continue reading "Iraqi Security Forces Steadily Improving, But Still Need Support" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 2005 – A U.S. Marine engaged in combat operations against enemy forces near Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, was killed in an improvised explosive device attack Nov. 26, officials in Iraq announced today. (3/7 / 2nd MAW)
Continue reading "Marine Killed, Operation Tigers Continues in Iraq" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2005 – A soldier assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), was killed in an improvised explosive device attack while conducting combat operations against the enemy in Hit, Iraq, Nov. 25, military officials reported today
Continue reading "Soldier Dies in Roadside Bomb Explosion" »
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2005 – The U.S. military is not a "poor man's force."e
Continue reading "Military Demographics Representative of America, Officials Say" »
American Forces Press Service
Continue reading "General Links Security at Home to U.S. Role in Iraq" »
American Forces Press Service
Continue reading "Zarqawi Probably Alive, Ground Forces Commander Says" »
American Forces Press Service
Continue reading "Operation Steel Curtain Concludes Along Iraq-Syria Border" »
American Forces Press Service
Continue reading "Terrorists Fire Dud in Attempt to Disrupt Tikrit Ceremony" »
The Department of Defense achieved a major milestone with the launch of AHLTA, its global electronic health record system, at a ceremony hosted by Dr. William Winkenwerder, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, and attended by Michael O. Leavitt, secretary of health and human services, at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda today.
American Forces Press Service
Continue reading "Iraqi Police, U.S. Soldiers Help Children Hurt in IED Attack" »
American Forces Press Service
Continue reading "More Military Funds Committed for Pakistan Quake Relief" »
American Forces Press Service
Continue reading "Tips From Citizens Lead Iraqi Soldiers to Weapons Cache" »
American Forces Press Service
Continue reading "Joint Iraqi-American Operations Keep Terrorists on the Defensive" »
American Forces Press Service
RCT 2 and RCT 8 Marine KIAs
Continue reading "U.S Troops Recognized for, and Die in, Combat Action" »
American Forces Information Service News Articles
Continue reading "2005 Veterans Day Message From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff" »
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2005 – Military.com is taking its mission of connecting veterans to their benefits one step further with the official launch of the online Veteran Career Network on Nov. 11.
Continue reading "Military.com Launches Career Resource for Veterans" »
DOD Press Article
American Forces Press Service
Continue reading "Operation Steel Curtain Moves Into Husaybah" »
While the bombs used against them keep getting bigger and the development of the next best vehicle may still be five more years away, officials say the Marines who drive Iraq's deadly roads in the meantime can at least count on having the best available armor on all of their Humvees by next month.
Continue reading "Marines' Iraq Humvees to be 'up-armored' by December" »
DOD Press Article
American Forces Press Service
Continue reading "Surge in IED Attacks Coincides With Iraqi Political Progress" »
No. 1127-05
IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 1, 2005
Secretary of Defense Approves Marine Special Operations Command
Continue reading "DOD Secretary of Defense Approves Marine Special Operations Command" »
DOD Press Article
American Forces Press Service
Continue reading "Marine Corps to Join U.S. Special Operations Command" »
DOD Press Release
American Forces Press Service
Washington OCT 22, 2005
Continue reading "Four U.S. Troops Die in Iraq; Insurgents Killed, Captured" »
DOD PRESS RELEASE
ARMED FORCES PRESS SERVICES
FORT LEE, Va., Oct. 21, 2005 – Commissary shoppers looking for a different kind of gift for friends or family at home or abroad can now shop online at the "Virtual Commissary."
DOD PRESS RELEASE OCT 21
AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Continue reading "Five U.S. Troops Killed in Three Iraq Operations" »
The Department of Defense will showcase its anti-drug awareness and educational activities throughout America during the 15th annual "Red Ribbon Week" at the Pentagon, Oct. 24-26 to focus attention on the destructive effects drugs have on the nation.
DOD RELEASE
AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2005 – Afghanistan is NATO's No. 1 mission, the alliance's supreme allied commander for operations said during a Pentagon interview today.
Continue reading "Afghanistan NATO's Top Mission, Commander Says" »
DoD Press Release on Hurricane Wilma
Continue reading "DoD, Guard, Services Watch Hurricane Wilma" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2005 – The Department of Defense today debuted a new joint, national awareness campaign aimed at encouraging parents, and other influencers of youth, to be prepared for what can be a tough conversation, a defense official said.
Continue reading "New, Joint DoD Ads Urge Parent-to-Kid Talks About Military" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2005 – A group of civilian business professionals and politicians embarked Oct. 17 on a weeklong trip meant to familiarize them with the military.
Continue reading "Conference Introduces Influential Civilians to Military" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2005 – Two Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), were killed by small-arms fire near Rutbah, Iraq, Oct. 17.
Continue reading "Two Marines Killed in Combat Operations in Iraq" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2005 – America's employers are inextricably linked to the nation's defense, and their support is essential to fighting and winning the global war on terrorism, the secretary of the Army said here Oct. 15 at a banquet honoring the year's most supportive employers of National Guard and Reserve servicemembers.
Continue reading "Banquet Honors Top Guard, Reserve Employers" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2005 – The Fisher House organization uses more than a million frequent flyer miles per week in distributing free round-trip airline tickets to families of war-wounded servicemembers being treated in military and Veterans Affairs medical facilities across the country.
Continue reading "America Supports You: Fisher House Distributes Airline Tickets" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2005 – A case concerning colleges' right to receive federal funding but bar military recruiters from campuses because of disagreements over homosexual policy is scheduled to be argued before the Supreme Court this session.
Continue reading "Supreme Court to Hear Case on Military Recruiters' Access to Colleges" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2005 – All Americans enjoy their freedoms today "because there are thousands and thousand of troops protecting us," the U.S. military's top general said at the National Italian American Foundation's annual awards dinner here Oct. 15.
Continue reading "Pace Salutes U.S. Troops At Italian-American Event" »
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2005 – A Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), died when his vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device in Saqlawiyah, Iraq, on Oct. 15.
Continue reading "Marine Dies in Attack; Forces Capture Weapons, Kill Terrorists" »
The Department of Defense announced today the issuance of a policy and
procedures for reimbursing members of the armed forces for privately purchase
protective, safety or health equipment for Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring
Freedom or Iraqi Freedom as required by Public Law 108-375, section 351.
Continue reading "DoD Announces Issuance of Reimbursement Policy" »
WASHINGTON -- Under pressure from Congress, the Pentagon on Wednesday issued overdue regulations for reimbursing soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan for body armor and other gear they bought to protect themselves.
Continue reading "Pentagon Releases Body Armor Payback Plan" »
WASHINGTON--The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) has announced a group burial at 9 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C., for U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, whose remains were identified earlier this year.
Continue reading "Vietnam MIAs finally layed to rest in Arlington" »
CONROE - A 22-year-old Marine, who joined the military shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, died when he drove a military vehicle over a roadside bomb during combat, his family said Tuesday.
Pentagon has still not acted to pay back parents a year after Congress 'demanded action.'
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2005 – Al Qaeda terrorists hope to drive American influence from the Middle East and install a global Muslim leader in Saudi Arabia, Army Gen. John Abizaid said today.
Continue reading "Abizaid Details al Qaeda's Long-Term Goals" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (Sept. 29, 2005) -- All Department of Defense contractors working full-time aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico are now authorized to play golf at the Medal of Honor Golf Course.
Continue reading "DoD contractors approved to use Quantico's Medal of Honor Golf Course" »
A Senate committee plans to apply new rules for the activation of National Guard troops during a natural disaster as part of the 2006 defense appropriations bill.
Continue reading "Senators draft new rules for Guard activation" »
Focus: National Security
Focus: Hurricane Relief
Continue reading "President Discusses War on Terror and Hurricane Preparation" »
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2005 – Military units are gearing up today to react to Hurricane Rita's expected landfall late Sept. 23 or early Sept. 24, even as its response to Hurricane Katrina continues.
At the Pentagon today, President Bush praised military relief efforts in Mississippi and Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Continue reading "Military Prepares Response to Hurricane Rita" »
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Sept. 22, 2005) -- As the face of modern warfare continues to evolve, military technology and training must also seek new and unique avenues of approach in their teachings.
Continue reading "Oct. 1 means new rifle range for Pendleton Marines" »
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (Sept. 22, 2005) -- Schools in the Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools system will spend the rest of this school year testing a new computer-aided reading program designed to ensure kindergarten through second-grade students are reading at the appropriate grade level by the time they enter third grade.
Continue reading "New reading-enhancement equipment being tested in DDESS schools" »
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2005 – U.S. military forces in the Horn of Africa are working to win the hearts and minds of the people and are preventing the spread of terrorism throughout the region, the area's U.S. commander said today.
Continue reading "Horn of Africa Force Seeks to Win Friends, Prevent Terrorism" »
The Department of Defense announced today plans to award 17 grants totaling $4.4 million to 15 Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)
Continue reading "DoD Selects Hispanic Serving Institutions for Grants" »
By Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 2, 2002 – All service members, including Coast Guardsmen, who were on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, are eligible to wear the National Defense Service Medal, defense officials announced May 1.
Continue reading "DoD Authorizes National Defense Service Medal for War on Terrorism" »