WASHINGTON - U.S and allied forces in Afghanistan are preparing for stepped-up attacks after Taliban insurgents this week declared the start of their annual spring fighting season.
Their message came in an audio message that announced the start of a monumental spring operation, one aimed at defeating those it described as “western invaders,” a reference to […]
Feb 24 2013 US Grounds F-35 Fighter Jets
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Defense Department has suspended all test flights of the new F-35 fighter jets after discovering a cracked blade in the engine of one of the planes.
The problem was discovered during an inspection at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The engine is being shipped to manufacturer Pratt Whitney in Connecticut for evaluation.
The […]
Feb 21 2013 US, South Korea To Hold Joint Exercises
WASHINGTON - The United States and South Korea have announced plans for large-scale joint military exercises next month, just weeks after North Korea’s latest nuclear test raised regional tensions.
A statement issued by the Combined Forces Command on Thursday says the annual war drills will begin on March 1 with a month-long series of air, ground […]
Feb 16 2013 US To Withdraw 34,000 Troops From Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama’s decision to withdraw 34,000 of the 66,000 troops now in Afghanistan over the next 12 months comes as Afghan insurgents prepare for the 2013 fighting season. The accelerated withdrawal has multiple implications for operations this year.
In his State of the Union address this week, the president put the drawdown of […]
ISLAMABAD - U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford took charge of the NATO-led military mission in Afghanistan at a change of command ceremony in Kabul Sunday. In an emotional speech during the transfer, outgoing U.S. commander General John Allen said he believes “Afghanistan will never again be a safe haven to terrorists” because of the gains […]
Dec 28 2012 General Norman Schwarzkopf Dead At 78
WASHINGTON - Retired Army General Norman Schwarzkopf, who commanded the U.S.-led international coalition that drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait in 1991, has died. He was 78.
Schwarzkopf died Thursday from complications from pneumonia in ((the southern city of)) Tampa, Florida, where he lived in retirement.
A much-decorated combat soldier in Vietnam, Schwarzkopf was known popularly as […]
Aug 23 2012 US Troop Deaths Reach Over 2,000 In Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - The number of U.S. military members killed in the war in Afghanistan has surpassed 2,000, with more than half the deaths coming in the past 27 months.
The increased casualty rate came after U.S. President Barack Obama sent thousands of extra troops into the country to intensify the U.S.-led NATO coalition’s battle against insurgents.
Those […]
WASHINGTON - U.S. military leaders are promising a small-scale, but effective plan for dealing with terrorist threats throughout Africa. The head of the military’s Africa Command says that U.S. forces are carrying out reconnaissance missions across the continent but Washington has no plans to expand its permanent presence in Africa.
Onboard a U.S. military transport plane […]
Jun 7 2012 US Sends Additional Warships To Pacific
WASHINGTON - The United States is building up its navy fleet in the Asia-Pacific region, a part of the world where China also has strategic interests.
By 2020 the Pentagon plans to shift 60 percent of its naval assets to the Pacific, in contrast to the current 50-50 split with the Atlantic.
The move is part of […]
Apr 5 2012 US Marines Arrive In Australia
WASHINGTON - U.S. Marines have started to arrive in northern Australia as Washington strengthens its presence in the strategically vital Asia-Pacific region. Two hundred troops touched down in Darwin late Tuesday as part of a deployment outlined during a visit to Australia by President Obama in November, a move that has irritated China.
The detachment is […]
Mar 21 2012 US Suspends Recovery Efforts In North Korea
WASHINGTON - The United States says it is suspending efforts to recover the remains of its service members in North Korea. This follows Pyongyang’s announcement last Friday it plans to go against international agreements and launch a rocket.
The U.S. project was designed to bring home remains left in North Korea after the Korean military conflict […]
Mar 12 2012 USS Enterprise Embarks On Final Deployment
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Navy’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has departed on its final deployment.
The USS Enterprise left Sunday from a Naval station in Virginia.
The Navy says the ship is scheduled for a routine deployment to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf, focusing on maritime security and efforts to maintain regional stability.
Originally built at a […]
Jan 11 2012 Obama Deploys US Military To South Sudan
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has ordered five U.S. military officers to join the United Nations mission to help set up the newly-founded country of South Sudan.
A Pentagon spokesman says the officers from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines will take part in what the Pentagon calls peace operations. This includes helping with good […]
Dec 8 2011 US Withdrawal From Iraq Nearly Complete
WASHINGTON - The United States’ eight-year military operation of Iraq is coming to an end. Military commanders in Iraq say the withdrawal of troops and equipment from the country is nearly complete. Fewer than 4,000 remain in the country and officials say they will likely be out in the next few days, in keeping with […]
Nov 16 2011 US Will Deploy Troops To Australia
WASHINGTON - The leaders of the United States and Australia have announced an agreement to maintain U.S. forces on Australian soil.
U.S. President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard spoke to reporters about the agreement following talks Wednesday in Canberra.
Ms. Gillard said the deal called for a force of 200 to 250 U.S. Marines […]
Oct 21 2011 US Troops To Leave Iraq By Years End
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama has announced that all U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the year.
The president made the statement Friday after a videoconference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
In remarks in the White House press briefing room, Mr. Obama said, “Our troops in Iraq will definitely be […]
Sep 30 2011 General Dempsey Appointed Chairman Joint Chiefs
WASHINGTON - U.S. Army General Martin Dempsey assumes his post Friday as President Barack Obama’s choice for the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
General Martin Dempsey comes from the trenches, a veteran of two wars in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
He takes over as the nations’ top military officer at a time when […]
Sep 9 2011 US Troop Drawdown In Iraq Moves Forward
WASHINGTON - U.S. military officials say the drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq continues as Washington and Baghdad grapple with the dilemma of whether a smaller training force should remain in the country past a December deadline.
The United States says it will consider leaving some troops behind to train Iraqi security forces, but only if […]
Jul 18 2011 US General David Petraeus Relinquishes Command
WASHINGTON - U.S. General David Petraeus, who has been the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan for a year, has officially handed over command of the international alliance to his successor, U.S. General John Allen.
The transfer of power was conducted Monday at a ceremony in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Allen was most recently the deputy commander […]
May 30 2011 US Observes Memorial Day To Honor War Dead
WASHINGTON - Americans are observing Memorial Day weekend, a time meant to honor the nation’s war dead, with ceremonies, parades, sporting events and picnics.
The last Monday in May of each year is designated as Memorial Day, a time to place flowers on military gravesites and honor the U.S. servicemen and women who gave their lives […]
Feb 27 2011 Gates Warns US Army To Restructure
WASHINGTON - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Friday that the U.S. Army must restructure itself or risk losing important mid-level leaders and not being prepared for the conflicts of the future.
Secretary Gates traveled to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York to speak to the Army’s future officers about their careers. He […]
WASHINGTON - The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan has ordered an investigation into allegations published in Rolling Stone Magazine that his deputy for training Afghan forces ordered a psychological operations unit to help him convince visiting U.S. officials to provide more money for his effort.
Officials see the training program as crucial to […]
Feb 16 2011 Pentagon Sued In Sexual Assault Claims Scandal
WASHINGTON - More than a dozen current and former members of the U.S. military filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Washington claiming the U.S. Defense Department mishandled their claims of being sexually harassed, assaulted and raped by fellow service members while on active duty. The alleged victims want the Pentagon to change the way it handles […]
Feb 9 2011 US Unveils New Military Strategy
WASHINGTON - The U.S. military issued its first new overall strategy document in six years on Tuesday, calling for the development of a force that is more focused on Asia, where the document says economic and military power are growing, and the strategic environment is changing quickly.
Today’s world presents a challenging and fast-changing security environment […]
