US MILITARY, THE PENTAGON & INTELLIGENCE ARCHIVE :

Please note : Most publications move older stories into their archives which may require a fee to view the full story. Some stories listed below may no longer be available online.

Christian Science Monitor, 23 Dec 08, by Gordon Lubold
A surge of Special Forces for Afghanistan likely
'Defense officials say it will fill urgent gaps but Special Forces officers are skeptical.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 21 Dec 08
U.S. may double size of its force in Afghanistan
'The top U.S. military officer said over the weekend that the Pentagon could double the number of American forces in Afghanistan by next summer to 60,000 - the largest estimate of potential reinforcements ever publicly suggested. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Saturday that 20,000 to 30,000 additional U.S. troops could be sent to Afghanistan to bolster the 31,000 already there.'

International Herald Tribune, 22 Dec 08, by Elisabeth Bumiller
Question of semantics on troop withdrawal: How many is 'all'?
'It is one of the most troublesome questions right now at the Pentagon, and it has started a semantic dance: What is the definition of a combat soldier? More important, when will all U.S. combat troops withdraw from the major cities of Iraq?'

Washington Post, 20 Dec 08, by Dana Priest
[Dennis] Blair Is Steeped in the Ways Intelligence Works
'The reserved former four-star admiral, who is widely understood to be President-elect Barack Obama's choice as director of national intelligence, is well known in Washington as an intellectual who values straightforwardness and has mastered the byzantine interagency process during his various government stints.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Dec 08, by Elisabeth Bumiller
Additional U.S. troops slated for Afghanistan
'The U.S. defense secretary, Robert Gates, has said that the Pentagon, which plans to send 20,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, was trying to get thousands of the additional combat forces into the country as soon as next summer, a sign of the seriousness of the threat facing the United States against the Taliban.'

Washington Post, 07 Dec 08, by Philip Rucker
Obama Picks Shinseki to Lead Veterans Affairs
'Military leaders and veterans advocates hailed Obama's selection of [retired Army Gen. Eric K.] Shinseki, describing the nominee as a soft-spoken, dynamic leader who is widely respected by rank-and-file service members past and present.'

The Associated Press, 09 Dec 08, by Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor
AP Interview: Marines seek to ease strains of war
'Gen. James Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, said in an Associated Press interview in his Pentagon office Monday that "there's a greater role for Marines in Afghanistan," with its increasingly deadly insurgency, than in Iraq, where the Marines' mission is mainly peacekeeping and training.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Dec 08, by Christopher Drew
For incoming president, fighter jet decision poses a test
'... the F-22, a stealthy, supersonic fighter that was designed during the cold war and has never been used in combat, has many critics, and they include Robert Gates, who will remain Defense secretary in the Obama administration. Gates has questioned the relevancy of the F-22, and said the military should focus its resources more on fighting insurgencies like those in Iraq and Afghanistan.'

JDNews.com, 09 Dec 08, by Jennifer Hlad
Helo dunks Marines for training
'This week, the Marines of the 81-mm Mortar Platoon, Weapons Company, BLT 3/2, spent two days learning exactly what to do if an aircraft does go down in the water - first spending time in the classroom, then testing their skills in the pool.'

International Herald Tribune, 07 Dec 08, by Sam Roberts
Pearl Harbor conspiracy theory about 'winds' message refuted
'... after analyzing American and foreign intelligence sources and decrypted cables, historians for the National Security Agency concluded in a historical documentary released last week that whatever other warnings reached Washington about the attack, the "winds execute" message was not one of them.'

Washington Post, 02 Dec 08, by Ann Scott Tyson
Gates's Top Deputies May Leave
'Major Shifts at Pentagon Anticipated in Obama Administration'

Washington Post, 24 Nov 08, by Walter Pincus
Commanders Praise Increased Cooperation With Pakistani and Afghan Forces
'"The notion that things are out of control in Afghanistan or that we're sliding toward a disaster, I think, is far too pessimistic," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said ... Gates's view was backed up in part by two briefings, given Tuesday and Friday by Army brigade commanders in Afghanistan ...'

International Herald Tribune, 20 Nov 08, by Thom Shanker
Allied forces train merchant seamen to counter piracy
'The commander of U.S. and allied naval forces off the coast of Somalia has begun efforts to halt a spike in piracy, urging merchant vessels to sail with armed guards on board and to travel only within lanes now patrolled by warships.'

Christian Science Monitor, 20 Nov 08, by Gordon Lubold
Petraeus had Bush's ear. Will Mike Mullen have Obama's?
'The Joint Chiefs chairman may come closer to the views of the new president.'

Washington Post, 17 Nov 08, by Ann Scott Tyson
Mullen: U.S. Would Need More Than 2 Years for Iraq Withdrawal
'The U.S. military would require two to three years to remove its roughly 150,000 troops and equipment from Iraq safely, and the timing of that withdrawal should be based on security conditions on the ground, the nation's top military officer said today.'

International Herald Tribune, 18 Nov 08, by Lizette Alvarez
Newest U.S. veterans struggle with economic crisis
'While few Americans are sheltered from the jolt of the recent economic crisis, the nation's newest veterans, particularly the wounded, are being hit especially hard. The triple-whammy of injury, unemployment and waiting for disability claims to be processed has forced many veterans into foreclosure, or sent them teetering on its edge, according to veterans' organizations.'

International Analyst Network, 14 Nov 08, by Maj. W. Thomas Smith Jr.
A Week to Celebrate American Military Tradition
'Though our military lineage only stretches back to some unspecified date during the colonial era – actually somewhat later to Lexington and Concord or the individual births of our Army, Navy, and Marine Corps in 1775 – our military heritage-tradition is something that is admired the world over by nations far older than ours. And that American military heritage-tradition is the primary reason – more so than money and technology – that our nation continues to field the finest military forces the world has ever known.'

Townhall.com, 03 Nov 08, by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
"Hold and Die" – Legendary Marine Passes On
'Ripley, 69, was awarded the Navy Cross – the nation's second-highest award for valor in combat – for single-handedly blowing up the Dong Ha Bridge in Vietnam, thus blunting the North Vietnamese Army's Easter Offensive on April 2, 1972.'

Washington Post, 13 Nov 08, by Ann Scott Tyson
3,300 More U.S. Troops Sought to Train Afghans
'U.S. commanders in Afghanistan are requesting 3,300 more troops to accelerate the training of new Afghan army and police forces, a job seen as critical to defeating Afghanistan's growing insurgency.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Nov 08, by Leslie Kaufman
Veterans' families seek aid for caregiver role
'The question of how to best take care of a service member wounded in war is a well-worn battleground. But broader compensation for family members has become a pressing issue, veterans' groups say, because better medical technology has allowed so many soldiers to survive with serious injuries.'

NewsHour, 10 Nov 08, with Betty Ann Bowser et al
Military, VA Confront Rising Suicide Rates Among Troops
'The Army says that suicides among active duty personnel have doubled in recent years, and multiple deployments might contribute to that increase.'

Human Events, 11 Nov 08, by Ted Nugent
Happy Birthday, Marines
'From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, all across America and in Iraq, Afghanistan and wherever America is being defended, the world's most exclusive gun club is the celebrating its 233 birthday today.'

Stars and Stripes, 09 Nov 08, by Kent Harris and Joseph Giordono
Report details attack on GIs in Afghanistan
'The Army’s official report on the July battle in Afghanistan that killed nine paratroops and wounded 27 others is filled with details of heroism, desperation and a calculated risk gone wrong.'

Baltimore Sun/AP, 03 Nov 08
Overcrowding hits Army special treatment units
'In a rush to correct reports of substandard care for wounded soldiers, the Army flung open the doors of new specialized treatment centers so wide that up to half the soldiers currently enrolled do not have injuries serious enough to justify being there ...'

Washington Post/AP, 25 Oct 08
Air Force Probes General For Actions at Guantanamo
'The Air Force is investigating a top official in the Guantanamo war crimes trials following complaints that he inappropriately sought to influence the prosecution of cases, military officials said Saturday.'

International Herald Tribune, 31 Oct 08, by Thom Shanker
U.S. commander in Iraq gets expanded scope
'Thousands of miles from the deserts of the Middle East, General David Petraeus took charge Friday of the U.S. Central Command, with responsibility for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and across the region.'

The Guardian/AP, 25 Oct 08, by Richard Hyatt
Air Force creates new command to better manage nuclear arsenal
'The Air Force is creating a new command to better manage the nation's nuclear arsenal after a series of embarrassing missteps in the handling and oversight of its most sensitive materials.'

News14Carolina, 29 Oct 08, by Andrea Pacetti
Marines demonstrate new fitness test
'Marines at Camp Lejeune hit the field Tuesday demonstrating a new fitness test. The exercise is designed to replicate combat conditions and Marines complete the test in their combat boots and uniform.'

Navy Times, 29 Oct 08, by Christopher P. Cavas and Philip Ewing
DDG 1001 named for MoH recipient Monsoor
'One of the Navy's largest new surface warships will bear the name of a Navy SEAL who received the nation's highest award for valor. "DDG 1001, the second ship in our newest class of destroyers, will be named after Michael Monsoor," Navy Secretary Donald Winter said remarks prepared for an address to be given Wednesday night in New York.'

InformationWeek, 27 Oct 08, by Thomas Claburn
Terrorists Could Use Twitter for Mayhem, Army Report Muses
'An intelligence paper outlines technologies that terrorist organizations could use to inflict harm, including cell phone GPS data, voice-changing technology, and Twitter updates.'

Fayetteville Observer/Military.com, 21 Oct 08
Army SOC to Unveil Bragg Memorial
'The U.S. Army Special Operations Command will dedicate a memorial stone Oct. 24 in honor of veterans who served in Project DELTA and Special Forces Detachment B-52 during the Vietnam War.'

Ledger-Enquirer, 22 Oct 08, by Richard Hyatt
The mystique of the medal
'As awards go, it isn't much, worth hardly $100. Trivial awards more gaudy and flashy are presented every day. Actions and deeds put the Medal of Honor on a pedestal respected by civilians and soldiers of every rank and uniform.'

Fosters Daily Democrat, 21 Oct 08, by Charles McMahon
Guests tour Navy's newest attack sub USS New Hampshire
'Life aboard the newest Virginia Class submarine is everything one would expect it to be and then some.'

The Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct 08, by Tyler Treadway
SEAL Museum in St. Lucie County will erect a statue to honor the fallen
'The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum will receive $100,000 to create a memorial statue for display on the museum grounds, the training site for thousands of Navy frogmen during World War II.'

Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct 08, by Gordon Lubold
Is US fighting force big enough?
'American's armed forces are growing bigger to reduce the strains from seven years of war, but if the US is confronting an era of "persistent conflict," as some experts believe, it will need an even bigger military.'

NavySEALs.com/Los Ageles Times, 13 Oct 08, by Peter Spiegel
SOCOM turning to Indirect Warfare
'SOCOM Commander Adm. Eric T. Olson, who was appointed to the post in July 2007, is shifting emphasis away from the high-profile raids that were the hallmark of the early years of U.S. anti-terrorism efforts. Instead, Olson has stressed "indirect action": training friendly militaries to better fight terrorism and violent separatists within their own borders.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Oct 08, by Eric Schmitt, Mark Mazzetti and Judy Dempsey
U.S. military leader sees Afghan situation worsening
'With security and economic conditions in Afghanistan already in dire straits because of weak government, economic woes and an explosion of poppy cultivation, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday that the situation there will probably only worsen next year.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Oct 08, by Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt
U.S. study is said to warn of crisis in Afghanistan
'A draft report by American intelligence agencies concludes that Afghanistan is in a "downward spiral" and casts serious doubt on the ability of the Afghan government to stem the rise in the Taliban's influence there, according to American officials familiar with the document.'

Washington Post, 10 Oct 08, by Peter Finn
Gates Urges NATO to Take On Afghan Drug Traffickers
'Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called on NATO allies Thursday to target Afghanistan's drug traffickers as part of a wider effort to confront a resurgent Taliban, which he said is using heroin money to fund the insurgency.'

Marine Corps Times, 06 Oct 08, by William H. McMichael
DoD civilians to fill some war zone jobs
'The Pentagon is creating an expeditionary force that will send its civilian employees to hot spots around the world — and it wants to start by filling 157 job openings in Afghanistan and Iraq.'

MSNBC, 05 Oct 07, by Peter Collier
Medal of Honor: Michael E. Thornton
'Although he came from the landlocked hills of South Carolina, the idea of being in the Navy seized Michael Thornton's boyhood imagination when he saw movies such as The Fighting Sullivan Brothers and Frogmen. He enlisted in the Navy shortly after graduating from high school, went through Underwater Demolition Recruit Training, and became a member of the elite SEALs.'

Voice of America, 01 Oct 08
AFRICOM Takes Over U.S. Military Operations in Africa
'Supporters say AFRICOM is expected to focus primarily on war prevention rather than war fighting as well as working with African countries and organizations to build regional security and crisis response capacity in support of United States government efforts in Africa. But some skeptics are reportedly worried over a possible hidden agenda disguised as the war on terror and a self-interested scramble for the continent's resources.'

BBC News, 01 Oct 08
US Africom 'has no hidden agenda'
'The head of the new US military command for Africa (Africom) has told the BBC it has "no hidden agenda". General William Ward said the command would not be used to gain control of African natural resources such as oil. He also dismissed fears that the US intended to build large military bases on the continent.'

Christian Science Monitor, 01 Oct 08, by Gordon Lubold
Military sees window to adjust Afghanistan plan
'The US military is working to put a new strategy in place for Afghanistan and Pakistan that could allow it to expand airfields, preposition military forces and equipment, and prepare for a more robust effort soon against Islamist extremists in the region. Frustrated for years by a lack of direction from the White House on Afghanistan, many defense officials say time is of the essence in developing a new way forward and having it ready to implement as soon as a new president is seated and can agree to it.'

International Herald Tribune, 30 Sep 08, by Thom Shanker
U.S. defense secretary assails Pentagon for outmoded ways
'In a far-reaching critique of the way the Pentagon fights wars and buys weapons, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the military must understand the limits of combat power and its leaders must be skeptical that technology can bring order to the violent battlefield.'

NPR 'Morning Edition', 23 Sep 08
Critics Question Ability Of Missile Defense System
'The centerpiece of the American missile defense system deployed by the Bush administration is the ground-based interceptor. These missiles are now in silos at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and at Fort Greely in Alaska. They have cost billions of dollars and are designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads, launched possibly from North Korea or Iran. But this is a highly controversial weapon system, and there is no certainty for all the money spent that these missiles will actually work.'

---

Christian Science Monitor, 07 Aug 08, by Tom A. Peter
In Iraq, troops balance fighting and lending a hand
'Counterinsurgency efforts require US soldiers to shift from fighting to peacekeeping, but many feel ill-prepared to conduct investigations and interact with Iraqis.'

Military.com, 04 Aug 08, by PO3 James Harless
Coast Guard Celebrates 218th Birthday
'The Coast Guard is one of America's five armed forces and traces its founding to Aug. 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized the construction of 10 vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws, prevent smuggling, and protect the collection of federal revenue.'

International Herald Tribune, 04 Aug 08, by Donald G. McNeil Jr.
'War Surgery in Afghanistan and Iraq: A Series of Cases, 2003-2007'
'A new book, quietly issued by the U.S. Army, is the first guidebook of new techniques for U.S. battlefield surgeons to be published while the wars it analyzes are still being fought.'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Jul 08, by Gordon Lubold
Military revisits Afghanistan plan
'A key component is likely to be more troops, but the strategy must go beyond that, experts say.'

Washington Post, 10 Jul 08, by Dana Hedgpeth
Tanker Bidding To Be Reopened
'Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday that the Pentagon will hold a new, fast-tracked competition to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of aerial refueling tankers, a move that overturns the previous award of the contract to Northrop Grumman. The decision follows criticism of the selection process by the Government Accountability Office and underscores the sharp divisions over the contract. The deal to replace the Air Force's entire fleet could be worth up to $100 billion over the next two decades.'

Assiciated Press, 09 Jul 08, by Pauline Jelinek
Pentagon plumbing Iran's missile tests for clues
'The Pentagon is studying Iran's latest missile test to figure out exactly what was launched and what it shows about Tehran's missile capabilities.'

Christian Science Monitor, 09 Jul 08, by Gordon Lubold
Top task for Air Force: rebuild credibility
'New leaders must better secure nuclear weapons after snafus led to firing of their predecessors.'

FOX News, 04 Jul 08, by Elizabeth Downey
A Fitting Tribute to a Slain Navy SEAL Gains Attention
'A little-known tribute some Navy SEALs gave to a fallen comrade is gaining notice.'

NewsHour, 01 Jul 08, with Paul Solman et al
After Delays and Criticism, Pentagon Shifts Priorities to Protect Soldiers
'Beginning in 2007 the Pentagon shifted its spending priorities to meet the deadly threat of roadside bombs leading to the procurement of the MRAP, or 'Mine Resistant Ambush Protected'. The fourteen-ton vehicle is credited for a drastic decline in roadside bomb fatalities, but why did it take so long?'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Jul 08, by Sam Dagher
A 'surge' unit sees change, but questions its permanence
'As the US Army soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment prepare to return home this month, many question whether the sacrifices they made will have been worth it in the end.'

The Telegraph, 02 Jul 08, by Tim Shipman
CIA given green light to bomb Osama bin Laden
'The US intelligence agency does not have to ask permission from the Pakistani government to attack his hideout, presumed to be in the lawless tribal areas on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jul 08, by Scott Shane
U.S. interrogators were taught Chinese coercion techniques
'The military trainers who came to Guantánamo Bay in December 2002 based an entire interrogation class on a chart showing the effects of "coercive management techniques" for possible use on prisoners ... What the trainers did not say, and may not have known, was that their chart had been copied verbatim from a 1957 air force study of Chinese techniques used during the Korean War to obtain confessions, many of them false, from American prisoners.'

NewsHour, 01 Jul 08, with Gwen Ifill et al
New G.I. Bill Aims to Provide Expanded Educational Benefits to Troops
'A new G.I. bill signed into law Monday doubles funding for education benefits available to military personnel who have served since Sept. 11, 2001, and allows transfer of benefits to a spouse or children. Analysts discuss the law and its meaning for veterans.'

NewsHour, 01 Jul 08, with Ray Suarez et al
U.S. Lacked Clear Plan for Postwar Iraq, Army Report Says
'The U.S. Army released a report Monday outlining the problems that kept it from being able to stabilize Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. Military experts discuss the report's findings.'

NewsHour, 27 Jun 08, with Jeffrey Brown et al
Resurgent Taliban May Step Up Attacks, Pentagon Says
'A report released by the Pentagon Friday showed growing instability in Afghanistan and a continuing rise in Taliban forces. A reporter and a regional expert size up new security threats and discuss the new report.'

International Herald Tribune, 30 Jun 08, by Rachel L. Swarns
A step up for women in the U.S. military
'Last week, President George W. Bush asked [Lieutenant General Ann] Dunwoody to take over a new army command as a four-star general. If confirmed by the Senate, she would become the first woman in the armed services to achieve that rank.'

Stratfor, 11 Jun 08, by George Friedman
The U.S. Air Force and the Next War
'U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates ... has sharply criticized the Air Force for failing to reorient itself to the types of conflict in which the United States is currently engaged. Where the Air Force leadership wanted to focus on deploying a new generation of fighter aircraft, Gates wanted them deploying additional unmanned aircraft able to provide reconnaissance and carry out airstrikes in Iraq and Afghanistan. These are not trivial issues, but they are the tip of the iceberg in a much more fundamental strategic debate going on in the U.S. defense community.'

StrategyPage, 25 Jun 08
U.S. Navy Seeks Sailing Sailors
'The U.S. Navy is recruiting sailors to serve on the last remaining sail powered warship still in commission.'

International Herald Tribune, 25 Jun 08, by Eric Schmitt
U.S. Army, unaware of dealer's past, awarded contract
'... With AEY's business dealings now shut down and its top executives charged last week with defrauding the government on the Afghan contract, lawmakers on Tuesday criticized four State and Defense department officials for what the legislators called a case study in military contracting gone wrong.'

Christian Science Monitor, 25 Jun 08, by Jill Carroll
G.I.s challenge injuries with new athletic efforts
'Running, cycling, and swimming give them new strength and purpose.'

Christian Science Monitor, 18 Jun 08, by Gordon Lubold
Boeing wins Air Force tanker contract appeal
'A US congressional watchdog group said Wednesday that the Air Force erred when it awarded a $35 billion contract – one of the Pentagon's biggest ever – to a partnership of Northrop Grumman and Airbus parent Aeronautic Defence and Space Co,. to build its next generation refueling plane known as the KC-X.'

International Herald Tribune, 14 Jun 08, by William Glaberson
Defense lawyers to challenge Guantánamo trials
'A day after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling granting detainees at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the right to challenge their detention in federal court, military defense lawyers said they planned to use the decision to mount new attacks on the government's war crimes prosecutions that could stall or stop trials.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Jun 08, by James Risen
Lost army job tied to doubts on U.S. contractor in Iraq
'The U.S. Army official who managed the Pentagon's largest contract in Iraq says he was ousted from his job when he refused to approve paying more than $1 billion in questionable charges to KBR, the Houston-based company that has provided food, housing and other services to American troops.'

Human Events, 11 Jun 08, by Robert Maginnis
Air Force's Cultural Shake-Up
'Last week, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made history when he simultaneously fired the Air Force's top military and civilian leaders. Most press accounts attribute the head chopping to a series of institutional failures but the truth is that Gates' real objective is to radically change the service's culture.'

Asia Times, 09 Jun 08, by Gareth Porter
Pentagon blocked Cheney's attack on Iran
'Pentagon officials firmly opposed a proposal by Vice President Dick Cheney last summer for airstrikes against the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) bases by insisting that the administration would have to make clear decisions about how far the United States would go in escalating the conflict with Iran, according to a former George W Bush administration official.'

The Guardian/AP, 10 Jun 08, by Lolita C. Baldor
US military seeking trainers for Afghanistan
'The Pentagon is scrambling to find trainers to send to Afghanistan, but it will be difficult to do that before commanders reduce the number of U.S. troops in Iraq, the top military officer said Tuesday.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Jun 08, by Carlotta Gall
U.S. marines apply lessons learned in Iraq to Afghanistan
'The marines, originally sent to Garmser District on a three-day operation to open a road, have been here a month and are likely to stay longer. The extension of the operation reflects the evolving tactics of the counterinsurgency effort in Afghanistan, building on the knowledge accumulated in recent years in Anbar Province in Iraq.'

International Herald Tribune, 05 Jun 08, by Thom Shanker
Slowly, U.S. military gets more unmanned aircraft aloft
'Early last year, the U.S. Air Force was able to keep no more than 11 of the remotely piloted, armed Predator surveillance aircraft flying over Iraq and Afghanistan at any one time. By last Sunday, that number had more than doubled, to 25, and air force officials now say they can guarantee at least that many of the hunter-killer aircraft will be aloft around the clock, a new element of the buildup in U.S. forces for the two wars.'

Washington Post, 28 May 08, by William Branigin
U.S. Navy Waiting for Junta's Permission to Deliver Burma Aid
'The United States is prepared to step up deliveries of relief supplies to Burma from Navy ships off the coast of the cyclone-ravaged nation but cannot wait much longer for permission from Burma's military rulers, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific said today.'

Stars and Stripes, 30 May 08, by Teri Weaver
Gates to address buildup on visit to Guam
'Defense Secretary Robert Gates will make his first trip to Guam as the top Pentagon official this week to discuss military buildup on the island, according to Air Force officials. During the two-day trip, Gates will meet with local leaders and military commanders to discuss the planned move of 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam, a major portion of the long-term buildup.'

The New York Times 'City Room', 23 May 08, by Corey Kilgannon
Riding the Waves with the Navy Seals
'When I picture Navy Seals, it is those superhuman swimmer-soldiers who get dropped behind enemy lines to swim upriver and do something ultra stealthy and secret and life-threatening. Well, the Mark V is used to deliver them and their Zodiac powerboats to the general area of their mission.'

Washington Post, 22 May 08, by Karen DeYoung
Petraeus: Diplomacy, Not Force, With Iran
'Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, President Bush's nominee to lead U.S. forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, supports continued U.S. engagement with international and regional partners to find the right mix of diplomatic, economic and military leverage to address the challenges posed by Iran.'

Washington Post, 15 May 08, by Karen DeYoung
Gates: U.S. Should Engage Iran With Incentives, Pressure
'The United States should construct a combination of incentives and pressure to engage Iran, and may have missed earlier opportunities to begin a useful dialogue with Tehran, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday.'

International Herald Tribune, 14 May 08, by Conrad Mulcahy
U.S. officers battle visa hurdles for Iraq aides
'... given the risks the interpreters took, and [Colonel Michael] Zacchea and others are taking up the cause. They have created a growing network of aid groups, spending countless hours navigating a byzantine immigration system that they feel unnecessarily keeps their allies in harm's way. There is, they say, a debt that must be repaid to the Iraqis who helped the most. To them it is an obligation both moral and pragmatic.'

The New Yorker, 19 May 08, by Sue Halpern
Annals of Psychology: Virtual Iraq
'Using simulation to treat a new generation of traumatized veterans. ... Like Virtual Vietnam, Virtual Iraq is a tool for doing what's known as prolonged-exposure therapy, which is sometimes called immersion therapy.'

Christian Science Monitor, 07 May 08, by Jill Carroll
A soldier's quest to save Iraqi, Afghan interpreters
'Targeted by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, they find a haven in America.'

Washington Post, 01 May 08, by Ann Scott Tyson
Mullen Cites U.S. 'Vulnerability'
'The nation's top military officer warned yesterday that the transition to a new American president will mark a "time of vulnerability" as the United States fights two wars, and he said military leaders are already actively preparing for the changing of the guard.'

Christian Science Monitor, 01 May 08, by Howard LaFranchi
U.S. death toll rises as it digs in against Iraq's Shiite militias
'At least 47 US soldiers were killed in Iraq in April, making it the deadliest month since September. Many of the casualties are a result of the recent assault on the Mahdi Army.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Apr 08, by Thom Shanker
New jobs set for 2 U.S. commanders with Iraq role
'A Pentagon plan to elevate General David Petraeus and his former deputy means that the two commanders most closely associated with President George W. Bush's current strategy in Iraq will have responsibilities over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan extending into the next administration.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Apr 08, by David Stout
Petraeus, top U.S. general in Iraq, nominated for a higher post
'General David Petraeus, who has commanded United States troops in Iraq for the past year, will be nominated to head the United States Central Command, which oversees military operations across a wide swath of the Middle East, Africa and Asia, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Wednesday.'

Washington Post, 24 Apr 08, by Dan Eggen
CIA Foresaw Interrogation Issues
'The CIA concluded that criminal, administrative or civil investigations stemming from harsh interrogation tactics were "virtually inevitable," leading the agency to seek legal support from the Justice Department, according to a CIA official's statement in court documents filed yesterday.'

Washington Post, 24 Apr 08, by Dana Milbank
What the Family Would Let You See, the Pentagon Obstructs
'... the de facto ban on media at Arlington funerals fits neatly with an effort by the administration to sanitize the war in Iraq.'

Washington Post, 22 Apr 08, by Josh White and William Branigin
Gates Assails Pentagon on Resources for Battlefields
'Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates yesterday criticized the U.S. military services for not moving aggressively enough to provide critical resources to the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying it has been "like pulling teeth" to get the Pentagon's conventional Cold War bureaucracy to adapt to the needs of current wars.'

New York Times/AP, 21 Apr 08
Pentagon chief says Air Force should do more
'While Gates' comments were directed mainly at the Air Force, his concern about faster fielding of unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft included a broader appeal to the entire military. The Army, Navy and Marine Corps have been expanding their fleets of drone aircraft.'

New York Times, 22 Apr 08, by Patricia Cohen
Talking Veterans Down From Despair
'The veterans hot line is part of a specialized effort by the Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce suicide by enabling counselors, for the first time, to instantly check a veteran’s medical records and then combine emergency response with local follow-up services. It comes after years of criticism that the department has been neglecting tens of thousands of wounded service men and women who have returned from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.'

New York Times/AP, 20 Apr 08
Wars, guns and money
'No weapon is more important to tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan than the carbine rifle. And for well over a decade, the military has relied on one company, Colt Defense of Hartford, Conn., to make the M4s they trust with their lives.'

New York Times, 16 Apr 08, by Thom Shanker
Pentagon Seeks Authority to Train and Equip Foreign Militaries
'Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urged Congress on Tuesday to grant the Pentagon permanent authority to train and equip foreign militaries, a task previously administered by the State Department, and to raise the annual budget for the effort to $750 million, a 250 percent increase.'

International Herald Tribune, 22 Apr 08, by Lizette Alvarez
Recruitment of felons up in U.S. Army and Marine Corps
'Strained by the demands of a long war, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps recruited significantly more felons into their ranks in 2007 than in 2006, including people convicted of armed robbery, arson and burglary, according to data released by a House committee.'

Human Events, 08-09 Apr 08, by General David H. Petraeus
Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq
[pdf] 'It clearly is in our national interests to help Iraq prevent the resurgence of Al Qaeda in the heart of the Arab world, to help Iraq resist Iranian encroachment on its sovereignty, to avoid renewed ethno-sectarian violence that could spill over Iraq's borders and make the existing refugee crisis even worse, and to enable Iraq to expand its role in the regional and global economies.'

Washington Post, 10 Apr 08, by Peter Baker and Jonathan Weisman
Bush to Cut Army Tours to 12 Months
President Supports Suspending Pullout Of Forces in Iraq

Christian Science Monitor, 08 Apr 08, by Peter Grier
Petraeus to Congress: reassess Iraq before further troop cuts
'The US strategy would effectively end Bush's role in the war, pushing decisions to his successor.'

Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr 08, by Jill Carroll
While reservists serve, their jobs don't always wait
'As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan grind on, tensions are mounting between the military's civilian volunteers, trying to step back into their professions, and employers, straining at times to cope with a growing cadre of workers who are away at war for months then expect to regain their former jobs.'

Washington Post, 10 Apr 08, by Steve Vogel
The Young Lions of Able Troop
'To the Cadre on the Front Lines Of Improving Care at Walter Reed, The Challenge Can Rival Combat'

Washington Post, 03 Apr 08, by Dana Hedgpeth
Contracts for Body Armor Filled without Initial Tests
'Government auditors said yesterday that nearly half of 28 contracts to manufacture body armor for Army soldiers were completed without the gear ever going through an initial test.'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Apr 08, by Tom McCawley
Pentagon overspent budget by $295 billion
'The Pentagon has gone hundreds of billions of dollars over budget in recent years on key weapons systems, including aircraft, ships, and satellite, said a government audit. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said for the sixth year in a row that the Pentagon had significantly gone over budget, but according to a report presented to Congress this week, the problem is getting worse.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Apr 08, by Mark Mazzetti
Pentagon is expected to close intelligence unit
'The Pentagon is expected to shut a controversial intelligence office that has drawn fire from lawmakers and civil liberties groups who charge that it was part of an effort by the Defense Department to expand into domestic spying. The move, government officials say, is part of a broad effort under Defense Secretary Robert Gates to review, overhaul and, in some cases, dismantle an intelligence architecture built by his predecessor, Donald H. Rumsfeld.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Apr 08, by William J. Broad
Uniform patches hint at secret U.S. military programs
'The classified budget of the Defense Department, concealed from the public in all but outline, has nearly doubled in the Bush years, to $32 billion. That is more than the combined budgets of the Food and Drug Administration, the National Science Foundation and NASA. Those billions have expanded a secret world of advanced science and technology in which military units and federal contractors push back the frontiers of warfare.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 Mar 08, by C.J. Chivers and Eric Schmitt
Finding of fraud led to suspension of company supplying arms to Afghanistan
'When the United States Army decided this week to suspend the main supplier of munitions to Afghan security forces from future federal work, it did so after a field investigation documented what it called an act of fraud. ... the army's Procurement Fraud Branch visited an Afghan ammunition storage site in January after the shipment arrived. There, investigators found that ammunition certified as Hungarian was actually made in China, according to the memorandum.'

International Herald Tribune, 25 Mar 08, by Steven Lee Myers and Thom Shanker
Bush given plan to put off further troop cuts in Iraq
'Troop levels in Iraq would remain nearly the same through 2008 as at any time during five years of war under plans presented to President George W. Bush on Monday by the senior American commander and the top American diplomat in Iraq, senior administration and military officials said.'

Christian Science Monitor, 25 Mar 08, by Peter Grier
U.S. military deaths in Iraq hit 4,000, but rate is slowing
'The pace of attacks – and US fatalities – has dropped since last June.'

International Herald Tribune, 19 Mar 08, by David M. Herszenhorn
Estimates of Iraq war cost were not close to ballpark
'At the outset of the Iraq war, the Bush administration predicted that it would cost $50 billion to $60 billion to oust Saddam Hussein, restore order and install a new government. Five years in, the Pentagon tags the cost of the Iraq war at roughly $600 billion and counting. Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning economist and critic of the war, pegs the long-term cost at more than $4 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office and other analysts say that $1 trillion to $2 trillion is more realistic, depending on troop levels and on how long the American occupation continues.'

New York Times, 23 Mar 08, by
Military Kin Struggle With Loss and a Windfall
'For some relatives of service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the money feels, at first, like an affront, as if the government were putting a price tag on a loved one’s life. Others are thrown off balance by the sudden infusion of $500,000, spending with abandon to assuage grief or finding themselves besieged by hard-up friends and relatives. And the newfound wealth often strains relations among in-laws.'

Washington Post, 13 Mar 08, by Joby Warrick and Michael Abramowitz
Fallon's Resignation Is Not Seen as Step Toward Attack on Iran
'The abrupt resignation of the Pentagon's top Middle East commander has silenced one of the Bush administration's fiercest opponents of a unilateral military strike against Iran, yet top administration officials themselves do not see real prospects for military action before the end of President Bush's term, current and former U.S. officials say.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Mar 08, by Thom Shanker and David Stout
Top U.S. commander in Middle East is retiring early
'Admiral William Fallon, the top American commander in the Middle East, whose views on Iran and other issues have seemed to put him at odds with the Bush administration, is retiring early, the Pentagon said Tuesday afternoon.'

International Herald Tribune, 13 Mar 08, by Mark Mazzetti and Scott Shane
Pentagon review cites tapes showing interrogations
'The Defense Department is conducting an extensive review of the videotaping of interrogations at military facilities from Iraq to Guantánamo Bay, and so far it has identified nearly 50 tapes, including one that showed what a military spokesman described as the forcible gagging of a terrorism suspect.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Mar 08, by Thom Shanker
Proposal would let U.S. troops in South Korea have families with them
'The commander of American forces in South Korea is urging the Pentagon to allow thousands of troops stationed there to have spouses and children live with them during tours of duty.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Mar 08, by Patrik Jonsson
U.S. troops buy own gear for safety, style in battle
'Since 9/11, the market for tactical war gear has expanded from nearly nonexistent to nearly $150 million in sales each year, which includes sales directly to soldiers as well as to the Pentagon, according to industry sources.'

International Herald Tribune, 04 Mar 08, by Thom Shanker
Joint Chiefs chairman emphasizes U.S. role in Pakistan
'[Admiral Mike] Mullen said the United States was willing to offer assistance for things like training, transport helicopters and night-combat operations, but he stressed that he was bringing no specific proposals on this visit and that he would await formal requests from Pakistan's military.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Mar 08, by Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker
U.S. plan widens role in training Pakistani forces
'The United States military is developing a plan to send about 100 American trainers to work with a Pakistani paramilitary force that is the vanguard in the fight against Al Qaeda and other extremist groups in Pakistan's restive tribal areas, American military officials said.'

Human Events, 28 Feb 08, by W. Thomas Smith, Jr.
Cracks in America's Air Defenses
'The sad fact is that our primary air-supremacy jets are old, metal-fatigued, and coming apart. Many were built more than two decades ago before many of the pilots flying them today were born.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 Feb 08, by Bryan Bender, The Boston Globe
Iraq drains resources from U.S. Pacific Command
'Admiral Timothy Keating, the four-star admiral who oversees a territory encompassing more than half the earth's surface and five of the world's largest standing armies, has steadily fewer forces at the ready in the event of a crisis. The war in Iraq is depriving Keating and other commanders of their ability to respond to a military crisis, draining away thousands of personnel and critical equipment, as well as hamstringing their ability to conduct exercises and forge alliances with foreign nations that one day could prove instrumental, according to interviews with senior military leaders and specialists.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 Feb 08, by Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt
U.S. commander supports pause in Iraq troop reductions
'The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East has said he will endorse a brief pause in troop reductions from Iraq this summer but will then seek a resumption of withdrawals to ease stress on the overall military and allow him to balance deployments across the volatile region.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 Feb 08, by Mark Mazzetti and Somini Sengupta
U.S. and India to strengthen security ties
'With a landmark nuclear energy pact between the United States and India stalled, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday that the nations would nonetheless strengthen their security ties as India looked to embark on a closer — and still contentious — level of military cooperation with the United States.'

International Herald Tribune, 27 Feb 08, by Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Khalid al-Ansary
Gates urges quick end to Turks' military operation in Iraq
'Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged the Turkish military on Wednesday to abandon by mid-March their invasion of guerrilla-controlled lands in the northernmost reaches of Iraq. But Turkish officials said the government had no intention of ending military operations in Iraq before all its targets had been destroyed.'

Washington Post, 28 Feb 08, by Steve Vogel
Walter Reed Health Care Improves, GAO Says
'The Army has significantly improved its support for service members undergoing medical treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other military hospitals, but it still faces shortages of staff and other gaps, GAO officials told a congressional committee yesterday.'

International Herald Tribune, 25 Feb 08, by Mark Mazzetti
U.S. defense chief pledges to aid Indonesian military
'Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday pledged arms upgrades and other Pentagon support for Indonesia, as the Bush administration forges closer ties to a country's military still viewed skeptically by some in Congress for past human rights abuses.'

NewsHour, 22 Feb 08
Battlefield Lessons
[mp3 audio] 'A report on new technologies used in Iraq and throughout the U.S. military medical system to provide wounded soldiers a better chance of surviving.'

American Forces Press Service, 20 Feb 08
Navy Missile Hits Decaying Satellite Over Pacific Ocean
'A network of land, air, sea and spaced-based sensors confirms that the U.S. military intercepted a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite which was in its final orbits before entering the earth's atmosphere, defense officials announced in a press release.'

Press Association, 20 Feb 08
US bids to shoot down spy satellite
'A US Navy heat-seeking missile is getting its first real-world use in an attempt to demolish a crippled US spy satellite before the orbiting craft falls back to Earth. But the targeting of the satellite - which could come on Wednesday night - is not the mission for which this piece of the Pentagon's missile defence network was intended.'

The Independent, 20 Feb 08, by Tom Chivers and agencies
Out-of-control satellite to be shot down tonight
'China and Russia have expressed concerns over the plan, saying that it represents a veiled weapons test and that it is the first step in a new, space-based phase of the arms race.'

ABC News, 19 Feb 08, by Gina Sunseri, Luis Martinez and Ned Potter
Taking Aim at the Spy Satellite
'As soon as the space shuttle Atlantis is safely out of the way, the Navy will take aim this week at a crippled satellite that is hurtling toward Earth. If a missile launched by the Navy succeeds in taking out the bus-sized satellite as streaks across the sky 150 miles up, it will be one of the longest shots ever.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 17 Feb 08
Refusal to send bomb-resistant trucks to Iraq led to marine deaths, study says
'Hundreds of U.S. marines may have been killed or wounded by roadside bombs in Iraq because Marine Corps officials refused an urgent request in 2005 from battlefield commanders for blast-resistant vehicles, a Marine Corps report concludes.'

International Herald Tribune, 13 Feb 08, by Lisa W. Foderaro
For veterans of Iraq war, a long wait for mental help
'The draft report, "Fort Drum: A Great Burden, Inadequate Assistance," which was given to The New York Times last week, was done by Veterans for America, a nonprofit advocacy organization for wounded members of the armed forces.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 07 Feb 08
U.S. confirms it is training Pakistani special forces
'U.S. military advisers are helping the Pakistanis double the size of their elite commando force in a continuing effort to blunt the rising threat of terror groups and anti-government militants operating in Pakistan's unruly tribal areas, a senior Defense Department official said.'

International Herald Tribune, 06 Feb 08, by Mark Mazzetti
Intelligence chief cites Qaeda threat to U.S.
'Al Qaeda is gaining in strength from its refuge in Pakistan and is steadily improving its ability to recruit, train and position operatives capable of carrying out attacks inside the United States, the director of national intelligence told a Senate panel on Tuesday.'

Washington Post, 31 Jan 08, by Thomas E. Ricks
U.S. Commanders in Iraq Favor Pause in Troop Cuts
'Senior U.S. military commanders here say they want to freeze troop reductions starting this summer for at least a month, making it more likely that the next administration will inherit as many troops in Iraq as there were before President Bush announced a "surge" of forces a year ago.'

International Herald Tribune, 30 Jan 08, by Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Thom Shanker
Bush hinting that Iraq troop cuts won't continue
'Four months after announcing troop reductions in Iraq, President George W. Bush is now sending signals that the cuts may not continue past this summer, a development likely to infuriate Democrats and renew concerns among military planners about strains on the force.'

Washington Post, 31 Jan 08, by Dana Priest
Soldier Suicides at Record Level
'Increase Linked to Long Wars, Lack of Army Resources'

Washington Post, 24 Jan 08, by Alec Klein
The Complex Crux Of Wireless Warfare
'Viability of Software for Army Weapons System Questioned'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 23 Jan 08
Army proposal would cut war tours to 12 months from 15
'Soldiers' battlefield tours would be cut from 15 months to 12 months beginning Aug. 1, under a proposal being considered by the Army as part of an effort to reduce the stress on a force battered by more than six years at war.'

International Herald Tribune, 21 Jan 08, by Michael R. Gordon and Eric Schmitt
Pentagon weighs top Iraq general as NATO chief
'The Pentagon is considering General David Petraeus for the top NATO command later this year, a move that would give the general, the top American commander in Iraq, a high-level post during the next administration but that has raised concerns about the practice of rotating war commanders.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Jan 08, by Thom Shanker
U.S. again debates how long to continue Iraq troop pullout
'When they decided last September to begin a slow withdrawal of troops from Iraq, the White House, Pentagon and military brass put off a harder decision about how long those withdrawals should continue. Now that battle is beginning again.'

Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan 08, by Gordon Lubold
A rift over U.S. troop cuts in Iraq
'While General Petraeus is in no hurry for more than five brigades to leave, Secretary Gates weighs a bigger drawdown.'

Washington Post, 17 Jan 08, by Ann Scott Tyson
Army Chief May Shorten Tours In Iraq, Afghanistan by Summer
'Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the Army's chief of staff, said yesterday he hopes to shorten the 15-month tours in Iraq and Afghanistan this summer. The move would end a policy, required by the buildup of nearly 30,000 U.S. troops in Iraq last year, that has placed significant stress on soldiers and their families.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Jan 08, by Mark Mazzetti and Scott Shane
Account of CIA tapes is challenged
'The former Central Intelligence Agency official who authorized the destruction in 2005 of videotapes documenting harsh interrogation of detainees from Al Qaeda gave the order despite apparently being directed to preserve the tapes, the senior Republican on the House Intelligence Committee said Wednesday.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 16 Jan 08
Bush exempts U.S. Navy on sonar use
'President George W. Bush exempted the U.S. Navy from an environmental law so it can continue using sonar in its anti-submarine warfare training off the California coast - a practice critics say is harmful to whales and other marine mammals.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Jan 08, by Thom Shanker
Iran encounter grimly echoes '02 war game
'There is a reason American military officers express grim concern over the tactics used by Iranian sailors last weekend: a classified, $250 million war game in which small, agile speedboats swarmed a naval convoy to inflict devastating damage on more powerful warships.'

Washington Post, 10 Jan 08, by Thomas E. Ricks and Karen DeYoung
For U.S., The Goal Is Now 'Iraqi Solutions'
'In the year since President Bush announced he was changing course in Iraq with a troop "surge" and a new strategy, U.S. military and diplomatic officials have begun their own quiet policy shift. After countless unsuccessful efforts to push Iraqis toward various political, economic and security goals, they have decided to let the Iraqis figure some things out themselves.'

International Herald Tribune, 06 Jan 08, by Thom Shanker
As troops do better on Iraq battlefield, relations with the media improve
'The anguished relationship between the military and U.S. news organizations appears to be on the mend as battlefield successes from the troop increase in Iraq are reflected in more upbeat news coverage.'

International Herald Tribune, 04 Jan 08, by David Johnston
Inquiry into CIA tapes seen as payback for FBI
'The Justice Department's criminal inquiry into the destruction of Central Intelligence Agency interrogation tapes will be carried out largely by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which has been sharply at odds with the CIA over the agency's interrogation practices.'

2007 US Military, the Pentagon and Intelligence archive

"Hunt for the Somali Pirates" airs soon on the National Geographic Channel.
When Somali pirates hijack the Maersk Alabama -- and international headlines -- Navy SEALs launch a sneak attack to rescue the ship's American captain. Pirate Hunters recounts the harrowing five days from hijack to final fatal shots, and reveals sophisticated Navy SEAL training methods that prepare the world's most elite reconnaissance teams for daring missions with no second chances.