Sep 14 House passes $1.2 trillion spending bill By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press The massive measure wraps the 12 annual spending bills into one and is the first time in more than a decade that the House has passed all of the appropriations bills in one fashion or the other by Sept. 30,… Continue reading
Aug 30 Pentagon admits U.S. has more troops in Afghanistan than previously reported By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press Military officials have long quietly acknowledged there were far more forces in the country than the cap allowed, but commanders shuffled troops in and out, labeled many "temporary," and used other personnel accounting tactics to artificially keep the public count… Continue reading
Aug 28 What we know about the missile North Korea fired over Japan By Erica R. Hendry Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he and President Donald Trump are calling for an emergency meeting of the U.N. security council. Continue reading
Aug 26 In the Persian Gulf, Iran’s drones pose rising threat to U.S. By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press To counter the threat, Pentagon experts are searching for new ways to deter, defeat or disable the drones. Continue reading
Aug 22 Mattis in Baghdad to meet with Iraqi leaders, U.S. commanders By Robert Burns, Associated Press Islamic State militants, driven from their main stronghold in northern Iraq, are trapped in a military vise that will squeeze them on both sides of the Syria-Iraq border, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said. Continue reading
Aug 18 Trump approves plan to create independent cyber command By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press President Donald Trump has approved a long-delayed Pentagon plan to create an independent and more aggressive cyber command. Continue reading
Aug 07 Military leaders get OK to shoot down drones over bases By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press He said the new policy provides details about the actions the military can take to stop any threat, including destroying or seizing any unmanned aircraft — including the smaller ones that the general public can easily buy — that is… Continue reading
Jul 27 House GOP passes $788 billion spending bill that boosts Pentagon budget, border wall By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press The 235-192 vote both eases a large backlog of unfinished spending bills and gives Trump and his House GOP allies political wins heading into the August recess. Continue reading
Jul 21 U.S. still debating ‘big ideas’ on Afghan plan, says Mattis By Robert Burns, Associated Press Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the Trump administration is still trying to get right what he calls "the big ideas" for a new Afghanistan war strategy. Mattis was asked what is holding up the administration's strategy review at an impromptu… Continue reading
Jul 01 AP report: Military chiefs have six more months to review transgender enlistments By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press The delay in allowing the enlistment of new recruits does not affect transgender troops who are already serving openly in the military. Continue reading