Military and Defense

American troops are among those killed in a Wednesday suicide bombing in northern Syria, according to a spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS. “U.S. service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria today. We are still gathering information and will share additional details at a later time,” the coalition ...

Anyone who doubts whether the world is once again immersed in great power competition should read the 2019 China Military Power Report released today by the Defense Intelligence Agency. The 140-page booklet explains China’s strategy and its efforts to supplant the United States and impose its rules on the international order. In a preface to the report, Army Lt. Gen. ...

The Department of Defense announced Monday that it will continue to support DHS along the U.S. – Mexico border until late 2019. In response to the December 27, 2018 request from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Acting Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan approved Department of Defense assistance to DHS through Sept. 30, 2019. DOD is transitioning its support at ...

Marine Corps Col. Donald Cook wasn’t in Vietnam long before he was captured, but the nearly three years he spent as a prisoner of war defined his legacy and earned him the Medal of Honor. Cook was born in Brooklyn, New York, in August 1934. He worked summers at a naval shipyard in college before graduating in 1956. Within a ...

By Joseph Hammond Sgt. Tara-Lyn Baker is the first woman to become part of the frozen few. Over six grueling weeks, Sgt. Baker demonstrated a range of combat skills in snow and ice to complete the winter mountain leaders course at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, California. A video published by the U.S. Marine Corp Times shows ...

Regal announces an exclusive opportunity for active duty and veteran U.S. military to see Sony Pictures’ A Dog’s Way Home for free at their local theatres now through Sunday, Jan. 13. In collaboration with Sony Pictures, Regal will offer these free tickets at all Regal locations showing A Dog’s Way Home. “Regal and Sony Pictures are pleased to collaborate and ...

Operation Desert Storm was the first major foreign crisis for the United States after the end of the Cold War. On Aug. 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein led a well-equipped Iraqi army into Kuwait, a major supplier of oil to the United States. The U.S. had supplied Iraq with military aid during its eight-year war with Iran, giving Iraq the fourth-largest ...

A double amputee Iraq war veteran who beat his demons by practicing yoga, credits the sport and art form for turning his life around. Now-retired Army staff sergeant Dan Nevins, 46, had his legs blasted off in an explosion while he was serving a tour in Iraq in 2004, The Washington Post reported Friday. He endured 36 surgeries, had both legs ...

A lot of people think that if you’re in the Air Force, you’re flying a plane. But in reality, less than 4 percent of airmen are pilots. The majority of airmen serve in supporting roles, one of the largest of which is that of the aircraft maintainer. “[Maintainers] have more responsibility than the majority of airmen in the Air Force,” ...

National Security Advisor John Bolton appeared to contradict the White House Sunday when he said that the United States withdrawal from Syria would not be immediate, but the Pentagon announced Thursday that without receiving any new direction, they’re moving forward with the mission. “Timetables or the timing of the withdrawal occurs as a result of the fulfillment of the conditions and ...

Army Sgt. Richard McDonald, a military police soldier assigned to the U.S. Army Central commander’s protective service detail, was recently certified as a master combatives instructor. Now, McDonald, along with other Arcent personnel, leads a group of soldiers in obtaining their Modern Army Combatives Program Level 2 certification at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Hometown: Haskell, Arkansas Unit: 984th Military Police Co., ...

The Navy will commission its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Wichita (LCS 13), during a 10 a.m. ceremony Saturday, Jan. 12, at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., near Jacksonville, where the ship will be homeported. U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas will deliver the commissioning ceremony’s principal address. Kate Lehrer, author and wife of Wichita native Jim ...

WASHINGTON — This week the United States Department of Defense (DoD) launched the Defense-Industry Talent Exchange Pilot Program. This acquisition-focused pilot program will enable 13 DoD and private sector participants to gain a better understanding of each other’s business operations, and share innovative best practices. “I am very excited about this groundbreaking program because it gives our DoD acquisition professionals ...

If you went to war for the U.S. before World War II, you were left to your own devices for education, housing and job training when you returned to civilian life. It wasn’t exactly easy, because college and homeownership weren’t attainable dreams for the average American at the time. That’s why the GI Bill of Rights was created 75 years ago ...

Eric D. Chewning has accepted the position of chief of staff to the secretary of defense. Mr. Chewning brings an array of military and industry experience to the role. Since October 2017, Mr. Chewning served the administration as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial policy. Mr. Chewning’s initial service to our nation occurred when he left his position as ...