ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va. - The Congressional Caucus on Women’s Issues and senior women enlisted military members gathered at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial May 22 for the 16th annual recognition ceremony.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Addressing graduates at the U.S. Naval Academy, President Barack Obama vowed to keep the military strong despite budget uncertainties.

WASHINGTON - New initiatives outlined in the Defense Department’s Better Buying Power 2.0 effort are intended to improve the acquisition process.

Fort George G. Meade, Md. - While recent spotlights have focused on the Defense Information Systems Agency's Field Security Operations approval of Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) for the latest in enterprise technologies, one approval stands out by representing a paradigm shift in the agency's business processes.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has proclaimed Memorial Day, May 27, 2013, “as a day of prayer for permanent peace."

MOORE, Okla. - Accounts continue to emerge of citizen soldiers and airmen coming to the rescue of Oklahoma residents still recovering from a devastating tornado.

WASHINGTON - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter has underscored the importance of the Better Buying Power 2.0 initiative in light of sequestration.

MOORE, Okla. - For Master Sgt. Brian Hardee, a training noncommissoned officer for the 63rd Civil Support Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, worries of his own tornado-damaged property in Moore, Okla., were set aside as he shifted thoughts to assisting his community first.

FORT LEE, Va. - When furloughs are implemented, most military commissaries will close one day a week on Mondays, the Defense Commissary Agency’s top official said. The closures will be for up to 11 days between July 8 and Sept. 30.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban facilitator and two other insurgents during an operation in the Dand district of Kandahar province.

CAVALIER, N.D. - When heavy rain threatened a dam near Cavalier, North Dakota, the call went out from North Dakota National Guard units. Within 12 hours, Guardsmen from communities across eastern North Dakota were on duty.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama vowed to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, saying the prison has become a symbol of an America that flouts the law.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama spoke on U.S. counterterrorism policy and looked at how the United States can defend itself from terrorism, yet remain true to core beliefs.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has directed the Defense Department to implement the guidance President Barack Obama outlined in his national security speech delivered at the National Defense University, including efforts to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

MOORE, Okla. - An Oklahoma Air National Guard airmen is among the residents of Moore, Okla., whose homes were destroyed by a killer tornado.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. - Martial arts expert Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jeremy Meadows is intent on teaching his troops everything he knows while striving to lead by example.

WASHINGTON - Defense leaders will work closely with Veterans Affairs Department counterparts to ensure full integration of health records, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said.

WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders and other volunteers loaded 2,000 care packages for service members abroad at the USO-Sesame Workshop biannual care package service project event on Capitol Hill.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force in Baghlan province’s Baghlan-e Jadid district arrested six insurgents during a search for a Taliban facilitator.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is committed to doing everything it can to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce the claims backlog, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told a Senate panel.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel hosted the Netherlands’ Minister of Defense Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert at the Pentagon, where the leaders discussed the Joint Strike Fighter program, NATO's post-2014 role in Afghanistan, and Syria, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel urged service members, civilian employees and their families to enjoy the upcoming summer, but to do so safely.

WASHINGTON - The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments should be able to create a seamless health records system by the end of the year, Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told reporters.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Students, teachers and parents of the Defense Department’s schools can be confident that despite the department’s upcoming civilian furloughs, the school year will start on time, said Marilee Fitzgerald, the director of the Department of Defense Education Activity.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Joe Biden told the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s graduating class they are entering a world of new threats, some that didn’t even exist when they were born, and that the service’s changing mission means they are not joining “your father’s Coast Guard.”

NEW YORK - In a dedication ceremony in New York, Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, the senior advisor to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, commended students who produced a mural that honors the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and service members who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Sequestration spending cuts are letting 38 more metric tons of cocaine into the United States, said Coast Guard Rear Adm. Charles D. Michel, the director of the Joint Interagency Task Force South.

TAMPA, Fla. - After 12 years of unprecedented demand for special operations forces capability worldwide, Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, the commander of U.S Special Operations Command, is shaping his forces for the future based on his “SOF 2020” vision.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - U.S. Northern Command is coordinating Department of Defense-provided support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state and local response activities in response to tornado-devastated areas in Oklahoma.

LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas - Air Force Tech. Sgt. Shane Buss, who's stationed at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, and his family plan to drop off snacks, water, towels and soap to victims of the deadly tornado that struck Moore, Okla., May 20.

AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy - Air Force 1st Lt. Patrick Bonner and his team of tactical air control party members act as mobile air controllers, coordinating with pilots and ground commanders to deliver airpower, maintaining communications and providing precision close-air support, using aircraft and artillery.

MOORE, Okla. - Oklahoma National Guard soldiers are assisting law enforcement officials and other responders in the wake of a deadly tornado that flattened part of Moore, an Oklahoma City suburb, May 20.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and four other insurgents in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province.

WASHINGTON - The Defense, Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services departments reported on the progress they’ve made on initiatives to improve access to mental health services for veterans, service members and their families.

WASHINGTON - The United States and China, by increasing their dialogue and engagement, can build a foundation of trust while fostering regional security and prosperity, said Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, told members of the National Committee for U.S. China Relations in New York.

NEW YORK - Former Marine Corps sergeant and retired New York City fire captain John Vigiano, who lost two sons on 9/11, is all too familiar with bad days.

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. - Tinker Air Force Base is providing assistance to those affected by the tornado that devastated nearby Moore, Okla.

FORT HAMILTON, N.Y. - The U.S. military’s senior noncommissioned officer administered the oath of enlistment to recruits at the New York Military Entrance Processing Station.

TAMPA, Fla. - Look for big changes in special operations forces after a dozen years of intensive operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Service members and their families will get free admission to more than 2,000 museums nationwide this summer.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith met for a working lunch at the Pentagon, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

FAIRFAX, Va. - The Joint Information Environment isn’t a program, it’s an end state, the Defense Department’s deputy chief information officer for information enterprise said at an industry conference in Fairfax, Va.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Disabled American Veterans and the American Legion today announced a new partnership to help in reducing the compensation claims backlog for veterans.

ARLINGTON, Va. - A board of military and civilian leaders has chosen 30 employers of National Guard and Reserve service members as finalists for the 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

WASHINGTON - Some 250 Oklahoma National Guard members are helping with recovery efforts after a massive tornado pounded an Oklahoma City suburb, killing at least 24 people and leaving neighborhoods, homes and businesses flattened or twisted, a senior Army National Guard leader said.

WASHINGTON - Nearly 250 members of the Oklahoma National Guard are assisting with victim search and security in Moore, Okla., where a monster tornado left dozens dead.

FORT MEADE, Md. - A “DOD Live” blog post compiled by Ian Phillips of Defense Media Activity social media operations at Fort Meade, Md., provides a wide range of resources for people affected directly or indirectly by the deadly tornado that struck Moore, Okla.

WASHINGTON - The American people will stand with their fellow citizens in Oklahoma, President Barack Obama said at the White House.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Nearly 250 members of the Oklahoma National Guard are assisting with victim search and security in Moore, Okla., where a monster tornado left at least 24 dead, including nine children, authorities said.

SONSONATE, El Salvador - Troops participating in the Beyond the Horizon El Salvador 2013 exercise are enjoying hot meals thanks to U.S. Army cooks and a mobile kitchen trailer.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force wounded a senior Taliban leader and arrested another insurgent in the Zharay district of Kandahar province.

WASHINGTON - The United States continues to call on North Korean leaders to exercise restraint and abide by their international obligations, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced the 2013 recipients of the Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials are seeking $79.4 billion in overseas contingency operations funding for fiscal year 2014 and are asking Congress to allow Pentagon officials to reprogram $9.6 billion in fiscal 2013 funding, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Air Force Staff Sgt. Sophia Mantzouris, an Air National Guardsman currently serving in Southwest Asia's heat, also has experienced Antarctica's chilling cold.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested three insurgents during a search for an insurgent leader with ties to the Taliban and Haqqani terrorist networks in the Sabari district of Khost province.

ARLINGTON, Va. - The military's senior enlisted advisors have placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery to mark Armed Forces Day.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has marked Armed Forces Day by expressing gratitude to service members, military families and veterans who keep this nation strong and safe.

WASHINGTON - Sexual assault in the military is a crime and a problem all military members will have to fight, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the United States has an ethical responsibility to assure the well-being of detainees at the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON - In a meeting of the president’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said sexual assault and human trafficking will be met with “absolutely no tolerance” in the Defense Department.

WASHINGTON - Russia’s delivery of advanced weapons to Syria will only embolden the Assad regime and prolong suffering, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said during a Pentagon press briefing with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama praised service members and families in a proclamation declaring this year's observance of Armed Forces Day.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama intends to nominate Army Lt. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti to receive his fourth star and to succeed Army Gen. James D. Thurman as the commander of U.S. Forces in Korea, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced at a Pentagon briefing.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Army Spc. Elizabeth Wasil took three gold medals in the race chair, a bronze medal in the shot put and a bronze in the hand cycle/recumbent cycling race during the 2013 Warrior Games, which concluded May 16 at the Olympic Training Center and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Marine Corps has established a dynasty at the Warrior Games, taking top honors for the fourth year in a row at this year’s competition, which concluded May 16.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel discussed the defense relationship between the United States and Turkey with Turkish officials in a Pentagon meeting, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

FORT MEADE, Md. - The security technical implementation guide for mobile devices using Apple’s iOS6 operating system has been approved, Defense Information Systems Agency officials announced.

SAN DIEGO - Gary Gilbreath at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific in San Diego has provided high-level design for unmanned vehicle software, guiding the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Army, the Marine Corps and industry.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a senior Taliban leader in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Baghlan province.

WASHINGTON - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter welcomed Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to the Pentagon to discuss the military relationship between their nations, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is taking bold steps to provide sound information and proper analysis as it fortifies its cloud computing, acquisition and data processes, a senior Pentagon official said.

WASHINGTON - The crime of sexual assault undermines the trust needed for the U.S. military to do its missions, President Barack Obama said after meeting with his military leaders.

WASHINGTON - In a Rose Garden news conference, President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Syria was a big part of their White House discussions.

MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Growing up as the daughter of missionaries, Army Capt. Kathrine Berberich got a perspective on the world that is foreign to most Americans. It also made her a perfect fit to head Wisconsin’s State Partnership Program with Nicaragua.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Expert Marine archery coaches assisted wounded warrior athletes representng all services and veterans at the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department supports U.S. global health activities because such efforts as preventing and containing lethal outbreaks align with DOD’s mission to help ensure geopolitical stability and security, said Kathleen H. Hicks, the principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.

TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. Special Operations Command is working to take the improved capabilities and processes it has established over the past decade of conflict and build on them for the future.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Retired Air Force Staff Sgt. Zuleika Cruz-Pereira is defying painful injuries she'd received during a duty tour in Iraq to participate in the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo.

WASHINGTON - The 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force remains viable more than a decade after its passing, a panel of defense leaders told Congress.

BRUSSELS - The NATO defense chiefs are moving closer to determining what the post-2014 alliance posture in Afghanistan will look like, Danish Gen. Knud Bartels, the chairman of the Military Committee, said in Brussels.

WASHINGTON - The Missile Defense Agency and Navy sailors aboard the USS Lake Erie conducted a successful flight test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system.

WASHINGTON - Afghan special operations forces and Afghan local police are taking on two distinct, but critical, missions during the transition from NATO to Afghan security responsibility in Afghanistan, said Army Maj. Gen. Tony Thomas, commander of the Special Operations Joint Task Force Afghanistan.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force in the Zurmat district of Afghanistan’s Paktiya province killed an insurgent and arrested four others during a search for a Haqqani network leader who participates in kidnappings throughout the province.

WASHINGTON - For the past eight years U.S. Strategic Command has led Nimble Titan, a series of experimentation campaigns that bring together 22 nations to address missile defense challenges in the coming decade.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel hosted Bosnia-Herzegovina Minister of Defense Zekerijah Osmic at the Pentagon, said Pentagon Press Secretary George Little.

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Sexual assault in the force constitutes a crisis in the military, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters as he returned from NATO meetings in Brussels.

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT - The NATO chiefs of defense discussed what the post-2014 alliance presence in Afghanistan will look like and how it could work, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters after he’d attended two days of meetings in Brussels.

ROSSLYN, Va. - The Defense Department must adjust amid shrinking bandwidth and budgets, a Defense Information Systems Agency official said during a National Spectrum Management Association conference in Rosslyn, Va.

WASHINGTON - As U.S. and coalition conventional forces in Afghanistan prepare to draw down, the special operations community remains committed to a variety of missions there through the end of 2014 and beyond, the commander of U.S. and NATO special operations forces in Afghanistan said.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Jeanette Falu-Bishop, a masseuse and the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Structure for Wounded Warriors, helps heal and relax ill, injured and wounded veterans competing at the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Warrior Games athlete Randall "Blake" McMinn remembers that during his Army career, he was taught to leave behind the possibility of failure and the temptation of quitting.

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey - When he walks into the Dutch Patriot missile headquarters at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, Army Capt. Adam Proctor greets his co-workers in their native language, with a friendly smile.

WASHINGTON - Officials at the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments have produced three public service announcements to help families and friends recognize the signs of potential suicide in veterans and service members.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force wounded a Taliban leader and killed two other insurgents in the Qush Tepah district of Jowzjan province.

TAMPA, Fla. - A new arrangement that gives U.S. Special Operations Command responsibility for manning, training and equipping special operators assigned to regional combatant commands is strengthening the global special operations force network, Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, Socom's commander, said in Tampa, Fla.

TAMPA, Fla. - Outlining his top priorities as he shapes U.S. Special Operations Command for the future, Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, the Socom commander, told a forum of special operators and defense in Tampa, Fla., that it all starts with winning the current fight in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Following Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s announcement that most Defense Department civilian employees will experience up to 11 furlough days from early July through September, senior defense officials emphasized their goal to reduce adverse effects on the workforce and the mission.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered the services to retrain, re-credential and rescreen all sexual assault prevention and response personnel and military recruiters.

WASHINGTON - As he discussed furloughs, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel thanked civilian DOD employees for their service in supporting the nation’s defense.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Many enlisted service members join the military right after high school, but Army Spc. Neil Hood gathered life experience first.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Extremely tough training and experience give the special operations team’s wounded warriors a competitive edge.

WASHINGTON - After weeks of review, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has concluded budget cuts will require most of the department’s civilian employees to be furloughed beginning in July, but that because of other efforts to deal with the shortfall, only half of the 22 days originally envisioned as temporary layoffs will now be necessary.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - As a hush went across the spectators, two Marines, tied in the finals for shooting an air rifle, lined up their final shots in a shoot-off. A tenth of a point on the last shot meant the difference between winning gold and silver for these two Marines.

WASHINGTON - In a message to the Defense Department workforce, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel explained why he “very reluctantly” decided that a historic budget shortfall necessitates up to 11 unpaid furlough days for most of the department’s civilian employees between July 8 and the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that he has signed a memorandum directing defense managers to prepare to furlough most Defense Department civilian employees for up to 11 days between July 8 and the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.

WASHINGTON - In an effort to maximize investments of defense business opportunities during austere times, the Defense Department is seeking to establish a “cost culture,” a senior Pentagon official said.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - After 12 years of war, innovation remains at the heart of meeting security challenges, a senior Pentagon official said during a panel discussion at the National Innovation Summit and Showcase in National Harbor, Md.

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with U.S. military officials in Afghanistan and took an in-person look at the progress of the retrograde as he concluded his weeklong overseas trip.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed a mid-level Taliban leader in the Khanabad district of Afghanistan’s Kunduz province.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. - Recognizing the value of multinational coalitions for operations in the land, maritime and air domains, officials at U.S. Strategic Command hope to forge a coalition that shares assets and capabilities in space.

BRUSSELS - The transition in Afghanistan, the post-2014 NATO mission in the country and the alliance’s transformation in the face of economic hardships were on the docket as NATO’s Military Committee began deliberations in Brussels.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and noted the progress of the Afghan national security forces.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Retired Army Sgt. Joseph C. Smith, who also served in the Marine Corps, wrote the “Creed of the Wounded Warrior” to help others while recovering from his own severe injuries. Those words continue to fuel him now as he competes in the 2013 Warrior Games.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - “I don’t know what I’d do without my family. They’ve really been supportive of everything I do,” Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Ronnie Jimenez said after he'd won the 10-K hand-cycling event at the 2013 Warrior Games held in Colorado Springs, Colo.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama met with British Prime Minister David Cameron at the White House to discuss shared peace in the Middle East, future roles in Afghanistan and other global security developments.

WASHINGTON - In his first blog post as commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe, Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove paid tribute to the legacy of his predecessors and stressed the importance of partnership and family.

MONS, Belgium - Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, NATO’s new supreme allied commander for operations, is no stranger to the alliance or to Europe, having spent a third of his military career in Europe.

MONS, Belgium - NATO has made extraordinary progress in Afghanistan, said Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, who'd passed the Allied Command Operations flag to Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove at a change-of-command ceremony in Mons, Belgium.

MONS, Belgium - NATO’s focus will remain on Afghanistan as Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove succeeds Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis as the alliance’s supreme allied commander, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at a change-of-command ceremony in Mons, Belgium.

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Southwest Asia-deployed Air Force Senior Airman Erik White, a weather airman who issues warnings when lightning strikes take place within five miles of an air base, knows the danger -- he’s a lightning-strike survivor.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and two other insurgents in the Dand district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter met with senior U.S. and Afghan officials in Kabul, Afghanistan, to praise them for their efforts on the transition to Afghan-led security, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - Warrior Games wheelchair basketball athlete and retired Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Sonny Lemerande, who’d served as a hospital corpsman and was wounded in Afghanistan, shares his story, his recovery, and what the Warrior Games mean to him.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Air Force Staff Sgt. Lara Ishikawa found herself part of a trio of female Air Force Warrior Games athletes who'd also survived cancer.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Marine Corps seeks to continue its winning ways and hold onto the Chairman’s Cup at this year's Warrior Games held in Colorado Springs, Colo.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Billy Demby, an Army Vietnam veteran who lost both of his legs in the war, is coaching wheelchair basketball at the Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Special Operations Command athletes showcased their skills during a seated volleyball scrimmage against Prince Harry and the British team at the Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The 2013 Warrior Games began when Navy Lt. Bradley Snyder, with the help of Prince Harry and Olympian Missy Franklin, lit the official torch during the event’s opening ceremonies at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

WASHINGTON - The 200 wounded, injured, and ill service members and veterans competing in this year’s Warrior Games are the best of the best, Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during the event’s opening ceremonies in Colorado Springs, Colo.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan, for meetings with senior U.S. and Afghan officials.

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti’s minister of foreign affairs, agreed to establish a bilateral strategic and defense forum during a meeting in Djibouti City, Djibouti.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Former Marine Staff Sgt. Matthew Benack is the one to watch at the 2013 Warrior Games that start today in Colorado Springs, Colo., and finish May 16. Benack will test his skills in the archery, air rifle and pistol competitions.

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter arrived in Djibouti for meetings with senior Djiboutian and U.S. officials.

BETHESDA, Md. - Britain’s Prince Harry visited the Walter Reed National Medical Center to speak with wounded warriors and see cutting-edge treatments being used to care for them.

WASHINGTON - Britain’s Prince Harry received a 21-gun salute upon arrival at Arlington National Cemetery, where he placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

WASHINGTON - Thousands of military moms deployed around the world will observe a subdued Mother’s Day on May 12, relying on technology, care packages and family photos to help bridge the miles between them and their children.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department worked closely with other federal agencies in support of the National Security Staff effort that generated the National Strategy for the Arctic Region, a senior Pentagon official said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department Comptroller Robert F. Hale has told a Senate panel the severe and abrupt budget cuts imposed by sequestration are devastating the U.S. armed forces.

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany - An officer recognized as the top sexual assault response coordinator for the Marine Corps has received her Defense Department-level award at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.

WASHINGTON - Resilience is the key to dealing with the uncertainty of life, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told graduates at Arizona State University in Tempe.

STUTTGART, Germany - The Defense Department understands the strategic and political importance of Africa, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Africom personnel.

ROCHESTER, Ill. - A mother who is also an Illinois National Guardsman reflects on the value of family while deployed.

WASHINGTON - Though the six veterans whose service era spanned the Civil War to Vietnam had no known relatives to see them rendered full honors and final respects at Arlington National Cemetery, they were not forgotten.

STUTTGART, Germany - Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove took command of U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, during a ceremony with Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter presiding.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. is working with allies and partners to comprehensively address the political, economic and security uncertainty, and the threats of extremism and proliferation, that beset Middle East, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said.

WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, hosted 170 military mothers and children at the White House for a formal Mother’s Day tea.

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. - A group of NATO officials learned about work being done to support the extended nuclear deterrence mission and broader national security programs during a three-day visit to Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - Members of the North American Aerospace Defense Command celebrated the U.S. and Candadian binational oganization's 55th anniversary in its Colorado headquarters.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is on track to meet the requirements of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, as it also modernizing its ballistic missile defense capabilities, a senior defense official told Congress.

WASHINGTON - Senior defense officials underscored the importance of ballistic missile defense modernization efforts requested in the fiscal 2014 budget proposal during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON - The wife of an Air National Guardsman who created support groups for military families and businesses has been selected as the 2013 Military Spouse of the Year.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has issued a proclamation declaring May 10 as Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

STUTTGART, Germany - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter arrived in Stuttgart,Germany, for meetings with senior U.S. officials and to preside over tomorrow’s U.S. European Command change of command.

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - Wounded warrior Army Staff Sgt. Michael Lage and other wounded, ill or injured service members as well as military retirees are preparing to compete at the 2013 Warrior Games to be held May 11-16 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

WASHINGTON - Thousands of Defense Department personnel are joining their interagency partners in fine-tuning their disaster-response processes in the annual Ardent Sentry Exercise just ahead of the upcoming hurricane and wildfire seasons.

WASHINGTON - The Air Force’s aggressive response when missile-launch crews at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., fell short of established standards during an inspection in March underscores the integrity of the nuclear weapons program, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command told Congress.

PORT HUENEME, Calif. - When the Camarillo Springs wildfire came dangerously close to homes and neighborhoods, California National Guard members were among those who responded to protect their own homes and communities.

FORT MEADE, Md. - New security technical implementation guides for BlackBerry and Samsung Knox devices will allow the Defense Department to use those devices as part of approved mobility pilots in a secure enterprise mobility environment.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WALTON, Afghanistan - Army Sgt. 1st Class Lester Parks Sr. and his son, Army 1st Lt. Lester Parks Jr., have deployed to Afghanistan before, but this time they are serving together.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani network attack facilitator and another insurgent in the Pul-e Alam district of Afghanistan’s Logar province.

WASHINGTON - Libraries across the Defense Department will begin offering the fourth annual Summer Reading Program to students on their installations to promote reading fun.

WASHINGTON - When Fort Carson, Colo., reduced its identification card waiting time from 45 minutes to five minutes, it was a mile marker in the Defense Department’s goal to cut the waiting process, a DOD official said.

WASHINGTON - Thirty-four Defense Department civilian employees were honored for displaying honor, integrity and excellence in the workplace.

WASHINGTON - More than 200 wounded, ill and injured service members will compete in the fourth annual Warrior Games at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - TRICARE West Region Prime enrollees referred for specialty care from April 1 up to May 18 do not need authorization before seeking care.

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Air Force Master Sgt. John P. Garcia Jr. boosts the morale of his fellow service members deployed to Southwest Asia through his signature guacamole.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has cooperated fully with Congress and the State Department on the investigation into the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that led to the death of four U.S. citizens, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has launched new initiatives to broaden TBI research, treatment and education as facilities and programs come online, DOD’s top doctor said.

WASHINGTON - Senior Defense Department civilian and military leaders are deeply committed to making the necessary changes to prevent sexual assault and to act quickly and appropriately when it does occur, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in a blog entry.

WASHINGTON - The 60-year alliance between the United States and South Korea started as a military treaty to defend the south from the communist north, but it has grown to become an unbreakable bond between two countries that share friendship and values, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany - As Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove prepares to take command of U.S. European Command and NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, he acknowledged U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa airmen and their importance to the United States' national defense strategy.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and three other insurgents during an operation in the Panjwa’i district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.

WASHINGTON - Allegations of sexual misconduct against an Air Force officer in charge of preventing sex crimes within the service underscored the importance of Defense Secretary Hagel’s effort to prevent sexual assault across the military.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is adopting a new strategy to end sexual assault within the military, the director of the Pentagon’s sexual assault prevention and response office said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is vowing to change the culture that allows sexual assault to be a serious problem for the military.

WASHINGTON - President Obama says the United States has both a moral obligation and a national security interest in ending the slaughter in Syria.

WASHINGTON - Sexual assault is a long-term problem for the military, and it will take time to combat it, the director of the Defense Department’s sexual assault prevention and response office said.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye have agreed that North Korea must stop provocations in order to end its isolation.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is at a strategic crossroads, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters at the National Press Club.

WASHINGTON - The world is becoming more uncertain and the Army is adjusting, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray T. Odierno said.

WASHINGTON - A new office in the Pentagon will look at ways to use landpower more effectively, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray T. Odierno said.

WASHINGTON - A smaller Army still needs to be ready, and sequester issues on top of previous budget cuts are impacting readiness accounts, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray T. Odierno said.

WASHINGTON - As he prepares to turn over command next week of both U.S. European Command and NATO’s Allied Command Operations, Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the senior U.S. officer in Europe, said he’s confident in NATO’s future.

FORT MCCOY, Wis. - Cooking for the force is no small undertaking, but Army Pfc. Xavier Vasquez is up to the challenge and says it is an honor for him to serve his fellow soldiers in the dining facility during Warrior Exercise 2013 on Forward Operating Base Liberty on Fort McCoy, Wis.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and three other insurgents during an operation in the Lashkar Gah district of Helmand province.

WASHINGTON - A Defense Department report released today describes China’s military modernization and the Chinese army’s interaction with other forces, including those of the United States, a senior Pentagon official said.

WASHINGTON - The long-term interests of the defense industry and the Defense Department are aligned, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said at a ceremony where he accepted the Eisenhower Award from the National Defense Industrial Association.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel hosted Secretary of State John F. Kerry at the Pentagon for a working lunch to discuss a range of national security issues.

WASHINGTON - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned that further cuts in defense spending by European nations risk reducing the continent’s defense and security to “hot air,” turning the alliance into what he called a “global spectator” rather than a real force on the world stage.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Defense Education Activity’s Teacher of the Year, along with other National Teacher of the Year finalists, spent a week touring the nation’s capital, a visit that included a chance to meet President Barack Obama at the White House.

FORT MCCOY, Wis. - Taking care of the force is something Army Staff Sgt. Megan Appleby feels is her lifelong calling.

PORT HUENEME, Calif. - The California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing is providing two specialized firefighting C-130J aircraft and crews to assist with wildfires raging across the state.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force in the Nahrin district of Afghanistan’s Baghlan province killed an insurgent during a search for the district’s ranking Taliban leader.

WASHINGTON - Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, told a gathering of military wives that the deployment of her son Beau to Iraq in 2008 made her realize the sacrifices military families repeatedly endure, a hardship she said most Americans will never know.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, honored 300 fallen military medical professionals for their ultimate sacrifice during a remembrance ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

WASHINGTON - It’s not yet time to take an eye off the Balkans, Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the top U.S. military commander in Europe, wrote in a blog post.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon officials followed up on Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s statement that the United States is looking at arming the Syrian opposition, saying it is important to refine options as the situation on the ground changes.

WASHINGTON - Internet posts making the rounds claiming that the Defense Department will court-martial service members who espouse Christianity are not true, a Pentagon spokesman said.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker aircraft crashed in northern Kyrgyzstan, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon officials approved the security technical implementation guides for BlackBerry 10 smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets with BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, as well as Samsung's Android Knox, to be used on Defense Department networks.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Before starting his second season in the National Football League, Army Reserve 1st Lt. Collin Mooney embarked on a two-week tour of area schools to support Army recruiting.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force in the Burkah district of Baghlan province killed Jamal, a senior insurgent leader who had ties to both the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

WASHINGTON - The United States and the United Kingdom are looking for ways to deepen an already close military-to-military relationship, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond told reporters following their meeting at the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON - All four active services and five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal year 2013 through March, Pentagon officials reported.

WASHINGTON - North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities and development of long-range ballistic missile programs make it one of the most critical U.S. security challenges in Northeast Asia, according to a Defense Department report.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Five pictures taken by Defense Department photographers have been selected to be a part of the Patriot Plaza at the Sarasota National Cemetery in Sarasota, Fla.

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - Afghanistan combat veteran Army Sgt. 1st Class Greg Robinson is the first soldier with an amputated limb and prosthetic to complete the grueling Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, Ky.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed a Haqqani network leader and another insurgent during an operation in the Zurmat district of Paktia province.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is committed to helping military spouses find jobs and offers resources for education, training and networking, said Meg O'Grady, the department’s spouse employment and career opportunities program manager.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department leaders continue to work on options and refine plans to respond to the situation in Syria if called upon, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met with Colombian Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzón at the Pentagon to discuss the close security partnership between the United States and Colombia, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will make a decision soon on the scope of civilian furloughs in response to sequestration spending cuts, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - A year ago in Afghanistan, Army Sgt. James Hayes used his mechanic's training to save the life of a fellow soldier who was pinned under the top of a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle after it was flipped by an exploding improvised explosive device.

WASHINGTON - Army leaders may not make the best advocates when it comes to convincing Congress and the American people which systems soldiers really need, Army Secretary John M. McHugh said.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and two other insurgents in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department continues to encourage military families to sidestep debt by creating a feasible spending plan and using available resources for achieving financial stability, said Barbara Thompson, director of DOD’s office of family policy and children and youth.