WASHINGTON - The United States must be prepared to sustain its special operations forces during fiscally constraining times and the new defense strategic guidance for reduced spending has taken that into account, a senior Pentagon official said.

WASHINGTON - The United States hasn’t seen a large-scale terrorist attack since 9/11 because U.S. forces have crushed al-Qaida over the last decade, Michael A. Sheehan, assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, said.

WASHINGTON - A medical exercise under way in Tanzania, featuring the parcipitation of about 20 U.S. soldiers along with Army Department civilians, is building strong bridges between the U.S. and Tanzanian militaries.

WASHINGTON - The United States and Japan have agreed to “delink” two aspects of the planned relocation of U.S. forces in Japan.

WASHINGTON - The Taliban are responsible for the rising civilian death toll in Afghanistan, said Army Lt. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, commander of ISAF Joint Command.

WASHINGTON - Afghan national security forces and the International Security Assistance Force have the right plan, the momentum and the will to succeed in the country, said Army Lt. Gen.Curtis M. Scaparrotti, the commander of ISAF Joint Command.

MIAMI - The United States is joining with European and Western Hemisphere partners in a multinational effort targeting illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force captured two Taliban leaders during an operation in the Lashkar Gah district of Helmand province.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon officials say they’re all for a “New York-style tickertape parade” honoring combat troops who served in Iraq, but bowing to the military leadership’s wishes, agree that the best time to do so is after all combat troops have returned home from Afghanistan as well.

WASHINGTON - Another state has joined an interstate agreement to ease school transitions for children from military families, bringing the overall tally of member states to 40 nationwide.

WASHINGTON - February 20 is the contest deadline to submit photos is for an exhibit titled “Serving Abroad … Through Their Eyes,” which will depict the daily life of U.S. military deployments and overseas assignments.

WASHINGTON - While the U.S. military will shrink in the coming years, the contracting career field will buck the trend and grow, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center officials said.

WASHINGTON - The demands of 10 years of war have driven special operations and general-purpose forces closer together, Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, said.

FORT MEADE, Md. - A new program is helping partner nations develop public affairs expertise to address challenges not only at home, but also as they participate in coalition operations around the world.

WASHINGTON - It once was thought that servicewomen neither were exposed to the same combat situations as men nor developed the same psychological injuries. But officials now recognize otherwise and are working to address those injuries in women.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's acquisitions, technology and logistics office will need the brightest, most cost-conscious staff asking tough, introspective questions to meet future strategic and budgetary demands, said Frank Kendall, ATL's acting director.

FORT LEE, Va. - Latorial Faison, an educator, military spouse and poet, believes "writing is risky because you have to say what you feel, be truthful."

WASHINGTON - Pentagon Press Secretary George Little traded a range of 140-character questions and answers with hundreds of users of the online social networking service Twitter during a Defense Department virtual town hall.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province.

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas - The Defense Department’s Military Working Dog Breeding Program on Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio provides military working dogs to every service branch.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and Japanese representatives met to discuss changes under consideration to agreements on the realignment of U.S. forces in the Pacific, which include the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has nominated Lt. Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger to the rank of general and commander of Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, potentially making her the Air Force’s first female four-star general, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has announced.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will honor Iraq War veterans and their families during a dinner at the White House later this month, White House officials have announced.

WASHINGTON - Armed attacks by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime that have killed and wounded thousands of citizens since last January are “utterly deplorable,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

SAN ANTONIO - Future miltary working dogs from the Defense Department’s Military Working Dog Breeding Program on Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio first enjoy several months of love with local volunteer foster care families.

BETHESDA, Md. - Super Bowl festivities were in full swing at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, as hundreds of wounded warriors, their families and big-name celebrities gathered recently for the big game.

WASHINGTON - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey's just-released Strategic Direction to the Joint Force outlines how the U.S. military will transition to a more efficient fighting force to confront present and future threats.

WASHINGTON - A recently published rule modifies the way major defense contractors report to the Defense Department on how their independent research and development projects enhance communication between government and industry.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Culinary specialist Navy Seaman Apprentice Justin Cramer said his chef's training in Santa Barbara, Calif., will enable him to improve the food for the crew aboard the nuclear submarine USS California.

WASHINGTON - An International Security Assistance Force helicopter crew have been safely recovered and moved to a nearby base after their aircraft crashed in eastern Afghanistan.

KABUL, Afghanistan - U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, International Security Assistance Force commander, said he finds a United Nations report that notes a decline in coalition-related civilian casualties "promising, but there is more work to be done."

FORT HOOD, Texas - Army Brig. Gen. Terence J. Hildner, who commanded the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), died of apparent natural causes Feb. 3 in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to Fort Hood, Texas, officials.

USS ENTERPRISE AT SEA - House Armed Services Committee leaders and other senior guests visited the USS Enterprise in the Atlantic Ocean as the 50-year-old nuclear aircraft carrier prepared to participate in the Bold Alligator 2012 naval amphibious operations exercise.

MUNICH - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has called for European nations to match the United States’ vote of confidence in the transatlantic partnership, through investment in common defense and commitment to a long-term solution in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Operation Deep Freeze, the Defense Department’s support mission in Antarctica, is beginning to wind down after another successful season of transporting millions of pounds of cargo and thousands of passengers to the icy destination.

WASHINGTON - Maintaining morale is an essential aspect of any service member's life. To keep spirits high, American Forces Radio and Television Service will broadcast Super Bowl XLVI to service members worldwide so they can root for their favorite team on game day.

WASHINGTON - Within the last two years, Arlington National Cemetery has seen much progress in correcting gravesite deficiencies, increasing customer service, and instituting effective computer recordkeeping, the Army’s inspector general told members of Congress.

WASHINGTON - During a Pentagon press conference, Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz detailed force structure changes that will be made in the service over the next year.

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT - The NATO defense meetings that concluded in Brussels were “very productive” on alliance issues ranging from Afghanistan to Kosovo to smart defense, a senior defense official told reporters.

LANDSTUHL, Germany - Some 150 U.S. service members gathered at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, to join U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta as he honored the service and sacrifice of U.S. military nurses.

ARLINGTON, Va. - President Barack Obama continued his commitment to improving employment among veterans by introducing an initiative to hire them as the country’s first responders during an event held in Arlington, Va.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE and LANDSTUHL, Germany - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta paused between a NATO defense ministerial and the annual Munich security conference to visit with U.S. service members at Ramstein Air Base and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

WASHINGTON - The director fo the Armed Forces Tax Council explains how the Thrift Savings Plan's new Roth option can help save troops money, and he also provides tips for making the most of their military tax benefits.

WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, have announced the 20 finalists that will compete for top honors in the Joining Forces Campaign's Community Challenge.

WASHINGTON - Air Force Capt. Stan Maczek has become fascinated by his new hobby: conducting paranormal research to investigate haunted places and hunt down ghosts.

WASHINGTON - High school students got an inside look at Defense Department information technology jobs during a Pentagon event that showcased the wide variety of opportunities available in the field.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader and detained one additional suspected insurgent during an operation in the Nahr-E Saraj district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

BRUSSELS - NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels this week agreed on a clear message: they are committed to a transition to Afghan security force control, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

WASHINGTON - On the final day of the 2012 Military Health System Conference, the Defense Department’s top health affairs official called for more collaboration, transformation and organizational courage to carry on the system's reputation for excellence.

WASHINGTON - The threat to U.S.-based computer networks is one of the country’s most pressing security problems, and Congress needs to act on it soon, the director of national intelligence told a congressional panel.

WASHINGTON - A transition to Afghan security lead in the country in 2013 is a prudent step, but one that doesn’t change the December 2014 deadline for NATO to end combat operations in the country, Pentagon officials said.

WASHINGTON - Service members now will receive imminent danger pay only for days they actually spend in hazardous areas, Pentagon officials said. The change came as a result of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law Dec. 31.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader and detained an additional suspected insurgent during an operation in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

FORT POLK, La. - As Army Pvt. Larry Corwin prepares to deploy to Afghanistan, he is getting the training he needs on Fort Polk, La., and gaining the confidence of his leaders.

BALTIMORE - Six months after arriving at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center to help train Air Force medical personnel in trauma care, its program director already sees potential to expand the training experience and ensure airmen develop stronger skill retention.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department needs another round of base realignments and closures if the military is to retain its balance as it cuts $487 billion over the next decade, said Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

WASHINGTON - As the U.S. military faces a constrained budget environment in the years ahead, it will build on experience gained in expansions and contractions throughout its history, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

WASHINGTON - The USO has adapted to the needs of service members and their families throughout its 71-year history and continues to serve America’s troops as it works to educate others about the invisible wounds of war, a senior executive of the organization said.

WASHINGTON - Federal officials are urging military members, their families and other Americans living outside the United States to register to vote and request an absentee ballot.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s drug-testing program is expanding to add screening for the prescription medications hydrocodone and benzodiazepines to the range of legal and illegal drugs it currently detects.

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said he will stress during this week’s NATO defense ministers conference that ongoing coalition commitment is essential to success in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The same budget constraints that are helping to produce a smaller, more agile and technologically enabled joint force by 2020 also will drive the growth of innovation in the Defense Department, said Kathleen Hicks, deputy undersecretary of defense for strategy, plans and forces.

WASHINGTON - Agreements signed last week in the Canadian capital of Ottawa created a roadmap for U.S. and Canadian officials to work together more smoothly in the event of a natural disaster or attack.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is part of a federal government effort to end human trafficking, a form of modern slavery that forces millions of men, women and children around the world into forced labor, prostitution, involuntary servitude and debt bondage.

WASHINGTON - The recently released movie, “Red Tails,” tells the story of the famed hard-fighting Tuskegee Airmen, African-American Army Air Corps fighter pilots who sucessfully protected U.S. bombers from the fury of the German Luftwaffe during World War II.

BALTIMORE - Doctors at Baltimore's prestigious shock trauma center - the first and highest-volume shock trauma in the country - are providing pre-deployment training to Air Force medical professionals heading to Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader and detained multiple suspected insurgents during an operation in the Kandahar district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.

FORT MEADE, Md. - Air Force Lt. Col. Rodney Lewis, a White House Fellow, is helping First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, in their "Joining Forces" program effort to rally national support for troops and their families.

PHILADELPHIA - When U.S. military forces serving in Afghanistan watch the New England Patriots and New York Giants battle it out in this year’s Super Bowl, they can enjoy a wide variety of American finger foods, thanks to the efforts of the Defense Logistics Agency.