BAGHDAD, Iraq - A riot in a U.S.-run prison in southern Iraq shortly after noon today left four detainees dead and six others injured, U.S. officials said.

WASHINGTON - Now when America wants to show it cares for its servicemembers, it can "care enough to send the very best."

HEYCHEL AREA, Iraq - As Task Force 1-27 Infantry soldiers hunted down suspected terrorists during Operation Wolfhound Fury II, the mission also had a whole different side -- providing humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to the Iraqi people in this remote area.

HERAT, Afghanistan - Police tactical advisory teams have the enormous task of training and equipping police throughout Afghanistan. One group in Herat province has found success teaching their lessons outside the classroom.

WASHINGTON - A nonprofit foundation created by a military- related credit union has expanded its services to help servicemembers and veterans deal with more than just their finances.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Active duty soldiers here who are preparing to go back to civilian life get plenty of help if they're thinking about continuing their service in the National Guard or Army Reserve.

ABOARD THE USS BONHOMME RICHARD - "That I contributed something meaningful to society, that I didn't just sit back and watch and say, 'I could have done something,'" is what Marine 1st Lt. Marc Lewis's service means to him.

WASHINGTON - A day after Iraq's first free election in 50 years passed with success, military officials reported that four Marines have been killed in action.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - By any measure, the Jan. 30 Iraqi elections for a national assembly were a success. Members of the Independent Electoral Commission for Iraq said the elections exceeded their expectations.

WASHINGTON - The rise of democracy in Iraq is a "blow right to the heart of the global terrorism," a major American ally said today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today praised Iraqis for their courage and commitment in the face of threats and violence, which made elections possible throughout their country.

WASHINGTON - Multinational forces caught seven insurgents believed responsible for the rocket attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 29.

WASHINGTON - A British military C-130 transport plane crashed about 25 miles northwest of Baghdad today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Today, the Iraqi people let it be known they understand and value democracy.

WASHINGTON - As Iraqis headed to the polls, most for the first time in a democratic election, the process progressed better than expected, the newly confirmed top U.S. diplomat said today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - "Iraqis have proved today that the strength of their votes are more powerful than the strength or the effects of bullets or terrorism," said interim Iraqi Vice President Ibrahim Jafari.

WASHINGTON - After being shot at while patrolling in the Mosul, Iraq, area, soldiers of the 2nd Squadron, 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment tracked down and detained six people suspected of being involved in the attack.

WASHINGTON - "Tomorrow the world will witness a turning point in the history of Iraq, a milestone in the advance of freedom, and a crucial advance in the war on terror," President George W. Bush told the nation and the world today in his weekly radio address.

WASHINGTON - Thirteen weapons caches were discovered and taken off the streets throughout Afghanistan since Jan. 24, a U.S. military spokesman said during a press conference in Kabul today.

CAMP TIGERLAND, Iraq - "It's all about services," said Army Capt. Jessy Yeates, manager of essential services for the 256th Brigade Combat Team. "It's all about getting services to the people."

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Editor's Note: AFPS reporter Jim Garamone has traveled in Iraq since early January, covering the many news aspects about multinational and Iraqi security forces' efforts in preparation for upcoming Jan. 30 elections. During his travels, he's come upon interesting aspects of life in Iraq.

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - "When my drill instructor came charging out asking, 'Who's the joker who thinks he's from the North Pole?' I knew I was in for it," Sgt. Brian F. Shelton, a Marine with 2d Tank Battalion here, said.

CHUKSAMET, Thailand - With a shallow draft only about 14 feet and the capacity to move 530 tons of cargo alone, the WestPac Express can get nearly an entire reinforced Marine battalion and its gear anywhere it needs to go, the ship's civilian captain Ken Kujala said.

WASHINGTON - Iraq's Jan. 30 elections mark "the beginning of the end of the miseries and difficulties that the people of Iraq have endured for so many decades," Iraq's interim deputy prime minister told Pentagon reporters today during a videoconference from Baghdad.

PRISTINA, Kosovo - A U.S. led team of multinational troops recently provided clothing, linens, hygiene items and toys contained in American-donated care packages to more than 70 needy families in Gllogoc- Glogovac municipality, Kosovo.

WASHINGTON - A spokesman for the Hawaii-based Marine unit that lost 26 Marines and one sailor from the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that killed 31 troops in Iraq says the incident has impacted Marines like the 1983 Beirut bombing.

WASHINGTON - "Freedom is on the march, and the world is better for it," President Bush said here today, referring to Jan. 30 elections in Iraq and recent successful, peaceful elections in Afghanistan, Ukraine and the Palestinian territories.

NEW CAROLLTON, Md. - Iraqi citizens, many who fled their native country for the United States to escape Saddam Hussein's brutality, came here today to take part in something they never thought they'd live to see: Iraq's first free elections in more than six decades.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad helicopter crashed in the southwestern portion of the Iraqi capital about 8 p.m. local time today.

CAMP TIGERLAND, Iraq - On the support side, there is probably no tougher job than extracting the main gun on an M-1A1 Abrams tank.

WASHINGTON - Iraqis are planning and implementing their own elections Jan. 30, and American and other coalition forces will operate only in support roles, a senior U.S. officer explained Jan. 27.

WASHINGTON - Multinational forces from the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) and Iraqi regular army soldiers captured seven insurgents in the Mosul area Jan. 27 during continuing efforts to ensure security for national elections Jan. 30.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Baghdad soldiers discovered three improvised explosive devices while patrolling the streets of the Iraqi capital early today and late last night.

WASHINGTON - An improvised explosive device detonated at about 2 p.m. today in southern Baghdad, Iraq, killing one Task Force Baghdad soldier and wounding three others.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. ambassador to Iraq said he expects millions of Iraqis to go to the polls this weekend during what he called "a major stride toward freedom on the part of the Iraqi people."

WASHINGTON - When Carol Mutter joined the Marine Corps nearly 40 years ago, women were not allowed to be admirals or generals and could make up no more than two percent of the U.S. armed forces.

WASHINGTON - Transformation has taken hold across the Defense Department and "will be with us a very, very long time," DoD's top transformational thinker said here today.

WASHINGTON - DoD is launching a new preventive healthcare program called "Healthy Choices for Life," the department's senior medical adviser announced here Jan. 26.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's senior medical adviser said that troops redeployed from combat zones should suffer no stigma for seeking help for emotional problems.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Air Expeditionary Force Rotations 1 and 2 "turns on final," as about 700 airmen assigned to AEF Rotations 3 and 4 are slated to hit the ground here in coming weeks.

WASHINGTON - The interim Iraqi government is taking active steps to reduce the likelihood of violence on election day while encouraging Iraqis to vote, Iraq's minister of state for national security told Pentagon reporters today during a videoconference from Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - President Bush told Al Arabiya Television that he has confidence in the Iraqi people and a hope they will defy terrorist threats regarding national elections Jan. 30.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan National Army soldier fired on fellow soldiers early today inside a coalition fire base in Helmand Province, killing five and wounding six ANA soldiers before being shot and killed by other Afghan soldiers, U.S. military officials in Kabul reported.

WASHINGTON - A Marine was killed in action south of Baghdad and a soldier died from a gunshot wound today, according to military officials in Iraq. A roadside bomb explosion killed another soldier Jan. 26.

WASHINGTON - What's happening today in Iraq is revolutionary in political terms, with millions of Iraqis expected to go to the polls this weekend, the commander of U.S. forces in Southwest Asia told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee Jan. 26.

WASHINGTON - Department of Defense tsunami relief efforts are "transitioning to something different," the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs told a House subcommittee Jan. 26.

UTAPAO, Thailand - "I always knew I wanted to be a Marine," said Staff Sgt. Michael McGeorge of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group based in Okinawa.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today restated his commitment to promoting freedom.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - When Army 1st Lt. Mandy Nalls learned her husband, 1st Lt. Bill Nalls, would deploy to Iraq yet again, the newlyweds thought they would have to postpone their honeymoon. Instead they decided to celebrate their marriage in an unlikely vacation destination: Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz today praised the worldwide efforts of military doctors, nurses, medics and other care providers, noting they are "maintaining the health and the effectiveness of America's defenders."

WASHINGTON - With hopes of ensuring the safety of Iraqi citizens wishing to vote Jan. 30, military operations to capture anti-Iraqi forces will continue to increase as elections near, military officials in Baghdad, Iraq, said today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Army Gen. George Casey reminded reporters at a press roundtable today just how far Iraqi security forces have come in a relatively short time.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - With the Jan. 30 election the world will "see the continued triumph of democracy over tyranny," the commander of multinational forces in Iraq said.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Marine Corps transport helicopter crashed today near Ar Rutbah while conducting security and stabilization operations.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Editor's Note: AFPS reporter Jim Garamone has traveled in Iraq since early January, covering the many news aspects about multinational and Iraqi security forces' efforts in preparation for upcoming Jan. 30 elections. During his travels, he's come upon interesting aspects of life in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The tragic helicopter crash in western Iraq today claimed the lives of 30 Marines and one sailor, confirmed Marine Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, commanding general of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, in a statement from Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration intends to ask Congress for an estimated $80 billion budget supplemental, most of it to help cover the costs of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. and defense officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Intelligence Agency's new Strategic Support Branch is providing enhanced human intelligence capabilities to better support combatant commanders in the war on terror, senior defense officials told Pentagon reporters here Jan. 24.

WASHINGTON - "The challenge of leading such an organization is daunting, but I am prepared to accept it," Ambassador Jim Nicholson, nominated by President Bush to become the new secretary of Veterans Affairs, told a Senate committee Jan. 24.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department healthcare spending for service members and military retirees has doubled in the past four years, DoD's senior medical adviser noted here Jan. 24.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Freedom Radio is home to "the most heavily armed station on the air."

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department wants servicemembers and civilians to concentrate on safety whether they're on or off duty, DoD's top personnel official said Jan. 24.

WASHINGTON - In less than a year, Iraqi military ground forces have grown from one operational battalion to 21 and counting.

WASHINGTON - Peaceful nations "cannot close their eyes or sit idly by in the face of genocide," Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said Jan. 24 at a U.N. General Assembly ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Nazi death camps.

WASHINGTON - A new Defense Science Board report recommends that the U.S. government tap into strategies the military uses to plan and prepare for combat, and to extend them to peacetime activities, stabilization and reconstruction operations and intelligence.

WASHINGTON - Multinational forces have detained numerous insurgents over the past 48 hours in continuing efforts to ensure security for the Iraqi elections on Jan. 30, according to military officials today.

WASHINGTON - Five soldiers from the Army's 1st Infantry Division died Jan. 24 when their Bradley fighting vehicle rolled into a canal during a combat patrol near the town of Khan Bani Saad, Iraq, military officials said today.

WASHINGTON - Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, used six words today to sum up the military's health care mission: "We take care of our people."

BALAD, Iraq - Yolanda Gaddy's favorite book is Terry McMillan's "A Day Late and a Dollar Short," the story of a woman who changes her life drastically to make ends meet and support her kids after her man leaves abruptly.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Iraqi elections Jan. 30 "will not be perfect, will not be pretty," officials have said, and in that they will have a lot in common with the beginning of democracy in the United States.

WASHINGTON - Better cooperation by Afghan citizens and a more developed Afghan National Army are reasons cited for improved security in Afghanistan, a military spokesman said today.

WASHINGTON - Three 1st Infantry Division soldiers were wounded when anti-Iraqi forces fired mortars on a patrol base near Samarra on Jan. 23, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Bracelets engraved with "Until They All Come Home" were passed out to everyone close by at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here Jan. 21.

WASHINGTON - A suspected senior insurgent and two others found operating an illegal checkpoint in a Baghdad neighborhood were captured by Iraqi police Jan. 22.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Iraqi Interior Minister announced a series of initiatives designed to improve security during the Jan. 30 elections.

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi election Jan. 30 will mark the beginning of a "powerful period" in the history of the country, the commander of the Multinational Corps Iraq said recently.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Northern and southern Iraq should have good voter turnout in the Jan. 30 election for a national assembly, said U.S. Ambassador to Iraq John Negroponte. The center of the country is "problematic."

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Editor's Note: AFPS reporter Jim Garamone has traveled in Iraq since early January, covering the many news aspects about multinational and Iraqi security forces' efforts in preparation for upcoming Jan. 30 elections. During his travels, he's come upon interesting aspects of life in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces successfully fought off repeated insurgent attacks in action in southern Mosul Jan. 21.

WASHINGTON - Two days after he was sworn in for a second term of office, President Bush promised to continue the fight against global terrorism.

UTAPAO, Thailand - "I made the decision to come in (to the Marines) in 10th grade," said Cpl. Justin Morris of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group. "But they wouldn't take me until I was a senior."

WASHINGTON - The Jan. 20 presidential inauguration represented "a celebration of democracy," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told members of the Joint Task Force Armed Forces Inaugural Committee here today.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Army AH-64 Apache pilot was killed and a second was injured in a training accident that occurred northwest of Kuwait City, Kuwait, today, U.S. Central Command officials reported.

BAQUBAH, Iraq - Leaders from the U.S. 1st Infantry Division and Iraqi security forces gathered here Jan. 20 to prepare for and set the conditions for a successful election process in Iraq's Diyala province Jan. 30 when Iraqis elect a national assembly to write a new constitution for the country.

WASHINGTON - A massive outpouring of support for America's men and women in uniform particularly those wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and the families of those killed in combat filled the Mellon Auditorium here Jan. 20 at the first Heroes Red, White and Blue Inaugural Ball.

UTAPAO, Thailand - Since Jan. 1, the U.S. Air Force's Tanker Airlift Control Element here has been making sure that what comes into the Royal Thai Navy Airfield gets out.

WASHINGTON - President Bush's message of thanks was a pat on the back for the hundreds of veterans, both young and old, who packed the Capital Hilton here Jan. 20 for the American Legion's "Salute to Heroes" inaugural ball.

WASHINGTON - With a glamour far removed from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq, members from every military service stepped out in style at a ball created just for them by their commander in chief.

WASHINGTON - Troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan were treated here last night to a once-in-a-lifetime experience: an inaugural ball in their honor, with a big lineup of celebrities, entertainers and defense brass thanking them for their sacrifices.

WASHINGTON - A 1st Infantry Division soldier was killed and another was wounded today in an operation near Duluiyah, Iraq, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced.

MOSUL, Iraq - "It's like building an airplane while you are already in flight" is how one official at Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq describes building the Iraqi security forces.

MOSUL, Iraq - It's the rainy season in Ninewa province, and the mud sticks to your boots the way old ideas stick in your mind.

WASHINGTON - President Bush and first lady Laura Bush were greeted with resounding cheers as they made the first stop of their whirlwind tour of inaugural galas Jan. 20 at the Capital Hilton here.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dismissed speculation that the Iraqi elections "won't happen" or will be delayed beyond Jan. 30 during an inaugural ball here Jan. 20 honoring troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - When the "Georgia Bridgemen" band from Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in today's inaugural parade, they proudly carried a message for U.S. servicemembers around the world.

WASHINGTON - His No. 1 duty as president is "to protect this nation and its people against further attacks and emerging threats," and the best way to do so is to help expand freedom and democracy worldwide, President Bush said during his second inaugural address here today.

HERAT, Afghanistan - For every aircraft used in Operation Enduring Freedom, a myriad of specialists works on the ground to keep every one of them in the air.

FIRE BASE WAZA KHWA, Afghanistan - From sunup to sundown, the sounds of power tools and hammers pounding nails fill the air at this base in southern Paktika province.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The Afghan National Army can now talk freely from Kandahar to Kabul to Heart, thanks to communication equipment that replaced Soviet-era radios and systems.

BAQUBAH, Iraq - Baqubah residents heard a religious order approving of Sunni Muslims participating in Iraq's Jan. 30 national assembly election at a "Peace Day" observance here Jan. 18.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi Security Forces guarding the Al Salam Hospital in eastern Mosul, Iraq, held off an insurgent attack today, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Thousands of people began assembling in the Pentagon parking lot this morning in the frigid pre-dawn hours to ensure the presidential inaugural parade stepped off down Pennsylvania Avenue just as planned.

DALLAS - First Lt. Rickie Banister and Master Sgt. Christine Dash led Air Force to the men's and women's team titles in the 2005 Armed Forces Bowling Championships Jan. 10-12 at Don Carter All-Star Lanes West here.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told 70 Medal of Honor recipients today they've set the standard for today's military men and women who he said, "like you, represent the best of American values."

WASHINGTON - Troops on the front lines of the war on terror are wearing them. Family members of deployed servicemembers are wearing them too. And so are regular American citizens who want to show support for their troops. "Defending Freedom" bands are adorning the wrists of servicemembers on the front lines and their supporters on the home front.

WASHINGTON - When a Marine Corps bandsman ventures into the fog of war, he puts his musical instrument aside and picks up the instrument of a Marine a rifle, machine gun or some other weaponry.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - There have been security payoffs due to the reconstruction money being spent in Iraq, U.S. reconstruction officials said here today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition and Iraqi forces continue to sweep the country, killing and capturing insurgents and seizing stockpiles of illegal weapons as Iraq's Jan. 30 national election approaches.

WASHINGTON - Two Iraqi civilians were killed Jan. 18 when the vehicle they were driving tried to speed through a U.S. military patrol near Tal Afar, in northern Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Troops honored at a Jan. 18 "Saluting Those Who Serve" extravaganza at the MCI Center here said they were overwhelmed by the outpouring of appreciation and support by celebrities, military and civilian leaders, and most of all, their commander in chief

WASHINGTON - A series of car bombs rocked Baghdad, Iraq, over the past 48 hours, killing a U.S. soldier and dozens of Iraqi soldiers and innocent civilians, military officials there reported today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - As coalition and Iraqi forces continue to kill and capture insurgents bent on disrupting or preventing Iraq's national assembly election, a new poll shows Iraqis overwhelmingly believe it's important for them to cast their ballots Jan. 30.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Servicemembers joining the military today are not joining just the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps they are joining a truly joint force.

WASHINGTON - When a Marine Corps bandsman ventures into the fog of war, he puts his musical instrument aside and picks up the instrument of a Marine a rifle, machine gun or some other weaponry.

WASHINGTON - As the nation prepares to celebrate its 55th presidential inauguration, President Bush said today he could "think of no better way to begin than by giving thanks for our freedom and those who make it possible."

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials are looking at ways to help Indonesia deal with the effects of the Dec. 26 tsunami without violating sanctions imposed on the country over human rights abuses in East Timor from 1999 to 2001.

WASHINGTON - Almost half of Fallujah's pre-war population has returned to that battered city almost four weeks after Iraq's interim prime minister gave the green light for citizens to return, a top military official said today.

WASHINGTON - A host of celebrities is slated to turn out Jan. 20 to honor America's wounded servicemembers during the Red, White & Blue Inaugural Ball, a benefit event to be held at the Mellon Auditorium here.

WASHINGTON - Coalition and Iraqi forces continue their pre- election crackdown on insurgents, with military officials in Baghdad today reporting more suspects taken into custody and more illegal weapons seized.

WASHINGTON - Three soldiers assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force were killed Jan. 17 while conducting security and stability operations in Iraq's Anbar province, military officials reported.

BAQUBAH, Iraq - The governor of Iraq's Diyala province is optimistic that security will be strong enough to hold elections here Jan. 30.

ARLINGTON, Va. - The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is accepting nominations for its 2005 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, given for outstanding support of employees who serve in the Reserve and National Guard.

BAQUBAH, Iraq - It had none of the packaging that Americans have grown accustomed to in a presidential debate, but a debate here today for the upcoming election was fledgling democracy in action -- Iraqi style.

ABOARD THE USS BONHOMME RICHARD - The USS Bonhomme Richard arrived in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, in early January, just days after an earthquake and resulting tsunamis devastated the region.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - U.S. Marine Corps engineers and Navy Seabees are making a difference, demolishing heavily damaged buildings and hauling away debris, in this small island nation.

WASHINGTON - It was freezing here Jan. 16, but that did not stop thousands of servicemembers who took part in a final dress rehearsal for the Jan. 20 presidential inaugural parade.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad soldier died at the scene and another died early today after their up-armored Humvee flipped over into a western Baghdad canal Jan. 16, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported.

ABOARD THE USS BONHOMME RICHARD - Off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, floats the USS Bonhomme Richard.

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Nothing can provide "absolute security against the extraordinary intimidation" terrorists are undertaking in Iraq, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said here today. But, he added, Iraqis still have a "passionate" desire to vote.

ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN - "It's rewarding, it really is," said Navy Petty Officer 1st Class David Loiselle. "I'd much rather do this than sit behind a desk."

MEULABOH, Indonesia - Every morning, a contingent of up to 50 Marines hits the beach here. They are there to assist in getting supplies ashore so they can be distributed to victims of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunamis.

SUMATRA, Indonesia - Humanitarian assistance disaster relief operations took Navy Lt. Dan Bogan of Helicopter Support Squadron 11 to some of the more isolated areas of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, Jan. 15.

WASHINGTON - With Iraq's Jan. 30 national assembly election drawing closer, coalition and Iraqi forces continue rounding up insurgents and confiscating illegal weapons.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - "You know that freedom is not free. There must be sacrifice. When I decided to work here, I knew and I know that it is a sacrifice. Maybe I will be killed. Who knows? But there must be people who work for their country."

JAKARTA, Indonesia - The U.S. military has been the "backbone of the logistical operations" of providing aid to Indonesia's devastated Aceh province, that country's defense minister said here today.

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz returned to Indonesia today and found a country much changed since his tenure as U.S. ambassador here nearly 20 years ago.

WASHINGTON - For the second straight day, insurgents firing from a mosque in eastern Mosul targeted multinational forces in Iraq, military officials in Baghdad reported today.

MEULABOH, Indonesia - There's a new doctor in town and he goes by "Dr. GiGi" or, literally, Dr. Teeth.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - In some parts of America, football is almost a religion. And troops deployed in combat zones will see the High Mass of football the Super Bowl live on the American Forces Network on Feb. 6.

BAGHDAD - People in Iraq want to vote in the elections for the country's national assembly on Jan. 30, the commander of coalition forces in Ninewa province said at a news conference today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Stryker Brigade is well-designed for the decentralized war against insurgents the coalition is waging in Iraq, said Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of Task Force Olympia, during an American Forces Press Service interview today.

BANGKOK, Thailand - Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz arrived here today on the first leg of a three-day trip through areas hard hit by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

UTAPAO, Thailand - The "conditions for transition" have been met in both Thailand and Sri Lanka, the U.S. general in charge of coordinating relief efforts throughout South Asia said here today.

JAKARTA, Indonesia - U.S. sailors warmly welcomed Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and a delegation of other senior officials today during a visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln, 8 to 10 miles off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.

WASHINGTON - Martin Luther King Jr. was remembered by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld at a Pentagon breakfast Jan. 13 as "a man of historic consequence" who helped his country find its way.

WASHINGTON - A bit over a year ago, Joan DeFalco heard the Army's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany needed help getting personal items for servicemembers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. She said she wanted to do something.

STUTTGART-VAIHINGEN, Germany - Government officials from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan ended three days of meetings Jan. 13 at the George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies at Garmisch, Germany.

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. - After a 22-year Air Force music career, Col. Dennis Layendecker finally will march in the biggest parade of his life Jan. 20 as he prepares to lead the 99-piece Air Force Band down Pennsylvania Avenue during the president's inauguration parade.

MEULABOH, Indonesia - Carried aboard an air-cushioned landing craft, a large amount of humanitarian assistance food, water and medical and engineering supplies - was delivered here today.

MEULABOH, Indonesia - Amid devastation unknown in recent history, survivors of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunamis have reason to smile.

WASHINGTON - About $92 million of the $350 million pledged by the United States to aid victims of the Dec. 26 earthquake-tsunami has been provided to international relief organizations, a U.S. Agency for International Development official reported today from Thailand.

WASHINGTON - Multinational Force Iraq reports continued, robust activities to capture suspected insurgents and uncover caches of illegal weapons.

WASHINGTON - Two Marines and two soldiers were killed in Iraq Jan. 13, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Any idea that the insurgency is a spontaneous rising of the Iraqi people is "hogwash," said a senior Multinational Force Iraq official here.

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. - Defense officials on Jan. 13 disputed contentions that Indonesia does not welcome U.S. assistance in dealing with the aftermath of the Dec. 26 tsunami that devastated the country's Aceh province.

WASHINGTON - As part of national efforts to protect more people against the flu, the Defense Department's top health official today authorized the use of military flu-shot vaccine previously held in reserve.

WASHINGTON - The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has moved farther off Indonesian shores so it can safely conduct fixed-wing flight training operations, as Navy carriers typically do wherever they operate in the world, defense officials told Pentagon reporters today.

HERAT PROVINCE, Afghanistan - With every new road or school opening, you will find them. From the compound's front gate to each village, force protection soldiers provide security for civil affairs personnel as they facilitate the reconstruction throughout Afghanistan.

ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN - While servicemembers are working double-time to get supplies into and help clean up areas devastated by the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunamis, someone has to hold down the fort -- or, in this case, the aircraft carrier steaming in the Indian Ocean.

WASHINGTON - President Bush visited the Pentagon today for briefings by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other senior leaders about two major military operations under way and to personally thank about 50 troops for their service.

WASHINGTON - Servicemembers deployed across south and southeast Asia remain busy "providing literally tons of relief" supplies to impoverished victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami, a U.S. officer reported today from Utapao, Thailand.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's second amputee care center is slated to open Jan. 14 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to provide state-of-the- art care for servicemembers who have lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The United States "should never go to war without its National Guard," the chief of the National Guard Bureau said during an interview today on CNN's "American Morning."

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The progress of the Iraqi security forces in the four provinces of the north means that the election Jan. 30 "will be an election for Iraqis, run by Iraqis," a top military commander said here today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces continue to detain suspected insurgents in the Baghdad, Mosul and Tikrit areas of Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Army Spc. Chris Neuenfeldt is following literally in his older brother's footsteps.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces continue to discover and confiscate or destroy a significant number of weapons caches - 10 more since Jan. 8, a military spokeswoman said today at a news conference in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

WASHINGTON - Jennifer Petersen of Ladera Ranch, Calif., made a New Year's resolution to help make the world a better place for her 18-month- old daughter, Kayla.

WASHINGTON - Global terrorism requires the strength of a global response, and international cooperation is the only way to confront this threat, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said today at the Center for Strategic and International Studies here.

WASHINGTON - The fight to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction tops the list of issues Russian and U.S. defense officials are working together to solve, Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said here Jan. 11.

UTAPAO, Thailand - The 8th Airlift Squadron from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., continued its vital role in the disaster relief effort today. Equipment, supplies and personnel were loaded onto one of the squadron's huge C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets for transport from here to Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

WASHINGTON - Security and reconstruction go hand in hand and are equally critical to Iraq's future, the commander of the Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division told reporters in Baghdad, Iraq, today.

WASHINGTON - A little-known group of sailors, soldiers, airmen, Marines and Coast Guard members is preparing to provide behind-the-scenes military support for presidential inaugural activities, the organization's deputy commander noted here Jan. 11.

WASHINGTON - With Iraq's national assembly election less than three weeks away, Multinational Force Iraq and Iraqi security forces continue to kill and capture insurgents and get weapons off the streets.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Troops from Multinational Force Iraq are working to ensure every Iraqi who wants to vote has the chance to do so in the Jan. 30 election.

FALLUJAH, Iraq - People are coming back to Fallujah.

WASHINGTON - Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has vowed that nationwide voting would be conducted in his country on Jan. 30.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today expressed America's sympathy to the loved ones of those missing or killed by the recent tsunami in Asia and praised the ongoing recovery efforts by the international community.

WASHINGTON - Afghan citizens are helping coalition forces find caches of weapons and drugs, according to U.S. officials in Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

MOSUL, Iraq - Soldiers from the Iraqi regular army recently completed a rigorous basic training program and are being activated to counter anti-Iraqi insurgents operating in northern Iraq, U.S. officials here said.

WASHINGTON - An "unprecedented" level of security will help ensure that the 55th U.S. inauguration ceremony and activities later this month proceed without disruption, Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said here today.

WASHINGTON - Six Iraqi police were killed today when anti-Iraqi forces detonated a car bomb at a police station in Tikrit.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today nominated federal appeals court judge Michael Chertoff, "a key leader in the war on terror" as the nation's second secretary of homeland security.

WASHINGTON - A new weapons carrier that has already proven itself under fire in Iraq will give ground troops a more mobile platform for firing rockets and missiles when it's fielded to operational units beginning this spring.

UTAPAO, Thailand - Relief efforts continue in the Southeast Asian region devastated by the Dec. 26 earthquake and resulting tsunami.

FALLUJAH, Iraq - It's called ScanEagle, and it has already saved the lives of many Marines.

WASHINGTON - The United Kingdom will deploy more troops to Iraq to help provide security support during the upcoming Iraqi elections, the British defense secretary announced today in London.

WASHINGTON - Volunteer organizations are invited to compete for a share of $50,000 in grants in the 6th annual "Newman's Own" award program sponsored by Newman's Own, Fisher House, and the Military Times Media Group.

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - If the workers at the facility putting armor on wheeled vehicles here need any motivation, all they have to do is look at a scarred piece of ballistic glass they have.

WASHINGTON - Progress made by the Afghan National Army over the past year has "enabled Afghan institutions to build enduring local, regional and national security, extended the reach of the national government and assisted in Afghanistan's transition to a democratic nation," a senior military official said today at a Kabul news conference.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Afghanistan have confiscated myriad weaponry and munitions as the result of a series of arms cache discoveries made on Jan. 7.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. Army general in charge of training Iraqi forces said here today that the job is tough, but it is a mission that must be accomplished before coalition forces can leave Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military "is doing a fantastic job" supporting the relief operation in Asia, and in doing so, is showing the world America's compassion, President Bush said here today.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Army Bradley fighting vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in southwestern Baghdad, Iraq, today, killing two soldiers and wounding four.

TAJI, Iraq - Iraq celebrated Army Day on Jan. 6, marking the 84th anniversary of the activation of the Iraqi army in 1921. Ceremonies across the country recalled the army's past service and sacrifice and showcased current and future capabilities.

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait - "Amateurs study strategy. Professionals study logistics."

UTAPAO, Thailand - An SH-60 Seahawk helicopter from the USS Abraham Lincoln experienced a hard landing at Banda Aceh airfield in Indonesia this morning.

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. officer in the Pacific region said today he'd soon visit regions in Asia devastated by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

UTAPAO, Thailand - The global effort based here to help pick up the pieces in the tsunami-devastated region of Southeast Asia continues to respond to ever-pressing needs.

WASHINGTON - An investigation is under way after a coalition F- 16 aircraft mistakenly conducted an airstrike against the wrong target south of Mosul Jan. 8, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced.

WASHINGTON - The upcoming Iraqi elections won't bring an end to the insurgency in Iraq, but it's critical that they proceed as planned, Secretary of State Colin Powell said today on CNN's "Late Edition."

WASHINGTON - The largest humanitarian relief effort since the Berlin Airlift in 1947 is providing desperately needed water, food and medical supplies to victims of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean, the general coordinating air support for the operation told reporters today.

WASHINGTON - A crew member died today aboard the Los Angeles- class submarine USS San Francisco as a result of injuries sustained when the sub ran aground Jan. 7 south of Guam, U.S. Pacific Fleet officials announced.

WASHINGTON - Multinational Forces detained a key leader of the al Qaeda-linked Abu Musab al-Zarqawi terrorist network in Mosul in late December, officials in Baghdad announced today.

WASHINGTON - About 20 crew members are injured, one critically, after the Los Angeles-class submarine USS San Francisco ran around Jan. 7 about 350 miles southeast of Guam.

WASHINGTON - Shortly after a U.S. Army general in Iraq predicted a surge in attacks with the approach of the Iraq elections, militants have abducted several senior Iraqi officials, beheaded an Iraqi who worked for the coalition and killed at least four others, according to today's press reports.

WASHINGTON - A security detainee died Jan. 5 at the Camp Bucca internment facility in Iraq of what appears to be natural causes, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced.

WASHINGTON - U.S. military men and women providing disaster relief in the Indian Ocean "are showing the courage and compassion of our nation to the world," just as they do "in some many other places," President Bush said today during his weekly radio address.

WASHINGTON - Fourteen weapons caches discovered during the past three days by coalition forces in Afghanistan represent the solid progress being made to prevent anti-coalition militia from using them against innocent people, security forces or coalition soldiers, a Combined Forces Command spokesman told reporters today in Kabul.

FORT LEE, Va. - The deadline to apply for $1,500 scholarships from the "Scholarships for Military Children" program is Feb. 16, and all applications must be delivered to a Defense Commissary Agency store by the close of business that day.

WASHINGTON - A retired Army general isn't going to Iraq to assess the effectiveness of U.S. warfighting operations there, but rather will evaluate efforts to develop Iraqi security forces, a senior Defense Department spokesman told reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - Terrorists use many different weapons and tactics to instill fear among Iraqis, but the one thing they're afraid of is a successful election in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Iraq's upcoming elections will prove to be "an incredibly hopeful experience for the Iraqi people," President Bush told reporters today at a White House news briefing.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military and its partners are "making a real difference" in the tsunami-stricken Indian Ocean region and are increasing their reach every day, the commander of Combined Support Force 536 told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON - Seven Task Force Baghdad soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in northwestern Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 6, military officials there said.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - "I volunteered to deploy in another medic's place," Army Staff Sgt. Joseph P. Buhain said. But when he volunteered to deploy, he didn't know what he was in for.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell today pledged continued U.S. support to Asian nations as the relief and reconstruction effort proceeds.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE COBRA, Afghanistan - Vertical engineers from Company C, 528th Engineer Battalion, are working diligently to improve living conditions for coalition forces serving at this south-central Afghanistan base.

WASHINGTON - When Army Sgt. Joseph Taylor arrived on the scene of the Dec. 29 explosion in Baghdad, Iraq, chaos was the order of the day.

FORT HOOD, Texas - "I'm in the Army because this is a way I can give something back to my country. I have an appreciation for the freedoms and values we share, and this is the way I serve," Lt. Col. Jaimy S. Rand explained.

WASHINGTON - The most traveled trophy in the history of New England sports visited the Pentagon today, a day after troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan had a chance to see it at area military hospitals.

WASHINGTON - Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit arrested nine suspected insurgents during operations in western Anbar province today.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military is working with coalition and Iraqi forces to boost security as part of preparations for Jan. 30 nationwide elections, a senior U.S. military officer said today in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - A Marine assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was killed today while conducting security and stability operations in Iraq's Anbar province, military officials in Baghdad reported.

WASHINGTON - Though the military has had a role in presidential inaugurations since George Washington took office, President Bush has requested that the military play an even more prominent role when he's sworn in for his second term Jan. 20.

WASHINGTON - A new affiliation between the Homeland Security Citizen Corps and the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary to help raise public awareness about the importance of emergency preparedness and volunteer service was announced Jan. 4 by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.

WASHINGTON - The Internet is chock-full of Web sites for groups that send care packages to deployed troops. But one organization, Operation Interdependence, has a unique twist: Its focus is on getting care packages to troops on the front lines without burdening the military logistics system.

WASHINGTON - Navy helicopters continue to airlift aid to thousands of people left struggling for survival due to the earthquake- generated tsunami that hit Indian Ocean nations from Indonesia to Somalia.

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany - Officials from nine countries, including the United States, will meet here Jan. 11 for the first in a series of conferences designed to increase security cooperation among states in the Central and South Asia region.

LOWER JAWAALA, Iraq - About 40 medical personnel, mostly from 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, treated more than 160 Iraqis during a joint medical assistance visit at the Al-Tameem Health Clinic here Dec. 29.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld discussed tsunami relief efforts in South Asia, the situation in Iraq, military transformation and Americans supporting the troops during radio interviews from the Pentagon Jan. 4.

WASHINGTON - Multinational forces are getting better at finding and foiling bomb attacks in the Baghdad, Iraq, area, the U.S. general responsible for that area said today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces continue to assume a larger role in their country's defense as Iraq prepares for elections later this month, Multinational Force Iraq officials in Baghdad reported today.

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - Marines and soldiers started the new year distributing humanitarian supplies to needy residents of a local community, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Multinational Force Iraq troops continued their crackdown on insurgents threatening the peace in Iraq, with raids and cordon- and-search operations yielding dozens of suspects and piles of munitions, officials in Baghdad reported today.

NANGALAM, Afghanistan - U.S. Marines and soldiers manning a base along the Afghan-Pakistani border recently began a campaign to distribute much- needed school supplies to the children of Nangalam, Afghanistan, near one of their unit's forward operating bases.

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. commander in the Pacific described his command's response to the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster to reporters at the Pentagon today and praised the work of servicemembers involved in the relief effort.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is ready, willing and prepared to provide medical assistance as needed to relieve tsunami victims and help stem widespread disease, the Pentagon's top doctor told reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - When Tresa McCormick, and sons Aiden, Brennon and Conor walked onto the football field at this year's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, they thought they were there to help raise money for charity.

WASHINGTON - Do you or someone you know have an intriguing job that many people would never guess exists in the military? If so, this may be your golden opportunity to shine in a made-for-TV documentary to be shot this summer.

WASHINGTON - Eric Orsini joined the Army for a one-year stint in 1941, then kept finding reasons to stay with the government. Later this month, he'll retire with 64 years of service under his belt: 30 years of it in uniform, and 34 as an Army civilian.

KONAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - In the difficult terrain of Afghanistan's Hindu Kush Mountains, troop movement can be slow and tedious. Often, Marine companies break operations down to platoon and squad elements to locate and close with the enemy.

WASHINGTON - There is no question that elections will be held in Iraq on Jan. 30, a senior State Department official said from Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department announced today sweeping changes in how the military handles sexual assaults, with uniform policies and procedures that apply to members of all services, wherever they are stationed or deployed.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and multinational forces have increased the hunt for insurgents and the explosive weapons used in their attacks.

WASHINGTON - Insurgents using improvised explosive devices killed five U.S. servicemembers in three separate attacks in Iraq today, military officials in Baghdad reported.

WASHINGTON - Former Presidents Bush and Clinton will head a fundraising effort to get Americans to donate money to reliable charities to aid tsunami victims in the Indian Ocean area, President Bush announced today.

KORANGAL VALLEY, Afghanistan - U.S. Marines have been operating at the forward edge of Operation Enduring Freedom, often in isolated areas where support for insurgency against the Afghan government and coalition forces remains.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ORGUN-E, Afghanistan - Before deploying to Afghanistan in March, the soldiers of the 25th Infantry Division knew they were in for a change of climates.

WASHINGTON - Winter conditions might be a problem for enemies of democracy in Afghanistan -- but not for coalition forces committed to killing or capturing them and promoting economic growth and prosperity, the commander of Combined Task Force Thunder told reporters in Kabul, Afghanistan, today.

WASHINGTON - Two Task Force Baghdad soldiers were wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated in northern Baghdad, Iraq, today.

WASHINGTON - The response to the disaster that struck Indian Ocean nations "is multinational and will grow in size and shape" as more information comes to light, officials at U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii said today.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier and an Afghan citizen were killed early this morning near Shindand Airfield in Afghanistan's Herat province during an exchange of gunfire while coalition forces were searching a compound.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Punk rock and military discipline - not exactly like shampoo and conditioner. More like fire and ice. But for some soldiers able to see the Vandals kick out the jams here Dec. 28, it almost seemed like they were back on the block, stomping like there's no tomorrow.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Soldiers and Marines of Task Force Baghdad began offensive combat and civil-military operations in southern Baghdad and northern Babil province this week, aimed at rooting out insurgents.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed and another was injured today when an improvised explosive device detonated north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Navy helicopters "appeared like angels" as they delivered supplies to Aceh province, Indonesia, according to the provincial governor.