WASHINGTON - The United States has a special mission to defend justice and advance freedom, President Bush said today.

HERAT, Afghanistan - Security agents tasked to protect Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld described his recent meeting with Ismail Khan here as a situation "on the edge."

WASHINGTON - The Navy has selected Ingalls Shipbuilding and Northrop-Grumman Ship Systems to design the next-generation DD(X) family of ships.

WASHINGTON - President Bush named a retired soldier the 2002 National Teacher of the Year in a White House ceremony April 24.

WASHINGTON - DoD scientists and contractors are working to obtain U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for a smallpox vaccine developed by the military a decade ago, according to an Army medical researcher at Fort Detrick, Md.

WASHINGTON - The first 20 U.S. service members have arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia, and will begin training the Caucasus republic's troops in counterterrorism operations, Defense Department officials said April 30.

WASHINGTON - A soldier, a Marine and an Air Force bomber pilot discussed patriotism and freedom with middle school students nationwide during an unusual April 30 Web cast here.

WASHINGTON - War gamers at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., are testing the envisioned capabilities of the U.S. military of tomorrow -- a quickly-deployable, interoperable, high-tech force with global reach -- today.

WASHINGTON - You wouldn't expect to find Popeye, Kermit the Frog, Gumby and Pokey prominently displayed in a senior military leader's office. Yet, that's what you find when you enter the world of Vincent W. Patton III, master chief petty officer of the U.S. Coast Guard.

MOSCOW, Russia - The relationship between the United States and Russia today goes beyond arms control, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON - The verdict is in. Stars and Stripes ice cream is good stuff.

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 28, 2002 - Kazakhstan is ready to do more in the global war against - ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 28, 2002 - Kazakhstan is ready to do more in the global war against terrorism, top government officials here told Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today.

TURKMENBASHI AIRPORT, Turkmenistan - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today thanked the people of Turkmenistan for their support in the fight against terrorism and for providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - The people of Afghanistan are in far better circumstances today because Kyrgyzstan opened Manas International Airport to U.S. and coalition forces, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here this morning.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - "Afghanistan is a proving ground for the global war on terrorism," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told American and coalition troops here today.

WASHINGTON - Then-Navy Lt. Kevin Shaeffer remembered seeing the sky and the Army sergeant who would save him after staggering out of the blasted offices of the Navy's Pentagon command center just after the terrorist-hijacked airliner struck the building.

WASHINGTON - The war on terrorism, living conditions for service members in Korea and shipbuilding were among the questions senators asked of President Bush's nominees to be the new U.S. Pacific Command chief and United Nations Command chief.

WASHINGTON - The first open season for service members to sign up for the Thrift Savings Plan was a huge success, said defense officials.

BISHKEK, Kyrghyzstan - BISHKEK, Kyrghyzstan, April 25 –American and coalition troops here at Ganci Air Base had a chance today to ask the U.S. defense secretary questions. And they were ready for him.

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - U.S. and coalition forces stand against "an evil of mass murderers" that aims to kill large numbers of innocent people, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

SHANNON, Ireland - The spring thaw in Afghanistan may mean more al Qaeda and Taliban attacks on U.S. and coalition forces, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Thursday on his way to Central Asia.

WASHINGTON - Tax changes affecting reportable income for this year will mean more service members qualify for the earned income tax credit, said Defense Department officials.

WASHINGTON - You can join a panel of military personnel and citizens April 30 at 11 a.m. EDT as they share their views on patriotism and freedom during a one-hour Internet webcast and satellite transmission.

WASHINGTON - Sometimes the dead still speak to us, and sometimes the Moms and Dads and Grandpas and Grandmas we know today take on the voices of young men and women.

WASHINGTON - If trouble lies ahead, Pete Verga is a good guy to have around.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces continue to encounter sporadic attacks in eastern Afghanistan, but it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where they're coming from, Air Force Brig. Gen. John W. Rosa said at a Pentagon briefing this morning.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will use his upcoming visit to Asia to re- emphasize that all freedom-loving countries must unite against terrorism.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is slated to depart tomorrow on a trip to visit U.S. forces in Afghanistan and coalition partners in the region.

FORT LEWIS, Wash. - Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says transformation is more than an objective, it's a state of mind.

WASHINGTON - As a child on the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea, Bernard Turiel remembers listening to his parents and their friends talk about Jews being executed in concentration camps in Germany and Europe.

WASHINGTON - The Predator is just like every other aircraft, you just don't ride in it.

WASHINGTON - The fact that terrorist states and networks are striving to acquire weapons of mass destruction has heightened the stakes in the global war on terrorism, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON - Mort Walker is adding a new character to his famous comic strip "Beetle Bailey," and you can win a pair of airline tickets by coming up with a name for the new character.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today vehemently denied America isn't doing enough to help stabilize the Afghan government.

WASHINGTON - Eleven military members who represented the United States in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, visited the Pentagon today.

NATICK, Mass. - Whether Marines are wading through desert sands or jungle rivers, the Improved Jungle- Desert Boot will keep their feet better protected and more comfortable than ever. Taxpayers will like the money saved, and supply sergeants will like not having to store two kinds of boots.

WASHINGTON - DoD is considering senior military leaders' requests for more troops, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here April 19.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military's senior officer said April 18 that other countries will be geographically aligned with U.S. unified commands in order to better address mutual security issues, not for political reasons.

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told a joint-service audience here April 18 that the transformation of the Department of Defense cannot be put on hold while the nation pursues the global war on terrorism.

WASHINGTON - DoD doesn't anticipate hiking current levels of U.S. military support to the Philippines as part of efforts to suppress terrorists, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today at Fort Lewis, Wash.

WASHINGTON - Operation Enduring Freedom troops who missed this year's Girl Scout cookie sale are about to be deluged by more than 104,000 boxes of Thin Mints or other favorites.

WASHINGTON - Two videos shown this week on Arab television networks allegedly show Osama bin Laden praising the results of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. But U.S. officials said they believe the shots of bin Laden in the tape weren't taken recently.

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - When the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed aboard the USS Bataan, the USS Shreveport and the USS Whidbey Island on Sept. 20, 2001, no one knew what to expect.

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - They stepped off their air-cushion landing craft, but their feet didn't touch the ground.

WASHINGTON - Four Canadian soldiers were killed early today and eight others seriously injured when an U.S. fighter jet dropped at least one 500-pound bomb on their position near Kandahar, Afghanistan, Canadian defense officials said.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier received a gunshot wound to the face near the Governor's Mansion in Kandahar, Afghanistan, today at about 3 a.m. Eastern time.

MOUNT STERLING, Ohio - When Sonya Schilling learned terrorists had attacked the United States, her first thought was of her 18-year-old son, Joseph Parenti.

MOUNT STERLING, Ohio - Entering a contaminated "hot zone" is deadly business, as Army Maj. David Seitz and his team of 21 Ohio Army and Air National Guardsmen are well aware.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dismissed as speculation assertions that U.S. forces should have captured al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden during the fighting around the Tora Bora cave complex in December.

WASHINGTON - Defense officials today announced the establishment of U.S. Northern Command as part of the changes in the Unified Command Plan.

WASHINGTON - It's not enough for America to win the war on terrorism, the country must help secure the peace, President Bush said April 17.

WASHINGTON - Military quality-of-life issues include much more than pay and housing, and if DoD wants to win the war on terrorism, it needs to give its people a strong quality of life.

WASHINGTON - Members of a South Korean religious delegation today presented DoD Comptroller Dov S. Zakheim with a check for $110,000 to be used for a new Pentagon memorial meditation area sponsored by military chaplains.

WASHINGTON - During the American Civil War, both sides tried to use rudimentary unmanned aerial vehicles.

WASHINGTON - For years, military thinkers have tried to harness the power of unmanned aerial vehicles. Changes in technology mean that members of today's military are able to put that promise to work.

WASHINGTON - A detachment of 1,700 British marines are assisting U.S. and other coalition troops in the continuing search for al Qaeda forces in eastern Afghanistan, senior DoD officials said today

WASHINGTON - Four American soldiers were killed and another injured in Afghanistan this morning when a 107 mm rocket exploded while the troops were destroying captured weapons near Kandahar, according to U.S. Central Command officials.

WASHINGTON - At least three U.S. service members died in an accident near Kandahar, Afghanistan, DoD officials said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld expressed doubts today that weapons inspectors in Iraq could find solid evidence that Saddam Hussein is building weapons of mass destruction.

WASHINGTON - Terrorist suicide bombers who have killed hundreds of Jews during months-long fighting between Israelis and Palestinians are "killers," Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz said here today.

WASHINGTON - The Army and Air Force Exchange Service can start demanding more compensation from those caught shoplifting thanks to a program written into the fiscal 2002 defense budget.

WASHINGTON - The United States has foiled a number of terrorist attacks since the war on global terrorism began, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said at the Pentagon April 12.

WASHINGTON - U.S. State Department officials are pleased with the progress being made in Afghanistan, but said more must be done to accelerate these positive changes and make them permanent.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department joined 21 other federal agencies at the ninth annual Federal Interagency Holocaust Remembrance observance here at the Lincoln Theater April 11.

WASHINGTON - One of the America's greatest strengths is the ability to develop and deliver new, effective technologies to the battlefield, but experts in various agencies need to coordinate their efforts better, Sen. Mary Landrieu said April 10.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has signed an agreement that will fundamentally transform the way the department does business.

WASHINGTON - America's relationships with countries in the Persian Gulf region are solid in spite of escalating violence between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Gen. Tommy Franks said today.

WASHINGTON - How does a major U.S. Cabinet official deal with the press and public while in the midst of a war?

WASHINGTON - No one knows what threats the future holds. So defense officials must prepare for the unexpected.

WASHINGTON - It's not necessarily a bad thing if your thinking is somewhat different from your peers and superiors. You might be one of the creative minds America's armed forces need, according to Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz.

NEW YORK - Members of the 2nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team have spent a lot of time at Yankee Stadium, but they haven't had any chances to relax and take in a ball game.

WASHINGTON - Computers, instant communications and global networking can transform the U.S. military just as they have the commercial world, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz told Congress April 9.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan continue searching for al Qaeda and former Taliban, Brig. Gen. John Rosa said at a Pentagon briefing here today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today defended his fiscal 2003 defense budget request and re-emphasized America's in the fight against terrorism for the long haul during a stop in Knoxville, Tenn.

NATICK, Mass. - Using a finger of his glove, a soldier determines if water is safe to drink. He takes a rolled- up cloth keyboard from his pocket, plugs it in and starts typing a message. Calling for support, his radio sends and receives signals using an antenna blended into his uniform.

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. - The nation's top military officer told a Harvard University audience April 4 that the fight against terrorism is the most important assignment given the U.S. military in his 37-year career.

WASHINGTON - Six months and a day after American military actions began Oct. 7 in Afghanistan, the two men leading those actions assessed the progress so far.

WASHINGTON - America's top military leader said there is probably an infrastructure behind the terrorist bombings in the Middle East and that al Qaeda is still a viable force.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld praised construction workers and autographed hard hats today in appreciation of their round-the-clock efforts to get terrorist-damaged portions of the Pentagon ready for occupancy by Sept. 11, 2002.

WASHINGTON - Much has been achieved in the six months since U.S. forces began combat operations in Afghanistan, yet much remains to be done, "and it will continue to be dangerous business in the days ahead," Army Gen. Tommy Franks said today.

WASHINGTON - Quadrennial Defense Review stratagems that emphasize change are helping the U.S. military and its allies to win the war against global terrorism, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz told national security students April 1.

WASHINGTON - U.S. defense officials are aware that Afghan tribes historically put their differences aside to unite against invaders, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz said April 1 in Syracuse, N.Y.

WASHINGTON - President Bush is sending Secretary of State Colin Powell to the Middle East to work toward ending the violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

SPRINGFIELD - Sixth-grader Meghan Argo recently took the news of winning the Armed Services YMCA Art Contest 2002 with squeals of delight. Last year at about the same time, she was the one who answered a similar call to learn two of her sisters had taken first- and second-place prizes.

WASHINGTON - A 22-year-old man believed to be a U.S. citizen has been identified among the detainees at the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON - When you hear the term "reforming the military financial management system," chances are you just turn off.

WASHINGTON - A period of early enrollment into the new Federal Long-Term Care Insurance Program is now open. Federal personnel managers estimate as many as 20 million people are eligible to use this new benefit.

WASHINGTON - Americans began their recovery from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when they saw National Guardsmen keeping watch at airports, according to a top Defense Department official.

WASHINGTON - The children at the Pentagon Day Care Center received a special show from the performers of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus April 3.

WASHINGTON - "What's happening in the Middle East is terrible. It is a tragedy. It is terrorism," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said at the Pentagon today. "Innocent people are being killed -- men, women and children of all religions."

WASHINGTON - The United States has no intention of turning over al Qaeda terrorist Abu Zubaydah to any other nation, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - Poverty, unemployment and hopelessness create breeding grounds for terrorists, President George W. Bush has said.

WASHINGTON - A senior al Qaeda leader captured by the Pakistanis last week will be turned over to U.S. officials for questioning, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told reporters here today.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Families of the sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt had a lot to celebrate at the homecoming reception March 27, and the Naval Air Station Oceana Commissary made sure the celebration cake approached aircraft-carrier size.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld singled out Iraq, Iran and Syria as countries that are encouraging terrorists while oppressing their own populations.