BETHESDA, Md. - Officials from the Defense Department and military services got together here yesterday for the first “From Deployment to Employment” conference to discuss ways to better serve America’s severely injured servicemembers.

WASHINGTON - The war against terrorism is an epic struggle of ideas as much as an armed conflict, President Bush told members of the American Legion in Salt Lake City today.

WASHINGTON - Target Corporation, a national retailer, has taken aim at a Washington area troops support group, providing it with a $20,000 donation, the founder and president of Our Military Kids said.

WASHINGTON - Atlanta will join communities across America to host a Freedom Walk Sept. 11, the fifth anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States.

WASHINGTON - Bastogne soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, freed a kidnap victim and captured three of the terrorists who had taken him hostage just outside Kirkuk, Iraq, yesterday, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - A soldier from the 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division, stationed at Logistical Support Area Anaconda, Iraq, was killed by an improvised explosive device while conducting a route security mission at about 12:05 p.m. yesterday, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. railroad freight firm has earned the right to blow its locomotives’ whistles in celebration of Defense Department recognition for superb support of its employees in the National Guard and Reserve.

WASHINGTON - Simi Valley, Calif. – home of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library – is planning a Freedom Walk to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and to show support for the nation’s servicemembers.

WASHINGTON - Thirteen servicemembers recently returned from deployments in the Middle East will fan out across the country beginning today to share their experiences and motivation for serving in uniform as they launch the Defense Department’s new “Why We Serve” program.

WASHINGTON - Nearly five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States, America still has enemies determined to harm it because of what it stands for, President Bush will tell the American Legion’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, today.

WASHINGTON - The primary threats to Iraq's security are terrorists and death squads, the coalition commander in the country said today, and both must be addressed if Iraq is going to progress.

DALLAS - True to its motto of “We Go Where You Go,” the Army and Air Force Exchange Service has mobilized its next-generation Tactical Field Exchange in support of some 550 active-duty soldiers helping control wildfires that have burned across Washington’s Okanogan and Wenatchee national forests.

WASHINGTON - Waxhaw, N.C., is planning an all-American celebration of freedom to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and honor the nation’s servicemembers.

HOLIDAY, Fla. - A new middle school named in honor of a Florida soldier who earned the Medal of Honor for heroism in Operation Iraqi Freedom was dedicated here Aug. 25.

WASHINGTON - A Marine serving with an Army unit in Iraq died yesterday from wounds suffered due to enemy action in Iraq’s Anbar province, and Defense Department officials have identified previous casualties.

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. - Terrorists and their supporters around the world soon will be under the gaze of a powerful "unblinking eye" providing information on their whereabouts to a "brain" here.

WASHINGTON - The United States is fighting terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq to keep its pledge to the people there and to prevent future attacks on America, Vice President Richard B. Cheney said at a troop rally at an Air Force base yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Las Vegas will remember those lost in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with a Freedom Walk on Sept. 9.

WASHINGTON - Troop-support volunteers in Milwaukee are gearing up for the city’s first Freedom Walk, a local organizer said today.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Wrapping up a trip here that also included stops in Alaska and Reno, Nev., Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met today with volunteers from “Operation Give,” a nonprofit organization that supports children in war-torn and natural-disaster-affected areas of the world.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - With the war on terror being fought largely in the media on a global stage, Americans cannot allow negative perceptions about the country and the military to be repeated without challenge, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON - Cardi’s Furniture Superstores in New England is one of 15 recipients of this year’s Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award for outstanding support of employees in the Guard and Reserve.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Marine and an American soldier died yesterday from injuries they suffered in Iraq’s Anbar province, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon officials unveiled a reorganization of the Defense Department’s policy office that will increase interagency cooperation.

WASHINGTON - Florida National Guard and reserve forces, as well as other state and federal emergency responders, are ready and waiting for now-tropical storm “Ernesto’s” arrival tonight or early tomorrow, a state military official said today.

WASHINGTON - The communication gap between military families at Fort Drum, N.Y., and their soon-to-be deployed servicemembers was bridged before it existed, thanks to Operation Homelink.

RENO, Nev. - As the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, approaches, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld last night stressed the need for determination in the war on terror.

NAVAL AIR STATION FALLON, Nev. - The U.S. military is capable not only of winning the war on terror, but also of fulfilling its other commitments around the world and dealing with unforeseen circumstances, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told a group of sailors and Marines here today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition training teams with Iraqi military units, police battalions and border guard units are making a tremendous difference in the performance and professionalism of the Iraqi security forces, said the commander of the Iraq Assistance Group today.

WASHINGTON - American troops fighting in the war against terrorism are serving the highest ideals of the United States, such as freedom, justice, equality and the dignity of the individual, Vice President Dick Cheney said today in Reno, Nev.

WASHINGTON - Female military doctors, lawyers and chaplains are more likely than their male counterparts to leave the military after serving five to eight years. The Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services wants to know why.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - As members of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit here make last-minute preparations for their upcoming deployment, Staff Sgt. Danny Sava and his family are getting their own affairs in order so they’re ready for another long separation.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Commissary Agency is partnering with a national anti-substance-abuse organization to promote the concept of families dining together as a means of establishing healthy lifestyles for young people, a DeCA spokesperson said today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces captured a suspected bomb maker and cell leader yesterday near Mussayib, Iraq, U.S. military officials said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld will call upon Americans in a speech later today to “work hard to keep a ‘Blame America First’ mentality from undermining our efforts” in the global war on terror.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces discovered and disabled multiple explosive devices in three separate locations today, and coalition forces helped save two Afghan boys, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi- and coalition-conducted anti-insurgent operations in Baghdad in recent weeks are achieving results, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters in the Iraqi capital today.

WASHINGTON - Eight Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers were killed yesterday in Iraq, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials and agencies have geared up to provide whatever support the Federal Emergency Management Agency may need in response to Hurricane Ernesto.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi government is slated to assume control of its soldiers, sailors and airmen sometime next month, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters in Baghdad.

SAN DIEGO - Staff Sgt. Chris Salgado, a California Army National Guard member based here, remembers his wife calling him to the television set Aug. 10 to see news reports about a terrorist ring unearthed in London. By nightfall, he was in uniform, responding to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s call for the National Guard to augment airport security.

WASHINGTON - Country music star Tammy Cochran has enlisted to perform at the Freedom Walk in Aurora, Colo., on Sept. 9, according to event organizers.

WASHINGTON - A small community in Iowa is among 86 cities and towns in 39 states planning Freedom Walks to honor those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, as well as the nation’s veterans, past and present.

WASHINGTON - Severely injured servicemembers and their spouses are seeing doors open to meaningful civilian careers, thanks to a partnership between the Defense Department and the private sector.

FORT GREELEY, Alaska - America’s missile defense capabilities are increasingly important now, as more countries demonstrate the ability and willingness to develop ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here yesterday after touring missile assembly and storage facilities.

WASHINGTON - Despite a recent increase in violence in Baghdad, Iraq is not on a path toward civil war, the commander of U.S. Central Command said yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Iraq is not now and will never be in a civil war, the country’s prime minister told Wolf Blitzer today on “CNN Late Edition.”

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces, supported by Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers, expanded their combined security effort into the Adhamiyah neighborhood of northeast Baghdad today in support of “Operation Together Forward.”

WASHINGTON - As NATO forces prepare to take over security operations in portions of Afghanistan, Army Gen. John Abizaid said he’s pleased with the progress he sees in regard to the country’s security situation.

NAPLES, Italy - U.S. Navy frigate USS Boone intercepted a drug-smuggling speedboat Aug. 24 while enroute from Algeria to Spain during a patrol of the Mediterranean Sea south of the Spanish coastline.

ABOARD THE USS MOUNT WHITNEY - Navy Vice Adm. J. “Boomer” Stufflebeem, commander of Joint Task Force Lebanon, assigned two task force commanders to lead critical elements of his newly formed organization as part of assuming authority for U.S. military operations here on Aug. 23, officials said today.

WASHINGTON - A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier was killed in Iraq, and two coalition soldiers were killed in Afghanistan yesterday, officials said.

WASHINGTON - Three coalition force soldiers were injured in a weapons accident at Camp Echo, Iraq, yesterday. Meanwhile, a hostage was released based on a tip and nine suspected insurgents were detained in three separate incidents on Aug 23, according to officials in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Coalition soldiers killed a known Taliban commander and 15 other militants in Afghanistan Aug. 25, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials said in a news release.

WASHINGTON - America's two million men and women in uniform are meeting demands around the globe, and "are doing a terrific job," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.

WASHINGTON - Violence in Baghdad has decreased over the past five weeks, and the Iraqi government is committed to reconciliation, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Iraq's Deputy President Adil al-Mahdi said here today.

WASHINGTON - A new Web site being developed by the Defense Department will provide information on electronic voting options for servicemembers and other U.S. citizens living overseas.

WASHINGTON - Beginning next week, 13 servicemembers from across the force will fan out across the country to speak about their military experience.

WASHINGTON - In concert with a presidential order to improve federal agency-managed or -sponsored health care, the Defense Department has embraced technology to boost the quality of military health care, improve medical information flow and monitor costs.

WASHINGTON - The United States men’s and women’s teams emerged victorious in the 3rd Conseil International du Sport Militaire’s World Military Golf Championships Aug. 15 through 17 at Ballinrobe Golf Club in Galway, Ireland.

RAMADI, Iraq - Coalition forces were attacked today from the Al Qadir Al Kilami mosque in Ramadi, Iraq, military officials here reported.

WASHINGTON - As Cheryl Janus reflected on Project Ark, a program for military teens she helped organize this summer, she realized the “ark” did in fact float.

PISMO BEACH - For one wounded warrior, the thought of never being able to surf again haunted him after losing his left leg above the knee in Iraq to a vehicle-borne bomb.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and U.S. troops have used an “isolate, clear and hold” strategy during Operation Together Forward to dampen insurgent activity in some troubled Baghdad neighborhoods, a senior operational officer said in the Iraqi capital today.

WASHINGTON - Allianz Life Insurance, with headquarters in Minneapolis, is one of 15 recipients of this year’s Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award for outstanding support of employees in the Guard and Reserve.

WASHINGTON - Residents of Crawfordsville, Ind., will gather Sept. 11 to participate in a Freedom Walk, joining an ever-growing number of Americans who will pay similar tribute to the victims of 9/11 and the nation’s past and present veterans.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces recovered three weapons caches Aug. 23 while searching three compounds in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, U.S. military officials reported.

SAN DIEGO - Power is down. Lights are out, and water is cut off. Internet and phone access is blocked. Local governments struggle to provide humanitarian assistance relief without an established telecommunications infrastructure. This is the scenario behind Strong Angel III, a disaster-response exercise underway here this week.

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Just three weeks before they deploy as U.S. Central Command’s theater reserve force, Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit here say they’re ready to get on with the mission despite pulls at their heartstrings over leaving home.

WASHINGTON - Iraq’s military medical system is not equal to its U.S. counterpart, but is improving on a daily basis, the surgeon general of Iraq’s armed forces said here yesterday.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Senior enlisted leaders from Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States met for the first time this week to share insights between their respective armed forces and future interoperability.

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Marines here expressed little surprise over plans to recall members of the Marine Corps’ Individual Ready Reserve to active duty, acknowledging that regardless of whether people think it’s fair, it’s part of the commitment.

BAGHDAD - In response to recent bombing and gas explosions in the area, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers joined Iraqi police and local officials in providing humanitarian aid Aug. 22 to displaced citizens in Zafaraniya.

WASHINGTON - San Diego will honor its military heritage with a Freedom Walk planned to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq - Seeking a unified province free from terrorism and sectarian violence, leaders of groups in Babil came together Aug. 20 in Hillah, Iraq, to reconcile and denounce sectarian violence.

WASHINGTON - A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died at about 8 a.m. today when an improvised explosive device struck the vehicle he was riding in south of Baghdad, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - In separate operations this week throughout Iraq, Iraqi and U.S. forces stopped a terrorist attack against a police station, captured five suspected terrorists, and disarmed seven improvised explosive devices, U.S. military officials reported.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Seven suspected al Qaeda facilitators were killed early today when Afghan and coalition forces conducted an operation on a compound near the village of Asmar in Kunar province.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Del Mar Thoroughbred Club pulled out all the stops yesterday as it saluted more than 1,000 sailors of the USS Ronald Reagan just returned from a deployment to the Persian Gulf.

WASHINGTON - Operation Together Forward, the Iraqi-led operation to reduce violence in Baghdad, is progressing well and is improving the security situation around the Iraqi capital, a Joint Staff official said here today.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department civilians and contractors who are deployed overseas will be included in military health protection measures for the first time as part of an upcoming new policy, senior DoD officials said here today.

WASHINGTON - A Fargo, N.D., business that provides loans to farmers and ranchers has received Defense Department recognition for its support of employees in the National Guard and reserve.

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Two Air Force legal leaders journeyed through Southwest Asia from Aug. 14 to 17, stopping in Kabul, Afghanistan, for a two-day seminar and lending their expertise to help train and inform Afghan military legal leaders on the rule of law.

WASHINGTON - The Dallas/Fort Worth area will hold a Freedom Walk on Sept. 11 to remember the victims of the terrorist attacks on the United States five years ago and to honor the nation’s veterans, past and present.

WASHINGTON - With Ronald McDonald on hand, a Washington-area McDonald’s restaurant honored the “Milkshake Man,” as Jim Mayer is better known, for providing injured servicemembers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here with their shakes and his support for more than 16 years.

WASHINGTON - Since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast a year ago next week, the Army Corps of Engineers has worked tirelessly with federal, state and local officials, industry partners, and thousands of volunteers to repair damage.

WASHINGTON - President Bush has authorized the Marine Corps to call up Marines from the service’s Individual Ready Reserve, which may mean a return to duty for some recently discharged veterans.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - This Southern California base has experienced firsthand what other military posts have come to recognize: Deployments are challenging for servicemembers and spouses, but they’re especially difficult for children.

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. - "Combat training and self aid and buddy care really prepares you for what you need to face," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Randy Gardner, who was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he suffered in a rocket attack in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - A Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan recently made several claims to the media that were proven false by coalition forces, and in recent operations three suspected terrorists were captured, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Two military relief agencies received a total of $30,000 here yesterday, the proceeds of a July clay shooting event in New York.

WASHINGTON - The quick response of Iraqi security forces to terrorist gunmen who opened fire on a large crowd of religious worshipers in Baghdad Aug. 20 demonstrates their improved capabilities, a senior U.S. military officer said today.

WASHINGTON - Iraq is experiencing some localized sectarian strife, but it’s not embroiled in a full-blown civil war as reported by some news media, a senior coalition officer said here today.

WASHINGTON - A weekend of events in Sacramento, Calif., saluting America’s military veterans and current servicemembers will culminate in a candlelit walk on the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Hollywood Boulevard may be better known for its glitzy Walk of Fame and seedy nightlife than as a place to recruit servicemembers, but the Armed Forced Career Center here is signing up recruits aplenty.

SAN DIEGO - An opportunity to get an education, to see parts of the world they’d only heard about or to serve their country attracted 16 passengers here last evening aboard American Airlines Flight 1961, and ultimately, to 13 weeks of boot camp.

WASHINGTON - The United States will provide funding and other assistance to support a U.N. plan to end warfare between Lebanon-based Hezbollah guerrillas and Israel, President Bush said here today.

WASHINGTON - Amid national debate about whether or not to stay the course in Iraq, President Bush today firmly placed himself in the “stay” category.

LOS ANGELES - Hollywood’s depiction of the U.S. military is often laughably inaccurate to many Americans who wear their country’s uniform. This is not for lack of effort on the part of the military services and the Defense Department.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces captured two key insurgent leaders in Baghdad yesterday and rescued five kidnap victims in separate operations Aug. 18 and 19 in different areas of Iraq, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Four U.S. servicemembers have been killed in action in Iraq over the past two days, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - A veteran Utah Army National Guardsman from Salt Lake City is coordinating efforts to hold the municipality’s first Freedom Walk.

WASHINGTON - Nationally syndicated columnist Jacey Eckhart has turned from pen to microphone in an effort to help military families tackle unique issues they face.

WASHINGTON - Two engagements with Taliban extremists in Afghanistan yesterday demonstrate that the U.S. continues to take the fight to the enemy, a U.S. military spokesman said today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi army forces captured three death squad leaders during raids in Baghdad Aug. 18. The captured leaders allegedly participated in a massacre of Iraqi families last month, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Three U.S. soldiers were killed in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, and a soldier assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division died from wounds suffered due to enemy action in Iraq’s Anbar province yesterday, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The advance of freedom will help protect the U.S. homeland, defeat terrorism and bring hope to people around the world, President Bush said yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Army Spc. Crystal Davis is one tough young woman. She proved it the night the up-armored wrecker she was driving in Iraq hit an improvised explosive device. Trapped in the destroyed vehicle with her right foot nearly severed, she told her cohorts she’d hoist herself out rather than risk having them come in.

WASHINGTON - Over the past two and a half years, about 500 severely wounded servicemembers and their families have enjoyed 5,000 free dinners out on the town thanks to Hal Koster and Marty O’Brien.

WASHINGTON - The ultimate solution for the violence in Baghdad depends on the Iraqi people’s willingness to reject violence and cooperate with Iraqi security forces, a U.S. military commander in the area said today.

WASHINGTON - Just short of 10 months into his new job, the first senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he’s making important inroads between servicemembers and their leaders but is still “working it hard” to build on them.

WASHINGTON - The Army has authorized award of the Bronze Star Medal for Service to the living Canadian veterans of the 1st Special Services Force for their service to the U.S. Army during World War II.

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. - As during the Cold War, the spread of freedom remains America’s most valuable tool in combating the nation’s enemies, a senior Defense Department official said here yesterday.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Six U.S. and coalition troops peer out from a remote position on a ridge top in Afghanistan. At sunset on the third day of their vigil, a large force of Taliban extremists carrying heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades pin down the team.

WASHINGTON - Moving frequently is not always beneficial to military spouses’ careers, but RE/MAX officials hope to help change that.

WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers in Iraq seized several large weapons caches and detained eight terrorist suspects in operations throughout the country yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces captured two wanted men in separate early morning raids yesterday.

WASHINGTON - A joint Afghan National Army and coalition patrol struck an improvised explosive device and engaged by extremists with small-arms and rocket-propelled-grenade fire in Afghanistan’s Paktika province yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Two coalition soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan Aug. 16 and yesterday, and coalition forces killed eight extremists and discovered a weapons cache, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - In conjunction with similar events across the country, up to 1,000 people are expected to walk the streets of downtown San Antonio Sept. 11 to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, and to thank America’s veterans, past and present.

WASHINGTON - The United States walks away from Africa at its own peril, the U.S. general in charge of military operations there said in an interview here yesterday.

FORT BELVOIR, Va. - There’s plenty of fuel available to fill the tanks of U.S. military vehicles and aircraft despite widely reported accounts of a commercial oil pipeline rupture in Alaska, a Defense Department logistician said.

WASHINGTON - Military might will not win the battle for Afghanistan, said U.S. Marine Gen. James L. Jones, NATO’s top military officer.

WASHINGTON - U.S. European Command will assume command of U.S. military forces operating off the coast of Lebanon and in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the organization’s commander said here today.

WASHINGTON - America’s 9/11 Foundation is getting ready to hit the road again with its annual America’s 9/11 Ride in support of the nation’s first responders, the foundation’s promotions manager and media contact said.

WASHINGTON - The most important thing military leaders can offer their people is an up-front assessment of what they’re facing, as exemplified by the way the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team’s leaders informed the troops about their extension in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The MGM Mirage hotel and casino received the 2006 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award for exceptional support above the requirements of federal law for its employees who serve in the National Guard and reserves.

WASHINGTON - A soldier assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, died from wounds suffered due to enemy action in Iraq’s Anbar province yesterday, military officials reported.

NGINYANG, Kenya - East African Community nations and U.S. servicemembers are providing medical, veterinary and engineering civil assistance to rural areas in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya as part of Natural Fire 2006, a multilateral training exercise.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces captured two wanted men in separate operations in and near Baghdad yesterday. Both operations were part of Operation Together Forward, the recent security crackdown in the Baghdad area.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - Wounded warriors at Brooke Army Medical Center here now have a place to call home during their recovery thanks to a generous influx of money from global war on terrorism funds.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq - The 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, officially assumed responsibility for security in parts of Mahmudiyah, Yusufiyah and Lutufiyah, Iraq, earlier this week.

WASHINGTON - Two Massachusetts Air National Guard F-15 fighter jets scrambled today to escort a Washington-bound United Airlines flight to Boston’s Logan National Airport, a U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command spokesman confirmed.

WASHINGTON - A temporary medical annex being constructed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here will provide better facilities for wounded troops undergoing post-amputation care, a senior official said today.

WASHINGTON - At the exact site of the most painful event in the Pentagon’s history – the Sept. 11, 2001, attack – a couple brought together through the tragedy recently became the first to exchange wedding vows in the Pentagon Memorial Chapel.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Nine Task Force Centaur aviators were among 21 U.S. soldiers and airmen recognized by the government of Turkmenistan for efforts in recovering a Turkmenistan Red Cross helicopter that crashed in eastern Afghanistan earlier this year.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi people will need to carry forward positive trends in Baghdad, a coalition spokesman said there today. He explained operations in Baghdad are designed to reduce murders, kidnappings, assassinations, terrorism and sectarian violence.

WASHINGTON - The newest United Service Organizations center will open its doors this week at Fort Bliss, Texas, to serve the post’s 36,000-member military population.

WASHINGTON - Momentum continues to build as more than 50 cities organize America Supports You Freedom Walks to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has an enviable track record in enforcing ethical recruiting standards but plans to institute new policies to better identify and root out problem areas, a senior Pentagon official said today.

WASHINGTON - As the ceasefire in Lebanon took effect, the U.S. military evacuated 21 more Americans from Beirut in recent days, DoD spokesman Bryan Whitman said today.

WASHINGTON - A German army officer who has donated money to a group affiliated with DoD’s America Supports You organization plans to take a more personal role in confronting global terrorism.

WASHINGTON - Three hundred one soldiers with an Alaska-based unit extended in Iraq will return to the combat zone to serve with their comrades in arms, Army officials announced yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The federal government’s duty is to protect the American people, and the work being done at the National Counterterrorism Center is doing just that, President Bush said today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces and the U.S. Agency for International Development continue to work together to bring reconstruction and economic development to the people of Afghanistan, U.S. military officials said.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Justice has launched a Web site to protect servicemembers’ rights, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzalez said yesterday. He said the Justice Department has made it a priority to enforce civil rights laws for servicemembers.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces killed an al Qaeda member and detained 13 other suspected terrorists today during an early-morning operation in Afghanistan’s Khowst province, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces in Baghdad yesterday captured a man believed to be responsible for the January shooting death of a U.S. soldier and an interpreter, U.S. military officials reported.

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq - The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told troops that Iran is “fighting a proxy war against Israel by supporting Hezbollah” in Lebanon. Iran also is fighting a proxy war against Iraq and the United States by supporting elements inside Iraq.

WASHINGTON - America will remain on the offensive against al Qaeda and nations that support terror groups, President Bush said here today. He said the United States’ “freedom agenda” will advance peace in the region.

WASHINGTON - About 92 percent of Iraq’s 188,000 Ministry of Interior forces now are trained and equipped, and all Iraqi National Police soon will receive new official uniforms, the commander of the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team told Baghdad reporters today.

WASHINGTON - Security forces protect Air Force people and resources worldwide, even when those resources are on the move at more than 300 miles per hour.

WASHINGTON - Servicemembers and their family members with financial questions need look no further for the answers than a new column on the CinCHouse Web site, www.cinchouse.com.

WASHINGTON - The ongoing effort to secure Baghdad is an evolution, and solutions must be long-term, the spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq told reporters in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - Some 550 active-duty soldiers from Fort Lewis, Wash., will be conducting a different kind of firefight in the days ahead: helping control wildfires that have burned more than 83,000 acres in Washington’s Okanogan and Wenatchee national forests.

WASHINGTON - The first city to join the Defense Department’s “America Supports You” program is preparing to host a Freedom Walk on the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi army and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers set a cordon around an Iraqi Ministry of Health complex at about 2:30 a.m. yesterday to search for kidnapped Iraqi citizens.

MOSUL, Iraq - Meeting with troops during visits to combat zones helps keep Marine Gen. Peter Pace focused and gives him “ground truth,” the general said during an interview here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers in recent days have recovered an Iraqi hostage and captured a terrorist cell leader, officials said.

WASHINGTON - An estimated 18 to 20 terrorist extremists died in a thwarted attack on an Afghan National Army command post in the Bermel district of Paktika province early this morning, military officials said.

WASHINGTON - Five soldiers were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent days, another two were wounded, and the Defense Department has identified four earlier casualties who died supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

WASHINGTON - In his weekly radio address yesterday, President Bush reiterated American resolve against extremist terrorists and declared that the free world will prevail against enemies of freedom.

WASHINGTON - On Sept. 11, 2004, Rockie Lynne, Gregg Schmitt and about 60 bikers on 45 motorcycles visited the homes of three fallen servicemembers. They were so moved by the reaction of the families, they vowed to ride again.

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq - The Iraqi people must step forward and accept their freely elected government if there is to be peace in the country’s troubled Anbar province, the coalition’s commander in the region said here today.

BAGHDAD - Misdeeds by servicemembers in Iraq, while rare, give the world the wrong impression of what the U.S. military stands for, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a visit here yesterday.

BAGHDAD - The coalition commander responsible for operations in the Iraqi capital is optimistic about what he has seen since operations to quell sectarian violence here started.

BAGHDAD - The will of the United States is the only question in whether the nation’s effort in Iraq and Afghanistan will succeed, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi people are the ones who must decide that sectarian violence must end, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.

WASHINGTON - The leader of the nation's largest veterans organization will lead hundreds of veterans on a motorcycle caravan across five states next week to raise scholarship money for children of U.S. military personnel killed on duty since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

WASHINGTON - A trio of organizations with a long history of military support recognized 12 volunteer groups today for their programs that contribute to servicemembers’ quality of life.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Northern Command was aware of the terrorist plot to bomb commercial airplanes that came to light this week, and the command was prepared to act if necessary, the command’s operations director said yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces killed three al Qaeda members and detained three others during a raid today in Afghanistan’s Khowst province, U.S. military officials reported.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The Afghan National Army is learning from Western military trainers who stress the central role of noncommissioned officers in a world-class military.

WASHINGTON - Residents of Munster, Ind., will gather on Sept. 11 to hold a Freedom Walk commemorating the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff this week urged students at the National War College to examine ways to make interagency processes work better and to get to know international members of the school.

BAGHDAD - Bettering the lives of Iraqi youngsters is what Peter Debski says is the best part of his job.

WASHINGTON - The bodies of two soldiers killed in an Aug. 8 helicopter crash in Iraq’s Anbar province have been recovered, U.S. officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - The overnight arrests of 21 suspected terrorists by British authorities is a stark reminder that the United States is still at war with “Islamic fascists” who are intent on destroying freedom-loving people, President Bush said today.

WASHINGTON - All active-duty military components met or exceeded their July recruiting goals, Defense Department officials announced today, marking the 14th consecutive month the services have met or exceeded their goals.

WASHINGTON - As part of its 100th anniversary celebration, a pain reliever manufacturer is honoring the hard-working Americans, including servicemembers, who make the United States great.

WASHINGTON - A makeshift town constructed of a dozen squat cinderblock buildings located in the Virginia woods stood in for an Iraqi village yesterday during a Marine Corps 4th Civil Affairs Group training exercise.

WASHINGTON - Three U.S. soldiers in Iraq died yesterday in Anbar province, and Defense Department officials have identified five soldiers killed earlier.

WASHINGTON - Coalition soldiers killed 15 extremists Aug. 8 during a firefight at a provincial reconstruction team base in the Kamdesh district of Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - American officials are on guard in light of arrests made in Great Britain overnight in connection with a terror plot targeting trans-Atlantic commercial flights, senior Defense Department officials said today.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - An improvised explosive device may have robbed Delaney Rocky Perez of his military career, but an Army program has given Perez an opportunity to serve again -- this time as a civilian.

WASHINGTON - The city whose native son helped turn the United States into a nation of motorists will shun Henry Ford’s invention for a time on Sept. 11.

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces have stepped up operations in Baghdad to curtail deadly sectarian violence that’s plagued the city in recent months, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces in Iraq have arrested several Iraqis suspected of involvement in the Jan. 7 abduction of an American journalist, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - The National Guard’s mission at the southwestern U.S. border is a balance of responsibility between the federal and state governments that is already improving border security and reducing illegal immigration, the National Guard’s leader said.

WASHINGTON - Transitioning from the military into the civilian work force can be as simple as trading one type of headgear for another through “Helmets to Hardhats.”

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi army is halfway to its goal of 10 divisions as the 4th Division assumed command of the area north of Baghdad yesterday.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Army helicopter crashed yesterday during an orientation flight over Iraq’s Anbar province, officials said today.

WASHINGTON - Decked out in special camouflage jerseys, a Maryland baseball team tonight will show their support for men and women in uniform.

WASHINGTON - U.S. troop levels in South Korea will not drop beyond previously agreed upon levels, a senior defense official speaking on background said here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces and U.S. soldiers of Multinational Division Baghdad yesterday launched the second phase of Operation Together Forward to increase security and reduce violence in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - In separate operations yesterday and Aug. 6, Iraqi security forces captured 22 suspected terrorists and seized various weapons, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and Iraqi soldiers detained two suspected terrorists, killed four terrorists, and seized weapons in several different operations in Iraq today, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON - A workshop today and tomorrow at Fort Gordon, Ga., is providing career guidance for wounded servicemembers. The program is the first of its kind and will address issues such as benefits, entitlements and employment options.

WASHINGTON - The activities in the Hezbollah-Hamas battlespace are being manipulated by Iran, directed by Syria and executed by Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon, a senior U.S. military official, speaking on background, said today.

WASHINGTON - Oklahoma City volunteers are preparing for the municipality’s first Freedom Walk, slated to run on the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, a local organizer said today.

WASHINGTON - The coalition and Iraqi security forces presence in Baghdad is growing, and soon residents will notice an improvement, a senior defense official said here today.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon will open a new conference center -- boasting 14 conference rooms, a large multipurpose room, and a new cafeteria and atrium –- later this year.

WASHINGTON - As fighting between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group continues, U.S. servicemembers continue to evacuate Americans trapped in Lebanon, Defense Department officials report.

WASHINGTON, DC - A roadside bomb killed three Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers yesterday southwest of Baghdad, and the Defense Department released the names of servicemembers killed recently in Iraq.

INDIANAPOLIS - As NASCAR fans poured into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway yesterday for the “Allstate 400 at the Brickyard,” John Gonsalves worked to inform them about his efforts to help disabled veterans.

INDIANAPOLIS - NASCAR fans at the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard here yesterday said “thank you” to the nation’s servicemembers 400 times in the first 10 minutes after learning how they could use their cell phones to send words of support.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2006 - Three soldiers were killed in Iraq’s Anbar province Aug. 4 and yesterday, military officials reported, and the Defense Department released the identities of a soldier and a sailor who were killed recently supporting the war on terror.

WASHINGTON, DC - Coalition forces conducted raids today and yesterday in two areas of Iraq, seized a large weapons cache and captured four terrorists Aug. 4, and detained three terrorists Aug. 3, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - The 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team handed over operations in Mosul, Iraq, and other surrounding areas in the Ninewa province to the 3rd SBCT, 2nd Infantry Division, in a transfer-of-authority ceremony at Forward Operating Base Marez today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Mosul police officers and Iraqi soldiers defeated a complex terrorist attack in eastern Mosul, Iraq, Aug. 4, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - The NATO force in southern Afghanistan has met resistance from the Taliban and other criminal elements, but the force remains committed to establishing a safe and secure environment in the region, NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe said.

WASHINGTON, DC - The deployment of more than 6,000 National Guard troops to the U.S. southwest border met a key objective in the government’s efforts to secure the border, President Bush said here yesterday.

DENVER - Children in military families face unique pressures and stress and need community and family support to lead successful lives, first lady Laura Bush said here yesterday at a conference addressing youth issues.

MARINE BARRACKS WASHINGTON, D.C. - Twenty-six Marine heroes were honored at a Medal of Honor flag presentation ceremony here yesterday.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Defense Department this month kicked off a program to help prevent activated reservists and National Guardsmen from facing financial hardships.

WASHINGTON, DC - Eighteen cities and counties in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region are planning Freedom Walks to commemorate victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and show support for veterans past and present.

WASHINGTON, DC - Defense Department officials hope to use new authorities to help other countries fight terrorism to buy spare parts for the Lebanese military, a senior defense official said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Violence in Iraq stems from several difference sources, and U.S., coalition and Iraqi forces there often find attacks difficult to classify, a combat commander in Diyala province said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Passion for sewing and a desire to show support for the military combined to inspire a Chicago woman to launch an effort she calls the “Patriotic Pillow Project.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Two Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 died yesterday in separate incidents due to enemy action in Iraq’s Anbar province, and the Defense Department released the identities of five servicemembers killed recently in Iraq.

WASHINGTON, DC - Three Iraqi civilians were killed, and nine were injured yesterday when insurgents fired a mortar round at a residential area in Ubaydi, Iraq, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush praised the National Guard yesterday for its speedy response to the U.S. border security mission and pointed to solid signs of its success.

WASHINGTON, DC - Top military and defense leaders today praised the dedication and commitment of U.S. servicemembers, as well as the families that support them, as the key to success in the terror war.

SEBRING, Ohio - A fourth grade student, Colton Lockner, has taken it upon himself to organize this small village’s first America Supports You Freedom Walk, a move that surprised no one who knows the slight boy.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi and U.S. soldiers have found munitions caches and captured suspected terrorists in operations throughout Iraq this week, and U.S. soldiers killed a man planting a roadside bomb.

WASHINGTON, DC - The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East told Congress today he’s “rarely seen it so unsettled or so volatile” and urged continued regional and coalition pressure to confront problems before they escalate further.

WASHINGTON, DC - Some wounded veterans may never walk again, which is why Korean War veteran Jack Nitz wants to make sure they at least smile again.

WASHINGTON, DC - A U.S. medical evacuation helicopter carrying an injured Afghan child came under attack with small-arms fire Aug. 1 in Afghanistan’s Zabul province, U.S. military officials said.

WASHINGTON, DC - Coalition forces captured a wanted terrorist along with two others during a raid near Bayji, Iraq, yesterday, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld disputed recent assertions today that the Army is declining in readiness due to equipment shortfalls.

WASHINGTON, DC - When the SemperComm Foundation gets teed off, it’s for a good reason - keeping servicemembers stationed at remote overseas bases in touch with family and loved ones.

WASHINGTON, DC - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld used today, the 16th anniversary of Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, as an opportunity to assess progress that's taken place in Iraq and the threat extremists continue to impose on free people.

WASHINGTON, DC - Two soldiers and a Marine were killed in Iraq today, and the Defense Department released the identities of three Marines who were killed recently supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi security forces searched a university in Ramadi, Iraq, today in response to insurgent activity and targeted militia “death squads” in four operations yesterday, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - In separate operations throughout Iraq today and July 31, coalition and Iraqi forces foiled a kidnapping attempt, captured eight terrorists, and seized numerous weapons, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - The National Guard has exceeded its troop requirement along the southwestern U.S. border by almost 200 servicemembers and is assisting U.S. Border Patrol activities there, a senior Defense Department official said here today.

FORT MEADE - The young and not-so-young men and women processing into the military earlier this week at the Military Entrance Processing Station here offer a snapshot of the armed forces of the future.

FORT MEADE, Md. - A step through the doors of the Military Entrance Processing Station here blows away the myths that the military is struggling to get enough recruits.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Army is taking significant steps to ensure soldiers and families of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team are taken care of now that the unit’s deployment to Iraq has been extended four months.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi and coalition forces captured and killed several terrorists and found multiple weapons caches over the past week, U.S. military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Afghan and coalition forces detained four suspected al Qaeda operatives during an early morning raid today in Khowst province, and a group of extremists attacked a girls school in Parwan province July 28, U.S. military officials said.

WASHINGTON, DC - Golf enthusiasts put their skills on the line to benefit two troop-support programs during the "Birdies for the Brave" golf outing at Tournament Players Club Avenel, in Potomac, Md., July 27.

HOUSTON - A new initiative called “Parent to Parent” is designed to bring parents together to teach other parents how to be the best advocates for their children.

WASHINGTON, DC - A servicemember assigned to the 16th Corps Support Group was killed in action by a makeshift bomb while on a convoy south of Baghdad yesterday, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - Organizers expect 5,000 people to participate in the Aurora, Colo., Freedom Walk event Sept. 9. Freedom Walks around the country will commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and honor Americans who service in the military.