WASHINGTON - Following a series of meetings at the Pentagon and the White House, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates swore in Marine Gen. James E. “Hoss” Cartwright as the eighth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush and Vice President Cheney met with top leaders at the Pentagon today to discuss their commitment to providing servicemembers with all they need “to meet the challenges of this new century,” Bush said.

FORT LEWIS, Wash. - There’s a sense of giddiness here as families prepare for their “Arrowhead Brigade” Strykers to return home after a 15-month deployment to Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Afghan national security forces, advised by coalition forces, defeated an insurgent attack near Regay Village on the east side of the Musa Qalah Wadi in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

WASHINGTON - President Bush signed a federal proclamation declaring Sept. 9-15 as National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week for 2007. The Defense Department will honor 15 employers of Guardsmen and reservists in a Sept. 12 ceremony.

WASHINGTON - Five terrorists were killed and 37 suspected terrorists were detained today as coalition forces continued to put pressure on al Qaeda’s operations in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - A new U.S. command in southern Afghanistan is working to improve the martial capabilities of local police who confront battle-hardened Taliban insurgents.

WASHINGTON - It will take 10 years to breed Iraq’s noncommissioned officer corps, according to the general who oversees training for Iraq’s security forces.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi citizens are steadily rebuilding their lives with help from U.S. provincial reconstruction teams, a team leader said from Mosul, Iraq.

RENO, Nev. - Enlisted representatives from the five armed services were honored this week by the nation’s largest wartime veterans’ organization.

BAGHDAD - The crew of a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft transporting visiting members of Congress took evasive measures yesterday when they observed surface-to-air fire upon departure from Baghdad International Airport.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq - A routine meeting on Aug. 18 became a saga of tragedy and heroism when a young Iraqi man gave his life to save his family and his U.S. Army friends. The soldiers he saved that day say they will never forget the man’s sacrifice.

WASHINGTON - On Sept. 12, defense officials will present Freedom Awards to 15 outstanding employers. Here is how one of the recipients – Nucor Corp. of Charlotte, N.C. -- went above and beyond to support a member of the National Guard.

WASHINGTON - A 17-year Air Force veteran who led vehicles more than 20,000 miles across Kuwait and Iraq during 18 missions -- rolling over streets often flanked with armed insurgents and littered with roadside bombs -- is sharing the message of his service with the American people.

CAMP WY WUH, Alaska - Bumping down a dusty, narrow logging trail away from camp in an old red truck, Army Col. Frederick J. West talked about a project that, after 10 years, has literally left him at the end of the road.

WASHINGTON - A simulated flu outbreak exercise at the Pentagon this month was a “great success” and taught the department lessons about functioning with an ailing work force, the Defense Department's top personnel and readiness official said yesterday.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Elements of the 1st Brigade, 205th Afghan National Army Corps, along with coalition forces, repelled a direct attack on Firebase Anaconda in Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province today, killing 11 of the attackers.

WASHINGTON - President Bush will meet with defense leaders in the Pentagon tomorrow to continue the dialogue on operations in Iraq, a Joint Staff official said. Army Maj. Gen. Richard Sherlock said Bush would receive the “unvarnished” advice of the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

WASHINGTON - The provincial reconstruction team in Iraq’s Salah ad Din province is hard at work with local leaders to promote organization in governance, economic development, and rule of law, the team’s leader said yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces disrupted al Qaeda operations in Iraq with a series of raids today, killing a terrorist leader and detaining more than 25 other individuals suspected of being al Qaeda members and associates.

WASHINGTON - Reshaping support to Army families and rebalancing a force stretched by war will be the priorities for Army Secretary Preston “Pete” Geren.

WASHINGTON - The general who oversees training for Iraq’s security forces called the country a “mosaic,” and said each of Iraq’s regions poses unique challenges to security efforts.

WASHINGTON - In 46 states across the country, 188 groups are planning Freedom Walks to be held in conjunction with the national America Supports You Freedom Walk planned for Sept. 9 in Washington.

CAMP TAJI, Iraq - The Iraqi air force flew its first mission without the assistance of its American partners over the weekend. Iraqi pilots flew a mission to survey and monitor the power lines in Iraq in a mission called "Operation Power Line" Aug. 25.

WASHINGTON - On Sept. 12, defense officials will present Freedom Awards to 15 outstanding employers. Here is how one of the recipients – Ultra Machining Company of Monticello, Minn. -- went above and beyond to support a member of the National Guard.

WASHINGTON - The September edition of the Pentagon Channel’s monthly documentary “Recon” spotlights the Coast Guard’s efforts in the Caribbean Sea’s most perilous waterway.

FORT LEWIS, Wash. - Members of the Fort Lewis community paid a somber tribute yesterday to two of their own killed in recent combat operations in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - On Sept. 12, defense officials will present Freedom Awards to 15 outstanding employers. Here is how one of the recipients -- Creative Healthcare Solutions of Scottsdale, Ariz. -- went above and beyond to support a member of the Army Reserve.

WASHINGTON - “Cooperative threat-reduction programs are a critical tool used to address one of the gravest threats we face: the danger that terrorists and proliferators could gain access to weapons or materials of mass destruction,” President Bush said in a statement.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s inspector general will travel to Iraq with an 18-person assessment team to determine the magnitude of a reported problem with Iraqi weapons accountability.

WASHINGTON - Afghan national security forces advised by coalition forces killed more than 100 insurgent fighters in the northern part of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.

WASHINGTON - Officials in Iraq's Kirkuk province are stepping up to invest more Iraqi money for funding reconstruction projects designed to provide a better future for residents, a U.S. State Department official said.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed two terrorists and detained 22 suspected terrorists during operations targeting senior al Qaeda leaders in central and northern Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces are stepping forward to shoulder the security burden in the country, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said.

WASHINGTON - Coalition and Iraqi forces have been making gains against al Qaeda in Iraq, as citizens step forward to help the security forces and take more responsibility for their country, two U.S. generals in Iraq said.

FORT LEWIS, Wash. - An Army Reserve helicopter crew lowered National Park Service rangers to practice plucking an injured climber from an 8,600-foot ridge on Washington’s Mount Rainier yesterday in a training mission much like real-life rescues the soldiers are routinely called upon to perform.

WASHINGTON - Since 2004, a group of Minnesota motorcyclists has visited more than 40 families throughout the state who have lost a loved one while serving the country, and this year will be no different.

WASHINGTON - Families of deceased active-duty soldiers can receive an extended level of support from a long-term care program the Army launched 18 months ago, the program’s chief said today.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - The 37 judges in Afghanistan’s Parwan province are the first of more than 450 judges within the Regional Command East area of responsibility to receive complete sets of Afghan law books.

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department and defense agencies are examining contracting problems in Southwest Asia in light of improprieties uncovered in internal reviews.

WASHINGTON - Defeating extremists in the Middle East is essential to America’s security, and the most important way to counter these extremists is to win the fight in Iraq, President Bush said today.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces killed 21 insurgents, nabbed 12 others, discovered a weapons cache and thwarted two ambushes in Afghanistan over the past two days.

WASHINGTON - For injured troops, the transition between hospital and hometown can be a rough one. Kathy Pearce is working to make that transition a little smoother.

WASHINGTON - Coalition and Iraqi forces killed and captured dozens of insurgents and seized scores of weapons during operations in Iraq over the past three days.

WASHINGTON - On Sept. 12, defense officials will present Freedom Awards to 15 outstanding employers. Here is how one of the recipients -- Con-way Inc. of San Mateo, Calif. -- went above and beyond to support a member of the National Guard and Reserves.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The National Guard is making a vital contribution to current wars and will continue to be integral as the U.S. military enter a period of persistent conflict, the Army chief of staff said.

WASHINGTON - On Sept. 12, defense officials will present Freedom Awards to fifteen outstanding employers. Here is how one of the recipients -- Sierra Pacific Resources of Nevada --went above and beyond to support a member of the National Guard and Reserves.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces teamed up to defeat a group of Taliban insurgents protecting a heroin laboratory in Helmand province yesterday.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today praised Iraqi leaders for an agreement that will allow former low-level Baath Party officials to serve in the Iraqi government. The agreement helps meet one of the specific benchmarks set by U.S. legislators and shows progress in the political arena.

WASHINGTON - Coalition troops detained 36 terrorists and killed nine others today during a series of raids in Baghdad and other areas in central and northern Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. provincial reconstruction team in Iraq’s Diyala province is working to connect provincial leaders with Iraq’s central government and foster reconciliation in an area where security is still challenging.

WASHINGTON - Coalition and Iraqi forces killed 26 al Qaeda members, captured 37 suspected terrorists and seized 10 weapons caches during Operation Lightning Hammer, one in a series of coordinated “quick-strike” offensives that launched this month.

WASHINGTON - Troops from Tennessee are finding a local group is there to offer them a helping hand when they need it.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan - Afghans and multinational forces are working hand in hand on a variety of construction projects. They are constructing metal building systems, known as K-Spans; roads; ditches; culverts and sewage lagoons.

WASHINGTON - Any transition of security responsibility from coalition forces to Iraqi security forces must be done deliberately and in a way that ensures the successes gained so far will not be lost, one of the top U.S. commanders in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - Seven Iraqi citizens found their way to a coalition patrol base near Khan Ban Sa’ad, Iraq, yesterday after escaping a makeshift prison, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Janet Southby has been a driving force behind the Walter Reed Society since the group’s beginning in 1996.

WASHINGTON - Recent strides in Iraq’s economic development, including the reopening of a flour mill last week, are occurring as Iraqi and coalition forces disrupt al Qaeda and other terrorist elements, a senior military spokesman in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - Tribal leaders in Iraq’s Diyala province are banding together to secure peace and protect their people, the commander of coalition forces in the province told reporters yesterday.

WASHINGTON - More Iraqis are stepping forward to defend their democracy as young men sign up for the army, police patrol the streets, and joint coalition and Iraqi operations double, President Bush said during his weekly radio address.

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - A team of test operators and mechanics here gave members of the media and other visitors a firsthand look today at the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle, or MRAP.

FORT GREELY, Alaska - About 200 Alaska Army National Guardsmen serve as the front line of U.S. missile defense. The department’s Missile Defense Agency deemed Fort Greely appropriate because of its strategic location within intercepting distance of missiles launched either from North Korea or Iran.

WASHINGTON - Iraqis who once aligned themselves with militants are now taking up arms against al Qaeda, a top commander in the Iraqi capital said during a conference call today.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - Brooke Army Medical Center has implemented a series of sweeping changes designed to improve the quality of care for “warriors in transition” and their families.

WASHINGTON - Efforts to improve Iraq’s electrical power grid continue to make progress.

WASHINGTON - Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jeffrey Duncan has served for 21 years and still says there’s no end in sight. Duncan is one of eight servicemembers chosen to speak to across the nation in the Defense Department’s “Why We Serve” public outreach program.

WASHINGTON - As the U.S. troop surge has taken effect in areas of Iraq, Iraqi citizens are shifting away from extremist groups and stepping forward to assist coalition and Iraqi security forces and secure their communities.

WASHINGTON - One militant was killed and 11 men were detained for questioning following an operation in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed seven terrorists and detained 12 suspected terrorists today during operations in central and northern Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The latest National Intelligence Estimate update released yesterday reports a drop in violent attacks and measured progress in Iraq and suggests that, with continued robust counterinsurgency operations and mentoring by coalition forces, Iraqi security forces will continue to improve.

WASHINGTON - With traditional “American Spirit” at the heart of its mission, one California group is working to make a difference in the lives of wounded servicemembers and their families.

BAGHDAD - Operation Lightning Hammer concluded Aug. 22 after a 12-day, large-scale operation to disrupt al Qaeda and other terrorist elements in Iraq's Diyala River Valley.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - The Army Medical Department Noncommissioned Officers Academy’s newest graduates heard a few words of wisdom from the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

WASHINGTON - The latest National Intelligence Estimate indicates the U.S. strategy has improved the security environment in Iraq, but notes that many tough challenges lie ahead, according to a statement released today by White House Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Johndroe.

WASHINGTON - Due to the sustained presence of coalition forces in former insurgent safe havens and increased capability of Iraqi security forces, levels of violence in Iraq are the lowest they’ve been since June 2006.

WASHINGTON - A group that supports wounded servicemembers and their families is offering troops a friendly ear with its newest program, “Hear 4 You.”

FORT RICHARDSON, Alaska - Two hundered Alaska Army National Guard soldiers scheduled to deploy in October are going through pre-deployment training in a high-tech convoy simulator that allows them to work through realistic scenarios using actual Iraqi landscapes.

WASHINGTON - To prepare the 18th Airborne Corps for its upcoming lead role at Multinational Corps Iraq, some 600 servicemembers are engaging in an exercise Aug. 13-24 to replicate the “rigor, complexity and realism” of Iraq’s combat environment.

WASHINGTON - Permanently blinded and severely wounded in Vietnam in 1969, Stephen Maguire has returned to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to help wounded warriors and their families.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained 10 suspected terrorists today during operations around Iraq targeting al Qaeda weapons and leadership networks.

WASHINGTON - President Bush voiced his support for Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during an address today at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Kansas City, Mo. He also pointed out that a free Iraq would provide hope throughout the Middle East.

WASHINGTON - Efforts to resuscitate Iraq’s electrical power grid are making progress despite challenges posed by insurgent-generated attacks on power lines and fuel pipelines.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi army scouts accompanied by U.S. special operations forces destroyed a suspected weapons cache and insurgent safe house yesterday in a helicopter assault.

WASHINGTON - As 3rd Infantry Division soldiers run terrorists from their safe havens south and east of Baghdad, they also are helping local Iraqi citizens stand up for themselves.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. provincial reconstruction team in one of Afghanistan’s easternmost provinces is making great strides in working with provincial and district leaders to build local infrastructure and capability.

BOSTON - “The quality of the Guard is better than it’s ever been at any time in the history of the Guard," the chief of the National Guard Bureau told a Boston Red Sox television audience.

WASHINGTON - Local governance is making progress in Iraq’s Anbar province, and Iraqis are joining the security forces in record numbers, a top Marine operating in the province said today.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - When a spry grandma hits the gym at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, for one of her three-hour workouts, she easily surpasses fellow gym-goers half her age.

BELIZE CITY, Belize - About 20 soldiers and airmen from Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, deployed here yesterday as part of an initial assessment team following Hurricane Dean.

KULIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Alaska - Alaska Air National Guard personnel of the 176th Wing look forward to their unit relocating to Elmendorf Air Base, but they say they'll miss Kulis Air Base, which has been their home since 1990.

WASHINGTON - Between physical and fiscal challenges, severely injured servicemembers and spouses who don’t hold college degrees may find earning one a bit daunting. The University of Idaho is working to change that.

PISCO, Peru - Members of Joint Task Force Bravo's medical disaster relief task force continue to assist citizens in Peru following a magnitude 8 earthquake that struck the region Aug. 15.

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska - Long-range, heavy airlift resources for wartime and humanitarian efforts across the globe will be a day’s flying time closer to the need in less than a month.

WASHINGTON - Coalition troops today killed five al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists and captured 11 suspects during three operations in central and northern Iraq, officials said.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department announced today that it will close the Talon intelligence reporting system Sept. 17 and maintain a record copy of the collected data in accordance with intelligence oversight requirements.

BAGHDAD - Rather than clearly drawn lines in a Sunni vs. Shiia sectarian battle, the driver of much of Iraq’s current violence is the murkier struggle for “power and influence,” a coalition commander said yesterday.

WASHINGTON - About 4,700 National Guard soldiers and airmen, most from Texas, were making final preparations today for a rapid response should Hurricane Dean strike the Texas coast later this week.

WASHINGTON - A charitable group in Washington state has made it its goal to create warm, safe and accessible homes for injured veterans.

WASHINGTON - Operation Phantom Strike, a series of combined coalition-Iraqi “quick-strike” offensives that launched last week continues to pressure extremist elements across Iraq, a top official there said today.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - U.S. Northern Command officials are working closely with the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Guard and the state of Texas on hurricane response preparations.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces around Iraq over the past two days killed three terrorists and detained 28 suspects while putting pressure on terrorists facilitating the movement of al Qaeda senior leaders.

WASHINGTON - Marine Gen. Peter Pace is back in the nation’s capital after traveling around the world to shake hands with American servicemembers doing the nation’s business.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces will track down those responsible for the coordinated attacks in northwestern Iraq this week against members of the Yazidis, a small Kurdish-speaking sect, a senior military spokesman in Iraq said.

HONOLULU - Psychological wounds are just as devastating to servicemembers and families as physical wounds, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday.

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff discussd China's military capability during an Aug. 16 visit to U.S. troops in Japan.

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan - Congress will continue to fund U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan even while debating the merits of combat in various countries, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told servicemembers at Yokota Air Base, Japan.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan National Auxiliary Police, advised by coalition forces, countered an attack Aug. 17 in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, killing nearly a dozen insurgents.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained 21 suspects during operations in Iraq today.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - U.S. Northern Command officials are closely monitoring Hurricane Dean's progress.

PISCO, Peru - Medical personnel deployed to Peru for earthquake relief saw more than 200 patients during their first three hours of operation.

WASHINGTON - Calling today’s Army the best that’s ever been, a top leader said yesterday that he doesn’t want to return to a draft-filled force.

PISCO, Peru - A team of U.S. airmen and soldiers has arrived in Peru to provide medical care to earthquake victims.

TOKYO - When nations protect other countries’ freedoms, they also are strengthening their own, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in Tokyo yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi government development at the community level is progressing even as American and Iraqi forces launch a new offensive targeting terrorists fleeing the major cities for refuge, President Bush said in his weekly radio address.

WASHINGTON - Veterans health care facilities have a friend in a newly formed nonprofit organization.

TOKYO - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff received one of Japan’s most prestigious awards for his work to strengthen the U.S.-Japanese alliance.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Air Force medical team consisting of six doctors, a physician’s assistant, a pharmacist and six medical technicians will deploy Aug. 18 from Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, to Ica, Perú, to assist residents affected by an 8.0 magnitude earthquake Aug. 15.

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras - A task force composed of about 30 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel departed here today to support of relief efforts near Lima, Peru, following a devastating Aug. 15 earthquake that reportedly killed more than 500 people and left more than 1,500 injured.

WASHINGTON - Two military medical officials onboard the USNS Comfort will join a U.S. military mobile surgical team in Lima, Peru.

WASHINGTON - The clock is ticking for American troop presence in Iraq, and if more time is needed, it will require more progress in the region.

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops serving in Iraq will have a little more protection soon, as two of the military’s newest armored vehicles are on their way to the theater.

BAGHDAD - Multinational Division Baghdad troops are doing their part to contribute to Operation Phantom Strike by continuing to apply pressure on al Qaeda and Shiia extremists throughout the Iraqi capital.

WASHINGTON - Afghan troops advised by coalition forces detained 11 suspected insurgents during operations today in Ghazni and Kandahar, Afghanistan.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - It took just six months for a military spouse and mother of five to lose 27 pounds and gain a hefty new title -- Fort Sam Houston’s Biggest Loser.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed 13 terrorists and detained 12 suspected terrorists east of Tarmiyah, Iraq, during an operation today targeting an al Qaeda cell leader who provides guidance to senior terrorist leaders in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces are contributing to stabilizing their country even as they continue to train and improve, a senior U.S. officer involved in training and equipping Iraqi forces said today.

WASHINGTON - The military is more sensitive to problems concerning stress and mental exhaustion than ever before, but more needs to be done, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and coalition forces are pursuing extremist leaders in Iraq’s remote areas in coordinated “quick strikes” that launched this week.

WASHINGTON - A joint U.S. military mobile surgical team from Joint Task Force Bravo, based at Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras, will deploy to Peru today as part of U.S. Southern Command’s response to an 8.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the South American nation Aug. 15.

WASHINGTON - Most Afghans and Iraqis appreciate the efforts of U.S. troops deployed in their countries because they know the servicemembers are helping them obtain a better future, a veteran Army noncommissioned officer said.

WASHINGTON - A nonprofit troop-support group teamed with a dealers association to put a soldier in the driver’s seat of a 2007 Jeep Patriot Limited.

KIRKUK, Iraq - Twin sisters helped promote their brother to sergeant in Kirkuk, Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department forces assisting with search-and-recovery operations at the site of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis are continuing their efforts around the clock.

WASHINGTON - Local, provincial and central government leaders converged in western Nineveh province, Iraq, as 3rd Iraqi Army Division soldiers and emergency workers in the villages of Khahtaniya and Jazeera continued their rescue efforts in the wake of five car-bomb attacks that killed an estimated 275 people and wounded 400 others Aug. 14.

PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Members of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team are pushing progress in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Though its number of suicides increased in 2006, the Army’s suicide rate still is lower than the rate for the same age and gender group in the overall U.S. population, according to a report the service released today.

OSAN Air Base, South Korea - The continued importance of conventional forces and the growth in importance of unconventional forces will dominate American military thinking over the next few years, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told servicemembers here today.

WASHINGTON - Denying the enemy sanctuary is the major capability brought to bear by surge forces in Iraq, a commander in the region said today.

YONGSAN, South Korea - Whether it’s through military service or another means, young Americans should find some way to serve their country, the U.S. military’s top officer said here today.

WASHINGTON - Operation Phantom Strike is squeezing insurgents in Iraq as the country’s security forces grow, a top U.S. general said at the Pentagon today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. military personnel are providing medical and dental services to residents in Honduras during a two-week medical readiness training exercise that kicked off Aug. 13.

WASHINGTON - About 1,000 Pentagon employees participated in a two-day pandemic influenza exercise that concluded yesterday to prepare portions of the Defense Department for a possible mass outbreak of deadly flu virus.

SEOUL - Marine Gen. Peter Pace today received South Korea’s highest award for foreigners for his tireless efforts to promote security on the peninsula. South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun presented Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with the Order of National Security Merit Tongil Medal.

WASHINGTON - Afghan National Army and police forces supported by coalition forces defeated two separate Taliban ambushes yesterday and today in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces captured a highly sought “special groups” weapons facilitator before dawn today northeast of Baghdad. In other operations this week, coalition forces captured 54 suspected terrorists and killed 19 terrorists.

BAGHDAD - Multinational Corps Iraq met its command retention goals yesterday, more than six weeks ahead of schedule.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - U.S. Embassy and Environmental Protection Agency officials hosted a class at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Aug. 13 to raise awareness of illegal fur trading.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi government’s automated biometrics identification system -- used to screen civilian workers, police and soldiers, as well as to catch criminals -- is a “tremendous success,” a U.S. military officer said in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - An Indiana group is employing what it considers its most powerful weapon in its quest to support the nation’s servicemembers: prayer.

WASHINGTON - Operation Phantom Strike, a joint operation launched this week by coalition and Iraqi forces, is using the information and intelligence gained through operations this summer to more effectively target insurgents throughout Iraq, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said today.

DJIBOUTI - As the war on terrorism moves forward, the lessons of U.S. operations in the Horn of Africa will resonate around the Defense Department and the government, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and coalition forces launched combat offensives dubbed “Operation Marne Husky” today and “Operation Lightning Hammer” yesterday to eliminate enemy sanctuaries in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Recent surge operations and a continued commitment to ownership by the Iraqi government are contributing to increased economic progress in Iraq, a senior officer responsible for economic development there said yesterday.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ORGUN-E, Afghanistan - U.S. Army engineers in Afghanistan are doing their part to restore security and the country’s economy by building roads, bridges and levees to connect Afghanistan’s people.

DJIBOUTI - In a town hall meeting here today, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the military’s senior general, spoke about how proud he has been to look out for the welfare of lower-ranking servicemembers during his 40-year career.

DJIBOUTI - The all-volunteer force is serving the United States extremely well, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told servicemembers at a Town Hall meeting here today.

DJIBOUTI - American servicemembers based in the Horn of Africa are doing an important job that has many implications for the future, Marine Gen. Peter Pace said here today.

WASHINGTON - The Army is growing its ranks and transforming into an agile force ready to face a future that could be rife with conflicts around the world, the Army chief of staff said here today.

BAGHDAD - A Defense Department task force is working to reinvigorate Iraq’s economic landscape. TheTask Force to Improve Business and Stability Operations in Iraq is investing millions in restoring and reequipping factories throughout Iraq, with a heavy concentration in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - The National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys took a break from training camp recently to express team members’ gratitude to injured servicemembers recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed four terrorists and detained a Jaysh al-Mahdi militia leader and several of his operatives during a raid in the Sadr City section of Baghdad early this morning.

WASHINGTON - Santa might be visiting Iraq this year to fill his holiday wish list, as Iraq’s once-sagging textile industry gears up to export Iraqi-made clothing to the United States, a senior Iraqi government official said yesterday in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - National Guardsmen and reservists enrolled in the Tricare Reserve Select health plan can now go to the Tricare Web site to transfer to the new, improved program that will replace it Oct. 1.

WASHINGTON - Establishing the necessary components to enable the rule of law to function across Iraq’s society is vital to creating stable institutions and lasting security in that country, a U.S. military lawyer said in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition soldiers today launched a major joint offensive, Operation Phantom Strike, in a powerful crackdown to disrupt al Qaeda and Iranian-supported extremist operations in Iraq.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - A soldier paralyzed by a sniper’s bullet in Iraq learned this weekend that he and his wife will soon receive a custom-built home from a troop-support group.

WASHINGTON - President Bush visited the Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center and reaffirmed his commitment to improving the care of wounded servicemembers and veterans. Robert Dole and Donna Shalala joined the president.

WASHINGTON - The all-volunteer military force is serving the nation well, and no one in the Pentagon is considering a return to a military draft, a Defense Department official said today.

WASHINGTON - The United Nations will soon be playing a bigger political role in Iraq, after the Security Council unanimously voted to extend its mission there another year while expanding its mandate.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - A troop-support group and a national home-building company launched their new partnership with a surprise announcement during an Aug. 11 event at Fort Collins, Colo.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. - Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, the new No. 2 officer in the Defense Department, ceremonially relinquished command of U.S. Strategic Command to Air Force Lt. Gen. C. Robert Kehler in a ceremony here Aug. 10.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and coalition forces detained 66 insurgents, killed five others and discovered weapons in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said.

WASHINGTON - Afghan forces working in concert with coalition forces netted three suspects and a weapons cache and killed several insurgents in Afghanistan over the past three days.

WASHINGTON - America and its allies have seen encouraging signs in Afghanistan and Iraq this month, President Bush said today during his weekly radio address to the nation.

WASHINGTON - During the eighth annual Newman’s Own Awards Ceremony at the Pentagon today, 10 groups that support troops and their families received a total of $75,000 in grants to continue their work.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today met at the Pentagon with a group of Marine veterans who used their native Navajo language to baffle the Japanese during World War II.

WASHINGTON - While working as a nuclear repair mechanic for the Navy, Caleb Duke traded sea for sand when he volunteered to take on an Army position that took him to Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The deputy commander of the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team operating in Iraq said today that he’s feeling “very, very optimistic” about progress over the past several months.

PUERTO CORTES, Honduras - Members of Joint Task Force Bravo, at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, assisted the Navy with ground and air support for the worldwide humanitarian mission Project Handclasp earlier this week.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces detained six men during an operation in Afghanistan’s Paktia province today, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - All active-duty components made their recruiting goals for July, Defense Department officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Defense has deployed a Defense Coordinating Element to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to assist with last week's 35W bridge collapse.

WASHINGTON - Getting Iraqis back to work is critical to Iraq’s future as a stable, secure and prosperous country that can stand up to terrorists, the Defense Department official overseeing that effort said.

WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers in Baghdad pursued and detained a bicyclist yesterday after being tipped off by concerned residents that he was transporting bomb-making materials on his bike.

WASHINGTON - The security situation in eastern Baghdad is improving, and attacks against coalition forces and Iraqi civilians are down, said the coalition commander for that region.

WASHINGTON - Volunteers in San Jose, Calif., are providing some of the niceties of home to troops serving in hostile and remote areas of the world.

WASHINGTON - The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff praised the United Service Organizations yesterday for the support the group gives men and women in uniform.

WASHINGTON - Each year, the country pauses to remember the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and all who perished in them. One group, however, works year round to honor the 343 firefighters killed that day and to help servicemembers and their families.

FORT RILEY, Kan. - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates got a first-hand look today at the training servicemembers receive on Fort Riley, Kan., before they deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military’s most senior enlisted member locked up his office yesterday in pursuit of other seniors – senior citizens living in the Armed Forces Retirement Home here. The Home is funded by 50 cents deducted from all military enlisted members’ pay each month, and only former enlisted servicemembers may reside here. Whether the residents once wore green fatigues or blue dungarees, Gainey and his staff gave the retirees something a half dollar just can’t buy: their time.

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska - The Air Force’s newest fighter officially made its home here yesterday, as six F-22A Raptors landed during a ceremony.

WASHINGTON - Iraq’s security forces are making great strides, but the army is enduring a shortage of experienced military leaders, said the general overseeing training for Iraqi security forces.

WASHINGTON - Despite the debate about how effective and efficient the Iraqi government is, the United States must stay committed to helping Iraq’s democracy succeed and become a partner in the war on terror, President Bush said here today. Failure in Iraq would embolden America’s enemies and threaten the short- and long-term security of its citizens, Bush asserted.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained 21 suspected terrorists in Iraq’s Tigris River Valley over the past two days.

WASHINGTON - The commander of coalition forces in Iraq said he won’t “pull any punches” in the Iraqi benchmark report due to Congress by Sept. 15. The report will reflect both tactical progress being made in Iraq and areas that still need work, said Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq. A highlight of the report is expected to be progress on the security front.

WASHINGTON - If Iran really wants stability in the Middle East, it must stop exporting weapons used to kill coalition forces and innocent Iraqis, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq said yesterday. Iran should stand by its public statements of support for the Iraqi government, Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said in a CNN interview.

WASHINGTON - After a whirlwind trip to Iraq, the heads of three major veterans service organizations came home with a new understanding of the situation and of the morale of those serving there.

FORT LESLEY J. McNAIR, D.C. - Marine Gen. Peter Pace today urged students at National War College here to work on improving interagency cooperation throughout the government.

WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers leading operations in and around Mahmudiyah, Iraq, have “cracked the code when it comes to working with the Iraqi army,” their task force commander said today.

WASHINGTON - Artist Roger Baker mowed a 1,000-foot long rendition of the Purple Heart Medal, covering 850,000 square feet, into a field at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Hamtonburgh, N.Y., near the town where the first awards were presented to Revolutionary War soldiers. Baker said his creation is a “gift of art” to the American public.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and coalition forces killed 30 terrorists and detained 12 suspected terrorists during operations today in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Coalition and Iraqi security forces captured or killed 18 senior al Qaeda members in July, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said today.

WASHINGTON - The United Nations needs to play a bigger role in helping Iraq overcome its internal challenges and succeed, the U.S. representative to the U.N. said yesterday. U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, a former ambassador to Iraq, said he solidly supports a draft resolution to expand the U.N. assistance mission for Iraq and extend its mandate for another year.

WASHINGTON - Midway through its humanitarian assistance deployment to Latin America, the hospital ship USNS Comfort has met with success and a welcoming attitude as it provides medical and humanitarian assistance to countries in the region, the ship’s commanders reported yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Retired Army Gen. Colin Powell presented Purple Heart Medals to two wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here today, as the U.S. Postal Service reissued a stamp honoring the medal and those who wear it. The medal features George Washington’s family crest.

WASHINGTON - Planning for the 2007 America Supports You Freedom Walk is well under way in the nation’s capital as well as in 41 states across the country.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Army Reserve is changing from a strategic reserve to an operational force, that force’s top general said.

WASHINGTON - An Air Force Reserve C-17 Globemaster III today rushed equipment to rescue six miners trapped in a cave-in in Huntington, Utah, and Navy divers are ready to begin work at the site of the collapsed bridge in Minneapolis.

WASHINGTON - In recognition of National Immunization Month in August, Defense Department leaders are encouraging awareness across the military about the benefits vaccinations have provided to servicemembers over the years and their importance to readiness now.

WASHINGTON - An “artificial spike” in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq has led to the largest number of American servicemembers in the country ever, Pentagon officials said today.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Elements of the 1st Brigade, 205th Afghan National Army Corps, along with coalition forces, repelled more than 75 enemy fighters who were attempting to overrun Firebase Anaconda in Oruzgan province this morning.

WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday praised the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan as strong allies in the war on terror and congratulated them on their upcoming meeting to come up with better ways to confront extremists who straddle their shared border.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed eight terrorists and detained 14 suspected terrorists during coordinated operations targeting a senior al Qaeda leader west of Tarmiyah over the past two days.

WASHINGTON - Joint Defense and State Department provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq are guiding Iraqis through the intricacies of forming local governments and generating economic development, a U.S. State Department official said.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Richard B. Cheney yesterday praised U.S. servicemembers waging the war on terror and their fellow Americans who support them as they put their lives on the line.

WASHINGTON - “Terrorists are under no illusion about the importance of the struggle in Iraq,” so freedom-loving people can’t be either, Vice President Richard B. Cheney told members of the Marine Corps League yesterday. Cheney warned against the perception some have that the war in Iraq is a distraction or diversion from the war on terror.

TIKRIT, Iraq - Tribal leaders in Diyala province, Iraq, have joined forces and are working together to fight terrorists in their homeland.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is reviewing policies and procedures in place to account for weapons and equipment given to Iraqi security forces, department officials said today.

WASHINGTON - Senior military and defense leaders briefed members of the Defense Orientation Conference Association today on the global war on terror and other challenges facing the military.

WASHINGTON - Navy divers will aid in recovery efforts at the site of the Aug. 1 bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Defense Department officials said today.

WASHINGTON - Deployed servicemembers worldwide have been receiving a steady stream of care packages, e-mail and “snail mail” since 2004 from a group of “Proud Patriots” in Arizona.

WASHINGTON - Afghan President Hamid Karzai today thanked President Bush and the American people for helping liberate and secure his country.

WASHINGTON - Forces in Iraq are studying detainees to find out what motivates insurgents and terrorists in that country, the general overseeing detention operations there said today.

WASHINGTON - Multinational Division Baghdad helicopter crews killed four armed insurgents yesterday in northwestern Baghdad.

BAGHDAD - Fed-up with violent and indiscriminate terror tactics, a group of more than 80 residents of the Adhamiyah district, on the east side of the Iraqi capital, banded together yesterday to oust suspected terrorists from a local mosque.

LONG POND, Pa. - Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was on hand to witness NASCAR’s commitment to U.S. troops firing on all cylinders at the Pocono International Raceway here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The Senate confirmed Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen and Marine Corps Gen. James E. “Hoss” Cartwright as chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, respectively, Aug. 3. Mullen will assume the top U.S. military post, held by Marine Gen. Peter Pace since September 2005.

LONG POND, Pa. - Marine Gen. Peter Pace enlisted about 150 recruits at the Pocono International Raceway yesterday during a swearing-in ceremony before NASCAR’s Pennsylvania 500.

WASHINGTON - Beginning a two-day visit today with President Bush at Camp David, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he’s ready to roll up his sleeves and talk about security concerns affecting his country. Karzai said he would discuss issues of concern such as construction, the fight against narcotics, civilian casualties, and strengthening Afghan security forces.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and U.S. military leaders in Iraq’s Diyala province met yesterday with local and district police chiefs to discuss strategies to further professionalize the police force as it works to maintain security.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi National Police rescued a female Iraqi army soldier who had been kidnapped yesterday by suspected extremist militia group members in the Bubasham area of Baghdad, officials in Iraq reported today.

WASHINGTON - As the Iraqi army is growing into its role of securing Iraq, the country’s air force is making great progress, too, the Coalition Air Force Transition Team commander told Baghdad reporters today.

WASHINGTON - The senior al Qaeda terrorist believed to be the mastermind behind both bombings of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, Iraq, was killed during a coalition air strike, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesperson told journalists in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed four insurgents and detained 46 in operations across Iraq since Aug. 3, officials in Baghdad reported.

WASHINGTON - Elements of the Afghan National Army and Afghan Border Police, advised by coalition forces, detained two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan’s Paktika province during an early morning operation.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today on the Sunday morning talk shows that he’s seeing signs the troop surge in Baghdad is helping stabilize security so the Iraqi government can focus on overcoming sectarian divisions and building critical government institutions.

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Weary of the violence to which their community has been victim, residents of the Andaloos district here have organized a Neighborhood Watch to keep watch against insurgent activity.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recapped his just-concluded trip to the Middle East during appearances on two morning shows here today. On CNN’s “Late Edition” the secretary emphasized that Arab countries have a vested interest in Iraq’s future and can do more to support its government. Earlier, on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the secretary said he is seeing signs the troop surge in Baghdad is helping to stabilize the security environment .

CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan - From sitting down to lunch with Afghan mullahs, or Islamic leaders, to performing Catholic Mass for international servicemembers, one Air Force chaplain is experiencing a deployment here in Kabul that is very different than others he’s had in the past.

CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan - From firefighters to aircraft mechanics to squadron commanders, a group of U.S. Air Force airmen are mentoring and training their Afghan National Army Air Corps counterparts here in the Afghanistan's capital.

CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan - Every other week, servicemembers from all branches of the military conduct convoys from this base to deliver clothing and supplies to needy Afghans in the surrounding areas. But they're not doing it because they have to. They're doing it because they want to help.

WASHINGTON - Defense officials today recognized the end of the first phase of the “Check It” campaign, which raises awareness about internal management controls within the Defense Department.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs took the first step this week toward developing a joint electronic health record system that will better serve wounded servicemembers and veterans.

WASHINGTON - Since Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom began, patriotic Americans have stood at the ready, willing to provide servicemembers with comfort and support. For ways to lend support to the nation's troops, please log on to America Supports You.

WASHINGTON - About 50 family members, friends and fellow soldiers of Army Cpl. Angelo J. Vaccaro, an Army medic killed in Afghanistan, gathered for a dedication ceremony at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here yesterday as “Building 38” was renamed “Vaccaro Hall.”

WASHINGTON - President Bush has vowed to veto the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Modernization Act if it does not close gaps in intelligence-gathering methods.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Logistics Agency has significantly improved its handling of excess military property, specifically F-14 Tomcat fighter jet parts, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.

WASHINGTON - Stabilizing Iraqi communities is the way forward in combating the insurgency in Iraq, the commander of coalition efforts in Ramadi said today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Africa Command’s foremost mission is to help Africans achieve their own security, not to extend the scope of the war on terrorism or secure African resources, a top Pentagon official said.

WASHINGTON - A troop-support group in California is working to connect military parents and their children one dog tag at a time.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Iraq detained 17 suspected terrorists during raids targeting al Qaeda operations in the Tigris River Valley today, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The Afghan National Army is developing into a professional force, and its soldiers have the will to fight and, if need be, die for their country, the top enlisted leader in U.S. Central Command said.

WASHINGTON - A trip to the Baghdad Zoo was an eye-opener for the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Central Command.

SOUTHWEST ASIA - Airmen of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing are a two-hour flight away from combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but they know they’re big players in the fight.

WASHINGTON - A Marine combat engineer who has served in Iraq is determined to help Americans understand the situation there as servicemembers see it. Second Lt. David Bradt is one of eight servicemembers who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa who have been selected to speak to American community groups and businesses across the nation as a part of the Defense Department’s “Why We Serve” public-outreach program.

WASHINGTON - The military surge of additional troops into Iraq seems to be working, U.S. Central Command’s top enlisted leader said.

WASHINGTON - A new Pentagon Channel documentary highlights challenges of disabled veterans competing in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

WASHINGTON - Three Iraqi snipers were convicted and sentenced to death last week after confessing to the deaths of at least two coalition soldiers and the shootings of nine others, a senior law official in the region said today.

WASHINGTON - When a Military Sealift Command ship that routinely delivers ordnance to Navy ships makes its next delivery, the Pacific Fleet should be set for a movie marathon.

WASHINGTON - What began as a chance discovery in aviation research has evolved into a complex technology that helps save pilots’ lives by preventing airplane crashes.

WASHINGTON - In an effort to bolster the growth of the Army by more than 34,000 soldiers, Army officials are implementing a new bonus for recruits who sign up by the end of this fiscal year.

EN ROUTE TO WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he’s hopeful about progress on the security front in Iraq, but acknowledged he is disappointed with political upheaval within the Iraqi government.

EN ROUTE TO WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates described his just-concluded trip to the Middle East as “gardening” – preparing the ground for long-term U.S. security relationships in the region.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces captured two alleged al Qaeda emirs, killed four terrorists and detained 21 suspected terrorists during Iraq operations over the past two days.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs are partnering with other government and non-government agencies to find ways to improve the lives of severely injured servicemembers and veterans, officials said July 27.

WASHINGTON - Operations in Baqubah, Iraq, are transitioning to the “hold” phase of the “secure, hold, build” strategy, the commander of coalition forces in northern Iraq said today.

KUWAIT CITY - Kuwaiti air force Col. Sulaiman M. al-Otaibi remembers all too well the “dark day” his country faced 17 years ago today, when 100,000 Iraqi troops stormed across the Iraq-Kuwait border, leaving death and destruction in their wake.

WASHINGTON - In a ceremony at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va., the daughter of a World War I Army nurse accepted the Silver Star Medal her late mother had earned.

WASHINGTON - Former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other former top Pentagon officials today said facts about Army Cpl. Patrick D. Tillman’s friendly-fire death were mishandled, but not covered up to make it seem he died from enemy fire.

WASHINGTON - The Army’s four-month-old “Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline” continues to find answers to soldiers’ and families’ medical questions, a senior U.S. military officer said here today.

WASHINGTON - New York National Guardsmen will start deploying to Afghanistan late this year, Defense Department officials said today.

KUWAIT CITY - The way the United States ultimately leaves Iraq will send a strong message to America’s friends and enemies alike, the general who would oversee the logistical exodus told reporters traveling here with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.

WASHINGTON - Deployment to a war zone can exact a unique toll on not only those in imminent danger but also their loved ones back home. One group, however, is working to lessen these effects.

KUWAIT CITY - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today for his first visit as defense secretary to thank Kuwaiti leaders for their support in the war on terror and to encourage greater cooperation in helping neighboring Iraq stand up its government.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s 2008 budget request for the war on terror likely will be adjusted as leaders assess progress made by the U.S. troop surge in Iraq, the deputy secretary of defense said yesterday in congressional testimony.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces detained six alleged terrorists this morning south of Tikrit while targeting an al Qaeda key leader responsible for coordinating attacks on coalition and Iraqi forces.

WASHINGTON - Ongoing, tangible progress is being made in Iraq across security, economic and political fronts, U.S. officials said in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - A company that makes test-preparation products for students gearing up for college entrance exams is offering free materials to servicemembers and their families, sacrificing a chunk of its bottom line for those on the front lines.

AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy - With a South Carolina accent, words of wisdom and a little physical fitness, the U.S. military’s most senior enlisted member captured the hearts of some of the Army and Air Force’s most promising leaders of tomorrow at Aviano Air Base, Italy.

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Due to the efforts of a U.S. Special Forces medic and an Army civil affairs noncommissioned officer, an 8-year-old Iraqi girl was granted a new lease on life.

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia promised today to continue working with its Gulf neighbors to support Iraq’s new government and promote stability in the region.

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - The recently announced military sales package to several Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, represents an investment in the region’s long-term stability, U.S. and Saudi leaders said here today.