WASHINGTON - National security, and even democracy itself, depends on leaders who can demonstrate statesmanship by making tough choices that will see the country through the current economic crisis, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

WASHINGTON - Arlington National Cemetery began its first major construction project in nearly eight years with a ground-breaking ceremony for a 20,000-niche columbarium that will extend the life of the cemetery’s inurnment space to 2024.

WASHINGTON - In a gesture of gratitude for their service and sacrifice, First Lady Michelle Obama invited military families – including families of the military fallen -- to be among the first to see the White House decked out for the holiday season.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Hal Runkel, author and founder of the ScreamFree Institute, is teaching some military parents how to be more effective with their children.

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Fiscal planners are weighing the impact of budget cuts on national security strategy and consulting with the services, combatant commanders, the defense secretary and White House officials, U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said.

ARLINGTON, Va. - The military’s logistics system has performed “extremely well” on the front end of supporting warfighters these past 10 years, Alan F. Estevez, assistant secretary of defense for logistics and materiel readiness, said.

WASHINGTON - The Air Force recently moved its mortuary affairs call center responsibilities from a temporary call center here to the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A Haqqani network leader was captured by a combined Afghan and coalition security force in the Pul-e ‘Alam district of Logar province. The leader conducted attacks against coalition forces and distributed weapons throughout the area, officials said.

WASHINGTON - The United States and Iraq are beginning a new phase of a partnership that reflects Iraq’s needs and includes a robust security relationship, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said in Baghdad.

SAN ANTONIO - Catrina Tomsich shut down her business, packed up her house and son, and moved her family to care for her wounded warrior husband -- but not without fear for what post-traumatic stress had done to him.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, condemned violence against NATO troops in Kosovo as a Wisconsin Army National Guard unit prepares to take command of peacekeeping forces there.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials continue to work with Congress in investigating lapses at the Dover Port Mortuary in Delaware, where the remains of service members killed overseas are processed upon arriving in the U.S.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - Quartermaster soldiers assigned to Contingency Operating Base Adder are packing up pallets of military equipment to prepare them for shipment out of Iraq during the final month of Operation New Dawn.

FARGO, N.D. - Army Master Sgt. Alan K. Peterson of West Fargo, N.D., the last North Dakota National Guard member to have served in the Vietnam War, is slated to retire following more than 30 years of service.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi leaders and thank U.S. service members for their sacrifice as they enter the final month of Operation New Dawn.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani network leader during an operation in the Sabari district of Khost province. The facilitator distributed roadside bombs and planned attacks against Afghan forces, officials said.

WASHINGTON - As the new director of the Department of Defense Education Activity, Marilee Fitzgerald has set out on a journey to transport all Defense Department schools, both stateside and overseas, into the 21st century.

WASHINGTON - The commander of U.S. Central Command has appointed an investigating officer to conduct an inquiry into the Nov. 26 deaths of Pakistani soldiers during an engagement near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan.

LONDON - The surge of American and NATO forces into Afghanistan has resulted in marked progress there, U.S. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during media interviews held in London.

LONDON - While visiting London, U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed concerns that the U.S. military is in decline by pointing out that the might of a military is judged by its capabilities, not its size.

LONDON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during an interview, expressed sympathy for the families of Pakistani soldiers killed by a Nov. 26 airstrike and said NATO and Pakistani officials are working to improve strained relations.

LONDON - The world may be facing a strategic inflection point as important as the one facing Allied leaders in World War II, U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said while delivering the Colin Cramphorn Memorial Lecture at the Policy Exchange in London.

WASHINGTON - All four active-duty services and four of the six reserve components met or exceeded their recruiting goals in the first month of fiscal 2012.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Central Command will take the lead in investigating the Nov. 26 cross-border attack that killed Pakistani soldiers, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - A Pew Research Center report based on surveys of more than 2,000 civilian adults and almost 1,900 veterans, confirms a growing disconnect between Americans and their military.

KABUL, Afghanistan - If you had told Tim Cheslock 20 years ago that he someday would be serving in the military in Afghanistan, he would have assumed he’d be in the cockpit of an Air Force jet. Instead, he chose life on the ground as an Army doctor helping ill and wounded service members.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The International Security Assistance Force welcomes the release of the Afghan government’s list of areas intended for the second stage of security transition, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, International Security Assistance Force commander, said.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader and some suspected insurgents in the Marjah district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

LONDON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has arrived in London to deliver the Colin Cramphorn Memorial Lecture and participate in meetings with senior British government officials.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta are closely monitoring reports of a deadly cross-border incident in Pakistan, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Daniel G. Stoy received a standing ovation when he was awarded the Outstanding Veteran's Award by the city of Jacksonville, N.C., for his record of dedicated service to the community.

WASHINGTON - In a congratulatory letter and phone call, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta congratulated Army Iraq War veteran Jose Rene “J.R.” Martinez for his first-place win on "Dancing with the Stars" and praised his strength and perseverance.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition patrol detained two suspected insurgents and seized a weapons cache in the Khost district of Khost province.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces and equipment are expected to leave Iraq by Dec. 31, Army Brig. Gen. Bradley A. Becker, commanding general for U.S. Division Center, Baghdad, said during a recent “DOD Live” Bloggers Roundtable.

WASHINGTON - On this Thanksgiving holiday, Americans can take advantage of a new program that makes it easy to send online messages of support to troops and veterans everywhere, First Lady Michelle Obama said.

WASHINGTON - Two new online efforts -- milConnect and eCorrespondence -- give beneficiaries access to information about Defense Department benefits and eligibility information, the director of the Defense Manpower Data Center said.

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, the chairman’s senior enlisted advisor, signed a joint letter wishing service members and their families a happy Thanksgiving.

AIR STATION CLEARWATER, Fla. - As a recent Coast Guard Achievement Medal recipient for superior service at his previous unit, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Savage has not skipped a beat in bringing his work ethic and great attitude to Air Station Clearwater, Fla.,.

WASHINGTON - About 1,500 companies have hired 20,000 veterans and military spouses in the past couple of months, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the Joining Forces campaign, Navy Capt. Bradley Cooper said.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader and four associates in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province.

WASHINGTON - Noting that our nation has been at war for the past decade, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta offered his gratitude to service members and their families for their commitment to defending the nation in a Thanksgiving message.

WASHINGTON - NATO’s Allied Command Transformation is helping the alliance adjust to new strategies, new constraints and new ideas, the command’s top officer said.

WASHINGTON - Every military service, most professional military schools and an increasing number of geographic and combatant commands offer up reading programs and reading lists as part of their professional development efforts.

WASHINGTON - Afghanistan’s national security forces are gaining strength and skill in the eastern part of the country as insurgent groups there fight among themselves and increasingly botch attempted attacks, Army Maj. Gen. Daniel B. Allyn said.

WASHINGTON - Wounded warriors at five polytrauma centers, as well as military members, soon will have an easier time staying in touch with their families and friends, thanks to the new “Chrome for Wounded, Ill and Injured Warriors” program.

GROTON, Conn. - The hundreds of military children attending Dr. Charles G. Barnum Elementary School in Groton, Conn., receive superlative support thanks to the efforts of the school's faculty and local organizations.

GROTON, Conn. - Military children who attend Dr. Charles G. Barnum Elementary School in Groton, Conn., are getting their early education in a school that first lady Michelle Obama has singled out for its culture of excellence.

WASHINGTON - The commander of the International Security Assistance Force praised Afghanistan’s national security forces in a released message.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, hosted an early Thanksgiving feast for wounded warriors and their families in their home at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Cpl. Daniel Botero says "everything is glorious" since he beat cancer and is fulfilling his dream in the Marine Corps.

WASHINGTON - Retired Army Gen. John P. Abizaid will chair the panel overseeing the Dover, Del., port mortuary, Pentagon officials announced.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta expressed hope that Congress would come up with a budget-reduction plan after members of a special congressional committee failed to agree on how to cut $1.2 trillion in spending over the next decade.

WASHINGTON - A barbecue at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida before the Ford 400 NASCAR race is the latest example of the pride Americans have in their military families, First Lady Michelle Obama said.

GROTON, Conn. - Undersea forces will become increasingly important to the nation’s defense and in exerting military influence in the future, Navy Rear Adm. Rick Breckenridge, commander of Submarine Group 2, said.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama delivered a clear message when he signed two new tax credits into law to increase the hiring of military veterans and wounded warriors, saying “it's the right thing to do for them, and it's the right thing to do for our economy.”

WASHINGTON - Coalition and Afghan forces seized weapons and drug caches in southern and eastern Afghanistan following two days of multiple engagements with insurgent fighters.

ARLINGTON, Va. - When former Air Force Senior Airman David Sharpe adopted a pit bull puppy from a rescue shelter 10 years ago, he thought he was saving her life. In a dramatic twist of events, she ended up saving his.

PHILADELPHIA - Service members deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as U.S. State Department employees serving there, will be able to savor the familiar taste of home on Thanksgiving Day thanks to the efforts of Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support workers.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's weeklong engagements with Asian leaders culminating in the East Asia Summit “is the implementation of a substantial and important reorientation in American global strategy," National Security Advisor Tom Donilon said.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - Partnerships and modernization hold the key to meeting the challenges facing the United States and its allies as they near a turning point after a decade of war and adapt to new challenges and priorities, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and the Indonesian president issued a joint statement from Bali, Indonesia, reaffirming their deepening engagement and announcing the transfer and upgrade of 24 Excess Defense Article F-16s to the Indonesian air force.

FORT BELVOIR, Va. - Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter presided over the change of responsibility of the Defense Logistics Agency, noting the agency will be at the forefront of upcoming transitions.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Examining what makes the profession of arms a profession is important to service members, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told members of the Military Reporters and Editors group.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama pointed out the importance of honoring military families’ contributions and sacrifices in his proclamation declaring Nov. 20-26 National Family Week.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said the press is part of the way the military interacts with America and challenged reporters to figure out how the press will stay connected with the military as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down.

WASHINGTON - The United States faces difficult challenges in the Asia and Pacific regions, Mark Lippert, the nominee to be the next assistant secretary of defense for the region, told a Senate committee.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - The way ahead in Afghanistan was among the topics covered in a meeting between Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Canadian Defense Minister Peter G. MacKay, the North American defense leaders told reporters.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will issue “very direct guidance” in the coming months about how the department should respond to sexual assaults within the ranks, the Pentagon press secretary told reporters.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - Calling it crucial to the defense of North America, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Canadian Defense Minister Peter G. MacKay emphasized that both nations are committed to developing the F-35 joint strike fighter.

WASHINGTON - The Senate Armed Services Committee met to consider President Barack H. Obama’s nominee for assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low intensity conflict.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Canadian Defense Minister Peter G. MacKay reaffirmed the ties between their nations in the defense of North America and in multinational endeavors around the world.

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa - Marine Corps armorers have one of the most important jobs in the Corps, beginning their work days around 2 a.m. and taking responsibility for the condition of all firearms.

WASHINGTON - With operations in Afghanistan drawing down and troops leaving Iraq this year, the military is strengthening its relationships in the Asia-Pacific region, and U.S. Pacific Command is repositioning its forces, a U.S. Pacific Command leader said.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained multiple suspected insurgents during an operation in the Nawah-ye Barakzai district of Helmand province. The force conducted the operation after receiving a tip that insurgent leaders were meeting at a compound in the area.

GROTON, Conn. - After 10 years of war, the United States is at a turning point in its national defense, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said while visiting sailors and shipyard workers in Groton, Conn.

GROTON, Conn. - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta visited sailors and shipyard workers in Groton, Conn., while getting a firsthand look at construction of the latest Virginia-class attack submarine.

WASHINGTON - Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Mike McCord told the audience at the Excellence in Government conference that the Defense Department will do its part to cut the federal deficit and will look at all areas of its budget.

WASHINGTON - A new YouTube video developed by the Navy warns service members about the synthetic marijuana known as spice, and how use of the designer drug can negatively impact their health and military careers.

SAN ANTONIO - Four of Saralee Trimble's five children serve in the military. She worries about their fate as she settles into being the primary caregiver for her 19-year-old son, Kevin, who recently lost both legs and an arm to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Most of about 24,000 U.S. service members remaining in Iraq will be home “well before Christmas,” Army Maj. Gen. Bernard S. Champoux, commander of U.S. Division-Center and the 25th Infantry Division, told Pentagon reporters.

OTTAWA - Military representatives at this year's North American Technology Demonstration in Ottawa showed an increasing interest in its showcase of non-lethal weapons.

WASHINGTON - Cost-cutting initiatives to impact the armed forces won’t come at the cost of the U.S. presence in Asia and the Pacific, President Barack Obama said in his address to the Australian Parliament.

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - A television production company is looking for military family members to appear in a Oprah Winfrey Network documentary series about the real-world lives of military spouses in Alaska.

WASHINGTON - President Barack H. Obama visited the Royal Army Air Force Base in Darwin, Australia, to thank Australian military members and a contingent of U.S. Marines who he called the backbone of their countries’ 60-year alliance.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban facilitator in the Daman district of Kandahar province.

WASHINGTON - Defense officials detailed new military-to-military operations involving the United States and Australia, emphasizing a new agreement between the countries that will begin with U.S. Marines conducting six-month deployments in Australia starting in 2012.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon Press Secretary George Little reaffirmed the Defense Department’s position that devastating effects would result if Congress chooses to double pending defense spending cuts.

WASHINGTON - Afghan President Hamid Karzai offered encouraging confirmation of the developing strategic relationship between his nation and the United States during a grand council gathering under way in Afghanistan, Defense Department officials said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will speak with sailors and civilians in Groton, Conn., and then move on to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to attend a defense ministerial conference and meet with Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

WASHINGTON - Long-time Defense Department civilian Marilee Fitzgerald will become the new Department of Defense Education Activity director. As director, Fitzgerald will have oversight of all Defense Department schools, both stateside and overseas.

WASHINGTON - With Thanksgiving just a week away, the deadline is approaching for submitting holiday messages and photos to appear in Stars and Stripes newspapers and online editions.

WASHINGTON - The blogosphere is still reverberating with Justin Timberlake’s glowing account of his experience attending the 236th Marine Corps Birthday Ball in Richmond, Va on the arm of Marine Corps Cpl. Kelsey De Santis.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the crew of the USS Fitzgerald in Manila as she commemorated the 60th anniversary of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani network facilitator in the Pul-e Alam district of Afghanistan’s Logar province.

ERZURUM AIRPORT, Turkey - U.S. Air Forces in Europe sent a C-130J Super Hercules transports loaded with relief supplies to southeastern Turkey to aid victims of recent earthquakes there.

WASHINGTON - Service members who spend more time at home between deployments may have a greater chance of being diagnosed with a mental health disorder than those with briefer dwell times, a Defense Department analysis has revealed, but officials urge further research.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama joined Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard to announce expanded military-to-military relationships between the two countries as they commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Australia-New Zealand-U.S. alliance.

WASHINGTON - The commander of U.S. forces during Operation Tomodachi in Japan accepted an award on behalf of the service members he credited with making the humanitarian assistance and disaster response mission a success.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department, the family of late actor and comedian Bob Hope and the Wiegand Foundation honored six people with the Spirit of Hope Award for their selflessness and commitment to troops during a Pentagon ceremony.

WASHINGTON - If the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction cannot reach an agreement, the resulting automatic budget cuts would be devastating for the Defense Department, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta wrote in a letter to two senators.

WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama continues to keep service members, their families and veterans in the minds of the American public while pushing to secure more jobs for veterans and military spouses.

WASHINGTON - Iraq and its forces are prepared to cope with the security challenges they will face after U.S. troops withdraw, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon-provided aid to Turkey continues to flow, following two recent earthquakes that shook that country’s eastern region.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has directed that the Air Force report back to him in 30 days on disciplinary action taken against employees at the Dover Port Mortuary in Delaware.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An expansion of youth sports programs nationwide and the potential for future training opportunities for Afghan athletes and coaches are among the benefits of a developing partnership between the national Olympic committees of the United States and Afghanistan.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Davison Slivers uses the experience he’s gained in four overseas deployments to guide the Marines under his leadership.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured two Taliban leaders and detained several suspected insurgents in the Musa Qalah district of Helmand province.

WASHINGTON - The logistical drawdown in Iraq is progressing well and on track to meet the Dec. 31 deadline, Army Col. Stephen Falcone, commander of the Army Reserve’s 77th Sustainment Brigade, said.

WASHINGTON - Managing the relationship with China and growing the relationship with India are two of U.S. Pacific Command’s key objectives, the organization’s commander told reporters during the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference.

WASHINGTON - More than 100 Korean War veterans from Alabama traveled to Washington, D.C., on Veterans Day weekend, to visit the Korean War Memorial in the first trip of its kind.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader during a security operation in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ANDAR, Afghanistan - Army Spc. Luis Torres uses his communications know-how to keep his comrades connected to the outside world while serving in Afghanistan's Ghazni province.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Joe Biden praised the dedication and capabilities of U.S. special operators as he unveiled a statue honoring the Special Forces soldiers who rode into the mountains of Afghanistan on horseback in pursuit of the Taliban after the 9/11 terror attacks.

WASHINGTON - The commander-in-chief caught a basketball game along with more than 8,000 of his closest friends aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier in San Diego.

WASHINGTON - President Barack H. Obama taped his weekly radio address from the bridge of the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego, praising the men and women in uniform and underscoring the nation’s commitment to them and all veterans.

WASHINGTON - Former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona will step down as leader of an outside panel to review procedures and policies at the Dover Port Mortuary, Del., Pentagon officials announced.

WASHINGTON - President Barack H. Obama kicked-off Veterans Day festivities throughout the country by hosting veterans at a White House breakfast in the East Room and later placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

WASHINGTON - President Barack H. Obama spoke on behalf of the country as he took the rostrum at the Tomb of the Unknowns to honor American veterans and thank them for their service.

WASHINGTON - Two years ago, retired Marine Corps Capt. Dan Moran stood before then-Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and hundreds of other well-wishers as he accepted the keys to a new suburban Houston home presented by the non-profit organization, Helping a Hero.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters they were disturbed by reports of mismanagement at Dover Port Mortuary, Del.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today called for tougher economic and diplomatic pressures on Iran in light of a new International Atomic Energy Agency report on Iran’s continued nuclear activities.

WASHINGTON - Congress must show leadership as the deadline approaches for its deficit reduction committee to find $1.2 trillion to close the gap between federal revenue and spending, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told reporters.

WASHINGTON - The new Air-Sea Strategy Office will counter the anti-access/area denial threat. New technologies and capabilities make this threat far more potent than in the past, and advances will likely make it more of a danger, a defense official said.

WASHINGTON - While emphasizing the importance of the National Guard to national defense efforts at home and abroad, the top U.S. military officer advised Congress against making the chairman of the National Guard Bureau a statutory member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama announced a private sector commitment to hire 100,000 veterans and military spouses by 2014, bringing the total commitment to at least 125,000 in response to President Barack Obama’s recent hiring challenge.

WASHINGTON - The Real Warriors campaign uses video and multimedia projects to raise public awareness of veterans’ issues and help service members returning from deployment to reintegrate into civilian life.

BETHESDA, Md. - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta presided over the opening of what he called “a 21st-century place of miracles” during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta extended his thanks to troops and veterans in his 2011 Veterans Day message.

WASHINGTON - American and Afghan soldiers met recently at an eastern Afghanistan outpost to discuss battlefield support operations and training needs in hopes of strengthening the working relationships they have established.

WASHINGTON - Tristan Wyatt, an Army veteran who wears a prosthetic leg due to war wounds in Iraq, now works at a Veterans Affairs facility in San Diego, helping new veterans overcome many of the same challenges he's faced.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta officially welcomed his “alter ego” to the Pentagon during a ceremony in honor of Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter.

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - They waited 11 years, but a planeload of Americans traveled to Cuba to witness the arraignment of Abd al Rahim Hussein Muhammed al Nashiri on charges of planning and preparing a complex series of al-Qaida attacks known as the “boat operation.”

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has implemented a quality assurance process that identifies material and determines the authenticity of parts to ensure that equipment and supply chains have not been compromised with counterfeit parts, officials said.

WASHINGTON - A new report by the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog group seems to affirm that Iran’s nuclear interests are not just for peaceful purposes, a senior Defense Department official told reporters.

WASHINGTON - Service members and wounded veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan can start a business or expand their existing businesses through programs offered by the Small Business Administration, officials said.

WASHINGTON - In this American Forces Press Service Veterans Day 2011 Special Report, the Defense Department honors our nation’s troops and wounded warriors, our veterans and the fallen. This special report highlights the contributions of service members and veterans, as well as coverage of Veterans Day events.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta joined President Barack Obama in recognizing the contributions veterans have made throughout U.S. history and the sacrifices U.S. military members continue to make in defending its freedoms.

U.S. NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Abd al Rahim Hussein Muhammed al Nashiri, the man accused of planning and preparing the USS Cole bombing and other attacks in 2000 and 2002, did not enter a plea during arraignment at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department joined the National Resources Defense Council to roll out a new mapping tool designed to help steer renewable energy development efforts to locations where they won’t interfere with military activities or environmentally sensitive areas.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A roadside explosion killed at least 10 people in northwestern Badghis province, marking the third day in a row during the Eid ul Adha holiday in which suspected Taliban insurgents have injured or killed innocent civilians.

WASHINGTON - Until the 1960s, veterans groups used the red poppy as the symbol of Veterans Day. In Great Britain, it still is.

NAVAL SUBMARINE BASE NEW LONDON, Conn. - Navy Lt. Robert Buckles' lineage with the military includes family members' service dates to the nation's beginning, including Frank W. Buckles, the last living American World War I veteran, who died in February.

WASHINGTON - Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz and Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donnelly have taken responsibility for incidents of mishandling remains at the Dover Air Force Base, Del., mortuary.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The relationship between the active duty and the reserve components has fundamentally changed in the past 10 years, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has directed former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard Carmona to conduct an independent review of operations at the Port Mortuary at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

WASHINGTON - One of the best ways Americans can honor the nation’s veterans this Veterans Day is by giving them a job, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis and U.S. Small Business Administrator Karen G. Mills told reporters.

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Court actions involving detainees must safeguard national security, protect the right of the accused to a fair trial and enable freedom of the press, the chief prosecutor for the Defense Department’s Office of Military Commissions said.

WASHINGTON - The Missile Defense Agency is working to detect and prevent the use of unauthorized or defective parts that could undermine the nation’s ballistic missile defense system, Army Lt. Gen. Patrick J. O’Reilly, the agency’s director, told Congress.

CAMP MARMAL, Afghanistan - The commander of the International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command North condemned yesterday’s insurgent suicide attack near the office of a local leader in Baghlan province.

FORT MEADE, Md. - As retired Army Sgt. Maj. Ray Moran celebrates his 82nd birthday, he continues to make his mark as the military's oldest and longest-serving recruiter. Over the past 60 years, he has enlisted more than 1,000 soldiers, and continues to sign on more every day.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - In his strongest language to date, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta called on Congress to “show some leadership” in the budget process while speaking at the National Guard's Joint Senior Leaders Conference.

WASHINGTON - Overseas-deployed service members’ artwork will be highlighted during a national exhibition tour that kicks off on Veterans Day in Pottsville, Pa.

WASHINGTON - A new learning registry launched by the Department of Defense and Department of Education will help make it easier for students and educators alike to identify source materials tailored to their needs.

WASHINGTON - A variety of restaurants and fast-food chains are offering free or discounted meals to active-duty, reserve and retired military members and veterans in thanks for their service this Veterans Day.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces continued their offensive against the Haqqani network and other insurgents in Afghanistan, detaining numerous enemy fighters.

WASHINGTON - Ensuring combat veterans have job opportunities when they return to civilian life is a national responsibility with roles for government and private sector alike, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said while meeting with corporate executives in New York.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey will not recommend Congress enact legislation making the chief of the National Guard Bureau a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, because he feels “only one person can be in charge of the ‘brand.’”

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The military is among the most admired institutions in America, and service leaders must work to ensure that continues, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

ARLINGTON, Va. - The potential capability for cyber mayhem makes cyber security “one of the most intense challenges of our time,” Regina E. Dugan, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, told hundreds of audience members who gathered for DARPA’s one-day “Cyber Colloquium.”

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama announced executive orders to give tax credits to employers who hire post-9/11 veterans and wounded warriors, as well as enhanced career counseling and related services for veterans.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey gave National Guard leaders the CliffsNotes version of U.S. military strategy for 2020 during a talk at the Guard’s Leadership Conference.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Intelligence Agency marked its 50th birthday – and the 50th anniversary of the beginning of U.S. military action in Vietnam -- with a tribute to U.S. Sen. John McCain and all Vietnam War veterans.

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. - As a little girl, Lakisha Scott said she didn't want to be like her mom or dad when she grew up. But destiny has a way of changing things.

WASHINGTON - A contest of photographs depicting the daily life of military deployments and overseas assignments, as captured through the camera lenses of military members, veterans and diplomats, will kick off on Veterans Day.

JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. - With hundreds of military families gathered at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Sesame Workshop unveiled a new collection of resources designed to help children stay connected with military loved ones.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta provided a personal recap of his trip to Indonesia, Japan and South Korea in a message to the men and women of the Defense Department.

WASHINGTON - Despite recent high-profile attacks, the international coalition is making significant progress in Afghanistan, Michéle Flournoy, undersecretary of defense for policy and the Pentagon’s top policy official, said.

WASHINGTON - The Operation Unified Protector mission in Libya demonstrated that NATO remains the world’s most effective alliance, President Barack Obama said as he and French President Nicolas Sarkozy praised the men and women who carried it out.

WASHINGTON - Navy ships, Army ground-based radar and missile systems and Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard aircraft have descended on Key West, Fla., for the field training portion of U.S. Northern Command’s annual homeland defense exercise.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - A group of U.S. airmen took to the air to deliver humanitarian relief supplies for victims of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck eastern Turkey.

WASHINGTON - Senior defense and national security leaders were on hand as the National Defense University Foundation honored Arizona Sen. John McCain and Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman at its American Patriot Award dinner.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani network leader and detained a suspected insurgent during an operation in the Zarghun Shahr district of Paktika province.

WASHINGTON - The military has institutionalized lessons learned from the past decade of nonconventional warfare and will work to maintain doctrine and skills to balance readiness for both traditional defenses and irregular fighting, service leaders told a congressional committee.

WASHINGTON - With some 33,000 U.S. troops still in Iraq and less than two months left to complete withdrawal, the redeployment operation under way there is extraordinary, said Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, U.S. Forces Iraq deputy commanding general for support.

WASHINGTON - Home ownership, military education benefits, car loans, spouse employment and indebtedness top the list of financial issues confronting service members and their families, military family finance expert Holly Petraeus said.

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of Japanese-American World War II veterans walked, shuffled or were wheeled into the Capitol Visitors Center to witness the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal honoring their courage and service to the nation.

WASHINGTON - A group of 17 family members who care for wounded warriors, as well as surviving spouses of fallen service members, will gather at Syracuse University in New York to learn how to start and run their own businesses.

WASHINGTON - The nation’s security strategy is built on nuclear deterrence, and the systems and workforce that support nuclear capabilities must be sustained, senior Defense Department officials told Congress.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed three insurgents, detained one suspect and seized two weapons caches during operations in eastern Afghanistan.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - A desire to serve his country and his love of music influenced Lance Cpl. Richard B. Orellana to join the Marine Corps.

WASHINGTON - Recent insurgent-generated violence in Afghanistan won’t undermine NATO’s commitment there, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

WASHINGTON - With the drawdown of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, talented soldiers will need to be retained and also maintain a connection while Army infrastructure draws down, Army Secretary John M. McHugh said.

WASHINGTON - The core message of a Defense Department report submitted to Congress is that the U.S.-India security relationship is strong and getting stronger, said Robert Scher, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia.

WASHINGTON - News reports that Defense Department civilians will be rated on a pass-fail system are premature and represent just a small piece of a larger set of recommendations, a senior defense official said.

WASHINGTON - Afghanistan’s military retains the vestiges of a modern air force, and its skilled and eager airmen have NATO trainers encouraged as they build up the force, the commander of NATO Air Training Command Afghanistan said.

WASHINGTON - As defense budgets grow leaner, the nation’s military superiority can be maintained only if key elements of the industrial base are sustained, matured and nurtured, a senior defense official told Congress.

WASHINGTON - A Veterans Day TV special will celebrate service members and veterans and spotlight the issues they face as they leave the military and re-enter their communities and the workforce.

WASHINGTON - Damage to the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps could be irreversible if the Budget Control Act’s “sequestration” provision takes another $600 billion from the defense budget, the military service chiefs said.

WASHINGTON - Forty U.S. military veterans who fought as part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during WWII received Bronze Stars for their combat service during a special ceremony held in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials have approved an additional campaign phase, and subsequently a corresponding campaign star, for the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

WASHINGTON - The United States and Turkey are allies with common interests and an increasing partnership, said U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the 30th Annual Conference on U.S.-Turkish Relations in Washington, D.C.

SEOUL, South Korea - Army 1st Sgt. Monekia Denkins refers to all of her soldiers as leaders because she wants them to believe they can accomplish any mission.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan and coalition security force killed two insurgents and detained one suspect while searching for a Haqqani network leader in the Yahya Khel district of Paktika province.

WASHINGTON - Calling on the nation to celebrate military families’ service and sacrifice, President Barack Obama signed proclamations designating November as Military Family Month and National Family Caregivers Month.

ARLINGTON, Va. - A Defense Department agency is accepting nominations for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the department’s highest award for civilian employers that support employees who serve in the Guard and reserve.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is distributing $299.6 million to improve access to military medical facilities at four bases. The DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment will distribute the funds once the applicants provide comprehensive plans and environmental information, officials said.

WASHINGTON - The weekend attack on an International Security Assistance Force convoy in Kabul, Afghanistan, indicates the insurgents’ desire to counter growing coalition pressure, Pentagon officials said.

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed three insurgents, detained eight people, and seized three weapons caches in operations across Afghanistan.

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - The Saunders brothers have plenty in common -- they’re twins, and they’re both Kentucky National Guard soldiers serving together in Iraq.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Recognizing the importance of every possible U.S. national security asset, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited the newest Coast Guard national security cutter built to carry out maritime security, law enforcement and national defense missions.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey’s two most striking impressions after just a month on the job as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are the complexity of the issues facing the U.S. military and the caliber of the service members who volunteer to serve.