WASHINGTON - President Bush thanked Poland for its strong support in the global war on terror and for its aid in Iraq. He said NATO, European and other countries must cooperate to build a world of freedom and peace.

SINGAPORE - There's no greater threat to peace and stability facing Asian - and other - nations today than North Korea's nuclear program, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz said here May 31.

WASHINGTON - A significant expansion of effort in the hunt for weapons of mass destruction will begin to take hold in Iraq in coming days, DoD officials said today.

SINGAPORE - The American military is reviewing its troop deployments worldwide, but U.S. Marines aren't being pulled out of Okinawa for redeployment to Australia, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz said here May 30.

WASHINGTON - The Marines based south of Baghdad made the transition from warfighting to peacekeeping with their usual aplomb, said Marine Lt. Gen. James Conway during a video press conference today from Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said that coalition forces are off to "a reasonable start" in helping the Iraqi people restore order and restart essential services.

SINGAPORE - The United States remains "committed" to peace and prosperity across East Asia, a senior U.S. defense official noted May 29.

WASHINGTON - The military has joined a worldwide effort to find a cure for the sometimes deadly SARS virus.

WASHINGTON - Two incidents in the past day have led to the deaths of one American soldier and two Iraqi civilians who died in an apparent attack on a U.S. checkpoint.

WASHINGTON - President Bush will discuss the Middle East peace process and rebuilding Iraq, among other issues, during a five-day overseas trip set to begin May 30, a top adviser said May 28.

WASHINGTON - Retired Army Lt. Col. Joe Rippetoe breakfasted at the White House on Memorial Day morning and afterwards was ushered in to meet President Bush.

WASHINGTON - Iraq can be a model for other Arab nations as Iraqi citizens work to establish a representative government in their country, a senior defense policy maker said today.

ARLINGTON, Va. - National Guard transformation took a big leap forward when leaders from the 54 states and U.S. territories supported the historic initiative for changing their organization's command structure earlier this month.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Army Spc. Lori Piestewa didn't move a mountain, but her death on the battlefield in Iraq touched a nation and changed a mountain's name.

WASHINGTON - Iraq, with the help of the Coalition Provisional Authority, will work past its current problems, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York May 27.

WASHINGTON - Several U.S. troops were killed by hostile action or accidents in Iraq over the past few days as U.S., coalition and Iraqi operations to enhance law and order in that Middle East country continued.

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va. - "God is crying too," said 4-year-old Robert as he and his family participated in the Memorial Day ceremonies here today.

WASHINGTON - Arlington National Cemetery is a quiet place where military veterans lie in peace among slim, white marble tombstones that in the springtime array like troops in formation across the rolling fields of green.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks prompted Americans nationwide to convey their patriotism by displaying American flags on their cars and vans. One patriotic Arizona couple went above and beyond the call of duty, and their vehicles now rate more than a mere passing glance.

WASHINGTON - Several years ago, Comedienne Phyllis Diller asked Bob Hope, "Who would want to be 100 years old?" Bob answered, "Anyone who is 99."

WASHINGTON - "Gen. (Tommy) Franks has advised me of his desire to step down as the commander of the U.S. Central Command in the weeks immediately ahead and his intention to retire from active duty later this summer."

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the graduating class of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., today that their future will be unlike anything they can imagine.

WASHINGTON - Pundits criticizing the coalition Iraq reconstruction effort are demonstrating "an incomplete understanding" of pre-conflict in-country conditions and "an unreasonable expectation" of the progress level, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said to the Senate May 22.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon introduced the two military lawyers May 22 who will prosecute and defend criminals charged with violating the laws of war and terrorist activities.

WASHINGTON - This weekend, we pause to remember those soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coastguardsmen who lost their lives serving our nation. We remember not only our compatriots, but all those brave Americans from generations past whose legacy of service secured our freedom. America is safer today as a result of their service.

WASHINGTON - Every Memorial Day, Americans across this great land of ours gather with family and friends to celebrate the memory and to honor the sacrifice of those who have died defending our freedom.

WASHINGTON - The Library of Congress now has Hope among its many precious holdings Bob Hope, that is, the entertainer who turns 100 May 29.

WASHINGTON - Federal law enforcement organizations -- and some state and local authorities -- ramped up vigilance when the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded national terror alert level was raised May 20 from "elevated," or yellow, to "high," or orange, the top domestic anti-terrorism official said today on Capitol Hill.

WASHINGTON - The United Nations this morning lifted sanctions against Iraq following a 14-0 vote in the Security Council.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has appealed to legislators to pass his recommendations to streamline personnel and environmental policies in the department.

WASHINGTON - For 60 seconds at precisely 3 p.m. local time May 26, Americans around the world will engage in a moment of quiet remembrance and respect to those who have given their lives for the privilege of freedom.

WASHINGTON - President Bush congratulated the graduates of the Coast Guard Academy and thanked them for becoming the newest members of the "shield of freedom."

WASHINGTON - Since Sept. 11, 2001, President Bush has said the United States must not only defend against terrorism -- it must also address the conditions that push people toward terrorism.

WASHINGTON - Terrorists are the enemy of free people everywhere, and Bahrain welcomes U.S. leadership in the struggle against global terrorism, Bahraini Defense Minister Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa said following a meeting at the Pentagon today.

WASHINGTON - The number of terrorist attacks in 2002 dropped to the lowest level since 1969, said U.S. Ambassador Cofer Black, the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism.

WASHINGTON - Looking to the future and setting the defense priorities for the intelligence community will be the focus of the new Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence in the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON - Like many Americans in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Elizabeth A. Barnes wanted to pay tribute to those who perished.

WASHINGTON - Each day the conditions in Iraq are improving and the life for the Iraqi population is starting to return to the "normal pre-war standard," said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

WASHINGTON - The national terror alert level has been hiked today from elevated "yellow" to high "orange" based on intelligence reports that al Qaeda terrorists may attempt to again strike the United States or target Americans abroad.

WASHINGTON - DoD is working on a plan to consolidate the service exchanges under one roof, said Charles Abell, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

WASHINGTON - Following a meeting today with the Philippine president, President Bush announced the United States will designate the Philippines as a major non-NATO ally, smoothing the road to military cooperation.

WASHINGTON - The speed of the battle in Iraq strained the logistics effort, but the service men and women were up to the task, said Army logistics officials in Iraq and the United States.

WASHINGTON - The Air Force officer is a transport plane pilot, but these days his aircraft flies "solo," and he doesn't leave the ground.

WASHINGTON - Each state National Guard will have to consolidate its top three headquarters into one "joint force headquarters," the head of the National Guard Bureau said today.

WASHINGTON - The skies over Andrews Air Force Base today were dark and rainy, but Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's words of pride, praise and gratitude directed to America's service men and women and their families glowed like a bright beacon.

ARLINGTON, Va. - More than 800 people quietly watched as eight Asian- Pacific American service members were fted for their outstanding contributions to their services and communities during DoD's observance of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month here May 14.

WASHINGTON - Weapons of mass destruction in the wrong hands is the "greatest security risk of this decade," said deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz during a symposium at the third annual Conference on Counterproliferation May 13.

WASHINGTON - Two sailors and their spouses were honored recently during the 16th annual Armed Services YMCA recognition luncheon on Capitol Hill for outstanding contributions to programs benefiting young enlisted men and women and military families.

WASHINGTON - Two Yemeni nationals were indicted on charges for plotting the attack on the naval destroyer USS Cole in the Gulf of Aden in Yemen in 2000, officials said today.

WASHINGTON - While there's much to do to assist the Iraqi people in the establishment of a free, democratic government of their choosing, the United States remains committed to achieving that goal, a senior DoD official told U.S. legislators today.

WASHINGTON - In the past dozen years, sex scandals have rocked the military services, going back to the Navy's Tailhook and the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground in the 1990's, and most recently, the Air Force Academy.

WASHINGTON - Security is currently the most serious concern of U.S. forces in Iraq, and commanders are taking substantial steps to stem lawlessness, several American officials said today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun met at the White House May 14 and reaffirmed they will not tolerate nuclear weapons in North Korea.

WASHINGTON - DoD's fiscal 2004 budget proposal now before Congress "is the first to fully reflect the new defense strategies and policies, and the lessons of the global war on terror," the military's top civilian told senior legislators here May 14.

ARLINGTON, Va. - "Salute to Liberty," the theme for this year's observance of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, is particularly apt for the Defense Department as the conflict in Iraq ends, David S.C. Chu told more than 800 attendees at DoD's celebration May 14.

WASHINGTON - One passenger riding the shuttle bus to the main entrance said the line of people waiting to get in stretched for what seemed like a mile. Another said he had waited at least an hour the day before to get through the gate. However, neither seemed to mind the inconvenience.

WASHINGTON - Recent terror bombings in Saudi Arabia and Chechnya demonstrate that the war against global terrorism isn't over, the U.S. National Security Adviser said today.

WASHINGTON - American soldiers will only shoot looters who threaten their lives, the Army general in charge of land forces in Iraq said in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - American and Saudi intelligence and law enforcement officials had been concerned about an upcoming attack and "came close" to preventing it, the Saudi foreign minister said this morning.

WASHINGTON - A Navy "Top Gun" was among more than 125 military and civilian photographers who fanned out across the globe on Oct. 22, 2002, to chronicle a day in the life of the U.S. armed forces.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Army Gen. Tommy Franks was so touched by the images, he spoke in short, meditative sentences, hesitating between each heartfelt thought.

WASHINGTON - The only way to deal with terrorism is to destroy the terrorist networks, Vice President Richard Cheney said today.

WASHINGTON - Three suicide bombings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 12 were a "well-planned terrorist attack," Secretary of State Colin Powell said today while touring some of the damaged areas.

WASHINGTON - The troopers of the 101st Airborne Division are making significant progress in stabilization operations in northern Iraq, the division commander said today during a teleconference with the Pentagon press corps.

WASHINGTON - Winning the peace takes a different type of soldier.

WASHINGTON - It once was the largest zoo in the Middle East. The Baghdad Zoo had more than 600 animals before March 19. Today, it has six.

WASHINGTON - TRICARE, the U.S. military's health care system, is much improved, but some beneficiaries still have difficulty understanding and accessing the system.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Afghanistan have "had a significant impact on the enemy," a military spokesman there said today.

WASHINGTON - "All of Iraq is tired," said Muhammad, an electrical worker at Baghdad South power station, during an interview in Baghdad May 8.

WASHINGTON - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is common in former prisoners of war. But the disorder might not exist in the seven recently returned American soldiers from Iraq, based on their experience.

WASHINGTON - Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch does not have amnesia, according to a May 8 release from Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. Instead, say her attending doctors, she has no recollection of any events that may have occurred from the start of the ambush until when she awoke in an Iraqi hospital.

WASHINGTON - Today's military women are dedicated professionals who play key roles across America's armed services, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz told members of DoD's military women's advisory group.

WASHINGTON - Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Air Force Gen. Richard Myers and his wife, Mary Jo, expressed gratitude today for a $1 million corporate donation for scholarships for spouses and children of U.S. and coalition personnel killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

WASHINGTON - A provision included in the 2003 National Defense Authorization Act will compensate an estimated 35,000 retired veterans for disabilities resulting from combat injuries, wounds and diseases.

ARLINGTON, Va. - An exhibit featuring photographs from the newly released book, "A Day in the Life of the United States Armed Forces," opened May 8 here at the Women's Memorial.

WASHINGTON - President Bush May 8 thanked the leader of the tiny Gulf country of Qatar for his nation's steadfast support.

WASHINGTON - Fifty-two days after President Bush gave the go-ahead for military action in Iraq, the Army general who led the campaign stood in the Pentagon today and spoke of the mission's successes.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate voted today to support NATO admission for seven central and eastern European nations, President Bush said.

WASHINGTON - A new DoD force and installation security project targeted against terrorist threats to include possible use of weapons of mass destruction -- is slated to debut Oct. 1.

WASHINGTON - DoD honored the achievements of five military installations receiving this year's Commander in Chief's Award for Installation Excellence in a Pentagon ceremony May 2.

WASHINGTON - President Bush acted May 7 to lift trade and economic sanctions the United States had placed on Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Seven thousand captured Iraqis have been released from the American internment facility at Umm Qasr, officials there said today. Roughly 2,000 remain captive.

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. - Winners of the 2002 Thomas Jefferson Awards Program competition were announced May 6 by the Defense Information School here.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces have obtained an Iraqi mobile biological weapons production facility, defense officials confirmed today. However, no traces of biological weapons have been found on the trailer.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz says he still supports strong ties between Turkey and the United States. He maintains this view although he's unhappy over a Turkish government decision that prevented American ground troops from opening up a northern front against Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

WASHINGTON - The recent open house celebration was quiet, just like most activities that occur in such a facility.

WASHINGTON - Mental health experts don't know what combat stress reactions to expect from service members returning from the war in Iraq. And it's not just stress reactions from actual combat, according to Army Dr. (Lt. Col.) Elspeth Cameron Ritchie.

WASHINGTON - The Army general who led the battle of Baghdad said today he is "not particularly concerned about security" in the Iraqi capital.

WASHINGTON - DoD's smallpox immunization program for service members "has been a real success," DoD's senior medical official declared.

WASHINGTON - The faces of Saddam Hussein's defeated regime on the "most wanted" card deck keep turning up in the news.

WASHINGTON - President Bush announced today he has appointed a State Department counterterrorism expert to administer Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Despite a dangerous situation on the ground, American forces are overseeing tremendous humanitarian progress in Iraq.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - It was a bizarre scene: hundreds of Iraqi civilians walking blithely past a park chock full of artillery, mortar and tank rounds.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - "If someone is running away from the gas station, don't shoot," Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Lujan told his men. "Remember, this is peacekeeping. We're not in combat."

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is working to lessen the burden that deployments are having on family members left at home.

WASHINGTON - Citizens of Chicago and Seattle shouldn't become alarmed if they see "space suit"-attired groups of people rushing around May 12.

WASHINGTON - The neglect and damage deposed dictator Saddam Hussein inflicted on Iraq and its people "is just heartbreaking," U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told reporters here today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - "Hey, Mister! Hey, Mister!" "Hello! Hello!"

WASHINGTON - Americans have a commitment to future generations to keep this country secure, President Bush said at a defense plant in California today.

WASHINGTON - Eleven-year-old Ryan Jones' eyes grew wide as he sat down behind a real, black and silver U.S. Army M-240B machine gun.

WASHINGTON - Three senior U.S. government officials agreed that humanitarian efforts to renew and restore Iraq have gone well so far, and movement will continue to return Iraq to the Iraqi people.

WASHINGTON - So far, the mysterious respiratory illness that's killed almost 400 people worldwide has had a negligible effect on the U.S. military, DoD's top civilian health official said April 29.

WASHINGTON - The number of American and British forces needed to secure Iraq in the long and short term is "not knowable," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in London today.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Richard Cheney knows what it takes to launch a war in the Persian Gulf. He did just that in 1991 as the nation's 17th defense secretary.

WASHINGTON - Tensions remain between U.S. soldiers and Iraqi citizens in Fallujah as violence plagued the city for the third straight day, U.S. Central Command officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell today thanked one of America's staunchest allies for their support before and during the war in Iraq.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - When Capt. John Montgomery joined the Army, he didn't expect to be the point man for reopening a major university.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department, which employs more than 700,000 civilians in more than 900 occupations, has set up a new office to help lure job applicants to the federal workforce.

WASHINGTON - Thousands of active duty and reserve U.S. service members deployed overseas for Operation Iraqi Freedom will undergo an enhanced post-deployment health assessment process.

WASHINGTON - The situation on the ground in Afghanistan has clearly moved from "major combat activity to a period of stability and stabilization," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said during a visit today to the Afghan capital.

WASHINGTON - Major combat operations in Iraq are over, and America and her allies have prevailed, President Bush said this evening on the flight deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.