JALALABAD, Afghanistan - When the U.S. Marine Corps' 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, ventured into the Torah Bora mountains recently to hunt down enemy fighters, they instead found Afghans eager for a brighter future.

WASHINGTON - Two years after its launch, the Proliferation Security Initiative is bringing the international community together to help stem trafficking in weapons of mass destruction and the materials used to make them, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said here today.

WASHINGTON - Initial reports indicate up to nine insurgents were killed May 30 during three near-simultaneous attacks against Afghan and coalition positions along the Afghan-Pakistan border, military officials in the Afghan capital of Kabul reported today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi insurgents fear democracy, and that is why they are attacking innocent people in that country, President Bush said during a White House news conference today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The public spotlight recently shone on an unassuming, eight-classroom school in the town of Zakho, Iraq, and for good reason. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Division, responsible for oversight of reconstruction in Iraq, announced it had identified Betas School as its 1,000th completed reconstruction project.

WASHINGTON - The insurgency in Iraq is "in the last throes," and its activity "will clearly decline" over time, Vice President Dick Cheney predicted during a May 30 interview on CNN's "Larry King Live."

WASHINGTON - Four U.S. Air Force servicemembers and one Iraqi airman died in the Iraqi military aircraft crash in Iraq's eastern Diyala province May 30, coalition officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - America's top military leaders -- the commander in chief, secretary of defense, and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff -- commemorated this Memorial Day by paying tribute to the tradition of wartime military service that has distinguished generations of Americans, past and present.

WASHINGTON - An Iraqi air force aircraft with four U.S. personnel and one Iraqi on board crashed today in the eastern part of Iraq's Diyala province, U.S. military officials in Baghdad reported.

WASHINGTON - With the National World War II Memorial as a backdrop, the U.S. military's top general today said the country is again in an important struggle -- against violent extremism.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld thanked the thousands of riders in the 18th annual Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom for their support of veterans issues and of today's troops.

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of thousands of Vietnam veterans and motorcycle enthusiasts gathered in the Pentagon's North Parking lot early May 29 for the 18th annual Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom.

INDIANAPOLIS - If there are two things that can be said about Indiana, it is that here in Hoosier country they love Indy racing and the military. When the Indianapolis 500 -- billed as the "Greatest Spectacle in Sports" -- came to town May 29, more than 300,000 here showed their affection for the troops.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Manhattan may be the hub of Fleet Week, but Staten Island, N.Y., was full of activity as well May 29. Sailors participating in the "Adopt-a-Sailor" program waited at the former naval homeport on Staten Island for their "adopter" to arrive.

WASHINGTON - Marines, sailors, and Iraqi security forces are capturing and detaining terrorists throughout the Iraqi city of Haditha. However, officials said, for ordinary Iraqis, life there continues essentially unchanged.

WASHINGTON - Despite being plagued with ongoing violence that is killing scores of American troops and hundreds of Iraqi civilians, Iraq is making real progress on the path toward democracy and self-rule, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard Myers said today.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. armed forces are in good shape on this Memorial Day weekend, and military personnel well understand and believe in what they are fighting for overseas, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Air Force Gen. Richard Myers said today.

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists gathered at the Pentagon this morning in preparation of the annual Rolling Thunder tribute to Vietnam veterans and missing servicemembers from all conflicts.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff took strong exception today to recent media reports of systemic torture and abuse of prisoners at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

NEW YORK - With Fleet Week 2005 cruising along here, the Marine Corps rolled through the streets of the city on May 28.

NEW YORK - The Defense Department's "America Supports You" team made sure Marines, sailors and their guests knew just how much they are appreciated with a musical salute May 28 at the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum here.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon provided close air support to ground troops fighting to recover two slain helicopter crewmen in the vicinity of Baquba, Iraq, on May 26, officials said.

WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers May 27 captured and detained a terrorist suspect apparently waiting to detonate an improvised explosive device near the al-Shahaba Mosque in Jarf as Sakhr, Iraq, officials said.

WASHINGTON - Two ex-Taliban insurgents this week began the process of formally renouncing violence and swearing reconciliation to the duly elected government of Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Baghdad soldiers May 27 provided medical treatment for two Iraqi children who were injured when an improvised explosive device detonated on a northwest Baghdad, Iraq, road, military officials said.

NEW YORK - Sailors and Marines on May 27 participated in a variety of events tied to Fleet Week 2005 here. The week sees New York open its doors to servicemembers.

WASHINGTON - At the onset of the Memorial Day weekend, President Bush used his weekly radio address to pay tribute to American veterans, past and present. They have "given their lives for our nation," Bush said. "Our citizens live in freedom because patriots are willing to serve and sacrifice for our liberty."

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Time Magazine dubbed the West Point class of 2005, "The Class of 9-11." And the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, cast a shadow in the bright sunshine as those cadets graduated today.

WASHINGTON - Defense officials are preparing to make more data available early next week regarding the Defense Department's base realignment and closure recommendations.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Although she'd experienced the loss of her military father, a smiling Tricia Hall today tightly hugged Cutie, a crisis-response dog, and exclaimed, "This is awesome."

WASHINGTON - The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure recommendations could not have come at a better time as the Army begins realigning units overseas and looks for a clearer picture on where to put them, service leaders said during a media roundtable May 26 in the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON - Jan Marten has put her creative talents to work and designed a sterling silver bracelet made up of small oval pieces that spell out "Support Our Troops."

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - President Bush used his keynote address during the Naval Academy's Class of 2005 graduation and commissioning ceremonies as a forum to describe his far-reaching plans to transform the U.S. military.

ARLINGTON, Va. - After years of searching, Defense Department officials have garnered more than 70 acres of land to expand the burial space at the country's most prestigious resting place.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - President Bush issued two challenges today to newly commissioned graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy: Defeat the terrorists who want to destroy "what we stand for and how we live," and transform the military into a fighting force capable of defeating future adversaries.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Mike Hunt, of Green Bay, Wis., lost his son, 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper Isaiah R. Hunt, to the war in Iraq last year. On May 26, he journeyed to Fort Bragg to pay tribute to Isaiah and all the other paratroopers who have given their lives in combat.

WASHINGTON - Two soldiers died May 26 after a U.S. helicopter crashed near Baqubah, Iraq, officials reported today, and a U.S. Marine was killed May 25 by enemy small-arms fire in Haditha during Operation New Market.

WASHINGTON - A military inquiry has found "no credible evidence" that any member of the joint task force at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ever "flushed" a Koran down a toilet, the organization's commander said here May 26.

WASHINGTON - The National Endowment for the Arts has created a venue to collect and preserve the stories and reflections of servicemembers on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan and stateside defending the homeland.

WASHINGTON - Current operations in Iraq are serving two important purposes, the Joint Staff's deputy director for regional operations said today during a Pentagon press briefing.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - They're making their mark in history by helping free the world of extremists committed to death and destruction, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told troops in one of the most frequently deployed units in the global war on terror.

WASHINGTON - Lowe's is set to present a special tribute to the U.S. military at the Coca Cola 600 Memorial Day Race May 29 in Concord, N.C.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and coalition forces are searching for three detainees who escaped from the Abu Ghraib theater internment facility near Baghdad, Iraq, before sunrise today.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Mint at Philadelphia celebrated National Military Appreciation Month May 25 with the ceremonial strike of a new commemorative coin, the 2005 Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Silver Dollar.

WASHINGTON - The National Moment of Remembrance on Memorial Day is an act of national unity, remembrance and rededication to the ideals upon which the nation was founded, the executive director of the White House Commission on Remembrance explained.

WASHINGTON - The White House Commission on Remembrance urges Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30 at 3 p.m. local time.

WASHINGTON - "It smells good in here already," a visitor to "Fort Independence" said as she walked into the kitchen where amputees sharpen their culinary skills at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

CAMP ROBINSON, Ark. - Members of the 61st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team here like to think of themselves as a fire department.

PHILADELPHIA - The global war on terror is different from any the United States has fought, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told members of the World Affairs Council here today just how different it is.

BUCHAREST, Romania - Military planners from more than 70 nations discussed the war on terror here today to wrap up a two-day conference.

WASHINGTON - When 12-year-old Lizzy Lulu, of Lancaster, Calif., learned that American servicemembers in Iraq often use these electronic devices, she decided to launch a campaign to collect 1,000,000 "AA" batteries.

PHILADELPHIA - There was absolutely no truth to the Washington Post article saying Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld ordered Air Force fighter jets to shoot down a Cessna that intruded into restricted airspace, but the incident illustrates an on-going problem the government faces.

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of color photos depicting the trials and triumphs of the Navy and Marine Corps troops during operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom adorn the pages of "Defending Freedom," a new hardcover coffee-table book.

WASHINGTON - Five U.S. military personnel were killed in three separate incidents in Iraq over the last two days, military officials said.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - He may not have leapt over tall buildings in a single bound or dodged any speeding bullets to get here, but Dean Cain, the former star of ABC's "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," and current host of TBS's "Ripley's Believe It, or Not," did fly by plane to Iraq with his new sidekick, actress and model Amanda Swisten.

WASHINGTON - A major home-improvement chain is offering Memorial Day discounts to all active-duty and reserve-component troops, retired military personnel, veterans, and their families.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan - After a year in Afghanistan, the soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, Combined Task Force Thunder are preparing to redeploy to Hawaii.

WASHINGTON - When wounded active-component soldiers get sent home from a deployment for medical care, they're generally treated directly at their home bases.

MIAMI - During dangerous situations, people's understanding of each other is more crucial than ever, a senior Defense Department official said here May 24.

BALTIMORE WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Md. - One of the military's largest support organizations joined the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program today during a ceremony here.

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Children suffering from difficult-to-treat medical conditions in rural Afghanistan may have no better friend than the U.S. Marines of "America's Battalion."

BUCHAREST, Romania - Military planners from 68 nations are gathered here today and May 25 for discussions on the current situation and the way ahead in the global war on terror.

WASHINGTON - Improvised-explosive-device attacks in Iraq killed four U.S soldiers and wounded 93 Iraqi civilians May 23. Elsewhere, scores of terrorists responsible for such bombings were detained.

WASHINGTON - David Minyard appreciates the letters of gratitude he has received for his volunteer work at the Pentagon. However, adulation is not his intent.

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. - Here at the "Home of the Herk" -- the affectionate nickname for the C-130 Hercules aircraft -- there's no ambivalence about the new "J" model.

WASHINGTON - The presidents of the United States and Afghanistan today signed an agreement that establishes a long-term relationship designed to promote ongoing progress in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Four U.S. soldiers were killed May 22 in operations in Iraq, while coalition and Iraqi forces continue to round up weapons and suspected terrorists.

WASHINGTON - Local commanders from the Iraqi Interior and Defense ministries and coalition forces met May 21 to discuss Operation Squeeze Play, which is designed to deal with terrorist actions in Baghdad's Rusafa neighborhood.

WASHINGTON - Indianapolis Motor Speedway was awash in patriotism May 22, just one week before 33 IndyCar drivers take to the oval in the annual Indianapolis 500 race.

WASHINGTON - All personnel are safe with only minor injuries after an engine problem forced pilots of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to conduct an emergency landing this morning south of Samarra, Iraq, U.S. military officials in Baghdad reported today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. warplanes killed 12 insurgents after the individuals attacked a coalition patrol east of Gayan, in Afghanistan's Paktika province, late May 21. One U.S. soldier was wounded during the incident.

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. - Nine-year-old Karinne Clester was inside a vast aircraft hanger here today, sending her best wishes to U.S. servicemembers deployed worldwide in the fight against global terrorism.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansas celebrated Armed Forces Day today by giving a "Razorback welcome" to its more than 7,500 National Guard and Reserve members who were called to active duty to support the global war on terror.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Local police turned in a large cache of unstable ammunition to members of the U.S. Army's 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, near Ghazni, Afghanistan, on May 19, coalition officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - The United States is making good progress in advancing the cause of freedom, defeating the forces of terror, and transforming its military to meet emerging threats, President George W. Bush said today during his weekly national radio address.

WASHINGTON - Army recruiters are taking a pause today to refocus on values, as investigations are under way to see if some recruiters are cheating to make quotas.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The average E-1 family lives on a meager $14,750 a year. What are the chances that they can afford a computer with broadband wireless access to speak to deployed loved ones?

WASHINGTON - Servicemembers "are on freedom's side," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said at opening ceremonies for the Joint Service Open House here today.

WASHINGTON - Broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Pentagon Channel is a unique source of military news for servicemembers and their families around the world and a growing number of civilians stateside.

WASHINGTON - Five detainees were wounded in an insurgent rocket attack on Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison today, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - ABC's hit TV program "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" this weekend will feature the show's design team building and furnishing a new home for the family of a soldier killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

WASHINGTON - Military officials in Iraq have condemned the release of photos taken of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in prison that appeared today in a British tabloid and have been widely circulated on the Internet.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld salutes today's armed forces, their families, and the nation's fallen heroes.

WASHINGTON - The inauguration of President Hamid Karzai was the most memorable event of Army Lt. Gen. David Barno's 19-month tour as commander of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Arizona today became the first state to launch a statewide campaign of support for the military under the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program.

WASHINGTON - The Individual Ready Reserve is "a key component" of America's total military force, a senior Defense Department official noted during a May 17 gathering of reserve-component leaders in Denver.

WASHINGTON - Two American soldiers died in central Baghdad, Iraq, today, when terrorists riding in a vehicle fired on a U.S. convoy, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - While deployed parents can't actually attend their senior's graduation, U.S. Army Europe and the Department of Defense Education Activity are making sure that they can watch.

WASHINGTON - A California teenager this week reached her goal of collecting 1.4 million thank you letters for America's armed forces -- and is still finding new ways to convey America's thanks to the military for their service.

WASHINGTON - The Air Force men and the Navy women volleyball teams captured the 2005 Armed Forces Volleyball Championship here May 16.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces, along with Iraqi leaders, completed a road project here that spans more than four kilometers and cost about $565,000.

WASHINGTON - Equipment that servicemembers are using in Iraq and Afghanistan is getting years worth of use in just one year on the ground, and the Defense Department is taking steps to ensure the tanks, Bradleys, Strykers, Humvees, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles stay in a high state of readiness.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces operating in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere may soon be able to use "MAJIIC" to locate an enemy position on the battlefield and share intelligence information and imagery with coalition allies in near-real time.

WASHINGTON - Defense industry leaders got a strong message endorsing joint operations and "netcentric warfare" from a senior military officer at the TechNet International 2005 convention here May 17.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier died today after his convoy struck a roadside bomb in southeastern Baghdad, Iraq, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army looks on the base realignment and closure process as a chance to reshape the total force, Army Secretary Francis Harvey told the BRAC Commission today.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today called a purported new audio message from fugitive terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi "an outrage."

WASHINGTON - President Bush today praised new National Intelligence Director John D. Negroponte and principal deputy intelligence director, Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden, during the officials' swearing-in ceremonies held here.

WASHINGTON - Defense and Veterans Affairs officials are ironing out details of programs that will expand benefits provided through Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance.

WASHINGTON - Networkcentric warfare streamlines the warfighting process at the operational level, the director of global operations for U.S. Strategic Command said at a conference here May 17.

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service has asked the Defense Department to help ensure that DoD federal civilians receiving pay or retirement checks from Uncle Sam also pay him his due in federal income taxes.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Intelligence Agency is facing several challenges, especially in the human intelligence community, an expert in this area said here May 17.

WASHINGTON - If Kevin Pannell doesn't answer his cell phone, you'll get the message, "You've reached the coolest amputee in the world." The 26-year-old Arkansas Army National Guard specialist who lost both of his legs and was nearly killed by two insurgent's hand grenades in a narrow alley in Baghdad, Iraq, prides himself on maintaining his good attitude.

WASHINGTON - A raid by Afghan and coalition forces May 16 resulted in the capture of three insurgents suspected of using improvised explosive devices near Khowst, Afghanistan, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials reported in a news release today.

WASHINGTON - Progress in capturing suspected terrorists and foiling their operations continues, with Iraqi security forces playing an increasing role and Iraqi citizens coming forward with valuable intelligence, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Girl Scout Service Unit 80-5, which consists of 23 separate troops from Woodbridge, Va., decided to donate their leftover cookies to American servicemembers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

CAMP TAJI, Iraq - Most Americans are familiar with Rosie the Riveter, the World War II-era image of a woman in blue overalls, rolling up her sleeve, flexing her bicep, and exclaiming, "We can do it!" Two women mechanics in Company D, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment (Attack Reconnaissance), are forming their own version of this image today.

WASHINGTON - The secretary of the Navy said today he's "confident" that base closures and realignments recommended for the sea service are "more than sufficient to fully support the future Navy and Marine Corps force structure."

WASHINGTON - A Newsweek magazine article accusing U.S. personnel at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, of desecrating a Koran has no basis in fact, a senior Defense Department official said here today.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's base realignment and closure recommendations are now in the hands of the nine-member commission that will make the final decisions.

WASHINGTON - Air Force recommendations provided to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission will reorganize that service, making it more capable to address threats to national security, the Air Force's top civilian told commission members here today.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Liberty soldier was killed today and another was wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated next to their combat patrol south of Tikrit, Iraq, military officials in Baghdad reported.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is fine-tuning a $75 million biometric identification system designed to improve force protection at U.S. military bases in Iraq, according to officials involved with the project.

WASHINGTON - As the military confronts the "new demands of the war against extremism and other evolving challenges in the world," the Defense Department's recommendations for base realignments and closures are necessary, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today told the commission considering DoD's proposals.

WASHINGTON - A new program to begin this summer will galvanize an interagency effort to prevent terrorists from establishing a foothold in Africa.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi army and Task Force Baghdad units captured nine terrorists and confiscated a variety of weapons and explosive materials May 15.

WASHINGTON - Two Afghan soldiers died and another five were wounded May 14 when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

WASHINGTON - Army leaders recognized the Iraq service and sacrifice of members of Task Force Danger at a ceremony in Kitzingen, Germany, today.

WASHINGTON - There's no evidence to support a recent Newsweek magazine article accusing U.S. personnel at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, of desecrating the Muslim holy book, the Koran, a senior Pentagon official noted.

WASHINGTON - Continued political progress in Iraq is expected "to pull Iraqis who may be 'on the fence' into support for the government," the president's national security adviser said on May 15 television talk shows.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in eastern Afghanistan reported that as many as 1,000 Afghans demonstrated May 13 in Ghazni, and up to 300 in Gardez, to protest a magazine report about alleged desecration of the Koran at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by U.S. forces.

WASHINGTON - Terrorists continued to attack innocent Iraqis as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice paid a surprise visit to the country today.

WASHINGTON - Operation Matador is over, Marine officials in Iraq announced today.

WASHINGTON - The services have used the base realignment and closure process to realign active duty and reserve forces to better face the threats of the 21st century, Pentagon officials said today.

WASHINGTON - A highway construction company owner was honored on Capitol Hill on May 12 as the Armed Services YMCA's "Volunteer of the Year" for his support of servicemembers and their families at Fort Riley, Kan., and surrounding areas.

WASHINGTON - Thanksgiving and Christmas were a few months away and Stephanie Abarbanel, senior articles editor for Woman's Day magazine, started thinking about servicemembers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan not being home with their families -- particularly their children -- during the holidays.

WASHINGTON - "We train joint, we fight joint, we might as well live joint," is how Charles S. Abell summarizes the Defense Department's recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission.

WASHINGTON - A man who probably is best known as the Marine drill instructor from the movie "Full Metal Jacket" and as host of the History Channel's "Mail Call" program visited recovering troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here May 12.

WASHINGTON - The United States will be "unrelenting" in seeking out terrorists while continuing to help spread democracy, President Bush reaffirmed here today.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has recommended closing 33 major bases and realigning 29 others as part of a comprehensive reshaping of the military infrastructure through the base realignment and closure process.

ARLINGTON, Virginia - Celebrities, entertainers and supporters gathered here May 12 to express thanks for the country's men and women in uniform and to raise money for programs of the United Service Organizations of Metropolitan Washington that support them.

WASHINGTON - Defense officials have used the base realignment and closure process to transform the way military medicine operates.

WASHINGTON - A walk-in tip from an Iraqi citizen May 12 led Task Force Liberty soldiers to a munitions cache and to the discovery of a suspected vehicle borne improvised explosive device cache near Samarra, Iraq, military officials in Baghdad reported today.

WASHINGTON - Interrogation practices at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in 2003 and early 2004 have cost a brigade commander his job. Army Col. Thomas M. Pappas, commander of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade, was relieved of his command by Gen. B.B. Bell, commander of U.S. Army Europe.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's recommendations to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission would cut excess military infrastructure between 5 and 11 percent, Rumsfeld said during a Pentagon news conference today.

WASHINGTON - Senior service leaders expressed confidence today in the base realignment and closure process and acknowledged that it's a critical part of the Defense Department's transformation to make the military more effective to meet 21st-century threats.

WASHINGTON - The recent spike in violence in Iraq represents an attempt to discredit the new Iraqi government and cabinet, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Pentagon reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - "Security and reconstruction go hand in hand," the top U.S. engineer in Iraq said today. "We have to have success on both fronts."

WASHINGTON - Three U.S. soldiers were killed today in separate roadside bomb explosions in Iraq, military officials in Baghdad reported.

WASHINGTON - One of the F-16 pilots who intercepted a private plane that strayed into restricted airspace here on May 11 said today he was prepared to use force if necessary to prevent a potential attack, and expressed confidence in the security system protecting the nation's capital.

WASHINGTON - A chance meeting brought identical-twin Marines Scott and Kevin Siska together in Kuwait a few months ago.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Marine officials in Afghanistan confirmed today that 15 insurgents were killed May 8 in a five-hour gun battle in Laghman province.

WASHINGTON - President Bush signed into law on May 11 legislation that provides $82 billion in supplemental funding, most of it to help cover the cost of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Two Marines were killed May 11 when their amphibious assault vehicle struck an explosive device in Qaim, Iraq, during Operation Matador, military officials in Baghdad reported today.

HERAT PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Afghan Col. Safe Aube, commander of the Transitional Afghan Border Security Force, and 229 border-security volunteers from across the country are replacing the existing border police forces in Islam Quala, on Afghanistan's border with Iran in Herat province.

WASHINGTON - Soldiers of the Texas National Guard are involved with a building project here that they hope will open doors to opportunity and prosperity for the Iraqi people.

WASHINGTON - When Operation Homefront Hugs USA, a "troop-adoption" program that provided care packages for deployed servicemembers and their families, folded earlier this year, like good soldiers, three former volunteers decided to continue on with the mission.

WASHINGTON - Coalition soldiers from Multinational Division Central-South conducted Operation Cobweb from May 6 to 10 to find and capture terrorists in the northern part of Iraq's Wasit province, military officials in Baghdad reported today.

WASHINGTON - Military surgeons general thanked members of the defense subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee for their role in advancing military medicine, during a hearing here May 10.

WASHINGTON - A new committee is studying the military compensation system to come up with ways to bring it more in line with what servicemembers want and operational needs demand.

WASHINGTON - The military's actions today when a small private plane strayed into the no-fly zone over the National Capital area were "just a normal response" that demonstrates that the Air National Guard continues to be "ready to respond at a moment's notice," a member of the unit involved said.

WASHINGTON - Six presidents of Latin American nations met with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other senior officials at the Pentagon today.

WASHINGTON - Operation Matador reached its fourth day today, as Marines, sailors and soldiers from Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, continued combat operations in the northwestern part of Iraq's Anbar province.

WASHINGTON - When a DoD installation closes, the department doesn't just pull chocks and fly off. DoD's Office of Economic Adjustment works with communities to help them through the base closing process and help them transform.

WASHINGTON - Speed and agreement are essential as communities face base closure and realignment, a senior defense official said here. Patrick O'Brien, director of the Office of Economic Adjustment, said DoD stands ready to help communities affected by closures and realignments.

WASHINGTON - Defense officials said the 2005 base realignment and closure process is the best chance the department will have to reset the force to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

WASHINGTON - Defense planners have looked at surge capability across the services and industrial processes as they've gone through the 2005 base realignment and closure process.

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq - The Marine Corps offers the "buddy program" for new recruits who want to enlist with a friend and ship to boot camp at the same time instead of going alone. When the friend happens to be your twin brother, the program takes on a whole new meaning.

WASHINGTON - Troops fighting in Iraq's northwestern Anbar province are facing a sizable and skilled insurgency, with some members seen fighting in military uniforms and protective vests, the Joint Staff's director of operations told Pentagon reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. general in Europe supports plans to reshape the U.S. force structure overseas and said it's a critical step in ensuring the U.S. military is prepared to face new and emerging threats.

WASHINGTON - A retired Air Force major general today received the Chairman's Distinguished Public Service Award in part for a smile - Operation Smile.

WASHINGTON - The Afghan government announced an initiative designed to repatriate noncriminal combatants and insurgents back into Afghan society.

WASHINGTON - The Marine Corps flatly rejects charges that the protective vests issued to thousands of deployed Marines don't offer the ballistic protection they were designed to provide, but is recalling 5,277 of them to remove doubts about their effectiveness.

WASHINGTON - Three U.S. Marines died in Iraq May 9 as combat operations continue in the country's Anbar province.

WASHINGTON - President Bush thanked the citizens of the former Soviet republic of Georgia today for their country's support in Afghanistan and Iraq and for setting an example for other nations in pursuit of democracy.

WASHINGTON - Why would two New Jersey brothers ship thousands of salamis to Iraq? The answer is simple: to support the troops.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is moving forward with plans to reshape its force structure overseas through close coordination with Congress, other government agencies and U.S. allies and partners, defense officials told Pentagon reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - Three Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), have been killed in Iraq's Anbar province, military officials in Baghdad reported today.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan - As the Bobcats of B Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, pull their troops from the Tarin Kowt area, the ANA's 3rd Kandak, 1st Brigade, 205th Corps, is moving in.

WASHINGTON - Servicemembers and citizens overseas should participate in local off-season elections, the director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program said here today.

WASHINGTON - Interested military parents have until May 15 to register their children to attend free "Operation Purple" summer youth camps, a camp official said here today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush joined Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders today in Moscow's Red Square to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe during World War II.

WASHINGTON - Two U.S. Marines were killed during an intense, five-hour gun battle in Afghanistan's Laghman province May 8. As many as 23 insurgents are suspected dead.

WASHINGTON - A second Task Force Liberty soldier has died from hostile action in Samarra, Iraq, on May 8, military officials in Baghdad reported today.

KABUL, Afghanistan - President Bush's nominee to be the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff arrived in Afghanistan May 8 to visit with troops and tour U.S. and coalition compounds.

WASHINGTON - The nation paid tribute to the "Greatest Generation" for the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day today here at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall.

WASHINGTON - President Bush "commemorated a great victory for liberty," today at the American cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands, in observance of the 60th anniversary of V-E - Victory in Europe - Day.

WASHINGTON - Military spouses and servicemembers' mothers "commit their lives as their servicemember does, and loves him because he loves his country," said the wife of the nation's top military officer on a Mother's Day nationwide television appearance today.

WASHINGTON - One Task Force Liberty soldier was killed and another wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated next to their combat logistics patrol near Samarra, Iraq, today.

WASHINGTON - Multinational force operations netted 109 terrorists and suspects throughout Iraq today and May 7, and included finding large weapons caches.

WASHINGTON - Multinational forces reported today capturing Abu al Abbas, a wanted associate of terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, in Baghdad May 5.

WASHINGTON - Afghan National Army and U.S. soldiers killed an estimated 20 insurgents during a prolonged firefight at an isolated compound just north of Kandahar on May 4, military officials reported here today.

WASHINGTON - The triumphs of victory in Europe are still being felt worldwide 60 years later, President Bush said in his weekly radio address today on the eve of V-E Day.

WASHINGTON - Multinational forces captured a "key associate" of Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Apr. 26 in a raid conducted in western Iraq, officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - A Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, died from injuries received when an improvised explosive device May 7 detonated today.

WASHINGTON - A full lineup of commemorations is scheduled to kick off this weekend in observation of the 60th anniversary of V-E - for "Victory in Europe" - Day, the end of World War II there.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces in Iraq are adapting to lessen the threat posed by the enemy's improvised explosive devices, senior military officers told House Armed Services Committee members here May 5.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Civilian leaders participating in JCOC 69, the Defense Department's latest Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, went deep inside Cheyenne Mountain here May 1 to tour the facility and learn how American airspace is being protected from attack.

WASHINGTON - Over the past several months, coalition troops and Iraqi security forces have captured or killed more than 20 of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's trusted lieutenants and other high-ranking network members, military officials in Baghdad reported in a written statement today.

CAMP SHELBY, Miss. - Rioting crowds and explosions are all part of the training that thousands of Guard and Reserve soldiers receive at the Joint Mobilization Center here before they deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, said the Ghazni provincial police seized 237 kilograms of opium May 4 and arrested four individuals involved in drug trafficking. The traffickers were also carrying large sums of Afghan, Pakistani, U.S., United Arab Emirates and Kuwaiti currency.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Liberty soldiers detained six individuals and confiscated a number of weapons during a raid against weapons dealers southwest of Tuz today, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Events tied to Public Service Recognition Week, May 2-8, give taxpayers a chance to see some of what they're paying for and to better understand how people in public service help society.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is actively engaged in improving childcare services for military parents, a top Pentagon official said here today.

WASHINGTON - Base realignment and closure commissioners heard about the strategic underpinnings of the Defense Department's approach during May 4 testimony.

WASHINGTON - Any remaining support among Iraqis for fugitive Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is fading as his network's attacks continue to take aim at their country's security forces and civilians, the director of operations for the Joint Staff said at a Pentagon news conference today.

WASHINGTON - All five sides of the Pentagon reverberated with the patriotic sounds of country music as more than a thousand servicemembers and DoD civilians packed around the building's courtyard stage to hear a tribute concert to the troops today.

WASHINGTON - New 5-ton armored "gun trucks" fielded in Iraq are providing U.S. troops with effective protection against insurgents' improvised explosive devices and small-arms fire, a senior military researcher said today on Capitol Hill.

WASHINGTON - American and allied military strategists shared their unique ideas to confront a fictional threat set in the year 2015 during classroom exercises held May 1-6 at Carlisle Barracks, Pa., home of the Army War College.

WASHINGTON - A senior DoD official thanked winners of the 2004 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards at a Pentagon ceremony May 4 for their "dedication to a strong national defense" and "commitment to environmental excellence."

WASHINGTON - Task Force Liberty soldiers captured 22 insurgents suspected of launching an indirect fire attack on a coalition forces base near Bayji, Iraq, May 4.

WASHINGTON - "Geospatial" and "intelligence" are two words that help save a lot of lives on the battlefields and get the combatants back home to their loved ones safely. But the troops will never know when these two words come into play to protect them, because much of what the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency does is top secret.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military fighting the war on terrorism is far different from the military forces developed to confront the Soviet Union.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Army Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honore, commander of 1st U.S. Army, summoned observers and trainers from his command to Camp Shelby here for a two-day conference to discuss ways to better train soldiers to react, interdict and defeat IEDs on the battlefield.

SAN DIEGO - Fifty-four opinion leaders from around the country got a first-hand look at the latest in a long and distinguished line of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and received a personal tour of some of its unique capabilities here April 30.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Nine Florida employers signed "5-Star" statements of support for the Guard and Reserve here April 28.

WASHINGTON - Calling it "a critical victory in the war on terror," President Bush today praised the Pakistani government for capturing Abu Faraj al-Libbi, the No. 3 man in Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network.

WASHINGTON - Two Task Force Baghdad soldiers died when their vehicles were struck by roadside bombs in two separate incidents May 3.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld praised leaders of Central and South America in his address to the Council of the Americas here May 3.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - About 1,000 flag-waving people flocked to Finlay Park here May 3 to help Columbia become the second city in the nation to join the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan National Police officer was killed and five other ANP officers and six U.S. servicemembers were wounded May 3 in what military officials called "an unprovoked attack from approximately 25 insurgents" in Afghanistan's Zabul province.

CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan - Army Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry assumed command of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan as a steady rain fell here May 3. He succeeds Army Lt. Gen. David W. Barno, who will be the Army's assistant chief of staff for installation management.

NEW YORK - Servicemembers need hope, love and support, the wife of America's top military officer said here today. Mary Jo Myers, wife of Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, was the featured speaker at a ceremony officially opening the History Channel Mail Call exhibit at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum here.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military can accomplish all the tasks laid out for it in the National Military Strategy, according to the yearly risk assessment completed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers submitted his yearly risk assessment to Congress May 2.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials are working to thwart insurance and investment marketing practices that exploit military personnel.

WASHINGTON - Kathleen Lewis of Glendale, Ariz., launched "Packages From Home" in March 2004 with the singular goal of sending as many helpful items as possible to troops stationed overseas.

SAN DIEGO - The U.S. Navy made a good first impression on a group of civilian visitors during a recent tour of Naval Air Station North Island here.

WASHINGTON - A 1st Corps Support Command soldier was killed and another was injured May 2 when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during a patrol south of Baghdad International Airport, military officials in Baghdad reported today.

WASHINGTON - The 2005 Base Realignmnent and Closure Commission began its work here today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Afghanistan detained two men carrying what appeared to be a mortar tube on May 2, shortly after five mortar rounds hit near Forward Operating Base Salerno, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan announced today.

WASHINGTON - Few people dispute that the U.S. military has too much infrastructure to face the threats and opportunities of the 21st century. The question is: What's the best way to close or realign installations to match challenges of the new world?

WASHINGTON - Although the United States has achieved many victories against global terrorists since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the homeland remains in harm's way, Vice President Dick Cheney told federal law enforcement officials May 2.

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials stressed today that North Korea should end its isolation and come back to the Six Party Talks as soon as possible.

WASHINGTON - Along with the rest of the military, the U.S. Strategic Command has been transforming. The transformation has incorporated old missions, added new ones and worked to make the command more flexible and agile for the 21st century.

WASHINGTON - Shopping at military commissaries is a prime perk for servicemembers and their families, a senior noncommissioned officer said today at an Defense Commissary Agency-sponsored exhibit at the Pentagon.

FORT BLISS, Texas - The Joint Civilian Orientation Conference's introduction to Fort Bliss on April 29 was highly symbolic of the nature and mission of the installation they were about to visit - and one the conference participants will never forget.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Evelyn Langford is the first American Samoan woman to reach the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army, and she has the high expectations, and support, of an entire island.

WASHINGTON - Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency researcher John S. Bay predicts that fully automated unmanned aerial vehicles will be commonplace in the not-so-distant future as human war fighters rely more and more on flying "R2-D2s."

WASHINGTON - Afghan National Police captured six insurgents today while on a joint patrol with members of the U.S. Army's 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, outside a small village north of Kandahar.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Task Force Liberty soldiers in Iraq detained five suspected terrorists and confiscated a weapons cache during two separate actions May 1.

WASHINGTON - Rubar S. Sandi, an Iraqi businessman, wants the American public to know U.S. troops killed in Iraq have not died in vain.

WASHINGTON - Army investigators have recommended that no disciplinary action be taken against U.S. soldiers in the March 4 killing of Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced April 30.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Baghdad soldiers this morning rescued a man apparently blackmailed into a suicide-bombing mission by terrorist master Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.