ARLINGTON, Va. - Fifteen employers have been chosen to receive the 2011 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award in recognition of the support they provide to their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Forces Iraq has changed some of its goals to reflect both the progress of the Iraqi forces and threats in the area, an Army official said.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces repelled an attack on the provincial reconstruction team headquarters in the Herat district of Afghanistan’s Herat province.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army will be challenged to provide stimulating, interesting training to its combat-tested soldiers after current overseas military operations end, said a senior military officer posted in Afghanistan.

ARLINGTON, Va. - A father and son serving in Arkansas and Mississippi Air National Guards respectively had the opportunity to work together during a critical care air transport team mission.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will participate in the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where officials expect he will outline continued U.S. commitment to the Asia-Pacific region.

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va. - President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today paid tribute to the nation's fallen service members at Arlington National Cemetery.

WASHINGTON - Navy Adm. James A. “Sandy” Winnefeld Jr., President Barack Obama’s pick to be the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will bring a combination of battlefield and headquarters expertise, if confirmed by the Senate.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama announced he will nominate Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Navy Adm. James A Winnefeld Jr. as vice chairman during a Memorial Day Rose Garden ceremony.

WASHINGTON - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said he came away from his recent meeting with Pakistani leaders convinced of their commitment to work with the United States on security, intelligence and development.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama announced he will nominate Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Navy Adm. James A Winnefeld as vice chairman during a Memorial Day Rose Garden ceremony.

WASHINGTON - The man President Barack Obama has chosen to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has 37 years of experience and a reputation as a creative thinker.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praised military families and veterans at the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle ride.

VALDOSTA, Ga. - Retired Air Force Col. Clarence Parker, who has more than 70 years of experience as a pilot flying in World War II, the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, has taken his last flight at age 90.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Thomas Yuhaniak moved a step closer to his dream of becoming a pilot as he joined 1,005 other Naval Academy graduates who received commissions in the Navy and Marine Corps.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen have met with Pakistani leaders in an effort to shore up relations between the United States and Pakistan.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates delivered his last commencement speech as defense secretary, calling on graduates at the U.S. Naval Academy to become the best leaders possible.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urged U.S. Naval Academy Class graduates to demonstrate perseverance and determination as he contrasted the failed 1980 Iranian hostage rescue with the mission that killed Osama bin Laden.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani terrorist network leader and several of his associates in Paktia province.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Joint Forces Command’s Empire Challenge 2011 is showcasing emerging technologies to improve intelligence collection and analysis while testing better ways to get it out to warfighters who need it.

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. - During the most devastating moment of her life, Air Force Staff Sgt. Deondra Parks acted rationally as her training kicked in to help her survive a shooting.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has formally nominated his new top security leaders: CIA Director Leon E. Panetta to be the nation’s next secretary of defense and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus to succeed Panetta at the CIA.

WASHINGTON - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reflects on the importance of remembrance, not just on Memorial Day but year round.

WASHINGTON - More than 3,400 National Guardsmen are at work in seven states to help communities begin to clean up and rebuild after deadly tornadoes and floods.

PIEDMONT, Okla. - Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team were called upon to assist with a search-and-rescue operation involving a 3-year-old boy.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan and coalition force killed Qari Musa, a senior Taliban leader, during a precision airstrike in the Talah wa Barfak district of Baghlan province.

WASHINGTON - The reset in U.S.-Russian relations is paying off with progress on the security and economic fronts, President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said during a joint news conference in Deauville, France.

WASHINGTON - In his annual Memorial Day message, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff called on all Americans to take time to mourn the fallen and celebrate their courage.

WASHINGTON - As part of an ongoing effort to better serve the military, the American Red Cross will move to a single telephone number for its emergency services.

COMBAT OUTPOST MUNOZ, Afghanistan - Army Staff Sgt. William Billett rejoined the Army after a 14-year break in service and notes changes to the service since he first joined 26 years ago.

WASHINGTON - A reduced military presence in the Middle East, economic limits, and an increased need for partnerships lie ahead for the U.S. military, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said.

WASHINGTON - The United States and the United Kingdom are drawn together not just by language and shared sacrifice, but also by shared values that are an example to the world, President Barack Obama said in London.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military has existed without a draft due to the willingness of young Americans to serve, even during war, and has thrived by the caliber of their talent, Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley told U.S. Air Force Academy graduates.

WASHINGTON - In his final Memorial Day message as his June 30 retirement nears, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called on service members to reflect on their comrades who have died in service to the nation.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - U.S. Northern Command officials activated their defense coordinating officer and element for FEMA Region 7 in response to the severe storms in the Midwest.

WASHINGTON - The relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is the lynchpin for security for both nations, President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron said in London.

WASHINGTON - With Memorial Day nearly at hand, Deborah Mullen, wife of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, urges Americans to remember the sacrifices of fallen service members, and to steadfastly support their surviving family members.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban facilitator in Helmand province.

BABIL, Iraq - Suffering from a toothache in southern Iraq may land you in the chair of either of two brothers with an interesting story of adversity, perseverance, and the unique bond of identical twins.

WASHINGTON - At a gala to celebrate what would have been Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates quoted the 40th president on the importance of sustaining U.S. military power.

WASHINGTON - Curtailing defense spending must be part of the solution for the nation’s financial woes, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in his last major policy speech before his June 30 retirement.

WASHINGTON - As the nation tightens its financial belt -- with defense expected to bear the brunt -- modernization will be essential if the military is to maintain critical capabilities, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he is determined that the department not fall victim to "salami-slicing" budget cuts, but instead make strategic spending decisions.

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas - Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Van Adamson never imagined that he’d appear on Oprah Winfrey’s television show but got the chance to be on her second-to-last episode.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan - The U.S. Army's 801st Brigade Support Battalion provides food, fuel, ammunition and more for 101st Airborne Division soldiers deployed to Paktika province.

WASHINGTON - Forces confirmed the capture of the suspected senior Taliban leader for Helmand province and his predecessor in the province’s Babaji district.

WASHINGTON - Service members and their families can visit a wide array of museums free of charge from Memorial Day through Labor Day, courtesy of the second-annual Blue Star Museums program.

CARTHAGE, Mo. - About 140 Missouri National Guard troops are working under the orders of Gov. Jay Nixon to assist local authorities after a tornado ripped through the city of Joplin, Mo.

WASHINGTON - In line with an agreement between the department secretaries last fall and a recently released White House proposal, the Defense Department is sharing cybersecurity information, capabilities and expertise with the Homeland Security Department.

WASHINGTON - The number and quality of recruits to the Afghan national security force are growing, a senior official in the training effort said. The number has increased by 66 percent in the past 18 months with additional growth expected by the summer's end.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE TILLMAN, Afghanistan - U.S. soldiers assigned to Combat Outpost Munoz are living without some basic necessities as they work to make improvements to the base.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed two insurgents, including a Taliban leader, and detained another suspected insurgent in Wardak province.

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Shawn Cole joined the Corps to be a part of something bigger than himself. His second tour in Afghanistan gives him that satisfaction.

WASHINGTON - The ultimate guarantee against success of aggressors, dictators and terrorists in the 21st century is the size, strength and global reach of the United States military, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a commencement audience at the University of Notre Dame.

WASHINGTON - The nation’s military is built and sustained on the strength of families, First Lady Michelle Obama told the U.S. Military Academy’s Class of 2011 and their families.

WASHINGTON - Senior leaders representing 17 African national militaries came together with their American counterparts to better understand U.S. Africa Command and to help in developing the noncommissioned officers corps in their nations.

WEST POINT, N.Y. - The newly commissioned officers of the U.S. Military Academy’s Class of 2011 should strive to be soldiers as well as statesmen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the academy’s commencement.

WASHINGTON - The intelligence community is reaching out to wounded warriors, offering new employment opportunities through a unique internship program.

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command, said he expects the field artilleryman to lead the way in developing innovative solutions for the future joint force.

WASHINGTON - Commands throughout the Navy are celebrating Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and two Navy officers are prime examples of the Navy's diversity.

GAYAN DISTRICT, Afghanistan - A platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border, fended off an attack from enemy forces using rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and small arms fire.

WASHINGTON - First lady Michelle Obama and the wives of U.S. congressmen visited Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling to paint a mural for the more than 300 children who rely on the base's youth center.

WASHINGTON - Stemming the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, requires awareness, education and recognizing its symptoms, a senior military psychiatrist said during a media rountable.

GAYAN DISTRICT, Afghanistan - A company of U.S. soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team climbs mountains and hunts the enemy in Afghanistan, working to stem the flow of fighters into the country.

FORT RILEY, Kan. - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates returned to Fort Riley, Kan., to deliver on a promise he made last year to open a new elementary school there.

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. - With all but its most senior soldiers having known no Army except the one that has been deployed, the service faces numerous challenges in the future, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said.

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. - During a question-and-answer session, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates gave U.S. Army Engineer School students his view of the situations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. - Finding $400 billion in additional defense spending reductions over the next 12 years will require careful thought that considers the risks the reductions create, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

FORT BENNING, Ga. - Army Sgt. 1st Class Ray Castillo is flourishing as a senior noncommissioned officer, but that didn't seem possible two years ago after he was wounded on the battlefield in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Amid extraordinary changes in the Middle East and North Africa, the United States is responding in ways that advance the nation’s values and strengthen its security, President Barack Obama said at the State Department.

WASHINGTON - Now is time for insurgents in Afghanistan to lay their weapons down and rejoin their communities, a top NATO military official said, noting security gains have set the stage for a growing reintegration program.

WASHINGTON - Combined forces wrapped up a three-day operation in the Qiasar district of Faryab province, killing more than 60 insurgents.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his Chinese counterpart announced the completion of two days of talks that they agreed will move their militaries, and respective countries, closer together.

MIAMI - An Afghan detainee died of an apparent suicide early this morning at the U.S. detention facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to a Joint Task Force-Guantanamo news release.

WASHINGTON - U.S. financial assistance to Pakistan should continue, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in at briefing at the Pentagon here today.

WASHINGTON - The partnership to ensure seamless transitions for wounded warriors from military to Veterans Affairs medical care has made significant progress, but work remains to be done, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama addressed 228 graduating cadets and 1,500 military personnel and their families during a commencement speech at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has announced the framework for a comprehensive review of military spending designed to put national security needs ahead of arbitrary budget cuts.

WASHINGTON - Combined forces killed four armed insurgents, and detained two other suspects, during an operation in the Taloqan district of Takhar province.

WASHINGTON - There are no losers in the annual competition between Massachusetts Institutute of Technology students and U.S. Military Academy cadets to develop life-saving technologies for soldiers and Marines.

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. - Air Force Maj. Jaime Nordin knew as a child she wanted to fly fighter jets. Now she's balancing the life of an F-16 pilot with being a hands-on mom.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's new hiring reform initiative is revolutionizing what was a byzantine process of thick application packets into a system becoming the gold standard across government.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Thirty employers have been chosen as finalists for the 2011 Secretary of Defense Freedom Awards for their support of their employees who serve in the National Guard and reserves.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition force captured a Taliban roadside bomb facilitator in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province.

WASHINGTON - White House officials have launched a strategy that the administration says unifies U.S. engagement with international partners on a range of cyber issues for the first time.

KIRKUK, Iraq - After six straight days on the job, people usually use their day off to rest and recover. That's not the case with a group of airmen deployed to Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The nation has no intention of putting boots on the ground in Libya and should not become militarily involved in unrest shaking Syria, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in portions of an interview that aired on “The CBS Evening News.”

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff paid tribute to graduates of Virginia Military Institute, telling the Class of 2011 that a grateful nation is cheering them on for all they will accomplish.

WASHINGTON - Army Staff Sgt. James Hunter was killed by a roadside bomb last year in Afghanistan, but his life's work lives on at the Newseum where he was honored along with other journalists killed while reporting the news.

WASHINGTON - White House officials released an international cyberstrategy that will help to build a “coalition of nations [with a] mutual interest in securing cyberspace,” Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said at the launch event.

WASHINGTON - The May 1 raid that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was “a perfect fusion of intelligence collection, intelligence analysis and military operations,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on the CBS program “60 Minutes.”

LILONGWE, Malawi - Just days off their successfuly MEDREACH 11 exercise, the Army Reserve already is exploring ways to expand its participation in theater security cooperation engagements in Africa and elsewhere.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition force killed an insurgent in the Sayed Abad district of Wardak province while searching for a Taliban leader.

GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Brazil native Army Spc. Rafael Santos brought back a prized possession when he returned to the United States from Afghanistan: his American citizenship.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates took his message of public service to graduates of North Dakota State University and the University of Oklahoma, urging young people to “consider a life of service.”

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. - During one of his last stops to a military training facility as defense secretary, Robert M. Gates visited Parris Island, S.C., and watched day two of the Marine Corps Crucible, a 54-hour rite of passage during which recruits become Marines.

FORT MEADE, Md. - An Air Force master sergeant was among the top photographers, writers and videographers honored at the Defense Information School on Fort Meade, Md.

WASHINGTON - Combined forces apprehended several suspected insurgents in the Murghab district of Afghanistan’s Badghis province.

WASHINGTON - For insurgents in Afghanistan who align themselves with the government, the road to reintegration starts with the force reintegration cell for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq - Army Chief Warrant Officer Wayne Wade, a father, husband and pilot, is on his third tour to Iraq, this time with the Mississippi National Guard.

WASHINGTON - A DOD program combines infrastructure, actors, and three-dimensional immersive technologies that replicate war to help Marines and soldiers make better and faster decisions on the ground.

LILONGWE, Malawi - The U.S. Army Africa chief of staff closed the MEDREACH 11 medical humanitarian assistance exercise praising the participating troops who “accomplished every exercise objective and achieved far more than we asked of them.”

LILONGWE, Malawi - During Medreach 11, Malawian troops were anxious to tap into the wealth of experience the U.S. military has developed in providing combat medicine and trauma care.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C., - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates spoke with Marines and soldiers at two East Coast military bases, thanking them for their service and -- 48 days away from his June 30 retirement -- saying goodbye.

WASHINGTON - The therapies used for treating brain injuries lag behind the advanced medical science for treating mechanical injuries, such as missing limbs, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli told reporters.

WASHINGTON - Combined forces mistakenly shot and killed a young Afghan girl during a shootout with suspected Taliban forces in Nangarhar province.

NORTH SHORE, Hawaii - Army Staff Sgt. Marc Dibernardo runs marathons in a gas mask because he wants to honor the service of his fallen comrades and to support wounded warriors.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department must expand joint service, interagency and allied partnerships during tight fiscal times, and avoid the pitfalls of “doing more with less,” said Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command.

WASHINGTON - Afghan people and places are being replicated in cyberspace, giving U.S. warfighters a way to train for one of the most complex, deadly situations they will face on the ground - roadside bombs.

LILONGWE, Malawi - U.S. military and Malawi Defense Force members who teamed up to provide free medical, dental and eye care for residents in Malawi's capital have treated a total of more than 2,400 people since the outreach began May 1.

LILONGWE, Malawi - A team of U.S. Army ophthalmologists and other medical professionals deployed to Lilongwe, Malawi, say they obtain a lot of satisfaction in helping Malawian cataract-surgery patients get a new lease on sight.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is committed to the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and will uphold longstanding agreements between the United States and the nation, a defense spokesperson said.

NEW YORK - Competition, a global defense market and targeted research and development spending will be critical in preserving the nation’s defense industrial base during the slowdown in Pentagon spending, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said.

NEW YORK - Managing a slowdown in defense spending responsibly will take more than being more efficient, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said as the keynote speaker during a conference in New York.

WASHINGTON - The likelihood of survival for service members wounded in combat after medics arrive “remains at historic and unmatched levels,” Dr. Jonathan Woodson, the assistant defense secretary for health affairs, told members of Congress.

WASHINGTON - Combined forces captured several suspected insurgents during an operation conducted in the Kandahar City district of Kandahar province.

FORT BENNING, Ga. - Air Force Airman 1st Class Matthew Garner is one of his service's select members to have completed Army Ranger School training and to earn its coveted tab.

NEW ORLEANS - Soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard’s 769th Engineer Battalion are constructing sand-filled basket barriers in Morgan City, west of New Orleans, as protection against the rising Mississippi River.

LILONGWE, Malawi - A U.S. and Malawi Defense Force humanitarian medical exercise is enhancing the partners’ medical capabilities and their ability to work together in response to a future crisis or emergency.

WASHINGTON - The Navy is exploring the use of virtual worlds for applications in the air and under the sea, including the design of future command-and-control spaces for submarines.

WASHINGTON - Cooperation between U.S. and Pakistani troops on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been good and is getting better, said Army Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell, the commander of International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command East.

WASHINGTON - Despite their propaganda, the Taliban have not launched a spring offensive in eastern Afghanistan, said Army Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell, the commander of International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command East.

NEW YORK - America is obligated to assist veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in finding jobs and obtaining access to needed health care, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in New York City.

WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama showed off her dance moves for children of National Guardsmen and Reservists at a Let’s Move fitness and nutrition event for military families on the White House’s South Lawn.

WASHINGTON - Forces killed several Taliban fighters in a gun battle in the Qush Tepah district of Jowzjan province.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Army Spc. Turquoise Dawson makes it her business to help her fellow worshipers feel welcome during Baptist services at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - With the Army running short of training grounds, it's turning to digital solutions to ensure its soldiers continue to receive the best training available.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan - As 101st Airborne Division soldiers prepare to leave Afghanistan, Army Chaplain (Maj.) Randal Robison and fellow chaplains are trying to make their transition easier.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan - Leaders of Task Force Currahee are preparing members of the 101st Airborne Division for the challenges inherent in the pending redeployment from Afghanistan to the unit's home station at Fort Campbell, Ky.

NEW YORK - The scene at the White House was “tense” during the assault on the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, that killed Osama bin Laden, said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

WASHINGTON - Osama bin Laden's death and the unprecedented information obtained in the raid that killed the terrorist leader will help the United States deal a serious blow to al-Qaida, President Barack Obama said in a “60 Minutes” interview.

WASHINGTON - Combined forces disrupted a Taliban meeting, killing numerous enemy fighters and detaining several others in the Zabul province's Qalat district.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department seeks to save money, time, and ultimately, lives, through the use of the "virtual world" -- a computer-based, simulated environment that's available 24 hours a day.

WASHINGTON - Air Force pioneers are creating another flying legacy in Huffman Prairie - only this time it's online in a virtual world called “Second Life.”

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - A former noncommissioned officer and drill instructor was reminded of his days as an enlisted soldier when he met one of his former trainees in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates praised U.S. public servants and urged graduates to consider public service during a commencement ceremony at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash.

WASHINGTON - Five video clips released to reporters at the Pentagon show that Osama bin Laden was still an “active player” in al-Qaida operations, a senior intelligence official said.

NAVAL BASE MAYPORT, Fla - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates visited one of the Navy's new litoral combat ships, which he called "revolutionary," on Naval Base Mayport, Fla.

WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, paid an emotional tribute to military spouses and their children at the White House, May 6, 2011.

WASHINGTON - The skill and courage of countless American military and intelligence professionals is why Osama bin Laden can never threaten America again, President Barack Obama told a cheering group of 101st Airborne soldiers at Fort Campbell, Ky.

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. - The lesson Americans should take from recent military operations is that we cannot predict where or how U.S. forces will be engaged, and having flexible capabilities is the best defense for the nation, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told airmen in North Carolina.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - Four Guard and Reserve C-130 Hercules aircraft are heading home after flying 81 sorties to help fight Texas fires.

MOSUL, Iraq - Air Force Senior Airman Jon-Nicos Walker, a military pay technician serving in Iraq, has welcomed his unusual role of getting to travel around the country.

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. - The killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden “could be a game changer” that affects the situation in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told airmen while visiting Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.

WASHINGTON - Thirty-nine civilian public servants were honored for their distinguished careers with the Defense Department at the Spirit of Service recognition ceremony in the Pentagon’s courtyard.

WASHINGTON - Combined forces captured a Taliban leader and three of his associates during an operation in the Bati Kot district of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has declared today Military Spouse Appreciation Day, honoring military spouses for their support and committment to the nation's troops throughout the world.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - During the Vietnam War, it often took more than a month to get wounded U.S. troops to stateside hospitals. Today it’s down to as little as three days, the officer overseeing medical evacuations in Afghanistan said.

WASHINGTON - Four days after 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden was killed during a U.S. military raid in Pakistan, top U.S. leaders remembered those who died in the 9/11 attacks with ceremonies at ground zero in New York and at the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON - The Marine Corps has set up solar panels and uses solar blankets as sources of renewable energy at Forward Operating Base Jackson in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, as well as at several other Marine bases in southern Afghanistan.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Medal of Honor recipient Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta will light the torch to start this year’s Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 16.

WASHINGTON - Pakistan needs to strengthen its counterterrorism cooperation with the United States as one result of the May 1 raid that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, said Michele Flournoy, the undersecretary of defense for policy.

WASHINGTON - Combined forces completed a three-day operation to counter a recent spike in violence along the Pakistan border in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama praised cyclists gathered on the White House's South Lawn for riding in the annual Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride, saying their participation shows the difference even one person can make.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s proposal to reform the TRICARE health plan and the military health system would save at least $3.2 billion between 2012 and 2016, said Robert F. Hale, the Pentagon's chief financial officer.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE PAYNE, Afghanistan - Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jesse K. Knerr kept his wits as he directed his team to take cover and return fire when they helped repel and defeat an enemy ambush.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan - U.S. Army engineers are using their construction and management skills to provide living quarters, workspace and recreation and storage facilities for troops.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Medical personnel at a theater hospital in Afghanistan are applying lessons learned through the Joint Theater Trauma Registry to save service members' lives.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan - The medical staff of the Army Reserve's 946th Forward Surgical Team provide state-of-the-art medical care in their mission to ensure wounded warriors survive their battlefield injuries in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The Navy is leading the United States in the quest for alternative energy sources, said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, noting his service "is doing so primarily for one reason: it makes us better warfighters.”

WASHINGTON - Teams from five military installations around the world received top awards for excelling at their mission despite the demands of war and recent natural disasters.

WASHINGTON - Victory in Marja, more elections and educational programs for women are among many signs of progress Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills said he witnessed during his year-long tour of duty.

WASHINGTON - Combined forces killed numerous armed insurgents and wounded another in a gun battle in the Zurmat district of Paktia province.

WASHINGTON - A line of photos on a wall in a Veterans Affairs center in Charleston, S.C., serves as a milestone in former Air Force Staff Sgt. Stacy Pearsall's recovery from physical and emotional wounds of war.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq - Army Spc. Diana Ortiz relishes her job as a company-level supply specialist and uses off-duty time to study for a degree in business administration.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The "golden hour" medical treatment initiative implemented in Afghanistan by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates two years ago has saved many wounded warriors' lives.

WASHINGTON - The nation’s two most recent Medal of Honor recipients were added to the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes roster in what Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said is a tribute to their enduring valor.

WASHINGTON - Osama bin Laden was not armed, but did resist an American military team raiding his compound in Pakistan on May 1, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.

WASHINGTON - Last year’s surge of U.S. and coalition forces into Afghanistan, with the simultaneous growth of Afghan forces, is leading to tangible progress for peace and prosperity in Afghanistan, according to a biannual Defense Department report.

WASHINGTON - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, notes that May is Military Appreciation Month, a time when the nation recognizes, honors, and shows its support for service members and their families.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon Force Protection Agency is offering for purchase and issue a special badge that commemorates the 9/11 attacks for wear by Pentagon Police Department officers.

WASHINGTON - Combined forces killed several Taliban fighters and detained numerous other suspected insurgents in an operation in the Dahanah-ye Ghori district of Baghlan province.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq - Army Pfc. Kenneth Johnson personally thanked students and staff at the Kingman Academy in Kingman, Ariz., for their support of his unit in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Deborah Mullen, a Navy wife and mom and a military family advocate, writes about her admiration for military children as they shoulder difficult challenges, and stresses the importance of caring for servicemembers and their families as they continue to weather this decade of war.

WASHINGTON - Deborah Mullen, wife of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has launched a new blog that features military family-related topics, including resilience, veteran and spouse employment, and education.

WASHINGTON - Asked about their feelings on the killing of al-Qaida chieftain Osama bin Laden, relatives of fallen troops or those killed in the 9/11 attacks provided mixed replies ranging from relief to uncertainty.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany - Air National Guard critical health care teams assist active-duty medical technicians during the air transport of wounded or ill service members from Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - In the early morning hours of darkness, about 35 miles northeast of Islamabad, Pakistan, dozens of U.S. special operations members and CIA agents readied themselves aboard military helicopters for the operation of a lifetime.

WASHINGTON - A senior national security official provided insight into the decision process leading to the raid by U.S. special operations forces that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor posthumously to the families of two soldiers who served in the Korean War.

WASHINGTON - A combined force killed numerous armed fighters in a gun battle in the Doshi district of Afghanistan’s Baghlan province.

WASHINGTON - Osama bin Laden is dead, but al-Qaida still is dangerous and may avenge his death, CIA Director Leon E. Panetta, who has been nominated as the next defense secretary, said in a letter to the agency’s employees.

WASHINGTON - Deceased terrorist Osama bin Laden received a Muslim ceremony as he was buried at sea, said a senior defense official, noting bin Laden received a sea burial because no country would accept his remains.

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Corpsman Navy Seaman James Q. Beheler enjoys the cameraderie with his provincial reconstruction team co-workers in Kunar province, Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon Force Protection Agency officers keep watch day and night to safeguard military members and civilians who work at the Defense Department's headquarters.

WASHINGTON - The United States will not become complacent in the aftermath of killing Osama bin Laden, but will continue its efforts to stamp out terrorism with new resolve, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said.

SAN ANTONIO - Air Force Master Sgts. Gus and Danielle Hirvela enlisted Sesame Street’s Elmo to help their daughter understand why her daddy was going away on an overseas deployment.

WASHINGTON - The plan to attack the compound of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden was the result of relentless intelligence work and operational professionalism, White House officials said.

ORLANDO, Fla. - As the military works to shrink its operational energy footprint, experts in solar power, microgrids and “smart” generators have taken that technology to a crucial jury: the troops.

KAPISA PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Airmen from Bagram Airfield's 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron in Afghanistan performed a daring mountainside rescue after an Army helicopter crashed in a hostile valley.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan - For the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, operations in Paktika province hinge on the information they can gain about the enemy.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan - While leaders of a U.S. military task force in Afghanistan still are assessing the impact of Osama bin Laden's death, they say it will be a powerful counter to enemy propaganda.

WASHINGTON - “Justice has been done,” President Barack Obama said in announcing the death of Osama bin Laden in a U.S. military operation in Pakistan. The attack ends a manhunt of almost 10 years.

WASHINGTON - An intelligence-driven U.S. operation in Pakistan killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, President Barack Obama announced in a nationally televised address from the White House.