WASHINGTON - Banks and credit unions in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi have implemented contingency procedures in the wake of Hurricane Katrina that will mean a normal payday for those expecting Defense Finance and Accounting Service automatic deposits Sept. 1, DFAS officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - More than 11,000 Army and Air National Guard members and 7,200 active-duty troops, mostly Navy, are supporting hurricane relief operations along the Gulf Coast, and 10,000 more National Guard troops are expected to join the effort within the next 48 hours, Defense Department officials said today.

WASHINGTON - Changes to military commissions to try detainees from the war on terrorism will bring the proceedings closer to the traditional judge-and-jury system in the American courts, a senior official involved with the commissions said here today.

PEORIA, Ariz. - Peoria became the first city in Arizona to begin airing the Pentagon Channel live on a municipal local access channel in an Aug. 30 ceremony here.

WASHINGTON - Debate about policy decisions and his approval rating as president are not reflections on the value of the service military members are providing every day, President Bush said in San Diego, Calif., Aug. 30.

WASHINGTON - Military bases in the path of Hurricane Katrina and its resulting floodwaters were continuing to assess damage today while reaching out to affected servicemembers and their families to provide support.

WASHINGTON - Four U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq in the past several days, U.S. officials there reported today.

SAN DIEGO - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld visited Navy SEALs at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado here Aug. 30, presenting awards and receiving a briefing about current operations.

WASHINGTON - Joint Task Force Katrina is setting up today at Camp Shelby, Miss., as the Defense Department's focal point to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency's relief efforts along the Gulf Coast, Air Force Maj. Eric Butterbaugh, a U.S. Northern Command spokesman, confirmed today.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Anchorage Police Department has put into writing its verbal commitment to the Guardsmen and Reservists who protect and serve the community when they're not protecting and serving the country.

WASHINGTON - Officials at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport, Miss., announced plans today to evacuate 416 now-homeless veterans from the hurricane-decimated home and move them to its sister facility here.

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska - About 100 servicemembers from the Air Force and the Alaska Army National Guard deployed from here, headed for the Middle East, early this morning.

SAN DIEGO - The ideals that were fought for in World War II are still relevant today in the global war on terror and are being honored by the continued commitment of U.S. forces in Iraq, President Bush said here today.

WASHINGTON - Army advertising aimed at parents, teachers, coaches and other adults who influence young people's decisions regarding military service appears to be gaining momentum as part of the overall "Army of One" recruiting campaign, the director of the Army's strategic outreach effort said today.

WASHINGTON - Twenty-four hours after Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, an estimated 7,500 National Guard troops from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi were on duty today, supporting civil authorities, distributing generators, providing medical care, and setting up shelters for displaced residents.

WASHINGTON - A terrorist was killed when an improvised explosive device he was removing from his vehicle detonated Aug. 29 in Samarra, Iraq, military coalition officials in Iraq reported today.

WASHINGTON - A government-wide effort to declassify documents that no longer need protecting, including thousands of Defense Department materials, took a big step forward last week with the official opening of the Interagency Referral Center, in College Park, Md.

FORT IRWIN, Calif. - The draft constitution submitted to the Iraqi National Assembly will not be voted down by the public, even if some Sunni groups don't agree with the document, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said here Aug. 29.

FORT IRWIN, Calif. - The U.S. is not losing the war in Iraq, but is doing important work to encourage democracy and freedom in a country that has known nothing but vicious dictatorship for years, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said here Aug. 29.

ST. LOUIS - The Defense Department has been working with both governmental and nongovernmental organizations to promote environmental conservation, because military readiness and conservation are inextricably linked, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON - The National Guard's solid response to Hurricane Katrina demonstrates that the Guard is still fully capable of responding to stateside emergencies while supporting the war in terror overseas, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told the American Forces Press Service today.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission wrapped up four days of deliberations in final actions Aug. 26 and 27 by voting to turn Pope Air Force Base, N.C., into an Army airfield and recommending sweeping recommendations to revamp the Air National Guard and consolidate its operations.

WASHINGTON - The 3rd Iraqi Army Battalion working with U.S. troops from 1st Brigade Combat Team of Multinational Division Central South carried out a raid one kilometer south of Mashru, Iraq, Aug. 28.

WASHINGTON - Multinational forces from Task Force Freedom detained 17 suspected terrorists in Iraq on Aug. 28, U.S. military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Thousands of National Guard troops from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were on duty today as Hurricane Katrina hammered New Orleans, Gulfport, Miss., and other points on the Gulf Coast with 145-mph winds and torrential rains.

WASHINGTON - Brad Cotter, the 2004 winner of USA Network's singing contest "Nashville Star," will donate a portion of the proceeds from his new single, "An American Dream," to the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund.

WASHINGTON - The draft constitution signed in Iraq today marks another critical step forward along the pathway to a free, prosperous and democratic Iraq, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - A former Marine performing in Southwest Asia with television star Drew Carey and three other comedians this week has a message for the troops fighting in the global war on terror: "Most of America gets it."

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - An already strong sense of respect for military men and women has been made even stronger this week for a comedian performing with television star Drew Carey on a tour to entertain troops in Afghanistan and elsewhere in Southwest Asia.

WASHINGTON - The draft constitution signed in Iraq today provides a strong basis for further progress in Iraq and will adapt to remain relevant as the country changes, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - A detainee escaped from the Abu Ghraib theater internment facility in Baghdad, Iraq, early this morning, military officials in Baghdad reported.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi army soldiers and coalition forces planned a targeted raid in search of insurgents in Balad, Iraq, Aug. 27, according to a multinational forces report.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Coalition forces continued to help Iraqi citizens with humanitarian missions and to help train Iraqi security forces to bring stability to the country. Iraqi soldiers and police worked with local citizens to create a safer environment.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - As television star Drew Carey and four other comedians met and mingled with the servicemembers assigned here, signing autographs and posing for pictures, they'd ask now and then, "Are you coming to the show tonight?" Those who didn't say they were coming said they were going to try.

WASHINGTON - Coalition officials have released nearly 1,000 detainees from Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison over the past several days, officials in Baghdad, Iraq, announced.

WASHINGTON - One U.S. servicemember was killed and four were wounded when an improvised explosive device struck their up-armored Humvee near Khayr Kot district, in Paktika province, Afghanistan Aug. 26, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Americans will continue to support the Iraqis in their quest toward democracy, in hopes of creating a free, stabilized Middle East, President Bush said in his weekly radio address today.

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea - Even as negotiations continue over North Korea's nuclear posture, U.S. and South Korean officials keep close track of the country's conventional capabilities.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - The Byrne family of New York City has now sent two of its sons to the U.S. Central Command area of operations. One, Army Pfc. William Byrne, is back at Fort Drum, N.Y., after a tour of duty in Iraq. The other, Steve Byrne, has been entertaining U.S. troops in Afghanistan this week.

WASHINGTON - A federal judge handed down a decision today that the Defense Department has no authority to eliminate a Pennsylvania Air National Guard fighter wing without the state governor's okay.

WASHINGTON - Incoming Joint Chiefs Chairman Marine Gen. Peter Pace has selected an Army armor leader as the first senior enlisted adviser to the chairman.

WASHINGTON - Morale within the U.S. military is high, and servicemembers around the world have a clear understanding of their mission, the challenges they face and the importance of what they're contributing in the war on terror, the top military general told Pentagon reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission voted today to keep open Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., rejecting a Pentagon proposal to close the base and consolidate the Air Force's B-1B Lancer long-ranger bomber aircraft fleet at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.

SEOUL, South Korea - Military transformation on the Korean Peninsula is not just a U.S. program; the South Koreans are also very involved, the top military commander of combined forces here said this week.

NAWA, Afghanistan - It wasn't even noon yet and already Army Sgt. Christopher Turner had been hit in the face by concrete fragments, forced to deputize a chaplain to man his under-strength aid station, and resuscitated an officer who had stopped breathing.

WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers from Task Force Liberty and Iraqi army soldiers captured six terrorists during a joint raid in Barwannah, Iraq, military officials said today.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - Four women soldiers from this San Antonio base kicked off their combat boots and let their hair down earlier this month for a two-day high-style fashion and beauty makeover sponsored by Good Housekeeping magazine.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi Police Service graduated 282 police officers from advanced and specialty courses Aug. 25 at Iraq's Adnan Training Facility.

WASHINGTON - Despite continued efforts, insurgents have been unable impact preparations for elections in the north-central region of Iraq, and that region has a strong plan in place for security during elections scheduled in Iraq in October and December.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Though he's well aware that differences exist among the American people concerning the global war on terror, comedian Pedro Hernandez said he's here to carry the message that no matter what people think about the war, America supports its troops.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis have been making progress in the prevention and handling of sexual assault and violence, but there are key issues that need to be addressed, a defense task force report released today said.

WASHINGTON - Transforming the military to fight the war on terror is at the heart of the mission for the new vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - The mountains of northern Afghanistan echoed with laughter today, as television comedy star Drew Carey and four other comedians took their act on the road to three forward operating bases.

ALI AIR BASE, Iraq - When the Texas National Guard's 36th Infantry Division was reactivated for Operation Iraqi Freedom, standing within the units ranks were female soldiers. The war in Iraq has changed the way battles are fought, and women soldiers realize that the front line can be anywhere.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission began its second day of final deliberations today by approving the Defense Department's recommendation to close Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

WASHINGTON - Insurgents continued their attempts to derail the democratic process and discredit the Iraqi government this week, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq said during a briefing from Baghdad, Iraq, today.

WASHINGTON - After 10 days of circling the globe and seeing more than 10,000 servicemembers, the U.S. military's top officer says troops have not lost focus and have high morale despite the challenges they face.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Freedom soldiers killed several terrorists and detained four suspected terrorists in their Iraq areas of operation today and Aug. 24, officials reported today.

A BASE IN SOUTHWEST ASIA - A common refrain in stand-up comedy circles says that the hungriest and most fearless performers will go anywhere and work any room to get their levity-rich message to the masses.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - After spending most of the last 24 hours meeting airmen at an air base in Southwest Asia, a group of comedians led by television star Drew Carey arrived here early today to entertain the troops.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces will stay in Iraq until the fight is won and the Iraqis are ready to defend their own freedom, President Bush said today.

WASHINGTON - Two infantry battalions from the 82nd Airborne Division will deploy from Fort Bragg, N.C., to Iraq to support security efforts during the upcoming election period, defense officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Iraq met with several successes Aug. 23, capturing a known al Qaeda member, several suspected terrorists, and weapons, and destroying a terrorist hideout, according to U.S. military officials in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - The Base Realignment and Closure Commission generally supported the Defense Department's recommendations today as the panel began its final four days of deliberations. However, commission members voted down proposals to close a submarine base, a shipyard and an Army depot.

HONOLULU - Like the patriots of the Revolutionary War, Americans must realize that the "ideas and ... ideals in our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution are just words on paper unless men and women are willing to risk their lives to preserve them and to fight for them," the nation's highest ranking military leader said here Aug. 23.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The Tripartite Commission, comprised of senior military and diplomatic representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States, held its 12th meeting in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, today.

ANNISTON, Ala. - In 1995, the Army's Fort McClellan here was a bustling military installation that provided numerous civilian jobs and business for the surrounding community.

WASHINGTON - Delays in drafting an Iraqi constitution are to be expected and do not indicate a problem in the political process there, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said here today.

MAITLAND, Fla. - Not many people have heard of the sleepy town of Maitland. But the town has been in the news recently because 11 boys from here have advanced to the Little League World Series. Watching these boys from my town play, I was reminded of Little League legend Wilbert Davis.

ALI BASE, Iraq - Eight-year-old Baher looks like a happy, healthy boy on the outside. But the members of the combined Iraqi and U.S. Air Force C-130 aircrew who flew him on the first leg of his journey out of Iraq Aug. 22 know he isn't healthy -- at least for now.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi soldiers and coalition forces killed two insurgents who attacked them in the town of Hit, Iraq, Aug. 22, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq officials said.

WASHINGTON - A suicide bomber killed one Task Force Liberty soldier, one U.S. civilian, and five Iraqis in Baqubah, Iraq, at 12:50 p.m. today. Nine U.S. soldiers and several Iraqis were wounded.

FORT RICHARDSON, Alaska - A massive homeland defense exercise in Alaska wrapped up Aug. 19 after five days of simulated natural disasters and terrorist events, including earthquakes, aircraft crashes and anthrax attacks in 21 communities statewide.

WASHINGTON - Iraq's National Assembly accepted a draft constitution today and will take the next three days to review the document and hammer out remaining differences before voting on it, the assembly spokesman announced today.

WASHINGTON - The stars of World Wrestling Entertainment showed their support for the troops during an event at the MCI Center arena here Aug. 21.

WASHINGTON - U.S. servicemembers are fighting and sacrificing in Iraq because that country "is a central front in the war on terror," President Bush told Veterans of Foreign War members gathered in Salt Lake City today.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi government is working out a plan to establish a commission to bring justice to and restore the rights of tens of thousands of families in Iraq whose loved ones were killed under Saddam Hussein's regime.

WASHINGTON - Two 1st Corps Support Command soldiers were killed when their vehicle rolled over during a combat logistics patrol near Tal Afar, Iraq, about 11 p.m. Aug. 21, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The secretary of veterans affairs has urged employees of his department, veterans and their families to take part in the Sept. 11 "America Supports You Freedom Walk" that begins at the Pentagon, officials at that agency announced Aug. 19.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Afghan National Army forces and U.S. Marines killed more than 40 enemy combatants during an offensive operation over the last few weeks in the districts of Chawkay, Asadabad, Pech and Narang, in Afghanistan's Konar province.

RED DEVIL, Alaska - Air Force engineers brought a gift of light to this remote Alaskan village last week.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Defense World War II 60th Anniversary Commemoration Committee will host a commemorative event in Washington States this weekend recognizing World War II veterans, their families and those who served on the home front.

CAMP CASEY, South Korea - Soldiers and airmen laughed and roared on the wrong side of the "No Smile Line" as they watched USO shows in South Korea today.

WASHINGTON - Four U.S. soldiers were killed and three wounded today by an improvised explosive device south of Deh Chopan, Afghanistan, military officials in Kabul reported.

WASHINGTON - A 20th Engineer Brigade soldier was killed today in Dwar, Iraq, when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device, officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The rebuilding effort continues in Iraq, and coalition military officials here today provided a summary of the past week's progress.

WASHINGTON - With the four-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States three weeks away, President Bush used his weekly radio address to offer appreciation to current and former military veterans for their sacrifices in the war on terror.

WASHINGTON - A 42nd Military Police Brigade soldier died today after his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, military officials reported.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq - The coalition turnover of the security mission to Iraqi forces is proceeding apace in the area around Saddam's hometown, said the coalition commander in the area.

WASHINGTON - Army Sgt. Manuel Mendoza-Valencia, 24, of San Ramon, Calif., was presented with the first Sentinels of Freedom scholarship today in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes.

ZHUKOVSKY, Russia - The B-1B Lancer may have once been feared by the former Soviet Union during the Cold War because it could rapidly deliver massive quantities of weapons against any adversary in the world.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The Afghan and coalition effort to hold elections Sept. 18 is ongoing, and the process will extend until the National Assembly is seated in December or January, the head of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan said today.

WASHINGTON - Phil Randazzo is man on a mission: Support American servicemembers. And he's carrying out his Job No. 1 in a variety of ways.

WASHINGTON - A 65-year-old Iraqi detainee died Aug. 18 of an apparent heart attack following a house raid south of Iskandariyah, Iraq, the U.S. military reported today.

WASHINGTON - With elections on the horizon, Iraqi security forces in Iraq's northwest provinces are continuing to grow in ability and confidence, a senior commander in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military will not relent in its effort to track down terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere, Vice President Richard Cheney said Aug. 18.

WASHINGTON - No U.S. sailors or Marines were injured in an apparent rocket attack today that missed two U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea port of Aqaba, Jordan, officials reported.

LIMA, Peru - Peru has become a leader in confronting terrorism and narcoterrorism, but it's critical that the region's countries all work together to deal with the common threats they face, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said here Aug. 18 during a joint press conference with Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo.

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti - Call it the prototype for a new method of warfare. The Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, headquartered here, is fighting the global war on terror with good deeds, not weapons.

ZHUKOVSKY, Russia - As far as security forces troops are concerned, protecting aircraft in one location is like protecting aircraft in another. The scenery may change, but the procedures don't - unless, of course, the aircraft are in the former Soviet Union.

WASHINGTON - Progress in Iraq continues, and this includes the work extension granted earlier this week to draft the country's new constitution, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said today.

WASHINGTON - Four Task Force Liberty soldiers were killed about 11:15 a.m. today by an improvised explosive device in Samarra, one of the four Islamic holy cities in Iraq, which is located about 75 miles north of Baghdad, according to military officials in Tikrit.

WASHINGTON - The second annual "Tribute to the Troops" motorcycle ride is scheduled to roll through the American heartland over the Sept. 11 weekend.

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. - "After all the things he has been through, I'm sure he isn't worried about me screaming in his ear," Marine Staff Sgt. Nathan Nofziger, a drill instructor here, said about his West African recruit.

LIMA, Peru - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is slated to meet here today with Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo and his new defense minister to show support for Toledo's democratic initiatives and further bolster on what a senior defense official traveling with the secretary called the warmest defense relationship between the two countries in 40 years.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was encouraged following meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari and President Jalal Talibani here today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - No operational effects are expected from the delay in writing the Iraqi constitution, the commander of coalition forces in Iraq said today.

ASUNCION, Paraguay - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld wrapped up his whirlwind visit to this capital city today, meeting with Paraguayan Defense Minister Roberto Gonzalez Segovia, touring the Defense Ministry's military museum and paying homage to fallen Paraguayans at the Pantheon of Heroes.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials today recognized the "best of the best" among military installations.

WASHINGTON - Once used only for remote reconnaissance, unmanned aircraft technology has rapidly evolved in recent years. Such systems now feature strike capabilities and are being used for force-protection and signals-collection missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Nine Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for war wounds and other ailments joined Native Americans from across the continent to participate in a sacred celebration of American Indian culture and pride - the 2005 National Powwow at the MCI Center arena here on Aug. 12.

WASHINGTON - Two U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq in the last two days.

WASHINGTON - The Canadian military assumed responsibility for the provisional reconstruction team located in Kandahar, Afghanistan, during an Aug. 16 ceremony.

ZHUKOVSKY, Russia - About 100 U.S. military members and eight U.S. aircraft are playing an active part in the Moscow International Aviation and Space Salon through Aug. 21 at Ramenskoye Airfield here.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today dismissed rhetoric that the United States has lowered its expectations in Iraq.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Terrorists carried out multiple suicide car-bomb attacks here Aug. 17.

ASUNCION, Paraguay - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met here late Aug. 16 with Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte Frutos to reaffirm ties between Paraguay and the United States and to lay groundwork for a stronger cooperative relationship in the future.

WASHINGTON - The commander of coalition forces in Iraq today predicted success in what he called the "realistic" mission his troops are performing.

KUWAIT CITY - It was 118 degrees in the shade, and there was precious little of that as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a troupe of USO performers visited servicemembers here today.

ASUNCION, Paraguay - Despite a seven-day deadline extension for drafting a new Iraqi constitution, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told reporters traveling here with him today that he's confident the slight delay won't push back the Oct. 15 deadline for a national vote on the constitution.

WASHINGTON - The lung cancer death of broadcasting legend Peter Jennings, an admitted long-time smoker, has again brought smoking and its dangers to the forefront of public consciousness.

WASHINGTON - Officials working to create a draft Iraqi constitution believed "until the very end" that the draft would be finished on time, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, who has been working closely with the Iraqis, said today.

KUWAIT CITY - It's always hot and often grueling work. But it all comes down to supporting the servicemembers based "up north," said airmen assigned with the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing here.

WASHINGTON - Three Task Force Baghdad soldiers died when the vehicle in which they were riding overturned into a sinkhole Aug. 15 during combat operations in southern Baghdad, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - When the founders of "Angels of Mercy" heard that wounded, injured and sick servicemembers being treated in combat support hospitals in Iraq needed health and comfort items, they created "Angels in Iraq." They sprang into action and launched a nationwide American Legion campaign to let legionnaires and auxiliary members know how they could help America's heroes.

WASHINGTON - President Bush lauded "the heroic work" of the Iraqi constitutional committee after Iraqi officials announced Aug. 15 that the committee was granted a seven-day extension to agree on terms of a draft constitution.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and U.S. forces killed six enemy combatants after the militants fired at a forward operating base near the city of Deh Rahwod in southern Afghanistan on Aug. 14, U.S. officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - The Army's Criminal Investigation Command is investigating a possible homicide in the Aug. 15 death of a 20-year-old detainee at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, U.S. military officials in Baghdad said today.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Afghanistan's Baghran Valley, once home to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, will receive more than $2 million in U.S. reconstruction funds over the next six months.

WASHINGTON - While U.S. forces have been defending freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq, another mission to protect local populations from brutality and oppression has been winding down in the Balkans. That mission holds important lessons for operations currently under way in Iraq, U.S. forces in Kosovo say.

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Serbia and Montenegro - It's easy to spot the changes to Kosovo from the air -- all the U.N.-provided plastic tarpaulins that provided shelter in the years after the NATO intervention are gone.

WIESBADEN, Germany - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today kicked off a 10-day tour to meet with servicemembers and assess their morale.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi parliament voted today to extend the deadline for finalizing Iraq's new draft constitution by seven days, until Aug. 22, U.S. State Department officials confirmed.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Baghdad soldiers thwarted three car bomb attacks within five hours in southern Baghdad, Iraq, on Aug. 13.

WASHINGTON - An Iraqi police officer identified a suicide bomber in Mahawil, Iraq, Aug. 14 and attempted to kill him before the bomb could be detonated, according to a multinational forces report.

WASHINGTON - Soldiers from Task Force Baghdad avoided injury Aug. 13 after their Bradley fighting vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device near the Sadr City neighborhood in Baghdad, Iraq, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Sixty years ago today, Japanese Emperor Hirohito surrendered to the Allied forces, bringing an end to the War in the Pacific and World War II.

ZHUKOVSKY, Russia - U. S. Air Force maintainers chocked and secured six U.S. Air Force aircraft at Ramenskoye Airfield here Aug. 14, as they prepare to participate in the Moscow International Aviation and Space Salon.

WASHINGTON - Terrorist Abu Zubair, also known as Mohammed Salah Sultan, was killed Aug. 12 by Iraqi security forces in an ambush in the northern city of Mosul, officials said today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi leaders are confident about meeting the Aug. 15 deadline for completing a draft constitution, the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition experts continue to analyze samples found in the chemical production facility and storage site discovered in Mosul, Iraq, on Aug. 9, officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Three insurgents were killed and two Afghan National Police were injured during a firefight that occurred near the city of Deh Rahwod in southern Afghanistan's Uruzgan province on Aug. 12.

WASHINGTON - Five U.S. soldiers were killed and five were wounded by improvised-explosive-device blasts across Iraq today and yesterday, according to coalition reports.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi Army soldiers detained several suspected insurgents and seized weapons during operations on Aug. 13.

WASHINGTON - Rebecca Campbell started the Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund in 2003 to raise college tuition for the children of servicemembers killed in the war on terrorism.

WASHINGTON - As they complete a draft democratic constitution by the Aug. 15 deadline, Iraq's elected leaders are taking "a critical step on the path to Iraqi self-reliance," President Bush said today during his weekly radio address.

WASHINGTON - Acting on detainee-provided tips, coalition forces found what's believed to be an insurgent chemical production facility and chemical storage locations during Aug. 9 raids in northern Iraq, officials in Iraq reported today.

WASHINGTON - Two U.S. soldiers were injured as a result of a helicopter accident that occurred near Kirkuk, Iraq, on Aug. 12.

ANNISTON, Ala. - Anniston Army Depot had a hand in developing and producing Humvee armor survivability kits credited with saving lives in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

ANNISTON, Ala. - The Anniston Army Depot takes its role as part of the "The Pitcrew of the American War Fighter" very seriously in its efforts to help fight the global war on terrorism.

WASHINGTON - The Army's Rapid Equipping Force is revolutionizing the way the service gets new technology into the hands of warfighters, its director told Pentagon reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers swore in Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr. as the nation's seventh vice chairman during a ceremony here today.

WASHINGTON - An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper died as a result of wounds he received during an improvised explosive device attack near Ghazni, Afghanistan, Aug. 9.

WASHINGTON - As a result of a training partnership with U.S. logistics support groups, two Iraqi motorized transportation regiments are ready to operate independently, a U.S. commander said today.

WASHINGTON - An American soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device during a combat patrol near Tikrit, Iraq, today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi citizens tipped off U.S. soldiers patrolling the northwest part of Baghdad about the whereabouts of two roadside bombs Aug. 10.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The Afghan National Army's first military medical education center opened recently here with the help of the ANA Surgeon General's office and the Office of Security Cooperation Afghanistan.

ANNISTON, Ala. - The staff at Anniston Medical Clinic here misses Naval Reserve Petty Officer 3rd Class Shannon Woodard when she's deployed, but they don't complain.

STUTTGART, Germany - Eight U.S. military aircraft and 100 personnel will be present at, and participate in, the Moscow International Air Show 2005, Aug. 16-21, at Ramenskoye Airfield, Zhukovsky, Russia.

PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. - New technologies and teaching approaches are improving the quality of instruction here at the Defense Language Institute as the school supports the Defense Department's effort to boost foreign-language capability within the ranks.

MONTEREY, Calif. - Twenty years ago, when the Berlin Wall still divided Germany and the Cold War was still raging, the unofficial fighting words for most students at the Defense Language Institute here were: "We're learning Russian so you don't have to."

WASHINGTON - Defense Department logisticians are ensuring the U.S. military has an abundant supply of products developed from a commodity left behind by long-dead dinosaurs.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Taliban leader Qari Amadullah was killed during heavy fighting near the city of Wazikwa in eastern Afghanistan Aug. 9, U.S. forces confirmed today.

WASHINGTON - "As Iraqis stand up, we will stand down," President Bush told reporters following a meeting today with his national security team in Crawford, Texas.

WASHINGTON - The "America Supports You Freedom Walk" to be held Sept. 11 has an important message for all Americans, a senior official told a radio audience here Aug. 10.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has identified and provided remedies for environmental restoration issues associated with most of the installations on the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list, a senior DoD official told the BRAC commission today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqis are continuing progress toward meeting the two primary conditions for the reduction of coalition forces in Iraq, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said today.

WASHINGTON - More than 110 Iraqi battalions are involved in the fight against terrorists, officials in Baghdad said this week. The contributions of the units vary, but all are participating in operations.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi military units uncovered a weapons cache and roadside bombs, and detained several suspects Aug. 9 and 10, according to multinational force reports.

WASHINGTON - Several suspected terrorists were detained and numerous weapons caches were seized in military operations west of Balad Aug. 10, officials in Iraq reported today.

MONTEREY, Calif. - A one-of-a-kind curriculum offered here at the Naval Postgraduate School is helping shape future leaders for the challenges they will confront in the war on terror.

WASHINGTON - The ongoing Pentagon renovation project reached another milestone today with the reopening of the Executive Corridor of the Department of the Navy.

WASHINGTON - A fresh supply of recent high school graduates, more recruiters and more enticing enlistment incentives are being credited with the Army's second straight successful month of meeting its recruiting goals, according to the Defense Department's acting deputy undersecretary for military personnel policy.

WASHINGTON - Better training, more advanced equipment and aeromedical evacuation procedures that are constantly being improved are helping save thousands of lives of troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, Air Force medical officers told the American Forces Press Service during a Pentagon interview.

WASHINGTON - Six enemy combatants were killed and three U.S. servicemembers and an Afghan interpreter were wounded in eastern Afghanistan Aug. 9, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - An improvised explosive device blast killed four U.S. soldiers Aug. 9 near Bayji, Iraq, as their patrol was investigating reported explosions in the area.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi special operations forces, Iraqi army soldiers and U.S. Marines from Regimental Combat Team 2 concluded Operation Quick Strike today.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Servicemembers, their families and their health care providers have a new online Defense Department resource for deployment health issues.

WASHINGTON - A recent poll in Iraq shows Iraqis do not support the terrorists launching attacks in their country, Defense Department officials speaking on background said here today.

WASHINGTON - The new Iraqi constitution "will be a critical step in persuading the majority of Iraqis that the new Iraq is worth fighting for, that they have a stake in it," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Military and local officials signed a charter Aug. 1 that will ensure the citizens and children of Husseiniya, Iraq, have a brighter and healthier future.

WASHINGTON - A new Army National Guard program is helping attract young people with native language skills and cultural expertise into the military to support the global war on terror.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department today announced the first "America Supports You Freedom Walk" to honor the victims of 9/11 and America's military personnel, as well as to celebrate freedom.

ANNISTON, Ala. - Local angst over the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility here has eased somewhat as the burning of some 2,254 tons of chemical agent proceeds safely.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi police found one mortar launch tube and arrested one suspected terrorist during a raid in the New Baghdad District in Baghdad, Iraq, Aug. 8, according to a Multinational Force Iraq report.

WASHINGTON - A terrorist detonated a car bomb near a Task Force Baghdad convoy today, killing one U.S. soldier and wounding two others in central Baghdad, Iraq, U.S. officials announced.

WASHINGTON - At least 16 enemy forces and one U.S. servicemember were killed Aug. 8 during a firefight southwest of Deh Chopan, Afghanistan, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Through partnerships with most major U.S. carriers, the Fisher House Foundation is making it possible for Americans to donate unused airline miles to troops wounded in the war on terror and their families.

WASHINGTON - Multinational Corps Iraq operations continue to place pressure on terrorist operations in Iraq, with coalition and Iraqi security forces conducting more than 182 combined and independent offensive operations throughout the country since late July.

WASHINGTON - A former Taliban sub-commander of the Paktika province has renounced violence against the government of Afghanistan, further fragmenting the Taliban command structure in eastern Afghanistan, military officials said.

STUTTGART-VAIHINGEN, Germany - A U.S.-contracted commercial aircraft moved 49 Rwandan civilian police officers from Kigali, Rwanda, to El Fashir airfield in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan Aug. 7.

WASHINGTON - A suicide car bomber killed a U.S. Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), Aug. 6 near Amiriyah, Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Two Task Force Liberty soldiers were killed and three wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated near a vehicle patrol near Samarra, Iraq, at about 6:00 p.m. Aug. 6, officials said.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces stopped several terrorist attacks on Aug. 5 and 6 when they destroyed three improvised explosive devices in southern and eastern Afghanistan, U.S. military officials said today.

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - A Russian mini-sub and its seven crewmembers that had been trapped on the ocean floor were successfully brought to the surface by an international rescue team sent to free them, officials at U.S. Pacific Fleet announced today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and coalition forces successfully defeated a coordinated terrorist attack Aug. 5 at an Iraqi army post south of Baghdad, officials said. Six of the terrorists were killed. Twelve were captured.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Iraq captured seven terror suspects, seized a car bomb being prepared for an attack, and foiled five roadside-bomb attacks during a series of combat operations conducted in Baghdad over the past two days.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces, backed by U.S. troops, have seized the offensive in a series of ongoing counterterrorism operations in Iraq, according to U.S. military officials.

RHEIN-MAIN AIR BASE, Germany - One of the most touching symbols of Rhein-Main's history will soon find a new home at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The base chapel's stained-glass memorial window, commemorating the U.S. servicemembers who lost their lives during the Berlin Airlift, was removed from here Aug. 2.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari announced a security plan building on the progress his country has already made.

WASHINGTON - In honor of National Immunization Awareness Month, Tricare Management Activity is seeking to recognize an individual or team that has encouraged people in the community to catch up on vaccinations.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - An Army program on the World Wide Web to support and improve how information is passed to families when soldiers are deployed will make its debut Oct. 1.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The first round of "Military Idol" competition began this week on U.S. Army installations around the world.

WASHINGTON - About 1,000 Iraqi security force soldiers and U.S. Marines from Regimental Combat Team 2 moved into the city of Haqliniyah, Iraq, and the surrounding area today as part of Operation Quick Strike.

WASHINGTON - Members of the deposed Taliban, who had hosted and supported Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network in Afghanistan, are seeking to harass and stop coalition reconstruction efforts across the country, a senior U.S. military operations officer there reported Aug. 4.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Navy will send two remotely operated submersible vehicles to assist in rescue efforts for sailors aboard a Russian submarine reportedly caught in a fish net off the eastern Russian coast, a senior U.S. Navy officer said.

FORT MYER, Va. - On a day when the United States Navy is cooperating with its Russian counterpart to rescue men aboard a Russian submarine, American and Russian military leaders today discussed the way forward.

WASHINGTON - Kristen Maddox, a 21-year-old college student from Santa Ana, Calif., launched the nonprofit organization "Helping Our Troops" to ship care packages that contain items based solely on troop requests.

WASHINGTON - The British Royal Marine in charge of coalition operations in southeastern Iraq is optimistic about ongoing efforts there to train Iraqi army and police forces to eventually assume security duties.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Two U.S. servicemembers drowned after their Humvee slid into the Kunar River northeast of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Aug. 4, military officials announced today.

LOS ANGELES - Each week the cast of "CSI: NY" uses scientific skill to solve mysteries. But the reason Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld visited the show's set in Studio City here Aug. 4 was no mystery: actor Gary Sinise is a solid supporter of U.S. servicemembers, and Rumsfeld's a big fan of Sinise and his efforts.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Navy is sending a remotely operated submersible vehicle to assist in rescue efforts for a Russian submarine reportedly caught in a fish net off the eastern Russian coast, according to a statement released by the U.S. Pacific Fleet today.

LOS ANGELES - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld expressed personal words of appreciation to local grassroots supporters of U.S. servicemembers and the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program here Aug. 4.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces are being trained and equipped, and most are helping with defense of their nation, a senior defense official said here Aug. 4.

LOS ANGELES - Acquiescing to terrorists' demands by retreating from Afghanistan or Iraq wouldn't put an end to future terror attacks and would actually embolden terrorists to continue and even build on existing violence, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON - David Mortlock, 28, learned while volunteering at a homeless shelter in Alexandria, Va., that a lack of access to transportation is a barrier to self-sufficiency.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today dismissed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri's threats of more violence targeted toward the United States and Great Britain during a news conference at the president's Crawford, Texas, ranch.

WASHINGTON - The numbers of attacks on U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan "have not significantly increased from this time last year," a senior U.S. military operations officer in Afghanistan reported today.

WASHINGTON - Three Task Force Baghdad soldiers died Aug. 3 when their vehicle was attacked by a car bomb in southwest Baghdad, Iraq, military officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi Police Service graduated 142 police officers from advanced and specialty courses at the Adnan Training Facility today, according to officials with the Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Increased U.S. and coalition operations throughout the Euphrates River Valley have forced insurgents to switch tactics in an attempt to cause damage, a coalition spokesman in Baghdad, Iraq, said today.

WASHINGTON - The United States and the Afghan government have agreed to eventually transfer Afghan citizens now in U.S.-coalition custody to Afghan control, a senior DoD spokesman said here today.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A U.S. servicemember was killed today and another injured when the Humvee they were traveling in was struck by what is believed to be an improvised explosive device near Orgun-E, in Afghanistan's Paktika province.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Marine assigned to 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), was killed in action Aug. 3 by small-arms fire during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq, about 60 miles west of Baghdad, U.S. military officials at Camp Fallujah reported today.

SAN FRANCISCO - The homeland defense mission is nothing new to the Coast Guard. Although it may be more visible to many since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, it's been a major Coast Guard mission since the federal government established the Coast Guard 215 years ago today as the country's first maritime service.

WASHINGTON - Uzbekistan's decision to close the U.S. and coalition air base at Karshi-Khanabad did not come as a surprise to American policy makers, Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, said Aug. 2.

WASHINGTON - Marine Corps officials in Iraq issued an emotionally worded statement today as they investigate whether a body in a video and photographs circulating in the region are of a Marine killed in action this week.

WASHINGTON - Establishing a democracy in the heart of the Middle East "will deal a serious blow" to terrorists' hateful ideology, President Bush said today.

WASHINGTON - "A very lethal and, unfortunately, adaptive enemy" is responsible for the deaths of 21 U.S. Marines in Iraq over the past three days, a senior military officer said here today.

WASHINGTON - Hard-charging servicemembers who are promoted ahead of their peers may one day also be rewarded with performance pay, the chief of a defense panel studying military compensation issues said here today.

WASHINGTON - A high-level commission established in Baghdad, Iraq, is "a useful exercise" in helping Iraqis develop effective ministries, a senior Defense Department official said here today.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces discovered four weapons caches during combat operations this week, one of which was found southwest of Orgun-E in Paktika province after a brief firefight with enemy combatants Aug. 1, military officials in Kabul reported today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Iraq arrested 10 suspected terrorist during a raid in western Ramadi today after Iraqi citizens pointed out a safehouse where the suspects were hiding and storing weapons.

DALLAS - Air Force personnel worldwide have been filling nontraditional roles to contribute to the fight against a multifaceted, adaptive insurgency, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said here Aug. 2.

DALLAS - The only way to defeat the multifaceted, adaptive insurgency in the Middle East is to go on the offensive, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here Aug. 2.

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq - Fourteen Marines and a civilian interpreter assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), were killed in action early this morning when their amphibious assault vehicle was attacked by an improvised explosive device, military officials here reported.

WASHINGTON - Pointing out that Iraqi security forces are developing at the same time that the Iraqi people are building democracy and self-government for the first time in their history, and doing so in the midst of an insurgency, a coalition official updated reporters on the progress of that training July 28 in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - The chief of the coalition command charged with training Iraqi security forces said "enormous progress" has been made in the effort.

WASHINGTON - Seven U.S. Marines were killed in Iraq Aug. 1, U.S. officials there announced today.

WASHINGTON - The next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff turned over the reins of U.S. Joint Forces Command during an Aug. 1 ceremony aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt in Norfolk, Va.

WASHINGTON - Uzbekistan has exercised its rights under an October 2001 bilateral agreement to end coalition use of Karshi-Khanabad - "K2" - airfield.

WASHINGTON - Excellence deserves to be recognized, and an Alabama National Guardsman made sure it was when he nominated his employer for support above and beyond what the law requires. Army Spc. John Winkler nominated the Huntsville (Ala.) Sears, Roebuck & Co. store where he works as a customer service adviser in the automotive department for the support they have shown him when he drills or is deployed.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld likes to take his office with him and stay connected to events on the ground when he flies overseas to visit with troops and confer with U.S. and allied military and civilian officials.

WASHINGTON - President Bush praised Boy Scout values of patriotism, integrity and citizenship July 31 at the organization's 16th National Jamboree held at Fort A.P. Hill, Va.

WASHINGTON - Almost 900 of the nearly 2,000 detainees held in brigade- and division-level internment facilities in Iraq were released in July, U.S. military officials in Baghdad reported.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and coalition soldiers conducted targeted searches for terrorist operatives in Fallujah, Iraq, July 30, military officials reported.