CAMP VICTORY, Iraq - Servicemembers often get the chance to speak with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the current United Service Organizations holiday show touring military bases.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier died in Iraq, and officials identified a soldier who died earlier this week.

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq - This was a very successful year for the coalition and Iraqis, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during an interview here today, as he ends 2005 visiting troops.

WASHINGTON - Defense officials recently honored Citizens Financial Group, based in Rhode Island, for strong support of employees who are also members of the National Guard and Reserves.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and U.S. soldiers captured 23 suspected terrorists who were the targets of three raids Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 in northern Iraq. Elsewhere, Iraqi and U.S. forces captured weapons caches and rescued the kidnapped brother of a politician.

SOUTHWEST ASIA - A deployed Air Force C-130 crew flew one part of a life-saving trip that recently took an Iraqi child born with spina bifida to the United States.

WASHINGTON - Coalition aircraft flew 54 close-air-support missions Dec. 30 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities, and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist activities.

WASHINGTON - This has been a year of strong progress toward a freer, more peaceful world and a more prosperous America, President George W. Bush said in his weekly radio address today.

WASHINGTON - A family reading program and a retail giant have joined forces to help deployed military parents stay connected with their children.

WASHINGTON - Burgeoning reconstruction activity is now evident in and around Baghdad while terrorist attacks in the Iraqi capital city have weakened since the Dec. 15 elections, a senior U.S. military officer in Baghdad told reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces today transferred command of northwest Iraq, and U.S. troops killed two terrorists Dec. 28, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Two U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq, and Defense Department officials announced the identity of a soldier killed in earlier action.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and coalition aircrews flew combat and support missions yesterday in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward officials in Southwest Asia reported today.

WASHINGTON - USAA already is known for providing banking and insurance services to the military community, but it's also a strong supporter of its employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

HABBANIYAH, Iraq - In Habbaniyah, a volatile city where rockets and mortars destroy buildings and lives all too suddenly and frequently, the Iraq Construction Apprentice Program is facilitating Iraqi rebuilding efforts, one brick and one life at a time.

WASHINGTON - While National Guard helicopter crews remain on standby today to respond to wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma, their counterparts in Oregon are preparing to move in, if asked, to provide flood relief.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi security forces' capability has increased while insurgent capability has diminished over the past year, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said at a news briefing in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi soldiers captured six suspected terrorists and seized weapons in raids over the last two days, Multinational Security Transition Command officials reported.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier was killed in Baghdad today, and Defense Department officials have announced the identities of five soldiers killed in action earlier.

WASHINGTON - The top-ranking U.S. military officer visited U.S. and coalition troops at an air base in Qatar yesterday to thank them for their contributions to the war on terror, treat them to a USO show and re-enlist three members.

WASHINGTON - Acting Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England has relinquished his post as secretary of the Navy, Defense Department officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and coalition aircrews flew combat and support missions Dec. 28 in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward officials in Southwest Asia reported today.

MOSUL, Iraq - Workers have completed the water network in Tal Afar, Iraq, an $85,000 project that improved the water supply of 115 homes, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials reported.

BALAD, Iraq - You can call it "Army water" or "No-name water," but whatever you call it, servicemembers here will stay hydrated while keeping soldiers and civilian truckers safer.

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - An 82nd Airborne Division unit has again proven the division's unofficial motto of "America's 911 Force" during its deployment to Iraq's Anbar province.

WASHINGTON - The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes has made the holidays brighter for 1,000 global war on terrorism veterans.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi people won't have an easy time setting up a new national government, but they are resolved to surmount all difficulties, a senior Defense Department official said here today.

WASHINGTON - Servicemembers, military retirees and annuitants and federal civilian employees paid by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service can expect to receive their 2005 tax statements by mail soon, a DFAS official told the American Forces Press Service.

WASHINGTON - A new Defense Department organization is dedicated to address the needs of servicemembers who have been sexually assaulted, a senior official said here Dec. 22.

WASHINGTON - National Guard helicopter crews are on standby if needed to assist local and county firefighters in Oklahoma and Texas, preparing to help douse dozens of wildfires burning throughout the region, Guard officials in both states told the American Forces Press Service today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and coalition aircrews flew combat and support missions Dec. 27 in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Band of Brothers soldiers disrupted two terrorist bombing operations yesterday in Baqubah, a city about 20 miles north of Baghdad, killing two terrorists and detaining another at a new checkpoint, U.S. military officials in Baghdad reported.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and Iraqi forces thwarted a prison escape today and destroyed five weapons caches and seized money and passports yesterday, U.S. military officials in Baghdad reported.

WASHINGTON - Free and fair elections in Iraq and Afghanistan represent the U.S. military's most significant accomplishment in 2005, the top U.S. enlisted servicemember said.

WASHINGTON - Many Guard and Reserve members say they see fewer instances of sexual harassment within their ranks, according to a recently released Defense Department-commissioned survey.

WASHINGTON - The Army Reserve is instituting five-year readiness cycles to ensure a steady supply of deployment-ready forces while bringing more predictability to reservists, their families and their civilian employers, a top Army Reserve general said.

WASHINGTON - The climate at the U.S. military service academies regarding gender harassment and sexual assault has improved, a report commissioned by the Defense Department has found.

WASHINGTON - Deployed troops are getting a helping hand ringing in the New Year without breaking the bank. Employees of the Defense Department's Contracting Center of Excellence office have been collecting donations for the "Cell Phones for Soldiers" program.

WASHINGTON - Two American pilots were killed Dec. 26 in a helicopter accident in western Baghdad, while another American servicemember died from wounds resulting from enemy fire during an operation in Khalidiyah, Iraq, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed today when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his vehicle while on patrol in Baghdad, military officials reported.

BAGHDAD - It was 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and it was raining at an air base in Kuwait. The "moon dust" that overlays everything in the country was now a gooey mire that stuck to everything. Contrary to popular belief, it does get cold in the Middle East, and it was wet and cold.

FORWARD LOGISTICS AREA ANACONDA, Iraq - It doesn't matter how many troops you have or how well trained they are if you can't sustain them. Coalition logisticians are working with the nascent Iraqi army to build a logistics capability for the force.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi police, firefighters and Task Force Baghdad soldiers responded to a series of car bomb attacks in central and eastern Baghdad today, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Servicemembers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are re-enlisting in high numbers, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today said he thinks he knows why.

WASHINGTON - Maintaining a proper balance of coalition and Iraqi forces is the key to success in returning U.S. forces home at the right time, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today expressed pride in the nation's servicemembers and their families in his weekly radio address.

MOSUL, Iraq - Withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq now would mean victory for terror and lead to attacks on American interests abroad and at home, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told soldiers here today.

WASHINGTON - At Camp Fallujah, Iraq, today, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld passed a box to the camp's sergeant major. The sergeant major then distributed the contents - handfuls of pre-paid calling cards -- to Marines serving there.

BAGHDAD - Two U.S. brigades will not deploy to Iraq as originally planned, the commander of coalition forces in Iraq said here today.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed Dec. 22 by roadside bomb while on patrol in Baghdad, and 10 Iraqis, including a policeman, were killed and four others were wounded in a suicide bombing today in Balad Ruz, military officials announced.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. ambassador to Iraq and the commander of coalition forces there issued a joint statement in the wake of today's announcement of a reduction in U.S. forces in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi army troops discovered several weapons caches and took suspected terrorists into custody Dec. 22 as they continue to take on more responsibility for their nation's security, military officials reported today.

AMMAN, Jordan - "Bark Allah finkom," Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told a class of Iraqi special police during a break in training at a special operations academy near here. "God be with you," the general said.

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq - The United States has not discussed basing American troops in Iraq, and would do so only following negotiations with the new Iraqi government, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq - The United States will have two fewer brigades in Iraq in 2006, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON - Two Task Force Baghdad soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Baghdad today, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The servicemembers recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here will receive a unique gift this holiday season: a larger-than-life chess set adorned with signatures and messages of support.

WASHINGTON - As Iraqi security forces grow and develop increased combat capabilities, U.S. forces will shift from a focus on combat operations to a focus on supporting the Iraqis as they take the lead in operations, two Defense Department officials said at a Pentagon news briefing today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces are growing in quality as well as quantity, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters at a Baghdad news conference today.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld heralded 2005 as a year of extraordinary contributions by the U.S. military and looked toward the new year as an opportunity to continue building on those efforts and transforming the military into a 21st-century force.

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld hinted at an announcement on troops levels in Iraq during a flight here today.

WASHINGTON - Increased numbers of capable Iraqi security forces and more Sunni involvement in the electoral process were among the factors that deterred terrorist violence before and during the Dec. 15 voting, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters at a Baghdad news conference today.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - The North American Aerospace Defense Command is observing its 50th anniversary of tracking Santa Claus on his annual rounds, NORAD officials said here.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device today while on patrol in Baghdad, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - A professional decorating company aimed to make this holiday season a little brighter for military families by donating Christmas decorations to more than 30 families of deployed servicemembers.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld spent the morning today with troops from Combined Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan, awarding medals to aviators for valor in combat and answering servicemembers' questions during a town hall meeting.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to helping Afghanistan continue its road toward security and freedom during a joint news conference today with President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld both made separate surprise visits to U.S. forces in Pakistan to thank them for their ongoing disaster support in that earthquake-devastated area.

WASHINGTON - A South Carolina woman who has been sending cookies to servicemembers overseas since 1990 said she's been flooded with e-mails from people wanting to help since she appeared recently on "Martha," the TV show hosted by Martha Stewart.

WASHINGTON - President Bush traveled today to the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md., near here to thank an "incredible team of healers" whom he said bring comfort, aid and solace to those who have been hurt on the battlefield, as well as their families.

BAGHDAD - Mosul is a microcosm of Iraq. It's the second-largest city in the country, and contains all kinds of people who make up the ethnic stew that is this nation.

WASHINGTON - Those who question why it seems to be taking so long to build Iraq's security forces don't fully understand the magnitude of the challenge, a general who recently returned from training them explained during a recent interview with the Pentagon Channel and the American Forces Press Service.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed by a roadside bomb south of Baghdad Dec. 19, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush's national security adviser today dismissed critics who demand an immediate or early withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

WASHINGTON - A Dallas-based band has looked to the Civil War to honor today's servicemembers fighting in the global war on terrorism with a new arrangement of the 19th century hymn, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."

WASHINGTON - The staff of the 8th Iraqi Army Division was certified today in counterterrorism operations and tactics, which means the Iraqis can plan and conduct operations against enemy forces with limited support of coalition forces, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld sends his holiday greetings to the nation's men and women in uniform.

WASHINGTON - The number of American troops serving in Afghanistan, currently about 19,000, is slated to decline by about 2,500 next year, a senior U.S. military officer said here Dec. 19.

WASHINGTON - American servicemembers are doing a superb job in Iraq, and the only place the war can be lost is in the United States, where people don't have a clear understanding of what's happening on the ground and can lose patience, Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld said Dec. 19.

BAGHDAD - The U.S. ambassador to Iraq envisions "an Iraq that works" - a country on a path to increase democracy, and one that will respect the rights of all in the country.

BAGHDAD - 2006 will be the 'Year of the Police' in Iraq, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq said here today. At a news conference, Zalmay Khalilzhad charted Iraqi political progress over the past year, and talked about the road ahead for the country.

WASHINGTON - With Vice President Richard B. Cheney and his wife, Lynne, in front-row seats, Afghan President Hamid Karzai opened the first session of his country's new parliament today in Kabul, Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon civilian and military leaders continue work on developing the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review and the 2007 DoD budget, officials said.

WASHINGTON - When Seattle Seahawk's defensive end Bryce Fisher isn't staring down an opponent across the line of scrimmage, he's standing in defense of freedom.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Richard B. Cheney delivered personal messages of support and thanks to deployed U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan during visits to their operating areas Dec. 18 and today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush respectfully disagreed with Americans who fault his rationale for maintaining U.S. military forces in Iraq, during a White House news conference today.

KUT, Iraq - Multinational Division Central South bid farewell to troops from Ukraine, one of the unit's mainstay nationalities, during a ceremony today at Camp Delta here.

WASHINGTON - The World Wrestling Entertainment RAW TV show will feature a special "Tribute to the Troops" program tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern time on the USA Network.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Marine was killed by small-arms fire in Ramadi, Iraq, Dec. 18, military officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks showed that the United States could no longer ignore the threat of global terrorism and that America must go on the attack, President Bush said during a nationally televised address Dec. 18.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney made a surprise visit to Iraq today to hail the country's successful Dec. 15 parliamentary election in which more than 70 percent of Iraqis -- 11 million-plus voters -- participated. Meanwhile, the vice president's wife, an historian, took to the airwaves today to provide historical context for the elections.

WASHINGTON - The Armed Forces Foundation is planning a ground-breaking ceremony Dec. 19 to begin a remodeling effort that will make a disabled veteran's home in Hope Mills, N.C., handicapped-accessible.

WASHINGTON - As Iraq progresses militarily and democratically, citizens there are stepping forward to inform indigenous and coalition forces of terrorist operations and covert weapons caches, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today. Iraqi citizens sometimes even are apprehending suspected terrorists themselves, officials noted.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - A different kind of war produces different kind of stresses on the servicemembers fighting it, said the 2nd Brigade Combat Team chaplain here. But recognizing those stresses enables the soldiers of this 3rd Infantry Division unit to begin to deal with them, said Chaplain (Maj.) Peter Brzezinski.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - Deserted facilities at this base are testament to the evil of Saddam Hussein. Americans moved onto the grounds of what was his Directorate of Internal Security. At its center is a prison that could comfortably hold 500. At times, it had 3,000 people jammed into it.

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii - Responsibility, authority, accountability and assistance are the four things all servicemembers are looking for in their leaders, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here Dec. 16.

WASHINGTON - A Missouri-based nonprofit organization uses the power of teddy bears to comfort young military family members with one or both parents deployed in the war against global terrorism.

WASHINGTON - The new year is likely to include troop reductions in Iraq, but exactly how quickly those reductions will occur will be based on recommendations of U.S. commanders there in conjunction with wishes of the new Iraqi government, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. military officer in Iraq said today he knew Iraqi officials and security forces had matters well in hand in the days prior to the Dec. 15 election.

BAGHDAD - The day seemed downright festive: children marched in impromptu parades, men wore suits -- on their day off, no less -- and entire families took long walks from their homes to polling sites.

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii - The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command enlisted members, thanking and encouraging them to continue their work for the nation, during a visit here Dec. 14.

WASHINGTON - Just as election activities wrap up in Iraq, the people of Afghanistan are looking toward a historic event in their own country, as its National Assembly convenes Dec. 19 for the first time in more than three decades.

WASHINGTON - A preliminary investigation of alleged improprieties conducted by U.S. military information operations activities in Iraq hasn't found any wrongdoing, the top U.S. officer in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff extends his holiday wishes to members of the armed forces.

WASHINGTON - Operation Gratitude hits a significant milestone Dec. 17 when the organization assembles its 100,000th care package to ship to a lucky servicemember as part of its holiday drive.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - Life on the FOB is a little bit different from life in your typical neighborhood.

WASHINGTON - The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is lauding today's Labor Department announcement that it is issuing rules clarifying re-employment rights for citizen-soldiers as a major step forward for Guardsmen, Reservists and their civilian employers.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi police responded to a Dec. 15 protest that temporarily closed a polling site northeast of Dwar, Iraq, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush's decision to support a congressional measure that bans "cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment" of terror suspects in U.S. custody or under U.S. control won't change military operations, because the military always has upheld those principles, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said during a Dec. 15 television interview.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - Nothing makes Army Lt. Col. Jamie Gayton more angry than someone saying coalition projects in East Baghdad have no effect.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's top civilian leader praised U.S. servicemembers serving at home and abroad during a town hall meeting held at the Pentagon today.

WASHINGTON - One U.S. servicemember and one enemy fighter were killed today during a firefight northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan.

CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii - The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff spoke to more than 100 senior enlisted leaders at a U.S. Pacific Command seminar heretoday, telling them military service is all about "US."

WASHINGTON - Senior defense and government leaders gathered at Fort McNair here today to consider challenges the U.S. military faces operating in urban environments and to discuss strategies to make them as effective in cities as in open terrain.

WASHINGTON - A program designed to help wounded veterans find meaningful civilian jobs is paying off by enabling some to use their military expertise to ensure their former comrades are getting the quality weaponry they need in combat.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has ordered a review of an intelligence system that compiles information on possible worldwide threats to U.S. military personnel and installations, a senior DoD official said here today.

WASHINGTON - Sunni voter turnout in today's Iraqi election appeared much greater than it was during the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum, the top U.S. military officer in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - A Marine assigned to the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), was killed by an improvised explosive device Dec. 14 while conducting combat operations near Ramadi, Iraq, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Reports from Iraq's national parliamentary elections today indicate voter turnout was higher than the numbers seen for the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum, military officials here said today.

WASHINGTON - In 1957, Jack Taylor, a decorated World War II fighter pilot, founded a car rental company and named it after the USS Enterprise, one of the carriers off which he flew. Today, Enterprise Rent-a-Car maintains its rich military history by providing unique support to its employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.

SADR CITY, Iraq - In April 2004, this section of Baghdad exploded. Troopers of the 1st Cavalry Division found themselves in a fight against a Shiia militia. Fast-forward to December 2005, and the Americans are greeted as friends, and residents go out of their way to compliment the members of the Iraqi security forces for the roles they played in bringing democracy to Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Today is "a new day for Iraq," regardless of who wins in the country's parliamentary elections, an Iraqi-American who emigrated here 12 years ago and became a U.S. citizen in 1995 said here today.

WASHINGTON - About 30,000 single servicemembers who live off base and pay child support are likely to see a slight change in their military pay - an increase for some and cut for others -- beginning in January.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - Baghdad took on an air of celebration as the polls closed on this historic election day with little terrorist action.

RUSAFA, Iraq - "All the time and money you have spent training the Iraqi army, you harvest it today," Iraqi Army Maj. Gen. Mobdir Hatim Hothya al-Delemy told 3rd Infantry Division Commander Army Maj. Gen. William Webster following a tour of polling places today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi Army troops and coalition forces captured 11 insurgents and seized six caches Dec. 13 in operations southeast of Baqubah, Iraq, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Elementary school students at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., got a combined current events and history lesson Dec. 13 from the wife of Vice President Dick Cheney.

WASHINGTON - The Dec. 15 parliamentary elections in Iraq represent "a watershed moment in the story of freedom" that's important not only to Iraq's security and democratic future, but also to America's, President Bush said today at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars here.

WASHINGTON - Deterring countries or groups who can or want to attack the United States is still a viable strategy in the 21st century, even as the nature of defense challenges broadens and moves to areas outside U.S. expertise, a top Defense Department official said here today.

WASHINGTON - Leaving Iraq before the mission there is finished will make America less, not more, secure and will send a dangerous message that will ring around the world, President Bush said today here at the Woodrow Wilson International Center.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - Iraqi police cars sporting stickers urging people to vote for a particular list of candidates are part of the pre-election scene here.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - Iraqi and coalition officials are implementing the plan to ensure safety for Iraqi voters in the country's historic Dec. 15 election, in which Iraqis will elect their first permanent democratic government.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Baghdad soldiers detained 43 suspected terrorists during recent operations conducted to ensure a safe environment for Iraq's upcoming national elections, military officials in Baghdad reported today.

WASHINGTON - Yellow Ribbon America, a partner in the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program, will join the National Guard Association of California and the California state legislature in paying tribute to U.S. servicemembers during a Dec. 15 celebration in Newport Beach, Calif.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq - Though the soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, were not trained for counterinsurgency operations, a year in Iraq has made them experts.

WASHINGTON - Stability operations are now a major priority for the Defense Department, on par with combat operations, and will receive more planning and funding, two DoD officials said here today.

WASHINGTON - The general who led U.S. ground forces into Baghdad during the opening days of Operation Iraqi Freedom has some big and unconventional plans ahead for the command that oversees Army training, leadership development and the doctrine that drives Army operations.

WASHINGTON - U.S. servicemembers are doing their jobs credibly and honorably and are the reason America has the greatest military in the world, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said upon receiving an award here Dec. 12.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces are proving their effectiveness against the terrorists trying to topple the country's new democratic government, a senior defense official said in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - A company based in Monahans, Texas, has partnered with a grassroots-level America Supports You organization to distribute 300 gift certificates for tactical gear to deployed servicemembers.

WASHINGTON - Six servicemembers were lauded for their distinguished military service at a Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs dinner here Dec. 12.

WASHINGTON - A human rights specialist from Europe has accepted the U. S. offer to visit the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba, a senior Defense Department official said here today.

WASHINGTON - Inspired by lonely childhood holidays, the daughter of a former airman has written a song that deployed troops will hear this holiday season, thanks to a grassroots partner in the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program.

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops and Iraqi soldiers and police captured dozens of suspected terrorists and seized large caches of weapons during raids and military operations over the past week in and around Mosul, Iraqi's third largest city, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Four Task Force Baghdad soldiers were killed today when their patrol vehicle struck a makeshift bomb northwest of Baghdad, officials said.

BAGHDAD - Iraqi security units are taking the lead in preparing for the Dec. 15 national elections. This is the third election this year, and each time the amount of support coalition forces provide has been less, military officials said.

WASHINGTON - To military families who've endured a double whammy - Hurricane Katrina's devastation and their loved ones' deployments - first lady Laura Bush's Dec. 12 visit to Gulfport, Miss., represented a welcomed burst of encouragement.

WASHINGTON - The senior U.S. military commander in Iraq will likely conduct a force-level assessment sometime after the Dec. 15 elections, a senior defense department official said here today.

BAGHDAD - When Army Sgt. 1st Class Elaine Prosa opened the box, the smell of tea and spices infused the room. The postcards and tea came from an organization called "Soldiers' Angels." The motto of the group is "May No Soldier Go Unloved."

MOSUL, Iraq - Whether the key to a bright future for a country is to educate the children of the present will be tested in northern Iraq over the next generation, based on the work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region North.

WASHINGTON - Iraq's parliamentary elections later this week represent another major step forward that supports Iraq's long-term stability and the U.S. strategy for victory there, President Bush said today at the World Affairs Council in Philadelphia.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department does much business with large companies, yet smaller firms also make big contributions that help U.S. warfighters accomplish their missions, a senior DoD official said here today.

BAGHDAD - Despite attacks, security concerns and an infrastructure that was degraded beyond expectation, the Iraq reconstruction effort has made tremendous progress, officials here said.

WASHINGTON - President Bush traveled today to Philadelphia, the birthplace of U.S. democracy, to remind Americans about their own country's bumpy road to democracy and to underscore what he called "miraculous" political progress taking place in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department expects to have a plan to implement Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations early next year, a DoD official said here Dec. 7.

BAGHDAD - The highest-ranking military officer in Iraq said over the past year his country's armed forces have accomplished "almost a miracle."

WASHINGTON - Both the active Army and Army National Guard continued reversing a springtime recruiting slump, exceeding their November goals at 105 and 110 percent, respectively, defense officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - One Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed south of Baghdad today. Another died in western Baghdad on Dec. 11. Both soldiers were killed when their patrols struck improvised explosive devices, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military's promotion of democracy in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the globe is America's "only realistic path" to preserve and protect U.S. national security in a dangerous and hostile world, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today.

BAGHDAD - Almost 90 percent of Iraqis want to vote in Dec. 15 national elections, according to an Iraqi poll.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and coalition forces have set the conditions for a successful Dec. 15 parliamentary election in Iraq that will be mostly free of violence, U.S. officials said today.

WASHINGTON - Nevada officials are preparing to dedicate a memorial to the 29 servicemembers who hailed from that state and died in Iraq or Afghanistan.

BAGHDAD - The sky over this city lit up with "celebratory gunfire" as Iraq beat Syria in a soccer match Dec. 10.As time ran out in Iraq's 4-3 victory, many Baghdad citizens ran outside and fired weapons in the air.

WASHINGTON - Coalition and Afghan forces are helping Afghan civilians prepare for and depart on the annual Hajj religious journey.

BAGHDAD - Iraqi forces have the lead in providing security for national elections Dec. 15, officials said here today. This is a huge job, military and embassy officials said on background.

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq - The enemy in Anbar province is different from that in other areas of Iraq, U.S. officials here said.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi Ministry of Justice officials announced today that the country's Central Criminal Court has convicted seven members of al Qaeda in Iraq for heinous crimes against the Iraqi people.

WASHINGTON - Four Task Force Baghdad Soldiers were killed today and another Dec. 9. Elsewhere, a soldier died of a suspected heart attack in Kalsu, Iraq, Dec. 8, officials said.

WASHINGTON - A group that began in a Marine Corps wife's basement when her husband deployed to Iraq is in the midst of sending thousands of care packages to deployed troops for Christmas.

BAGHDAD - Changing perceptions and perspectives here mean changes in vocabulary: "Sunni insurgents" is out, "Saddamists" is in.

WASHINGTON - The method for collecting and airing holiday messages, and other news from overseas military units, was basically the same for years. Digital Video and Imagery System technology has sped up the process, Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Wetzel, said.

BAGHDAD - As their second tour in Iraq begins to wind down, soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division continue to feel good about what they are doing, senior American military officials said today.

WASHINGTON - America has a solid strategy for victory in Iraq and will see that strategy through, President Bush said today in Minneapolis.

KUT, Iraq - With its 9,800-foot runway, one of Saddam Hussein's premier air bases was in Kut, Iraq, near the Tigris River midway between Baghdad and Kuwait. Today, the coalition defense team has commandeered the base's strategic position.

WASHINGTON - After nearly a year since their posting in southwestern Iraq, a U.S. Army commander today said he and his 4,200 soldiers have witnessed decreased terrorist activity in their area of operations.

MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. - Operation Homelink, in cooperation with Northrop Grumman, presented 100 refurbished computers to military families from several New Jersey bases, including McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Dix, Fort Monmouth and Lakehurst Naval Air Station. The computers were distributed Dec. 8 at McGuire's Family Support Center.

WASHINGTON - The terrorist known as "the Butcher of Ramadi" was detained today, turned in by local citizens in the provincial capital of Iraq's Anbar province, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON - Enemies of a free Iraq recognize they can't win against the United States and the coalition on the battlefield, and the only way they can hope to win is in Washington, D.C., and through American public opinion, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Dec. 8.

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - Families of U.S. troops in the Kosovo Force have donated clothing and school supplies to an elementary school in a small mountainside village here.

A TOWN IN ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq - Reconstruction is now evident here, due to the improved security environment that followed the November 2004 battle for Fallujah. Even as the U.S. military positioned for that inevitable showdown in Fallujah, government agencies were already masterminding reconstruction of not only Fallujah, but for all of Anbar province Iraq's most problematic region.

WASHINGTON - The United States expects to reduce its troop numbers in Iraq by more than 17,000 following the Dec. 15 national elections, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Dec. 8.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and U.S. forces continued to make progress in the fight against terrorism in the north-central region of Iraq, detaining suspects and netting weapons and ammunition, officials in Iraq reported today.

WASHINGTON - Federal Voting Assistance Program efforts for the 2004 national election were successful, the program's director said in a Pentagon Channel interview here Dec. 6.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld isn't planning to leave his job anytime soon, he said here today. "I have no plans to retire," Rumsfeld said on Capitol Hill after meeting with several members of Congress to discuss the situation in Iraq.

BAGHDAD - Iraqi and coalition officials have great hopes for the success of Dec. 15 national elections, officials here said on background today.

BAGHDAD - The security situation in Iraq continues to dominate any discussion of the road ahead in the country, coalition military officials said on background here today.

WASHINGTON - After her son returned home safe after a tour of duty in Iraq in 2003, Becky Campbell said she decided to help military families who'd suffered the loss of a loved one.

WASHINGTON - By combating terrorists in Iraq, the U.S. military is helping to prevent another terror attack on American soil, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters at a Baghdad news conference today.

WASHINGTON - The enlisted force will now have the same opportunity as the officer corps to receive joint professional military education throughout their careers.

WASHINGTON - As Afghanistan's security forces grow and the country's political process moves forward, the Taliban has suffered major setbacks and has begun using more roadside and suicide bombs out of desperation, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan said here today.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed today when a convoy he was riding in struck an improvised explosive device in eastern Baghdad, military officials said.

WASHINGTON - Al Qaeda's top leader in Iraq likely will try to stop Iraq's Dec. 15 election, and failing that, will continue his campaign of violence to try to unseat the new government, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters at a Baghdad news conference today.

WASHINGTON - About 100 Iraqi army soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Division, and 400 U.S. soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team wrapped up Operation Rams in Ramadi, Iraq, today.

WASHINGTON - The first Iraqi air force C-130 mission with an all-Iraqi aircrew Dec. 5 is an indicator of Iraqi security forces' progress, a U.S. military official said here Dec. 6.

WASHINGTON - A new improvised-explosive-device center of excellence at Fort Irwin, Calif., and the existing Joint IED Task Force will use lessons learned in Iraq to develop strategies to defeat the significant threat IEDs pose to servicemembers around the world, a senior military official said here Dec. 6.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today highlighted reconstruction achievements made in Iraq over the past two years as positive evidence that that country is making progress toward becoming a self-sufficient, productive state.

BETHESDA, Md. - The Defense Department recognized 19 disabled federal employees during the 25th Annual DoD Disability Awards Ceremony here Dec. 6.

WASHINGTON - After serving 14 months in Iraq and feeling firsthand the positive effects of letters from home, Army Staff Sgt. Juan Salas decided to start a program to benefit his fellow servicemembers still serving overseas.

WASHINGTON - Ten Marines killed Dec. 1 were attending a promotion ceremony at a makeshift patrol base outside Fallujah, Iraq, not on patrol as was originally reported, military officials said.

WASHINGTON - Nine militants were killed and six others captured Dec. 6 during joint Afghan and U.S. combat operations northwest of Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Military personnel can now access discount-priced tickets to Broadway shows without being part of a tourist group.

WASHINGTON - At least three civilians and one Iraqi police officer were killed Dec. 6 when a terrorist's bomb exploded in a coffee shop in east Baghdad's Howra marketplace. Nine other civilians and three Iraqi police officers were wounded in the blast, officials said.

SKOPJE, Macedonia - Organized crime, trafficking and similar activities pose a serious threat to democracy, the U.S. ambassador to Macedonia told attendees here at a conference aimed at fighting such activities.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld praised an agreement signed today by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that will allow U.S. troops to establish temporary bases for training in Romania.

BAGHDAD - Saddam Hussein's nephew -- a former regime insider and once-active terrorist supporter -- was found guilty in a Baghdad court Dec. 5 of illegally crossing the Syrian border without authorization from Iraqi customs.

WASHINGTON - Deployed troops and their families are used to receiving material support from various sources, but sometimes they really need something less tangible.

WASHINGTON - The United States has a winning strategy for Iraq that's showing steady success on the political, economic and security fronts, the president and vice president said today in separate forums.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney traveled to Fort Drum, N.Y., today to thank and welcome home troops just returned from Iraq and to tell them they've helped make a difference for the future of Iraq, the Middle East and the United States.

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - Experience has enabled officials here to provide key training, logistics and planning support to warfighters in the U.S. Central Command area of operations with fewer troops, a senior officer here told American Forces Press Service.

WASHINGTON - Defense officials want to make sure that military spouses know it's important for them take the time to complete the online 30-minute survey they got notices about in the mail late November.

WASHINGTON - A regional European security organization agreed today to deploy its forces to Afghanistan for a six-month peacekeeping mission, according to a statement released by the group.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed Dec. 4 when a patrol vehicle he was riding in struck a roadside bomb in east Baghdad, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Ukraine joined a regional European security organization today at a meeting being held here and hosted by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

WASHINGTON - Contrary to an earlier report, two suicide bombers who killed at least 27 people and wounded at least 50 others today in a crowded courtyard at the Baghdad police academy were men, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - As the United States wages its first war with widespread 24/7 news coverage, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld urged the media to ensure it's telling the whole story about Iraq, not just focusing on events that make dramatic headlines.

WASHINGTON - Despite reported histrionics displayed today by Saddam Hussein and others during his court appearance in Baghdad, the trial goes on.

WASHINGTON - Two Air Force combat search and rescue crews are being awarded the MacKay Trophy today for a rescue mission in Iraq in April 2004.

WASHINGTON - Volunteer organizations that benefit troops and their families are invited to compete for a share of $75,000 grants as part of the 7th annual "Newman's Own Awards."

WASHINGTON - No war has ever been won on a timetable, and the war in Iraq can be no exception, a former commander in Iraq who's now assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Dec. 2.

WASHINGTON - Initial reports indicate that hostile fire caused two CH-47 Chinook helicopters to make hard landings Dec. 4 in southern Afghanistan, officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Recruits entering the military are head and shoulders above their contemporaries, and myths that imply otherwise reflect the Vietnam era, not today, a top Pentagon official told the American Forces Press Service.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi soldiers and U.S. troops found and destroyed a treasure-trove of weapons caches during a three-day period Dec. 3-5. The enemy stockpiles included everything from rocket-propelled-grenade launchers to AK-47 assault rifles to artillery shells and hundreds of pounds of explosives and munitions, officials said.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. - The first senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reminded servicemembers stationed at U.S. Strategic Command headquarters here that they are just as worthy of being called warriors as the men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The United States is a law-abiding nation and never has transported captured terrorists to another country to be tortured as part of the interrogation process, the senior U.S. diplomat said today.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed Dec. 4 when his patrol struck an improvised explosive device in eastern Baghdad, officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - A "change of charter" ceremony at the corps' Gulf Region Division headquarters in Baghdad's International Zone Dec. 4 heralded the change in the way U.S. Army Corps of Engineers administers contracts for rebuilding Iraq, officials said.. In essence, the change folds the responsibilities of the former Project and Contracting Office into those of the Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division.

WASHINGTON - Quitting in Iraq before the mission is finished would be an invitation to more terrorist violence against the United States, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today.

WASHINGTON - Two U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopters involved in combat operations made emergency landings today in separate locations in southern Afghanistan, injuring five U.S. soldiers and one Afghan National Army soldier.

WASHINGTON - U.S. military officials in Iraq today labeled a video as "disinformation" that was posted to a terrorist Web site and aired by some media showing the roadside bomb attack that killed 10 U.S. Marines on Dec. 1.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. is already on the road to complete victory in Iraq, the president's national security adviser told Sunday talk show hosts today.

WASHINGTON - Operation Shank wrapped up today, officials in Iraq announced.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Baghdad soldiers rescued two kidnapping victims during a routine vehicle search at a checkpoint in western Baghdad on Dec. 1, military officials in Iraq said today.

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - Servicemembers in Iraq couldn't do much without the logistics support their compatriots based in Kuwait provide through convoys.

WASHINGTON - Three 48th Brigade Combat Team soldiers were killed in a vehicle accident southeast of Ali Air Base, Iraq today, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Senior U.S. military leaders in Iraq are now investigating allegations that information about U.S. operations in Iraq was improperly placed in Iraqi newspapers, according to a Multinational Force Iraq news release today.

WASHINGTON - The goal of the National Strategy for Victory in Iraq is to create a secure, democratic country free of terrorists, the Defense Department's top policy official said here Dec. 1.

WASHINGTON - Representatives of grassroots organizations supporting troops and their families in partnership with the "America Supports You" program got hearty thanks and encouragement from defense leaders today during the first-ever America Supports You summit here at the Pentagon.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - International man of mystery, David Blaine, stopped by Brooke Army Medical Center here Nov. 22 to perform "street magic" for the wounded warriors recovering at the hospital.

WASHINGTON - Work is progressing to set up a logistics system for the new Iraqi military, a senior U.S. military officer in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - Senior military leaders - as well as rank-and-file servicemembers - should spread the good news about anti-terrorist and reconstruction successes in Iraq, the U.S. military's top officer said during his Dec. 1 address at the National Defense University here.

WASHINGTON - Performing its mission around the world in 2005 has allowed the National Guard to spread a positive message about the military, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said here Nov. 30.

WASHINGTON - Increasing numbers of Iraqi military and police are being trained, equipped and fielded to confront terrorists trying to destabilize the new Iraqi government, a senior U.S. military officer in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - Ten Marines were killed and 11 were wounded by a roadside bomb during a foot patrol outside Fallujah Dec. 1, military officials reported today.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A virtual U.S. Joint Forces Command exercise at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference here Dec. 1 demonstrated the conference's theme, "One Team. One Fight. One Training Future."

WASHINGTON - A new study addresses the military operational impact of new disease threats by looking at risks to servicemembers around the world.

WASHINGTON - About 200 Iraqi soldiers from 1st Brigade, 7th Division, and 300 U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, launched Operation Shank today in Ramadi, Iraq.

BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq - An all Iraqi aircrew flew its first solo mission aboard a C-130E from Ali Air Base, near Nasariyah in southeast Iraq, to New Al Muthana here Nov. 28, officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush remembered America's deployed servicemembers who he said are "serving the cause of peace" during the Dec. 1 Christmas Pageant of Peace and lighting of the national Christmas tree here.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today challenged military and civilian leaders being groomed for top leadership posts in the future to think outside the box in coming up with ideas to confront terrorism.

WASHINGTON - The success of joint Iraqi and coalition operations in Iraq will ensure a safe voting environment for Iraqi national elections, a senior military official in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - The war on terror won't come to a dramatic end as many past wars have, but rather will require continued vigilance to keep terrorists at bay, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today at the National Defense University here.

WASHINGTON - President Bush's National Strategy for Victory in Iraq is available online at the White House Web site, http://www.whitehouse.gov.

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras - U.S. efforts in Central America are helping to improve collective security in the region and cement relations with America's neighbors to the south.

WASHINGTON - Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded today to questions he often gets about operations in Iraq during a session at the National Defense University at Fort McNair here.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Laptop computers were designed for portability and to limit impact on workspaces, and the Navy is taking full advantage of technology's robust capabilities, using laptops to train the Navy's submarine force.

WASHINGTON - Four U.S. servicemembers were killed in Iraq on Nov. 30, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - As the world commemorates World AIDS Day today, the U.S. military is at work, helping 67 militaries worldwide address HIV and AIDS within their ranks.

U.S. NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - The small number of involuntary feedings conducted at the U.S. detention facility here are done humanely and are well within common standards of medical care, officials said in an effort to counter allegations made by attorneys for some detainees here.