TAMPA, Fla. - Volunteers here have banded together to fill the gap while a new facility for families of wounded servicemembers is being built.

WASHINGTON - Families came here from 18 states on Feb. 26 to attend a reception at Kuwaiti Embassy so Ambassador Sheik Salem al-Sabah could personally thank them for the ultimate sacrifice their loved ones made to liberate his country during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

WASHINGTON - Sometimes it takes a look from a different perspective to realize that Americans take much for granted.

WASHINGTON - The Jan. 30 Iraqi elections mirrored America's march toward civil rights, an Army commander said during the African-American History Month observance on his base earlier this month.

WASHINGTON - Technicians in Iraq are working hard to meet demands for more electricity to power air conditioners, refrigerators and other appliances, a senior American military officer said in Baghdad Feb. 26.

NAWA DISTRICT, Afghanistan - The severe winter weather in eastern Afghanistan has left many villages cut off from vital supplies in the mountainous terrain of eastern Ghazni province. Clearing roads of the more than three feet of snow to get villagers necessary supplies was extremely difficult.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces from the Polish-controlled Multinational Division Central South responded to a suicide bombing in Hilla, Iraq, today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces continue to support the efforts of the government of Afghanistan to establish freedom and a better way of life for the Afghan people, an American official said in the Afghan city of Kandahar today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces recovered four weapons caches in Afghanistan Feb. 27, according to Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The 3rd Infantry Division officially jumped back into action here Feb. 27, when a transition-of-authority ceremony transferred command of Task Force Baghdad from Army Maj. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, 1st Cavalry Division commander, to Maj. Gen. William G. Webster Jr., 3rd Infantry Division commander.

WASHINGTON - The half-brother of deposed dictator Saddam Hussein has been captured, the interim Iraqi government reported in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - Two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. Marine were killed Feb. 26 in Iraq, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Three Iraqi citizens were killed during a Feb. 25 attack in southeast Baghdad, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported. Officials said one person was killed when an improvised explosive device exploded at about 9:40 a.m. Iraqi Police and Task Force Baghdad Soldiers responded to the attack and cordoned off the area as a crowd of onlookers gathered. A terrorist fired into the crowd, killing two more Iraqi citizens and wounding two others, before fleeing. In other news from Iraq, Iraqi Army and Task Force Baghdad soldiers detained four suspected terrorists and seized multiple weapons in overnight and early- morning raids in western Baghdad today. And on Feb. 25 in western Mosul, Iraqi and multinational forces detained 18 people suspected of being involved in a car bomb attack and an attack on Iraqi troops conducting cordon-and-search operations in the region.

WASHINGTON - Coalition soldiers are assisting relief agencies in Afghanistan, delivering food and supplies to help Afghan citizens in remote villages through one of the country's harshest winters in recent history, a Combined Forces Command Afghanistan spokesman said today.

LOS ANGELES - The danger of extremism may be the greatest threat the United States and its allies have faced, the top U.S. military officer told the World Affairs Council here today.

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Two incompatible visions locked in a struggle for hearts and minds pose a special challenge to present and future military leaders, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told cadets here Feb. 24.

WASHINGTON - Dan Hartman's "Free Ride" could be the theme song to the Anheuser-Busch Company's latest offer to the military.

WASHINGTON - About 900,000 Defense Department employees may be affected by Bank of America's loss of government travel card information, Pentagon officials said today.

WASHINGTON - More than a half-century after North Korean fighter jets shot down U.S. Air Force Capt. Troy "Gordie" Cope's F-86 Sabre Jet over Danong, China, his family finally has official word of what happened to him and is preparing to bury him this May.

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - This is not your typical deployment location in the war on terror. Troops here get to scuba dive in their off time and have an assortment of restaurants and bars to unwind in at the end of long days spent guarding enemy combatants.

WASHINGTON - As news coverage of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks flashed across television and computer screens, thousands of Americans wondered if family members living in or visiting New York or Washington, D.C., were alive and well.

WASHINGTON - As the 3rd Infantry Division returns to Baghdad, Iraq, to relieve the 1st Cavalry Division, the focus remains on securing the city, the commander of the outgoing division said in a news briefing there today.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - When canine handlers of the 25th Military Police Company conduct extraction missions and area searches in Afghanistan, their highly trained dogs often serve as the main tool for finding weapons and people in hiding.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Medical personnel here are passing their knowledge on to Afghan National Army medics, ensuring the Afghans can take care of their own soldiers instead of relying on coalition forces' assistance.

WASHINGTON - Military discharges based on the Pentagon's homosexual conduct policy have dropped to their lowest rate since 1996 and make up a small fraction of unprogrammed separations, according to Department of Defense officials.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. servicemember was wounded Feb. 24 when a vehicle filled with insurgents fired on coalition forces in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, military officials there reported today.

WASHINGTON - Four U.S. servicemembers were killed in Iraq over the past 48 hours as Iraqi and U.S. forces press forward with security and stability operations in the country, officials reported.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Defense Department signed a commitment with Alabama State University and several other Historically Black Colleges and Universities in a brief Feb. 24 ceremony during the DoD and HBCU African- American History Month observance and symposium here.

FORT LEE, Va. - Need advice on consumer debt? Feeling depressed? Help is on the way. Military OneSource is the newest member of the military family support team, and commissaries are stepping up to the plate to help increase awareness of the program.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Showing that a rough beginning can lead to a happy ending, a senior Army officer today challenged a group of students here to strive for excellence.

HUTCHISON, Kan. - Patience and resolve were the messages Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers brought to the heartland today.

HUTCHISON, Kan. - The Jan. 30 elections in Iraq "put an end to any moral legitimacy the insurgents may have had," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a news conference here today.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Human resources specialist Linda K. Stouffer said when she visits college campuses, she tells students the Defense Department is "the 'employer of choice,' and our job is to support America's defense around the world."

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Past and present heroes were honored as part of the Defense Department's "Taking the Pentagon to the People" National African-American History Month observance at the Embassy Suites Hotel here Feb. 23.

WASHINGTON - President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed today to increase their cooperation in fighting terrorism, accelerating efforts to combat nuclear terrorism and cracking down on proliferation.

WASHINGTON - The Army is taking steps to improve how its soldiers handle detainees captured in the war on terror, senior officials announced Feb. 23.

WASHINGTON - Some 204 Iraqi police officers graduated from the Adnan, Iraq, training facility today after completing advanced and specialty courses in leadership, criminal investigation, interrogations and other subjects, according to Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq officials.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today praised the citizens of Slovakia for overcoming oppression in their own country and for taking "great risks" to help the people of Afghanistan and Iraq to do the same.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces got "very close" to Abu Musab al- Zarqawi and are keeping the fugitive Jordanian terrorist with ties to al Qaeda on the run, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Feb. 23 on Fox News Channel.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Liberty soldier was killed and two others were wounded today by improvised explosive devices north of Samarra, Iraq, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported.

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Bowe and his wife, Sgt. Brandy Bowe, spent their "honeymoon" on a Caribbean island. There was plenty of sun and stunning views of crystal-clear, blue-tinted waters.

WASHINGTON - The Marine Corps is investigating the circumstances surrounding the Feb. 8 death of a male recruit who was undergoing boot camp training at Parris Island, S.C.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - With the theme, "Reaching Out to Youth: A Strategy for Excellence," a top defense official told a gathering of students, educators and DoD personnel here today that the defense-hosted African-American History Month observance luncheon at Alabama State University was part of the "Taking the Pentagon to the People" program.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - "We're here for a very selfish reason," a top DoD equal employment opportunity official told a room full of administrators and presidents of Historically Black Colleges and Universities at Alabama State University here today.

FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. - Huachuca means thunder in Apache, and Army boxers unleashed a hailstorm of blows here Feb. 19 to once again take the armed forces championship title.

WASHINGTON - Noting that Iraq is at "a tilting point," Australian Prime Minister John Howard announced plans to send more troops to Iraq.

CAMP RUSTAMIYAH, Baghdad, Iraq - Being wounded in action is a fear of most deployed soldiers. However, there is a danger out there that many soldiers forget about the rigors of everyday life. Life-threatening emergencies like heart attacks or strokes don't stop in a combat zone.

WASHINGTON - Imagine a teacher who travels across the ether to students located around the world and you'd be describing DoD's new Internet- based training and information system: the Joint Knowledge Development and Distribution Capability.

WASHINGTON - "Job well done!" President Bush told troops recently returned from deployments to Iraq today at their home station, Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Germany.

WASHINGTON - For U.S. troops fighting the war on terror, "heroism with a human touch is part of the mission," first lady Laura Bush told troops and their families at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, during a visit Feb. 22.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Liberty soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device near Tuz, Iraq, today, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced.

WASHINGTON - "I know it's tough over there, and I wanted to show my appreciation by doing something tough here," said Doug Moss, a Web designer at the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON - Having visited both Iraq and Afghanistan during the past couple of weeks, Army Gen. John Abizaid said there are both similarities and differences in the current situation in both countries.

WASHINGTON - For a unit the size of the 652nd Engineer Company - - only 176 soldiers -- losing one soldier in combat is tragic enough.

WASHINGTON - Despite Iranian claims to the contrary, U.S. military aircraft are not flying missions in Iran's airspace, Pentagon spokesman Larry Di Rita said here today.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - In the early morning hours of April 9, 2004, a Marine sniper and his spotter crawled on top of an abandoned oil storage tank in Lutafiyah, Iraq. Their mission was routine, as they covered their squad's patrol movement through the small town during the Arbaeen pilgrimage. But it became a mission that will go down in the annals of Marine Corps history.

WASHINGTON - Like many Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans, U.S. Army Capt. David Rozelle's story began in Iraq. Unlike many of those same veterans, his is set to continue there as well.

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Working "inside the wire" of the enemy combatant detention facility can lead to stress for the U.S. troops working here. But experts and leaders are working hard to help servicemembers deal with the unique conditions of working on this isolated island base.

WASHINGTON - President Bush called NATO "the vital relationship for the United States when it comes to security." Bush spoke during a press conference today at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

PRISTINA, Kosovo - When American, Slovak, Czech and Irish troops assigned to Kosovo Force arrived in Plementina and Azotikut on a humanitarian mission Feb. 20, they spotted adults and children walking through the snow and mud in frayed sandals and torn socks, some wearing only pieces of pinned-up fabric as clothing.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Marine assigned to 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was killed in action while conducting security and stability operations in Iraq's Anbar province on Feb. 21, officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Realigning the U.S. defense posture around the world involves a whole lot more than deciding where to base U.S. troops overseas, the Pentagon's top policy chief told civilian leaders visiting here Feb. 18.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's first assistant secretary for homeland defense acknowledged he's surprised terrorists haven't launched another 9/11-type attack against the United States -- but is quick to say he's not calling it luck.

WASHINGTON - Officials with the Department of Homeland Security are warning the public about two new Iraq-related Internet scams, including one directed at the relatives of fallen U.S. soldiers.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - A call came over the radio in the 58th Military Police Company Operations Center just as Army Staff Sgt. Marc Jones was preparing to head out on a night patrol Feb. 18. Someone had reported an explosion near the perimeter of this coalition base in northeastern Afghanistan, and Jones was told to take his soldiers and investigate.

WASHINGTON - Three U.S. soldiers were killed and eight were wounded this morning when an improvised explosive device detonated in Baghdad, Iraq, today, during the medical evacuation of a soldier. The soldier had been injured in a convoy accident caused by a civilian vehicle.

WASHINGTON - In his first trip abroad of his second term in office, President Bush told Europeans that "the alliance of Europe and North America is the main pillar of our security."

WASHINGTON - Almost 100 Iraqis are dead following two days of terrorism in the country, officials said.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - The tide is turning against anti- coalition fighters in Afghanistan, a senior British general serving there said.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - U.S. and coalition forces have made significant progress against the al Qaeda terrorist group and remnants of the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan, but the coalition must remain vigilant because the threat has not been completely eliminated, the U.S. general in charge of forces in the region said.

WASHINGTON - President Bush will begin a trip to Europe on Feb. 20 to reaffirm the importance of the Transatlantic Alliance in American policy.

WASHINGTON - The United States and Japan today urged North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks, and both countries pledged to work more closely to defeat terrorism and ensure peace in Asia.

WASHINGTON - There's steady success in the global war on terror, but it's a war the United States can't fight alone, and one in which the U.S. military depends on its partners in government, senior Pentagon officials told civilian leaders visiting here today.

WASHINGTON - While peak combat readiness is a persistent goal of America's armed forces, much less has been made of the state of the military's medical readiness, especially with regard to support systems and processes for returning National Guard and Reserve personnel wounded in the global war on terror.

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - In every case, enemy combatants held here receive medical care that is "as good as or better than anything we would offer our own soldiers, sailors, airmen or Marines," the general in charge of the U.S. detention facility here said.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department today recognized what one official called a "key component" to mission readiness that greatly enhanced the deployability of Guard and Reserve forces.

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - When Navy Lt. Jennifer Tharp started her current job, her greatest fear was that she'd get bitten. But so far, that fear has proved unfounded.

WASHINGTON - The State Department's $5.6-billion budget supplemental request now before Congress "is absolutely critical to our national security," America's top diplomat noted at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Feb. 17.

WASHINGTON - President Bush's policy of promoting democracy not only squares with a respect for sovereignty, it supports the national security strategy.

WASHINGTON - Three American soldiers were killed in separate attacks in Iraq Feb. 16 and 17, military officials in Baghdad reported.

U.S. NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - U.S. Coast Guardsmen are helping their Defense Department brethren by working to protect the coasts and waterways of this American military outpost in the Caribbean.

WASHINGTON - Training and equipping Iraqi security forces will speed up, and is the cornerstone of coalition policy in the country, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said during testimony before the Senate Armed Service Committee today.

WASHINGTON - Bed Bath and Beyond has teamed with United Service Organizations to show that it, too, supports U.S. troops.

ASAD, Iraq - What's a police officer from Marietta, Ga., doing in the dusty desert regions of the Middle East? Extending her tour.

WASHINGTON - It's official: the Shiite-dominated United Iraqi Alliance carried Iraq's Jan. 30 elections and will claim the most seats in Iraq's new national assembly.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department civilians and servicemembers building tax-free retirement accounts through the Thrift Savings Plan soon will be able to change their investment options at any time instead of just twice a year.

WASHINGTON - Servicemembers receiving federal tax exemptions for some or all of their military pay may now elect to apply for certain tax credit options, the chief of the Armed Forces Tax Council said here today.

CAMP BULLIS, Texas - With transformation plans calling for major changes at the military's major combat training centers to make them better able to support joint operations, there's much to be learned from the example being set here.

CAMP BULLIS, Texas - A fictitious Middle Eastern country, Pandakar, was facing internal unrest and taking casualties. Fourth-year medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences were called in to treat the patients.

DOHA, Qatar - The elections in Iraq were a significant accomplishment for the citizens of that nation, and Iraqi forces have come a long way, but the Iraqi people need the continuing help of coalition forces to combat the forces of extremism, according to the commander of U.S. Central Command.

WASHINGTON - A vehicle accident claimed the lives of two more U.S. servicemembers in Iraq Feb. 16, military officials in Baghdad reported today. It was the third fatal accident involving U.S. servicemembers in two days.

DOHA, Qatar - They emigrated to the United States from Arabic- speaking countries, and now they are back in the Middle East, putting their language skills to use in support of the war on terror.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today nominated the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq to serve as the nation's first director of national intelligence.

WASHINGTON - The enemy in Iraq is made up of many different groups, defense leaders said here Feb. 16.

NAVAL BASE GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - An automated system helps guards at the U.S. detention facility here keep track of terror war detainees and has cut down exponentially on paperwork.

WASHINGTON - The nominee to become the next commander of the U.S. Pacific Command acknowledged the challenges that face him in the Asia-Pacific theater should he be confirmed to that position.

WASHINGTON - Ham radio operators and amateur radio clubs plan to "Ham It Up for the Troops" on May 28 during the second annual Amateur Radio Military Appreciation Day to thank active duty, veterans and retired military people for their service and sacrifices to the nation, according to ARMAD's founder and former Air Force sergeant Emery McClendon.

VANCOUVER, Wash. - The Army's cross-country team outpaced the teams of its sister services to take the 2005 Armed Forces Cross Country Championship here Feb. 10-13.

WASHINGTON - An organization that helps bridge the miles between deployed servicemembers and their families has added several new services to its lineup to augment those provided by existing military family support programs.

WASHINGTON - America's top diplomat today asked the international community to close ranks to stop Syria from meddling in other countries' affairs.

WASHINGTON - Despite stresses and strains on the force, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told members of the House Armed Services Committee today that the American military remains able to execute America's national military strategy.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has come a long way, but it has much farther to go, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the House Armed Services Committee here today during a budget hearing.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld explained here today why the costs of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are not included in the president's annual budget request.

NAVAL BASE GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - The detainee population at the U.S. naval base here is a diverse group. The roughly 545 detainees hail from some 40 countries and speak at least 17 different languages.

WASHINGTON - Four soldiers have died in Iraq, two of them in vehicle accidents and another from an injury not related to combat.

WASHINGTON - Jordan Pearson drew a simple picture of a heart and colored it red, white and blue to send to her dad, an Air Force intelligence officer deployed on Operation Enduring Freedom.

DOHA, Qatar - A series of snowstorms in Afghanistan during the early part of February dumped several feet of snow that blocked roads, left travelers stranded without shelter and trapped families in their homes without adequate food supplies in Afghanistan's Zabol province.

WASHINGTON - The al Qaeda terrorist network is still a significant threat, said the director of Central Intelligence.

WASHINGTON - With the Army's 18th Airborne Corps taking over as the Multinational Corps Iraq headquarters, the 2004-2006 rotation of troops is well under way.

MANAMA, Bahrain - They may be far away from the streets where ground troops are engaging insurgents and terrorists in direct combat, but Army Gen. John Abizaid told sailors and Marines aboard the carrier USS Harry S. Truman that they are playing a crucial role in the global war on terrorism.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - Debby Schick arrived here at Brooke Army Medical Center sad and afraid of what lay ahead. Her son, Marine Cpl. Jacob Schick, had been medevaced here after his Humvee hit an anti-tank mine in Iraq, severing his right leg just below the knee.

DALE City, Va. - Students at Forest Park High School here may have provided the best Valentine of all this year in showing their love for wounded troops.

WASHINGTON - President Bush requested almost $90 billion from Congress to pay for the on-going war on terrorism and other emergency measures.

WASHINGTON - A series of recent raids conducted by Task Force Baghdad soldiers netted 13 suspected terrorists in western Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - The Afghan government and the U.S. Agency for International Development are partnering to put Khowst province on the high road to economic prosperity, an American military official said Feb. 14.

A SOUTHERN IRAQ MILITARY FACILITY - Between 8,000 and 10,000 men arrived by foot, bus and other means by sun-up Feb. 14 at an airfield outside an Iraqi army base to join the Iraq's army, officials said.

WASHINGTON - "I want you to go to AmericaSupportsYou.mil let the troops let me know how you're supporting the troops. So support the troops. C'mon, that's what's all about," is the message the host and star of History Channel's "Mail Call" was promoting from the Pentagon Feb 11.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The crash of a Kam Air Boeing 737 passenger jet on Feb. 4 was believed to be Afghanistan's worst air disaster.

WASHINGTON - Eight contracts totaling more than $3 billion have been referred for further investigation as part of the scandal surrounding Darlene Druyan.

WASHINGTON - One Task Force Liberty soldier was killed and three wounded today when an improvised explosive device struck a combat patrol near Baqubah, Iraq, military officials in Baghdad reported.

WASHINGTON - You're here in 2005, but imagine being out on the Western plains during the Indian War campaigns in the 1800s:

WASHINGTON - African-American troops served in large numbers during the Civil War once recruitment was opened to them. Some 180,000 served proudly in the United States Colored Troops, with more than 33,000 paying the ultimate sacrifice, according to the International Museum of the Horse Web site.

WASHINGTON - The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq announced the results of the nationwide voting that took place Jan. 30.

WASHINGTON - "It just felt like service was something everyone was supposed to do," Marine Sgt. Mandy L. McCammon said in Utapao, Thailand, recently.

DOHA, Qatar - The Middle East is currently going through a revolutionary period in which small groups of religious extremists are attempting to impose their "dark vision" upon the vast majority of the region's people, the U.S. general responsible for the region said.

DOHA, Qatar - U.S. involvement in Iraq now is a very different situation from U.S. involvement in the Vietnam conflict more than 30 years ago, Gen. John Abizaid said today in Baghdad, Iraq, on the final leg of a three-day tour of the country.

WASHINGTON - One Task Force Danger soldier died and another was wounded when indirect fire hit a coalition force base near Samarra today.

MUNICH, Germany - Allies must cooperate, while respecting and understanding one another's points of view in the interest of their collective security, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The commander of the U.S. Central Command stressed the importance of passing along knowledge from experienced troops rotating out of the country to newly arrived replacements during a visit today with multinational and U.S. Marine troops.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Baghdad soldiers uncovered five improvised explosive devices throughout the Iraqi capital today during separate city patrols, according to military officials.

WASHINGTON - In the last 13 days, coalition forces have discovered 33 weapons caches throughout Afghanistan, said Maj. Steve Wollman, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan spokesman, today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. troops in Iraq are performing a vital mission in the interest of their country, and Americans back home are very proud of them, Army Gen. John Abizaid told soldiers of the 256th Brigade Combat team during a visit to their camp here today.

WASHINGTON - Senior DoD officials told reporters Feb. 9 they reject media allegations that military doctors, nurses and medics participated in widespread abuse of detainees held at U.S. detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in Afghanistan and Iraq.

WASHINGTON - As she watched injured soldiers interviewed on a news special one night late last year, Virginia "Ginger" Dosedel expressed her dismay that they were wearing hospital gowns. She couldn't imagine wearing the drafty attire on television.

WASHINGTON - Nothing highlights the importance of flexibility and joint capabilities better than the recent battle of Fallujah, the commandant of the Marine Corps told the Senate Armed Services Committee Feb. 10.

WASHINGTON - The Army chief of staff is confident that with the plus-up in numbers, the service will be able to transform and fight the global war on terrorism.

WASHINGTON - Today's Air Force is a deployed force, the service chief of staff told the Senate Armed Services Committee Feb. 10.

WASHINGTON - The Navy is performing magnificently around the world, but there are concerns that need to be addressed to assure the long-term future of the force, the chief of naval operations told the Senate Armed Services Committee Feb. 10.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Danger soldier in Iraq was wounded by small-arms fire in Kirkuk province near Hawija today.

WASHINGTON - DoD and the Office of Personnel Management will publish the regulations that will govern how the new National Security Personnel System will operate, DoD officials announced Feb. 10.

WASHINGTON - Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz handed off command of Multinational Corps Iraq to Army Lt. Gen. John R. Vines during a Feb. 10 ceremony at Al-Faw Palace near Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - Coalition troops in Afghanistan found several weapons caches in recent days, and helped transport injured Afghans from the scene of a major road vehicle accident.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi citizens can own an AK-47 assault rifle as long as it's registered, but it's not legal for Iraqis to maintain an armory full of bombs, sniper rifles, and other deadly items that terrorists could used.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told several hundred U.S. soldiers in Mosul today that he was "every bit as proud" to be there as he was during his pride-filled moments attending Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's inauguration in December.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Three senior U.S. defense leaders expressed optimism today about the situation in Iraq following the nation's first free elections and also about the progress made by Iraqi security forces.

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq - U.S. soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, foiled an attempt by a terrorist to coerce a child into accepting a hand grenade in Ramadi today.

NICE, France - The breadth of contributions NATO's 26 members make to the alliance's various military operations benefits the member nations and means "everyone does not have to do everything," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON - Moving to unfamiliar places can make anyone feel a bit like a fish out of water.

NICE, France - With regard to nuclear weapons, North Korea poses a two-fold threat, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - A new registry being established here is helping track casualty information from Iraq and Afghanistan to give senior leaders the concrete information they need as they make decisions about everything from what protective gear troops will use to how to better deliver combat casualty care.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Baghdad forces came to the aid of Iraqi police who came under terrorist attack in a southern Baghdad neighborhood today.

NICE, France - All NATO allies will be part of the alliance's mission of training Iraqi forces by the time the alliance's heads of state converge for a major summit meeting Feb. 22, Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said here today.

ARABIAN GULF REGION - U.S. forces will use an "advisory, assistance and embedding" strategy to help prepare Iraqi forces to provide security and ensure stability within their own borders, according to a senior military officer in the region.

WASHINGTON - The Army is asking Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans to volunteer for a new mission.

ARABIAN GULF REGION - Terrorists operating in Iraq have received a blow to their credibility, based on successful Iraqi elections and coupled with an inability to interject their agenda into U.S. elections, according to a senior military officer in the region today.

WASHINGTON - The United States has a vested interest in the recovery phase of the tsunami relief efforts now that the initial phase of the tsunami relief effort is nearing successful completion, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz said here Feb. 9.

The Okinawa-based unit has been in place since mid-October 2004 and was tasked with planning and e - The 2,200-member Marine Expeditionary Unit was responsible for a wide range of missions that included assistance and security for Iraq's first free elections,

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, BALAD, Iraq - The most dangerous part of Giray Jones' day is when Timer squats: It means he's found explosives.

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, BALAD, Iraq - The loud roars of Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons here are familiar reminders of close-air support, but unmanned Predators silently swarm the skies protecting troops by different means.

WASHINGTON - President Bush praised Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski today for his country's cooperation in the war in Iraq, saying the two nations have a "mutual desire to train Iraqis so that they can defend their own freedom."

NICE, France - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today likened some NATO operations to a basketball team that practices together for months, only to have some players refuse to participate when the game starts.

NICE, France - The political process during and after Iraq's Jan. 30 national-assembly election has been "amazing to watch," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi elections at the end of January have given the security forces a needed boost of confidence, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance Smith, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today called upon the Iranian government to discontinue its suspected efforts to develop nuclear weapons.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - It's just across the parking lot from Brooke Army Medical Center, and yet a world away.

CAMP LIBERTY, Baghdad - During their first rotation in Iraq, the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division here had difficulty staying in touch with loved ones back home.

WASHINGTON - Following some sound advice, 28 third-graders from Central Elementary School in Wilmette, Ill., have cut, colored and pasted "Valentines for Vets and Soldiers."

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq - In an effort to make Iraqi roads safer for fellow soldiers, a U.S Army Reserve company of combat engineers patrol selected roads near Baqubah, searching for "trouble" in a mission called Operation Trailblazer.

CAMP TAJI, Iraq - The 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, together with a company of Oregon National Guard Soldiers, rounded out their service in Iraq with the presentation of heroic medals Feb. 8 here.

WASHINGTON - Task Force Danger soldiers killed a terrorist near Balad Feb. 8, military officials reported today.

NICE, France - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived here this morning to take part in a meeting of NATO defense ministers.

WASHINGTON - Polish Maj. Gen. Waldemar Skrzypczak took command of the Multinational Division Central South at Camp Echo in Diwanyiha Feb. 7.

WASHINGTON - The Air Force will employ more teamwork and technology in transforming itself into a more agile and efficient force for the 21st century, a senior Air National Guard officer said here Feb. 7.

WASHINGTON - Less than a year after its May 14 debut, the Pentagon Channel is taking to the stars -- more precisely, the Pentagon Channel is taking to EchoStar Communications.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sent heartfelt appreciation to U.S. servicemembers as part of DoD's "America Supports You" program and a reminder that the country is united behind its men and women in uniform.

KABUL, Afghanistan - On a snowy day in February, Afghanistan's first class of cadets reported for duty at the new National Military Academy Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Afghanistan recovered several weapons caches and a drug cache containing more than 1,100 kilograms of hashish during military search operations throughout the country Feb. 7.

CAMP BULLIS, Texas - When Master Sgt. William Chapman joined the Air Force transportation field 20 years ago, he never dreamed he'd use his skills far beyond the flight line or base cantonment area.

WASHINGTON - President Bush's $419.3 billion fiscal 2006 defense budget request continues the work of transforming the military, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Direct Recruit Replacement program graduated its largest class of Iraqi Army recruits to date Feb. 5 at Numaniyah, Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Though U.S. and coalition troops have been in Afghanistan for nearly four years, the Afghan people do not see them as occupiers, according to the coalition's director of operations there.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld will ask NATO defense ministers at an informal meeting this week in Nice, France, to take on a larger role in Iraq and Afghanistan, a senior defense official said here today.

WASHINGTON - The full-house audience sat transfixed by former Beatle Paul McCartney, belting out the song "Get Back" on the large television screen showing the Super Bowl XXXIX halftime entertainment.

WASHINGTON - A 3.1 percent military basic pay hike, higher housing allowances and more healthcare and educational benefits for the National Guard and Reserve are all part of the president's proposed fiscal 2006 defense budget unveiled here today.

WASHINGTON - The president's $419.3 billion defense budget request for fiscal 2006 reflects Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's four basic priorities: defeating global terrorism, restructuring the armed forces and global defense structure, developing and fielding advanced warfighting capabilities, and taking care of U.S. forces.

WASHINGTON - Progress continues in Afghanistan, where several key events have taken place over the last few weeks, the director of civil-military operations for Combined Forces Command Afghanistan told reporters today in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

WASHINGTON - It's impossible to know exactly when Iraq's security forces will be fully ready to take over their country's internal security and the coalition can leave Iraq, but several factors will play a role, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today during interviews on the Sunday morning talk shows.

WASHINGTON - One Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed and two others injured by a roadside bomb north of the Iraqi capital today, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced.

WASHINGTON - The government that ultimately emerges in Iraq will likely strike a balance between religious and secular interests, but whatever it looks like, it will reflect the culture and values of the Iraqi peoplenot Americans, Vice President Dick Cheney said this morning on Fox News Sunday.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Coalition forces recovered four weapons caches Feb. 5, Combined Forces Afghanistan officials here reported today.

WASHINGTON - Two Task Force Danger soldiers were killed and four were wounded in an improvised explosive device attack on their patrol near Bayji, Iraq, Feb. 4, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - America won't rest until the war against terror is won, and his budget for fiscal 2006 "will give our military all the tools they need for victory," President Bush said during his weekly radio address today.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and CIA director Porter J. Goss are working to make sure President Bush has a full range of options for dealing with terror threats, a top DoD official said today.

WASHINGTON - Fighting the war against global terrorism while simultaneously transforming itself to confront 21st-century threats is challenging the Army, a top military officer told U.S. House members here Feb. 3.

FORT HOOD, Texas - "Some people are not comfortable in life if they are not part of something bigger -- if they are not part of a team. Being in the military is like that. I think it is a place where people come to seek order and to be a part of something special, an extension of that team," Army Brig. Gen. Jim Chambers said.

WASHINGTON - America's servicemembers of yesterday, today and tomorrow will be featured during the pre-game show for the NFL's Super Bowl XXXIX, a championship game between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles Feb. 6 in Jacksonville, Fla.

WASHINGTON - The interim Iraqi government has achieved "considerable momentum" in training and equipping the country's police and military forces, the U.S. Army general in charge of training those forces said in Baghdad today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - You only have to look as far as the smiles on the children's faces to know that the soldiers of 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, have made a difference in the Rustamiyah community here.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - To their grandparents and even their parents, amputation was an ugly word that meant a lifetime of restrictions and dependence.

WASHINGTON - Insurgents will have a tougher time targeting U.S. troops riding in Humvees and other vehicles in Iraq come Feb. 15.

WASHINGTON - Two U.S. soldiers died Feb. 3 in separate incidents in Iraq, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - It's never been more important for the United States to be strong, because the enemy in the global war on terror seeks to destroy U.S. society, the nation's top military officer said here Feb. 3.

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. - The successful Iraqi election was "a finger in the eye of extremists like (Osama) bin Laden and his ilk," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here Feb. 3.

CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq - More than 500 Marines and sailors of Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and Task Force Naha, of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, gathered to honor the memory of their fallen brothers at a memorial service here Feb. 2.

WASHINGTON - Now that millions of Iraqis have defied insurgents' threats and gone to the polls to elect their new government, it's up to the rest of the world to continue standing by them as they build their democratic future, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told Pentagon reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - The 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review will reflect the reality that potential threats against the United States remain uncertain and "we just can't predict, like we could during the Cold War, of what it is we've got to face," a senior DoD official said here today.

WASHINGTON - If you speak a foreign language or have the desire and aptitude to learn one, Uncle Sam wants you.

WASHINGTON - The general in charge of coalition forces in Iraq took to the airwaves Feb. 2 to thank troops in the country for their work in the success of Iraq's Jan. 30 national assembly election.

WASHINGTON - Iraq's security forces are expected to be ready to assume full responsibility for their country's security in about 18 months, Iraq's minister of the interior told Pentagon reporters today via teleconference from Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - Two Marines assigned to 1st Marine Expeditionary Force were killed Feb. 2 while conducting security and stability operations in Iraq's Anbar province.

WASHINGTON - Two women provided the most touching moments during President Bush's State of the Union address Feb. 2.

WASHINGTON - "The coalition must focus our efforts on reaching the point where we can shift our mission to fighting the counterinsurgency ourselves to developing Iraqi capacity to conduct those operations," Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff used today's Pentagon briefing as a forum to publicly thank U.S. servicemembers for their role in the successful Iraqi elections and ongoing progress in the global war on terror.

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops in Iraq will step up their efforts in training Iraqis to provide for their own country's security, President Bush announced here tonight in his State of the Union message.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi people showed "breathtaking" individual and collective courage by participating in the country's Jan. 30 election, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here Feb. 1.

WASHINGTON - Soldiers in Iraq took eight people into custody Feb. 1, and Afghan citizens today continued to turn in weapons, military officials said.

WASHINGTON - On January 30th in Iraq, the world witnessed an important moment in the global struggle against tyranny, a moment that historians might one day call a major turning point. America's men and women in uniform, who were instrumental in the liberation of Iraq, were there to witness this moment as well.

ARLINGTON, Va. - A new organization is helping to make sure servicemembers with severe injuries have all available resources.

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq - Iraqi citizens in Fallujah provided information that aided Iraqi and U.S. forces in two counterinsurgency operations today.

WASHINGTON - Though letters, text e-mail, and telephone calls are the most popular ways for deployed servicemembers and their families to communicate, a telecommunications company in Cleveland is offering yet another option.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon leaders and Capitol Hill legislators want to increase the current available combined government death benefit for families of fallen servicemembers by about $250,000.

WASHINGTON - The fact that Iraq's Jan. 30 national assembly election was on time and successful may bring prior skeptics on board as the country continues on the road to democracy, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq said Jan. 31.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan - To get the big guns, all you have to do is dial 198-PAIN.

EAGLE BASE, Bosnia-Herzegovina - U.S. Army troops aren't the only American assets pulling out of the Balkans. The installation facilities are literally being "pulled out" as well and sent to Iraq to be used in the global war on terror.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Afghanistan found six more weapons caches Jan. 30, military officials reported from the Afghan capital of Kabul.

WASHINGTON - Cigars and roses were just part of the thanks handed out here today by Combined Federal Campaign National Capital Area officials after Defense Department employees raised a record-setting $14.9 million in pledges in the 2004 CFC campaign.