Here are the latest reports from The Washington Posts ‘Checkpoint’.
Death of U.S. Marine in Iraq highlights use of troops from Navy ships in ISIS war
The death of a U.S. Marine in northern Iraq on Saturday has drawn attention to the deployment of Marines and sailors from Navy ships in the Middle East in the military campaign against the Islamic State militant group. Staff Sgt. Louis F. Cardin died about 2:04 a.m. after he and several other members of his […]
U.S. soldier killed in Islamic State rocket attack in northern Iraq, military says
A U.S. soldier has been killed in a rocket attack in northern Iraq during the campaign against the Islamic State militant group, U.S. military officials said Saturday. The death had occurred within the past 24 hours, military officials said in an announcement Saturday. The task force running operations in Iraq and Syria confirmed the death […]
Marine Corps investigating death of recruit at Parris Island boot camp
The Marine Corps is investigating the death of an enlisted recruit Friday at its iconic recruit depot at Parris Island in South Carolina, Marine officials said. The death occurred during the day at the depot, where about half of the service’s recruits are trained each year, said Capt. Gregory Carroll, a Marine spokesman at the […]
Senior Pentagon official sexually harassed woman, used contractors to fetch booze for ‘Happy Hours’
A senior civilian official at the Pentagon was a “hostile” and “abusive” boss who sexually harassed a female subordinate and used defense contractors to fetch booze for unauthorized “happy hours” at Defense Department headquarters, according to an investigative report released Friday. Joseph J. Angello Jr., the Pentagon’s former director of operation readiness and safety, would […]
Army protests in court after Bowe Bergdahl’s legal team releases documents online
Army lawyers have protested a decision by the legal team of accused deserter Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to release the entire 373-page transcript of his interview with a general officer, saying the document’s disclosure includes sensitive information in the controversial case and raises questions about whether Bergdahl’s attorneys will appropriately handle classified information. The objections were included […]
‘We’re leading cultural change.’ How the Marines are preparing for female infantrymen
The Marine Corps expects it could have its first female recruits joining the infantry by early next year, and is now moving forward with a plan to prepare for it and change a culture that is in some corners resistant to change, service officials said. The efforts include sending mobile training teams to units this […]
Air Force launches investigation into drug use among troops protecting nuclear weapons
The U.S. Air Force has launched an investigation into illicit, off-duty drug use by troops who protect its nuclear weapons, senior service officials said Friday, the latest black eye for a nuclear force that has suffered several scandals in recent years. The probe centers on 14 enlisted troops between the ranks of airman and airman […]
Pentagon: North Korea launches ballistic missiles
The government of North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Thursday, a U.S. defense official said. Speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a foreign military operation, the official said that the missiles were believed to be Rodong medium-range ballistic missiles, which were fired from a road-mobile missile vehicle. It appeared […]
‘Sexually suggestive’ relationship ends career of Air Force general who ran air war
The Air Force has fired one of its most senior generals after an investigation into whether he had an affair with a married female officer found that they had exchanged emails that were “sexually suggestive.” Lt. Gen. John Hesterman was removed from his position as Air Force assistant vice chief of staff, service spokeswoman Anne […]
Promotion denied for Navy admiral accused of punishing whistleblowers
The Navy has denied promotion to the admiral in charge of its elite SEAL teams, effectively ending his military career, after multiple investigations found that he had retaliated against whistleblowers. Officials said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, under pressure from Congress, decided this week to reject Rear Adm. Brian L. Losey’s pending promotion to become a […]
Why Bowe Bergdahl wanted to prove to the world he wasn’t a failure
Bowe Bergdahl’s lawyers on Wednesday released a transcript of an interview between Bergdahl and an Army investigating officer that stretched over two days. In the transcript, the Bergdahl reflects on his childhood, his dissolution with military leadership in Afghanistan and the moment the Taliban captured him. Here are some of the most striking excerpts from […]
‘It was too late to return.’ New glimpse into Bowe Bergdahl desertion case emerges.
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl told the senior investigating officer in his closely watched desertion case that he had mixed feelings about deliberately leaving his infantry platoon’s base in Afghanistan, but felt like he could not go back because he could mistaken for a Taliban fighter, according to the newly released transcript of the interview in […]
Honduran farmers to Finnish motorcycle gangs: Where U.S. smugglers illegally send their guns
Arms trafficking from within the United States, long thought to be relegated to gun-running for Mexican drug cartels, is far more extensive than previously thought, according to a new report by a weapons research group released Wednesday. The report, published by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, examines more than 150 court cases involving arms trafficking from within […]
Navy admiral: In Southeast Asia, a belief that ‘might makes right’ has returned
The Navy’s top admiral in the Pacific said Tuesday that there is a “palpable sense” in the region that “might makes right” has taken root as a philosophy — and he warned that the present chaos in the Middle East, eastern Europe and northern Africa may be an example of what the future could hold. […]
Iran just made another claim about the Navy sailors it detained. Add it to the list.
An Iranian naval commander said Tuesday that Iran retrieved thousands of pages of information from devices used by U.S. sailors who were briefly detained in January. The claim, published by Iranian state media, marks the latest example of how the authorities in Tehran has kept an incident considered embarrassing to the United States in the […]
A Marine’s Convictions: What military law experts say could happen next in Maj. Mark Thompson’s case
Hundreds of thousands of readers riveted by the stunning twists in Marine Maj. Mark Thompson’s story have asked the same question: What happens next? So, I asked four experts in military law to give me their predictions. Their answers are fascinating — and packed with spoilers, so if you haven’t read the story yet, follow […]
The Islamic State’s ‘Emir of War’ dies of wounds suffered in U.S. airstrike
Abu Omar al-Shishani, one of the Islamic State’s top commanders, has died of his wounds suffered from a U.S. airstrike in Syria earlier this month, according to the Pentagon and activist groups in the region. “We assess he’s dead,” U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria, wrote […]
Pain on the open road: How elite Marine Raiders are remembering their fallen friends
NAVARRE, Fla. – Destiny Flynn pressed east down the blacktop of Highway 98 here Friday, leaning forward to support her heavy green rucksack. She wore camouflage pants, hiking boots, sunglasses and a damp, gray T-shirt, her long brown hair tied back in a single, dark braid. The fingers on her hands began to swell as […]
Tank-destroying missiles bound for U.S. discovered on passenger flight, news reports say
Bomb-sniffing dogs apparently discovered two U.S-made anti-tank Hellfire missiles on a passenger plane at Belgrade Airport in Serbia over the weekend, according to a report in the Associated Press. The live missiles were found Saturday, and according to media reports had been transported on an Air Serbia flight that had come from Beirut. According to shipping documents, the explosive payload […]
Former commander: the U.S. military needs to do more in Afghanistan
The outgoing commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan pressed civilian leaders in the months before he left Kabul to expand the American role there, shedding light on what he called a slow and inefficient decision-making process as he prepares to retire. Gen. John F. Campbell declined to detail the recommendations he had made […]
Why sex assault reports have spiked at the Naval Academy, West Point and the Air Force Academy
It’s been four years since two female students accused a U.S. Naval Academy teacher, Marine Maj. Mark Thompson, of having sex with them amid a drunken night of strip poker at his Annapolis home. The flawed investigation that followed — closely examined in a story this week by The Washington Post — shined light on […]
Commander of U.S. forces in Korea tapped to lead European Command
U.S. Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the current commander of U.S. forces in Korea, will be nominated to helm U.S. European Command and act as the Supreme Allied Commander for NATO, Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter announced in a statement Friday. “General Scaparrotti’s most recent assignment as Commander, US Forces Korea, further demonstrated his excellence […]
U.S. rocket artillery based in Jordan is being used to strike Islamic State targets in Syria
The Pentagon acknowledged Friday that ground-based rocket artillery fired from Jordan was used to strike targets in southern Syria last week, marking an expansion to U.S. ground operations in the war against the Islamic State. Col. Steven Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in the region said that a small detachment of U.S. High Mobility Artillery […]
Wounded Warrior Project executives fired amid controversy
The board of the Wounded Warrior Project, one of the largest veteran support organizations in the country, has fired the nonprofit’s chief executive officer and the chief operating officer, according to a public relations release sent on behalf the embattled organization. The departure of two top executives, CEO Steven Nardizzi and COO Al Giordano comes at a time […]
Captured ISIS chemical weapons manufacturer transferred to Iraqi custody
Sulayman Dawud al-Bakkar, an Islamic State fighter apparently responsible for manufacturing chemical weapons, was transferred to Iraqi custody Thursday after being held by U.S. forces for roughly a month. Al-Bakkar, also known as Abu Dawud, was captured in U.S. special operations raid in February. The raid was carried out by the Expeditionary Targeting Force–a unit that was […]
How big is opposition to women in combat units among Marines? This report explains.
A survey of nearly 54,000 members of the Marine Corps found that two out of three male Marines and one out of three female Marines were opposed to opening all combat jobs to women, underscoring the depth of opposition the service faces as it is required to begin fully integrating them this year. The survey […]
Central Command nominee may push for additional revisions to Afghanistan exit
President Obama’s nominee to head U.S. Central Command said on Wednesday he would recommend extending the U.S. mission in Afghanistan if local forces don’t improve their record against the Taliban and other militants. Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel, who currently heads U.S. Special Operations Command, said during his confirmation hearing that the U.S. military may not […]
U.S. special operations forces conduct helicopter raid in Somalia
U.S. Special Operations Forces conducted a joint U.S.-Somali helicopter raid against the terror group al-Shabab in Somalia Tuesday, according to a senior U.S. defense official. It is unclear what the outcome of the raid was. The defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the operation because it had not been made […]
Islamic State captive in Iraq may provide intelligence on chemical weapons capability
U.S. officials are questioning an Islamic State operative being held in American custody in Iraq regarding the group’s chemical weapons capability, a defense official said on Wednesday. U.S. Special Operations forces captured the operative, an Iraqi citizen who is believed to have worked for the Iraqi government under former leader Saddam Hussein, close to a […]
Navy and Air Force launch helicopter rescue mission for downed plane in Iraq
Navy helicopters carrying Air Force para-rescuemen carried out a combat search and rescue mission for an Army reconnaissance plane that crashed in Iraq on Saturday, securing the site and providing some medical aid to those involved, the Navy’s top admiral said Tuesday. The mission was launched from the city of Irbil in northern Iraq, the […]
Veil of secrecy lifted on Pentagon office planning ‘Avatar’ fighters and drone swarms
High over Alaska last summer, the Pentagon experimented with new, secret prototypes: Micro-drones that can be launched from the flare dispensers of moving F-16s and F/A-18 fighter jets. Canisters containing the tiny aircraft descended from the jets on parachutes before breaking open, allowing wings on each drone to swing out and catch the wind. Inch-wide […]
Watch Perdix, the secretive Pentagon program dropping tiny drones from jets
The Pentagon’s secretive Strategic Capabilities Office has been testing micro-drones that can be dropped from moving fighter jets for nearly two years — and for the first time, there is video to show it. The Pentagon released a 2014 clip of the program’s testing to The Washington Post and allowed the newspaper to photograph the […]
Top ISIS leader potentially killed in airstrike, Pentagon official says
Abu Omar al-Shishani, a top Islamic State leader, may have been killed in a coalition airstrike near a strategic town in Syria last week, according to a Pentagon official. The Pentagon was still confirming Shishani’s death, said the defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made public. The official said that another 12 […]
‘The military is not his palace guards,’ retired three-star general says of Donald Trump
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling says he had “a visceral response” to some of the rhetoric Donald Trump unleashed during the most recent Republican debate. But the statement that really concerned him, Hertling told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Monday, came when Trump told debate moderator Bret Baier that there’s no way U.S. service members would refuse […]
U.S. airstrike kills more than 150 at Somalia terrorist camp, military says
A U.S. airstrike killed more than 150 people in an attack aimed at the terrorist group al-Shabab in Somalia, according to Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. The drone strike occurred on Saturday and hit the Raso training camp approximately 120 miles north of Mogadishu, the capital. According to a senior defense official who spoke on the condition […]
This advanced Army reconnaissance plane just crashed in northern Iraq
An advanced U.S. Army reconnaissance aircraft crash-landed in a field outside of Irbil in Iraqi Kurdistan on Saturday morning. A statement from the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq confirmed the crash as an “off-airport emergency landing in a field northwest of Irbil.” None of the four passengers were injured, and the aircraft has been secured by U.S. and Kurdish forces. According […]
Trump backs down from waterboarding comments, says he won’t ask troops to violate law
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump backed down Friday from claims that he would order the U.S. military to waterboard militants and carry out other acts that violate international law, as the top general in the U.S. military was asked to weigh in on Trump’s previous remarks. Trump, the Republican front-runner, has said repeatedly that he […]
Analysis: Keanu Reeves knows how to handle a firearm
The little hand says it’s time to rock n’ roll. Well, there’s no little hand because it’s a shot timer, but as soon as the buzzer sounds, John Wick, aka an older Johnny Utah, aka Keanu Reeves proceeds to run through a course of fire that involves neck chopping a dummy, firing a 12 gauge shotgun […]
Meet LightningStrike, DARPA’s planned new vertical takeoff aircraft
It takes off vertically, relying on two-dozen fans to soar over the countryside and change directions quickly. It uses generators to boost power, creating what is said to be an unusually efficient design. And it can fly up to 460 mph, faster than the MV-22 Osprey, another rotary aircraft that the U.S. military now touts […]
Divers just found a torpedo that was likely used during a daring U-boat raid
British divers found an unexploded 22-foot long torpedo during a routine seabed survey in the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland late last week. According to the BBC, it is now thought likely to have once belonged to a legendary WWII-era German submarine, or U-boat. “Now that we know that the torpedo is German, we believe it […]
Navy aircraft carrier group moves into contested South China Sea
The U.S. Navy has dispatched an aircraft carrier and several ships accompanying it into the South China Sea in the last few days, a deployment of thousands of U.S. sailors to a region a top U.S. admiral said last week is increasingly militarized by China. The USS John C. Stennis, the carrier, arrived in the […]
The latest Medal of Honor recipient wants to go back to war. Why that’s a rarity.
On Monday, Navy Senior Chief Edward Byers was awarded the nation’s highest combat honor for his role in a hostage rescue mission. Byers is believed to be first service member to ever earn the Medal of Honor while assigned to the secretive SEAL Team 6. But it is his plans for the future that could make him […]
In new letter, Republican foreign policy experts declare war on Trump
In a last-ditch effort to stop Donald Trump’s likely nomination as the Republican Party’s candidate for president, a group of more than 50 conservative foreign policy experts have banded together in an open letter condemning the real estate magnate as unfit for the office. From stating that he’ll make Japan — a close U.S. ally — pay for its […]
The U.S. and India are deepening military ties — and China is watching
The U.S. military’s top officer in the Pacific urged Indian officials Wednesday to pursue even closer military ties with the United States — part of a broader effort by the Pentagon to strengthen a relatively new partnership in the region, as China expands its military footprint in ways that alarm its neighbors. Adm. Harry Harris, […]
In a rare deployment, B-52 bombers head to Europe for training exercises
Three B-52 Stratofortress bombers deployed to Europe last week to participate in a series of training exercises in Norway, a move that the top U.S. commander for the region called “not normal.” Since Russia’s incursion into Ukraine in 2014, the United States has steadily increased the use of heavy bombers in joint exercises across the […]
Osama bin Laden in secret speech: I know why U.S. soldiers commit suicide
A newly released trove of documents confiscated from the Pakistani home in which al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy SEALs includes a speech that notes a spike in suicides among U.S. troops because of the brutality of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The documents, kept secret by the Office of the Director […]
Mapped: Russian airstrikes in Syria post-cease-fire
Russian airstrikes continued in Syria despite a shaky truce between factions fighting on the ground, according to a report published Monday. Though said to be hitting terrorist factions, some strikes have reportedly struck U.S.-backed opposition groups. The report, written by the Institute for the Study of War, compiles data based on open-source data including “local Syrian activist networks, Syrian state-run media, and […]
This graphic shows how Navy SEAL Edward Byers earned the Medal of Honor
On Monday, President Obama draped the Medal of Honor around the neck of Navy Senior Chief Edward C. Byers Jr., a Navy SEAL involved in the daring December 2012 rescue of an American doctor who had been taken hostage by the Taliban. Then the Navy released the graphic above, detailing some specifics of a mission […]
Pentagon developing plans for expanded U.S. role against Islamic State in Iraq
The U.S. military is developing proposals for augmenting the American role in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq, senior Pentagon officials said on Monday, as plans take shape for a battle to reclaim the city of Mosul. Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, said he expected the U.S. […]
Former JSOC commander tapped to lead Special Operations Command
Lt. Gen. Raymond “Tony” Thomas has been officially appointed to lead Special Operations Command, Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter announced Monday. “General Thomas has big boots to fill, but he has proven himself — as a soldier, special operator and leader, time and time again over the course of his illustrative career,” Carter said […]
A SEAL Team 6 member must step out of the shadows to receive the Medal of Honor
In the darkness of a single-room building in Afghanistan, Navy Senior Chief Edward C. Byers Jr. had little time to react: A fellow Navy SEAL had just been shot in the head during a hostage rescue mission, and it wasn’t clear who else in the room wanted to kill the American team. Byers burst in anyway, […]
I see my old battalion assigned to Helmand again and I wonder: What is the point?
The Pentagon recently announced that an undisclosed number of U.S. soldiers will be sent to Helmand province in southern Afghanistan in a “force protection” role. It’s a minor story, perhaps, considering the overall number of troops deployed to Afghanistan is not expected to increase beyond 9,800 and the troops will replace a unit already there. […]
WATCH: U.S.-made missile goes up against one of Russia’s most advanced tanks
In a video posted to YouTube Friday, Syrian rebels appear to have filmed themselves firing for the first time a U.S.-made TOW anti-tank missile at a Russian T-90 tank. According to the video’s caption, the TOW strike occurred in the Syrian town of Sheikh Aqil, a suburb just northwest of Aleppo. The BGM-71 TOW is an aging […]
Meet the B-21, the newly unveiled Air Force bomber of the future
America’s next long-range strike bomber is now officially called the B-21. Not to be confused with the B-2, the B-52, or the BM-21 Russian-made multiple rocket launch system. Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James made the announcement Friday at the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. According to a report in Reuters, […]
The lessons I learned fighting in Iraq are lost on the GOP candidates
When I was 22, I voted for George W. Bush. In a post-Clinton world, Al Gore had no chance with a soon-to-be Army infantry officer like me. In 2000, it was simply accepted as fact among my peers: America should be strong on defense. Clinton tried to destroy the military. Bush would restore it. “Clinton […]
On the road to retake Raqqa, U.S.-backed forces have surrounded key Syrian town, Pentagon chief says
U.S.-backed forces fighting in northeastern Syria have encircled a key Syrian town occupied by the Islamic State, Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter said Thursday. The battle to retake the town of Shaddadi is part of the Pentagon’s plan to “sever the last major northern artery between Raqqa and Mosul,” Carter said to members of a House Appropriations subcommittee. Raqqa […]
51 companies, 20 countries: Where ISIS gets its bomb making materials
One of the cornerstones of the Islamic State’s arsenal is undoubtedly the improvised explosive device, or IED. And as the group attempts to hold what territory it has in Iraq and Syria, it has become a staple of the group’s defensive and offensive capabilities. The modern IED came of age during the early years of the last Iraq War, […]
Serbia says a U.S. strike in Libya killed two of its diplomats; here’s why the Pentagon thinks it didn’t
The U.S. military believes that an air strike against the Islamic State in Libya last week did not kill two kidnapped Serbian diplomats, as Belgrade has asserted, and instead suspects the Westerners were kidnapped by a separate criminal group that killed the foreigners and tried to pass off their deaths. Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, […]
ISIS attacks spike in Syria with help from Russian air cover, report says
The Islamic State has been taking advantage of Russian airstrikes in Syria, using the newfound air cover to maneuver and reposition fighters, according to a report released by IHS Janes’ Terrorism and Insurgency Center on Wednesday. Despite losing ground in Iraq and being targeted by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in both Iraq and Syria, the extremist group […]
The enduring mystery of who shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 nearly two years ago
On July 17 2014, Malaysian Airways flight MH17, a Boeing 777 loaded with almost 300 passengers and crew was on a routine flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was struck by a surface-to-air missile over eastern Ukraine. Everyone aboard was killed. Heavy fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatists around the crash site, lack of […]
‘Acronyms kill, ma’am’: One admiral’s wisecrack about military abbreviations
The U.S. military’s top officer overseeing operations in the Pacific cut to the heart Tuesday of something that has both perplexed and amused people who have been in and around the U.S. military for years: the difficulty in keeping up with an ever-changing alphabet soup of acronyms. Adm. Harry Harris, chief of U.S. Pacific Command, […]
This highly advanced U.S.-made anti-tank missile could now be on Syria’s frontlines
A picture of a U.S.-made advanced anti-tank missile, apparently in the hands of a group Kurdish forces fighting near the northern Syrian town of Shaddadi, was posted to social media Tuesday. If confirmed, it would be one of the first documented uses of a FGM-148 Javelin in the war against the Islamic State and a marked escalation […]
‘Virtually no progress’ on making Obama’s lethal drone strike policy more transparent, report says
Almost three years after President Obama highlighted the United States’ growing dependence on drone strikes to prosecute its wars, his administration’s policy on their use remains largely obscure, according to a new report published by the Stimson Center. In May 2013, in a speech at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., Obama announced that “clear […]
Russia wants to fly more spy planes over the U.S., and the Pentagon can’t stop it
Russia filed a request Monday to fly a spy plane carrying advanced digital cameras over the United States. The move presents the United States with a dilemma: How does Washington respond at a time when Moscow and Washington are at odds over Syria and Ukraine and senior U.S. defense officials have identified Russia as the […]
Afghan army abandons three bases in Helmand province
In an apparent bid to bolster security in other parts of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, the Afghan army abandoned a number of its bases in two hard-fought districts over the weekend, according to a report from the Afghan news outlet TOLO News. The three bases were located in the districts of Musa Qala and Now Zad, two […]
Report: U.S. aircraft carriers ‘unchallenged primacy may be coming to a close’
The United States’ aircraft carriers have always been an almost untouchable deterrent, steel behemoths capable of projecting the full weight of the U.S. military wherever they deploy. Yet while many militaries could never hope to match the U.S. carrier fleet in size and strength, countries such as China, Iran and Russia have spent recent years adjusting their forces […]
Bowe Bergdahl’s mental disorder identified in new ‘Serial’ podcast episode
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl exhibited symptoms of a mental condition known as schizotypal personality disorder at the time that he chose to walk away from his platoon’s base in Afghanistan in 2009 and was subsequently captured, according to a new episode of the podcast “Serial” released Friday. It marks the first time that a specific […]
This is the ISIS militant the U.S. might have just killed in Libya
The Islamic State militant thought to be killed in a Friday morning airstrike in Libya was reportedly linked to several major terrorist attacks in Tunisia last year. U.S. officials said Noureddine Chouchane, a Tunisian member of the extremist group, helped train militants who launched a deadly attack on a Tunis museum last year and another at a […]
B-1 bombers are no longer flying over Iraq and Syria
The U.S. Air force’s lumbering swing-wing bomber, the B-1B Lancer, is taking a back seat in the air campaign against the Islamic State. Lt. Gen. Charles Q. Brown, commander of the Air Force’s Central Command, told reporters Thursday that the B-1s had been redeployed back to the United States for scheduled upgrades to the aircraft’s cockpits. [The […]
What happens when Marines go to Norway? ‘The Fast and the Furious’ on ice. In tanks.
U.S. Marines are operating in an Arctic nation this month — an effort that includes learning to “drift” 60-ton M1A1 Abrams tanks like they’re part of “The Fast and The Furious” movie franchise. The training is one of the more novel aspects of Cold Response 2016, a joint military exercise beginning this month in Norway that […]
Navy ships and submarines to carry new anti-ship Tomahawk missile, report says
In the next decade, U.S. ships and submarines capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles will likely be fitted with a variant specifically designed to hit enemy ships up to 1,000 miles away, according to a report published in the U.S. Naval Institute News. Vice Adm. Joseph Mulloy, deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources […]
Pentagon: Russia knows where U.S. special forces are in Syria
A top U.S. general said Thursday that the Pentagon has informed Russia of where U.S. special operations forces are operating in Syria. Air Force CENTCOM commander Lt. Gen. Charles Q. Brown told reporters that the United States had outlined to the Russians where the U.S. forces are operating in “not specific areas, but firmly broad […]
Who was Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the one-eyed militant the U.S. tried to kill for two decades?
Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the elusive leader of al-Qaeda in Africa, has avoided capture by the U.S. military and its allies since 2003. Last year, U.S. authorities announced they had targeted Belmokhtar in an airstrike in Libya. But eight months later, officials still question whether he truly died in the attack. [Read: U.S. planes target al-Qaeda veteran in […]
Will the Navy test its futuristic rail gun at sea this year? Not so fast.
Two years ago, the Navy announced that it would test its futuristic rail gun in 2016 aboard a Joint High Speed Vessel, a new transport ship for which top admirals envision a variety of missions. The test would mark the first time the electromagnetic weapon—capable of firing rounds up to Mach 7—would be fired at […]
The U.S. government thought it had killed this legendary militant. Now it’s not so sure.
Officials at Joint Special Operations Command had found the uncatchable man — they were sure of it. Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the legendary Algerian militant, had eluded capture across North Africa and the Sahel for a dozen years, defying reports of his death to continue his campaign of kidnappings and guerrilla attacks. The United States and its […]
Pentagon: Iraqi units move into Kurdistan in prep for battle of Mosul
Parts of the Iraqi Army’s 15th division, a unit of around 1,000 soldiers, have moved into Iraqi Kurdistan in recent days, according to a senior U.S. military official. Army Col. Steve Warren, the Baghdad-based spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, confirmed to reporters that the unit’s headquarters element had arrived at the Kurdish frontline position in […]
These are the surface-to-air missiles China just apparently deployed into the South China Sea
China has apparently deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system onto a disputed island in the South China Sea, according to U.S. and Taiwanese officials. The deployment was first reported by Fox News after Fox obtained satellite imagery detailing the equipment on the eastern part of Woody Island in the Paracel Island chain. In late January, a U.S. […]
The U.S.-funded Afghan air force is growing. So are civilian casualties it causes.
The Afghan air force is poised to take a major step forward in 2016 with the initial deployment of the A-29 Super Tucano, an attack plane bought by the Pentagon to give the Afghan military the ability to drop bombs in combat. But before the plane has flown a single combat mission, a new report […]
Marine Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer endorses Ted Cruz for President
Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer, a Scout Sniper and the recipient of the nation’s highest award for battlefield valor, the Medal of Honor, endorsed Texas senator Ted Cruz for president Tuesday. Cruz, a leading GOP presidential candidate, announced the endorsement in a release, adding that Meyer will accompany the senator at a number of scheduled campaign events […]
As focus remains on Syria, Ukraine sees heaviest fighting in months
As world powers focus on freezing the conflict in Syria, the war in Ukraine continues unabated. According to international monitoring organizations and soldiers on the front, the fighting has reached levels not seen in months. On Monday, three Ukrainian soldiers were killed and six were wounded, according to a tweet from Col. Oleksander Motuzyank, a military spokesman […]
How elite Marines will ‘bring home’ their fallen friends from a horrific helicopter crash
A year ago in March, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter descended into soupy fog off the coast of the Florida Panhandle and never returned. The helicopter crashed into water southwest of Eglin Air Force Base, killing all seven elite Special Operations Marines and all four Louisiana National Guardsmen aboard. The incident sent shock waves through […]
GAO denies Boeing’s protest of stealth bomber award
The Government Accountability Office on Tuesday denied a protest of the $80 billion contract awarded to Northrop Grumman to build the Air Force’s next-generation bomber, allowing the program to proceed. Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which had teamed up to bid on the project, had argued that the Air Force’s selection process was “fundamentally flawed.” But […]
Watch DARPA’s new turbo mini-drone fly 45 mph in warehouse testing
What weighs just a couple of pounds, zooms through indoor environments at 45 mph and could someday help U.S. combat troops fight in urban environments? The turbo mini-drones under research by the military agency devoted to investigating disruptive technologies. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently tested quad-copters loaded with sensors and cameras at […]
Air Force removes senior official from job, calls for probe of ties to Northrop Grumman
A longtime senior official in the Air Force has been removed from his job by the service secretary after he disclosed that he had not reported his wife’s ties to the defense contractor Northrop Grumman before he was selected to be one of the service’s senior weapons buyers. Richard W. Lombardi was removed as the […]
Military hazing is often horrifying — and the Pentagon has no idea how often it happens
Five years ago, 21-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew kept falling asleep while on guard duty, a major gaffe for an infantryman in a war zone. His sergeant told two other Marines in his unit that “peers correct peers,” and so Lew was punched, kicked and forced to do pushups, crunches and other exercises in […]
U.S. Arab allies pledge ground troops to battle Islamic State
BRUSSELS — Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter has secured renewed pledges of more airstrikes and special operations forces from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the fight against the Islamic State, further raising the Arab profile in the U.S.-led effort. The two countries promised to restart now-stalled air campaigns against the Islamic State, […]
Make women eligible for the draft? No, new legislation says: Ditch the system entirely.
The Pentagon opening all jobs in combat units to female service members has raised the question of whether women should be required to register for any future military draft. But a handful of congressmen have another proposal: Why not eliminate the Selective Service System that handles military drafts altogether? Reps. Mike Coffman (R.-Colo.), Peter DeFazio (D.-Ore.), Dana […]
Pentagon chief tries to galvanize allies to accelerate ISIS fight
BRUSSELS–Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter addressed more than two dozen defense ministers here Thursday in a bid to hasten the defeat of the Islamic State. “I believe today’s discussion will spur each of us to do more, and to consider how we can align our resources more effectively with our strategy,” Carter said during his opening […]
Obama’s tenure set to close by spending $59 billion through Pentagon ‘slush fund’
Seven years ago, President Obama took over the White House with a promise to end what he called the “abuse of supplemental budgets” that were used to to not only fund U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but a variety of other efforts that had little to do with them. But as the president […]
NATO says it’s adding a significant number of troops in Eastern Europe
BRUSSELS–In a move sure to anger Russia, NATO announced on Wednesday firm plans to deploy a significant number of troops into Eastern Europe. After a day of meeting with alliance members, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made the announcement during a press conference. Though he was vague on details, he added that final decisions regarding the make-up of the […]
At NATO, Pentagon chief says alliance is now a deterrent, needs more from allies in ISIS fight
BRUSSELS—Long thought to be on its last legs, NATO is set to become a regional deterrent thanks to a proposed influx of U.S. spending and equipment, Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter announced Tuesday. Carter’s stance on a reinvigorated NATO comes ahead of scheduled NATO and counter-Islamic State meetings here in the coming days. The first, on Wednesday, will assess the […]
This general ‘takes umbrage’ at the notion the U.S. military has been gutted
On the presidential campaign trail, the U.S. military is frequently cast as a victim. Gov. Jeb Bush (R.-Fla.) has insisted that “every weapon system has been gutted” by the Obama administration. Donald Trump has said that “our military is a disaster.” And Ben Carson suggested during a debate that the Marines are not ready to […]
In the Pentagon’s new budget, the Air Force won and the Navy and Army lost
The U.S. government released its proposed $4 trillion budget for fiscal 2017 on Tuesday, and the Pentagon’s slice of the pie is about $582.7 billion. That represents less than a 1 percent increase over the $580.3 billion budget for fiscal 2016 at a time when the U.S. military is balancing operations in Iraq, Syria and […]
Female Marines may be allowed to bulk up as service opens infantry to women
As the Pentagon grapples with how to integrate women into all jobs in combat, the Marine Corps is considering something new: Boosting how heavy it allows women to be so that they are able to bulk up in the gym to carry heavy loads more easily. Commandant Gen. Robert B. Neller, the service’s top officer, […]
Music videos and mortars: What the frontline near the ISIS stronghold of Mosul looks like
GWER, Iraq—The Peshmerga call it the Hill of the Doshka, named after the first heavy machine gun that once overlooked this lazy bend in the Great Zab river and the town below where the Kurds fought Saddam Hussein’s army in 2003. Now the hill is taller, built up by excavators to fight the Islamic State […]
This Navy SEAL shielded a hostage from the Taliban. Now he’ll get the Medal of Honor.
After more than four hours of moving across the rocky, hill-studded terrain of eastern Afghanistan, Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward C. Byers and other commandos from the Navy’s elite SEAL Team Six were within 100 feet of their objective: an American aid worker held hostage by the Taliban. It was Dec. 8, 2012, and three days earlier, a […]
What mountaineers can teach the Marines about how to integrate women
I joined the Marine Corps in 1995 – after a failed winter attempt to summit the Grand Teton in Wyoming. Our team climbed to 11,000 feet before bad weather forced us to hunker down. Forty-eight hours later, we retreated in the face of extreme avalanche conditions. Our team belonged to the Ohio State University mountaineering […]
Kansas man pledged allegiance to ISIS, planned to detonate car bomb at Army base
A 21-year-old Kansas man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to attempting to detonate what he thought was a 1,000 pound ammonium nitrate bomb on the Fort Riley Army base in Manhattan, Kansas. John Booker of Topeka was netted in an FBI sting in 2014 when he was introduced to an FBI informant, who eventually led Booker to another informant. […]
All the ways the F-35 is screwed up, according to the Pentagon’s top weapons tester
The Pentagon’s top weapons tester has condemned aspects of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program in a new report, raising questions about the $1.5-trillion effort’s ability to meet its already slipped production schedule, synthesize information on the battlefield and keep aircraft available to fly. The 82-page report was distributed to Congress last month, and released […]
Report: Russian sub activity returns to Cold War levels
The Russian submarine fleet has returned to the North Atlantic with such gusto that NATO sub commanders are reporting “more activity from Russian submarines than we’ve seen since the days of the Cold War,” according to a top NATO admiral. Royal Navy Vice Adm. Clive Johnstone, speaking aboard a Spanish frigate at the end of last […]
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