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September 03, 2010 - There are now enough resources in Afghanistan to deliver "tangible and lasting results," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a joint news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai here today.
August 26, 2010 - The Defense Logistics Agency is taking steps to cut costs and boost efficiency as part of a larger effort to reform the way the Pentagon does business, defense officials said today.
August 24, 2010 - Pentagon officials today mailed out 150,000 new "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" surveys, this time seeking input from military spouses about the potential repeal of the law that bars gay men and lesbians from serving openly, officials said.
August 23, 2010 - Air Force Undersecretary and chief management officer Erin C. Conaton is encouraging civilian and military employees to share their money saving ideas online at www.defense.gov/invest.
August 20, 2010 - Considered a battlefield curiosity just a few years ago, biometrics has become recognized as a vital warfighting capability.
August 20, 2010 - Pentagon officials today released the Defense Department’s final review of recommendations issued by an independent panel in the wake of the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting spree on Fort Hood, Texas.
August 12, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has ordered a thorough force structure review of the Marine Corps to determine what an expeditionary force in readiness should look like in the 21st century.
August 11, 2010 - Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis brings a wealth of experience in the Middle East to his new assignment as the commander of U.S. Central Command here, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
August 10, 2010 - The efficiency initiatives Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced yesterday are just part of a drive that has been moving since the secretary took office, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
August 09, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today presided over a ceremony at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency that put in place the first woman to head a major U.S. intelligence agency.
August 07, 2010 - When Iraqi forces began pouring over the border into neighboring Kuwait, most Americans would have had a hard time finding the country on a map.
August 06, 2010 - The Defense Department is demanding that WikiLeaks immediately return the stolen military documents in its possession, including 15,000 documents that the website has not yet published, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said here yesterday.
August 06, 2010 - The Senate unanimously confirmed Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis as commander of U.S. Central Command.
August 05, 2010 - In response to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' effort to find efficiencies throughout the services, National Guard officials are taking a hard look at how they operate.
August 04, 2010 - Defense Department officials must plan to maintain recent additions to the ground forces for the foreseeable future and boost their long-range strike, maritime and cyber capability to confront global trends and threats.
August 03, 2010 - President Barack Obama’s nominee as assistant secretary of defense for health affairs told Congress today he’ll strive to improve the medical system that serves military members and their families.
August 01, 2010 - Conditions on the ground in Afghanistan will determine when, and to what degree, U.S. forces in that country will draw down, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
August 01, 2010 - The WikiLeaks whistleblower website is morally guilty of putting people’s lives at risk by making public tens of thousands of classified U.S. military documents, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
July 29, 2010 - A congressionally mandated panel has recommended broad changes to long-term Defense Department strategies and priorities, including funding a major recapitalization of equipment.
July 29, 2010 - The Utah National Guard's 141st Military Intelligence Battalion will deploy to Iraq in a few weeks with 83 soldiers who have earned Eagle Scout badges from the Boy Scouts of America.
July 28, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates shared his personal experiences and passion for Boy Scouting July 28 with tens of thousands of Scouts and their families gathered for the 100th anniversary celebration of the Boy Scouts of America.
July 28, 2010 - Eligible servicemembers and veterans have less than three months to apply for Retroactive "Stop Loss" Special Pay.
July 27, 2010 - The Defense Department is committed to protecting Guam’s infrastructure and resources, and will adjust the pace of incoming U.S. troops to match the island’s ability to accommodate them, the deputy defense secretary said here today.
July 22, 2010 - When Sharon E. Burke was sworn in earlier this month as the Pentagon’s first director of operational energy plans and programs, her mission was clear: reduce the amount of energy needed in war zones.
July 22, 2010 - Caring for wounded and injured servicemembers is among the highest priorities for officials within the Defense Department, the acting deputy assistant defense secretary for clinical and program policy told Congress today.
July 21, 2010 - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced new measures designed to bolster efforts to prevent North Korean weapons proliferation, curb the illicit activities that fund its weapons programs and discourage further provocative actions.
July 20, 2010 - Tour lengths for servicemembers assigned to South Korea and the Army's deployment cycles were on the minds of Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division's 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team when they met with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates here today.
July 19, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here tonight for a visit intended to underscore the U.S. commitment to South Korea and provide framework for further strengthening the alliance between the two nations.
July 16, 2010 - Sending North Korea a strong message of deterrence and underscoring the strength of the U.S.-South Korean alliance are key aims of an upcoming visit to South Korea by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Pentagon officials said here yesterday.
July 16, 2010 - Defense Department officials have the opportunity to save billions of taxpayer dollars through acquisitions reform, but only if they grow their workforce with the right federal workers in place to oversee contracts.
July 15, 2010 - The Defense Department has the opportunity to save billions of taxpayer dollars through acquisitions reform, but only if it grows its workforce with the right federal workers in place to oversee contracts, a senior Pentagon official said today.
July 14, 2010 - Because Congress has yet to pass a supplemental funding bill, the Defense Department must start taking measures to ensure uninterrupted war operations, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
July 13, 2010 - The military has more than enough large transport planes, and the appropriation of any more in the next budget year will force some into premature retirement, Defense Department officials told a congressional panel today.
July 08, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today recommended Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis to be the next commander of U.S. Central Command.
July 07, 2010 - At noon today, Defense Department officials e-mailed surveys to 400,000 servicemembers as part of a special review to prepare the military for a potential repeal of the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that bans gays and lesbians from openly serving,
July 06, 2010 - In a memo to senior civilian and military leaders, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates reiterated the need for leaders to take media engagement seriously, and to stay within their levels of knowledge.
July 01, 2010 - India is an increasingly important partner to the United States, and the relationship between the nations is maturing, a top Defense Department policy official said today.
June 28, 2010 - When the National Intrepid Center of Excellence opened its doors here last week, the sense of hope in reversing the rising tide of brain injuries and psychological illness in servicemembers was palpable.
June 25, 2010 - America exists and prospers because members of the U.S. armed forces step forward and protect it, former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.
June 24, 2010 - Three F-16 Fighting Falcons are scheduled to arrive in Pakistan June 26 with 15 more to be delivered later this year and next, said Maj. Todd Robbins.
June 23, 2010 - President Barack Obama today accepted Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's resignation as the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, calling it the right decision for national security.
June 22, 2010 - Top U.S. and military leaders took part in a roundtable discussion with parents at the elementary school here today to gain greater insight into the education challenges military families face.
June 17, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is concerned about emerging public pessimism and cynicism regarding the outcome of U.S. operations in Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said here today.
June 16, 2010 - The Defense Department stands firmly behind the new Strategic Arms Control and National Security Treaty.
June 16, 2010 - President Barack Obama's directive calling for the start of a conditions-based drawdown of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in July 2011 shouldn't be considered as an exit date.
June 14, 2010 - U.S. and Canadian servicemembers are working side by side in defense of North America and fighting side by side in defense of freedom in Afghanistan. Now officials want to expand that cooperation to the cyberworld.
June 14, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates helped to celebrate the Army’s 235th birthday today at a Pentagon courtyard ceremony and imparted a message for its leadership to always make time to listen to what their troops have to say.
June 11, 2010 - Support for the mission in Afghanistan from allies and partners has increased steadily in the past year, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
June 11, 2010 - After attending NATO defense ministerial meetings in Brussels, Belgium, today Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates discussed Afghanistan and NATO reform, among other topics, with reporters.
June 10, 2010 - U.S. and Pakistani defense officials wrapped up a four-day session in Pakistan today aimed at expanding the two countries’ defense relationship to address current and future threats.
June 09, 2010 - With recruiting on pace to exceed goals, the increased numbers may help to ease attrition problems that have plagued the Afghan army and police, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
June 06, 2010 - Soon after he addressed a major Asia security summit in Singapore yesterday, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates elaborated on current issues involving North Korea and China in an interview with BBC’s Nick Childs.
June 05, 2010 - The top defense officials of the United States, Japan and South Korea today pledged their nations’ continued solidarity in the aftermath of North Korea’s sinking of the freighter Cheonan on March 26 that killed 46 South Korean sailors.
June 05, 2010 - Asian nations must act in the face of provocations as part of their responsibility to preserve peace and reinforce regional stability, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
June 02, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today embarked on a five-nation trip that will begin with his participation in a major Asian security conference in Singapore.
June 02, 2010 - Department of Defense officials have certified that six acquisition programs, including the F-35 Lightning II and the DDG-1000 destroyer, should continue under Nunn-McCurdy legislation.
May 28, 2010 - The United States and Japan agreed yesterday to relocate a controversial U.S. air base to a less densely populated area on the Japanese island of Okinawa.
May 28, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told troops worldwide May 28 that any repeal of the so-called "don't ask don't tell" law will be delayed until the ongoing Defense Department high-level review is completed.
May 27, 2010 - The deputy defense secretary visited with and thanked the men and women of the 55th Wing for their service in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission May 26 here.
May 25, 2010 - The U.S. and South Korean militaries will undergo two new training exercises in light of last week's finding that North Korea sank a South Korean navy ship, killing 46 sailors, a Pentagon spokesman announced today.
May 22, 2010 - Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III called the establishment of U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade, Md., a milestone in the United States being able to conduct full-spectrum operations in a new domain.
May 21, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates returned to his career roots here tonight to accept a lifetime achievement award for his four decades of public service in U.S. intelligence and national security.
May 21, 2010 - A visit to the warrior transition unit at Fort Carson, Colo., this week was worth the time, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a Pentagon news conference today.
May 19, 2010 - The Defense Department is making strides toward acquisition reform and budget reductions, starting with the buildup of its federal acquisitions work force, department officials told a congressional panel today.
May 19, 2010 - Navy Adm. James Winnefeld accepted command of U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., today, succeeding retiring Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr.
May 16, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates spoke of the satisfaction of a life of service during graduation exercises at Morehouse College in Atlanta this morning.
May 12, 2010 - Emphasizing the critical role the reserve components play in U.S. national defense, the senior Pentagon reserve affairs official emphasized to Congress today the importance of adequately funding the force and providing predictability about deployments.
May 12, 2010 - First Lady Michelle Obama issued a national challenge today to all sectors of American society: mobilize and take action to support and engage military families.
May 11, 2010 - Defense officials are lauding the Senate's confirmation of Lt. Gen. Keith B. Alexander, director of the National Security Agency, to also lead the new U.S. Cyber Command.
May 08, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates used the occasion of the 65th Anniversary of the Victory in Europe to declare war on duplicative overhead, bloat and needless spending in the Defense Department.
May 06, 2010 - The Army is continuing the most fundamental and profound series of changes it has seen since World War II, the service’s chief of staff said here today.
May 06, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is slated to go to Capitol Hill today to brief the full Senate on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty that President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed last month.
April 30, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has authorized two Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft to support the response to a massive oil slick that threatens wetlands and beaches along the Gulf Coast.
April 29, 2010 - You could call the Facebook headquarters the 'un-Pentagon.' The dress is casual, with far more T-shirts than sport coats, and many workers wear sandals instead of shoes.
April 28, 2010 - Men and women in uniform from across the services gathered on the White House’s south lawn today to give wounded servicemembers a send-off as they began a bike trip from the nation’s capital to Annapolis, Md.
April 27, 2010 - The Defense Department today agreed to provide access to some of the documents subpoenaed by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee last week related to the Nov. 5 Fort Hood shooting investigation.
April 26, 2010 - Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III today thanked the crew of the USS Carl Vinson for their efforts to rescue Haitian people following the earthquake there.
April 21, 2010 - Economic controls have a direct relationship to national security, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says it’s time some of those controls got a makeover.
April 20, 2010 - In a prelude to this week’s Earth Day events, a major independent research group today called the Defense Department a leader in energy conservation.
April 16, 2010 - Defense Department officials today recognized the best in National Guard and reserve family programs saying such efforts are critical to combat readiness.
April 16, 2010 - Officials in the new U.S. Cyber Command need to strike a balance between protecting military assets and personal privacy, the presidential nominee to lead the command told a Senate committee April 16.
April 15, 2010 - The new U.S. Cyber Command needs to strike a balance between protecting military assets and personal privacy, the presidential nominee to lead the command told a Senate committee today.
April 15, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has directed the Defense Department immediately to implement 26 interim recommendations of an independent panel he appointed to look into the Nov. 5 shooting spree at Fort Hood, Texas, Pentagon officials said today.
April 14, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here this evening to offer congratulations and support for Colombia’s progress in the fight against its insurgency and the lessons it is sharing with its neighbors in the region.
April 14, 2010 - The U.S. approach on Iran focuses on preventing that country from obtaining nuclear weapons and on countering its influence in the Middle East, the Pentagon’s policy chief said here today.
April 14, 2010 - From the commander in chief in the White House to an Airman manning an observation tower on Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, space is the domain that ties them together.
April 13, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates re-emphasized today the top priority U.S. and NATO forces have put on protecting civilian lives, an effort he called critical to success of the Afghanistan strategy.
April 12, 2010 - Defense Secretary and Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim signed a new defense cooperation agreement today that Gates said provides an example of partnership and “offers a transparent, positive model for engagement throughout the Americas.”
April 11, 2010 - While the new U.S. Nuclear Posture Review removes some of the intentional ambiguity from the country’s nuclear policy, “all options are on the table” for countries like North Korea and Iran, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said.
April 10, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates offered condolences to the Polish military on the loss of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who along with the country's armed service chiefs, died in a plane crash today.
April 09, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today announced the winners of the 2010 Commander in Chief’s Annual Award for Installation Excellence.
April 09, 2010 - Close collaboration between Defense and Veterans Affairs department officials are helping to identify and treat mental-health issues in returning combat veterans before they escalate into more serious, long-term problems.
April 09, 2010 - First lady Michelle Obama visited the Pentagon April 9 to thank military members, their families and civilians for their ongoing sacrifices in service to the nation.
April 07, 2010 - The nation's second-ranking military officer said April 6 he's comfortable with a new U.S. policy that halts future production of nuclear weapons.
April 05, 2010 - With 60 percent of the surge force yet to be delivered to Afghanistan by President Barack Obama’s August deadline, the commander charged with making it happen said he has assured commanders that everything is on track.
April 05, 2010 - The Defense secretary related to U.S. Air Force Academy cadets some lessons he has learned from a government career that has taken him from the shadows of the Cold War into a much-altered security landscape as the Pentagon's chief.
April 02, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates traveled here yesterday to personally present U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) with the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.
March 31, 2010 - The deputy director of the Defense Intelligence Agency celebrated Women's History Month by highlighting the contributions women are making to the intelligence field.
March 26, 2010 - The United States and Russia have agreed to a new arms reduction treaty that will slash each of their nuclear arsenals by a third and improve the way the terms of the agreement are verified, President Barack Obama announced today.
March 26, 2010 - Perhaps no other weapon platform has more significantly transformed the way the U.S. military wages war in recent years than unmanned aircraft, a senior defense official told Congress March 24 here.
March 25, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will recommend that President Barack Obama nominate Navy Vice Adm. David J. Venlet, commander of Naval Air Systems Command, to oversee restructuring of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program.
March 25, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today announced changes to the Pentagon’s regulation on homosexuals serving in the military.
March 25, 2010 - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urged senators today to quickly approve a $37.5 billion supplemental budget request to fund ongoing operations.
March 25, 2010 - For the first time in 23 years, the U.S. Army is allowing a pair of Sikh Soldiers to keep their hair and beard intact and wear a turban.
March 24, 2010 - This summer will mark the first time since 2003 that the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will overshadow the American presence in Iraq, the top U.S. military officer told Congress today.
March 24, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates assured Mexican military leaders during yesterday’s Cabinet-level visit to Mexico City that he’ll look into ways to speed up equipment deliveries to support their fight against drug cartels.
March 23, 2010 - Ballistic missile defense has come out of the world of the controversial and improbable and now is in the realm of the accepted and possible, the deputy Defense secretary said March 22 here.
March 20, 2010 - The nation depends upon women, both military and civilian, at all levels of the Defense Department, from the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan to the upper echelons of military command, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here March 19.
March 15, 2010 - The ongoing U.S.-Afghan operation in Marja, Afghanistan, probably is the greatest in the history of counterinsurgency, the United States special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan said in a weekend television interview.
March 15, 2010 - Defense Department officials will require a shift to a fixed-price contract in their negotiations with Lockheed Martin for the initial production phase of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter.
March 12, 2010 - The Defense Department will require a shift to a fixed-price contract in its negotiations with Lockheed Martin for the initial production phase of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter.
March 11, 2010 - The recently released request for proposals for the Air Force's next-generation tanker aircraft was fair, the Defense secretary said here March 11, and he expressed disappointment that Northrop-Grumman has withdrawn from the competition.
March 10, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates asked Saudi King Abdallah today to use his country’s influence to convince other nations to support United Nations sanctions on Iran, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said here.
March 10, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' visits with Marines here and with Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Frontenac in Afghanistan's Kandahar province have reinforced his belief that the strategy is working in Afghanistan.
March 09, 2010 - A white-painted blast wall standing in front of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry, headquarters here bearing the names of 22 fallen soldiers was a sobering reminder to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates of the cost of the war.
March 08, 2010 - Under a deluge of rain, the 757 touched down here late at night, returning Army Staff Sgt. Michael David P. Cardenaz home. He had been killed just a few days before in an enemy attack in Afghanistan.
March 07, 2010 - The Iraqi election process shows how far the country has come, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
March 07, 2010 - Despite sectarian and ethnic differences across Iraq’s political landscape, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said he expects new Iraqi leaders will continue their previous government’s efforts to employ inclusive coalitions to bridge those divides.
March 05, 2010 - Defense Department leaders and Lockheed Martin executives explained to international partners changes that have been made in the joint strike fighter program.
March 04, 2010 - Defense Department leaders and Lockheed Martin executives explained to international partners changes that have been made in the Joint Strike Fighter program.
March 04, 2010 - Defense Secretary has called on every member of the Defense Department to play a personal role in creating a secure environment that will help to prevent more tragedies like the Nov. 5 shooting rampage that left 13 people dead at Fort Hood, Texas.
March 03, 2010 - Operation Moshtarak, now in its 18th day in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, is “progressing extraordinarily well” and is moving from the clearing phase to the holding phase, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
March 03, 2010 - The Defense Department’s review on the potential impact of repealing the ban on gays serving openly in the military will solicit input from troops of every service and rank -- as well as their families.
February 26, 2010 - U.S. officials hope a series of reforms envisioned for the 28-country NATO alliance will be available for review by member nations when they convene later this year, a senior defense official said today.
February 26, 2010 - Attention all Facebookers, Twitter tweeters and YouTubers: a new Defense Department policy authorizes you to access these and other Web 2.0 platforms from nonclassified government computers.
February 26, 2010 - Female sailors will begin serving on submarines by the end of next year, with Naval Academy graduates leading the way, Navy leaders told a Senate committee yesterday.
February 26, 2010 - Military officials are addressing the problem of sexual assault, but more needs to be done, officials acknowledged in testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Feb. 24 here.
February 24, 2010 - The final request for proposals to solicit bids for a new aerial tanker was designed to promote fair, open competition that provides the best warfighting capability for the best value, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here today.
February 22, 2010 - Expressing deep regret over civilian casualties resulting from a NATO air strike yesterday, Pentagon leaders said today they support the strategy that puts as much emphasis on protecting the Afghan population as capturing or killing insurgents.
February 17, 2010 - Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III’s meetings with Australian leaders over the last several days have helped to set the stage for new levels of cooperation between the long-time allies.
February 15, 2010 - Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III observed the opening of the heart of one of the most modern shipbuilding plants in the world here today.
February 13, 2010 - The alliance between the United States and Australia goes back to 1908 and has strengthened through shared sacrifices on the battlefields of World War I to actions against al-Qaida in Afghanistan.
February 13, 2010 - U.S. officials are “very satisfied” with the contributions Australia is making in Afghanistan and will not ask the nation for more troops in the country, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said during an interview here.
February 12, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during an interview aired last night that the effort to build up Iraq's security forces and move forward with the U.S. drawdown plan there remains on track.
February 10, 2010 - The Defense Department's review of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law will help to ensure readiness and unit cohesion remain intact if Congress repeals it.
February 09, 2010 - Iran’s continuing nuclear development program only serves to put the Middle East in danger of nuclear weapons proliferation, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
February 07, 2010 - There is still time to toughen sanctions to pressure Iran into complying with international demands that it halt its nuclear program that many believe is geared toward developing a nuclear weapon, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
February 05, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today pledged surplus mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles along with expanded access to classified information to U.S. allies to help in combating the threat of improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan.
February 04, 2010 - Cybersecurity is seizing more attention and budget dollars from the Defense Department at a time when China’s alleged cyber attack on Google has underscored the urgency of the threat and the vulnerability of U.S. networks.
February 04, 2010 - The Defense Department office that oversees sexual assault prevention and response in the military needs a higher level of oversight and funding to continue on its path of progress by a task force created to assess the program.
February 04, 2010 - The Defense Department announced it collected $17.2 million in last year's annual federal fundraising campaign, a record-breaking sum of charitable donations to groups operating in Haiti and other areas where needs exist.
February 02, 2010 - The Defense Department agency responsible for U.S. missile defense systems has requested $8.4 billion for fiscal year 2011, an increase of about a half billion dollars.
February 01, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today said he hopes that the U.S. and China quickly resolve any potential issues that emerge in the wake of a U.S. arms deal to Taiwan.
January 28, 2010 - President Barack Obama stressed during his State of the Union address tonight the importance of confronting terrorists who threaten the United States and of succeeding in Afghanistan while continuing a responsible military drawdown in Iraq.
January 27, 2010 - Born a 1950s baby boomer, I grew up during the Cold War with the threat of nuclear holocaust looming on the horizon. As a little girl, I had dreams in which Russian troops swarmed over the hill in our back yard.
January 26, 2010 - President Barack Obama's fiscal 2011 budget request calls for a record $8.8 billion for military family support programs, First Lady Michelle Obama told military spouses today at Bolling Air Force Base here.
January 22, 2010 - The Army will conduct a review to determine if leaders were negligent in their supervision of accused Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, Defense Department officials announced yesterday.
January 21, 2010 - Current and potential U.S. adversaries seek to employ asymmetrical weapons, such as improvised explosive devices and cyber warfare, as a means to confront U.S. military superiority in conventional conflict, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III sai
January 20, 2010 - Both India and Pakistan have a big stake in what happens in Afghanistan, and are playing significant roles to support the effort there, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
January 18, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he sees his visit to India as another step toward expanding the two countries’ solid defense relationship, particularly in light of the common threats they face.
January 18, 2010 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates cited progress in areas of southern Afghanistan as evidence that the new U.S. strategy is making an impact.
January 15, 2010 - The shooting spree allegedly perpetrated by a self-radicalized soldier of Muslim faith has revealed shortcomings in the Defense Department’s ability to counter dangerous outside influences on the military, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
January 14, 2010 - With Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ committing all available military resources to the Haiti relief effort, U.S. Southern Command is “working feverishly and aggressively ” to get them there as quickly as possible, its commander said today.
January 11, 2010 - There are no clear-cut answers to suicide prevention, but through collaboration and team work from federal and private institutions, the nation can better address the challenge, Defense and Veteran Affairs department officials said today.
January 07, 2010 - In the wake of a Dec. 31 suicide bombing attack that killed seven CIA operatives in eastern Afghanistan, the military’s highest-ranking officer yesterday underscored the close ties between American armed forces and the U.S. intelligence community.
January 06, 2010 - A report this week from a top U.S. military intelligence official criticizing the state of intelligence in Afghanistan is a “candid self-assessment” that enriches debate on U.S. strategy, the Pentagon press secretary said today.
December 21, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates praised young Americans who have answered the nation’s call to duty in a commencement address at Indiana University Saturday.
December 18, 2009 - Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said what drives him as he crunches numbers and relentlessly scrutinizes Defense Department programs and systems is knowing their impact on front-line troops.
December 18, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates challenged the graduates of the University of Georgia this morning to consider the obligations of service, citizenship and patriotism as they move forward into the next chapter of their lives.
December 08, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today to ensure troops in Afghanistan have what they need to accommodate the incoming 30,000 soldiers and Marines, and to tell them, “We are in this thing to win.”
December 08, 2009 - Defense Department officials have made progress in improving their response to the needs of sexual assault victims, but they need to do more, a special task force has determined.
December 06, 2009 - Even as hundreds of Marines launched a new offensive in southern Afghanistan, top U.S government and military officials made the Sunday morning news-show circuit here today spelling out President Barack Obama’s new war strategy.
December 04, 2009 - Although information technology enables the Defense Department to make gains in military capabilities, those gains come at a cost, the deputy defense secretary told industry executives in New York.
December 03, 2009 - The Defense Department is in the throes of a “major in-sourcing initiative” that Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said will recapture some of the vital expertise the department had lost, particularly in the acquisition realm.
December 03, 2009 - Pentagon officials are working to halt spiraling costs in the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft program while ensuring competition for a new refueling tanker remains fair to all contenders, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said.
December 02, 2009 - Thirty-two specifications of attempted premeditated murder were preferred today against alleged Fort Hood, Texas, shooter Army Maj. Nidal M. Hasan under Article 80 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
November 30, 2009 - A young Army captain wounded in Iraq and now working to improve conditions for other wounded servicemembers will be honored by the Business Executives for National Service tonight in New York.
November 30, 2009 - According to air mobility experts on the ground in Iraq, initial results of the ongoing U.S. Army direct support mission Concept of Operations test there indicate what Air Force and Air Mobility Command officials have said all along: the Air Force support
November 23, 2009 - The leaders of the Pentagon’s review board on the Fort Hood, Texas, rampage reported for duty here today to begin their 45-day investigation to what led to the mass shooting, a Pentagon official said.
November 23, 2009 - A theory gaining momentum among counterinsurgency and military medical experts is that the health of a nation's people affects the health of a nation.
November 20, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a National Guard conference today he sees benefits of a new plan that allows reserve-component servicemembers to conduct pre-deployment training before the clock starts ticking on their 12-month mobilization cycles.
November 20, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today announced the Defense Department will conduct a broad review of the Nov. 5 Fort Hood, Texas, shooting that left 13 dead and dozens injured.
November 19, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates welcomed new German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to the Pentagon today.
November 13, 2009 - Today’s decision to pursue the prosecution of 10 detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, paves the way toward resolving the disposition of others there and eventually closing the detention facility, a senior Defense Department official said today.
November 12, 2009 - The Defense secretary Nov. 12 condemned a spate of leaks regarding both the Afghanistan strategy deliberations and last week's shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, threatening to fire anyone in the Defense Department he finds is involved.
November 11, 2009 - The Nov. 5 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, provides a special sense of poignancy to this year’s Veterans Day observance, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in his annual message commemorating the holiday.
November 11, 2009 - A flexible American strategy based on Ronald Reagan’s inflexible belief in liberty was key to the fall of the Berlin Wall, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here yesterday.
November 09, 2009 - President Barack Obama will join Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, Army Secretary John M. McHugh and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. at Fort Hood, Texas, tomorrow.
November 09, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has delegated the authority to order up to 45 days of pre-mobilization training for reserve-component soldiers to the secretary of the Army.
November 07, 2009 - President Barack Obama expressed his sorrow over the tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas, and praised the soldiers and civilians who responded to aid the wounded in his weekly address to the nation today.
November 06, 2009 - The attack that killed 13 people and wounded 30 more at Fort Hood, Texas, yesterday “was a kick in the gut,” not only for Fort Hood, but also for the entire Army, the Army chief of staff said today.
November 04, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will travel to the factory line of the newest version of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle next week to personally thank the workers for their efforts to speed delivery of the vehicles to warfighters.
November 03, 2009 - The new Army secretary received an official welcome from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and the Army's top uniformed officer today at a ceremony held in Conmy Hall on Fort Myer, Va.
November 02, 2009 - For the first time ever, the Air National Guard will be the sole operator of a new aircraft straight off the assembly line.
October 28, 2009 - President Barack Obama signed the fiscal 2010 National Defense Authorization Act during a ceremony at the White House Oct. 28.
October 27, 2009 - Psychological war wounds are nothing new to U.S. servicemembers, but the support of the nation to care for their injuries, until recent years, was somewhat uncharted territory.
October 26, 2009 - Defense and Veterans Affairs Department health care professionals began a three-day workshop here today to harness initiatives to improve psychological health care for servicemembers and veterans.
October 22, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he’s headed to a NATO defense ministers meeting in Slovakia confident there’s enough to discuss about Afghanistan even without a U.S. decision on the strategy there.
October 21, 2009 - Pentagon officials today announced additional replacement units scheduled to deploy next year to Afghanistan as part of the requirement to maintain the current level of security efforts there, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today.
October 20, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he looks forward to building on the strong U.S.-Japan security relationship during his meetings here with the new Japanese government.
October 20, 2009 - Even as leaders in Washington struggle with the next steps in Afghanistan, troops there are moving to better protect the Afghan people and secure the border that country shares with Pakistan, NATO and Pentagon officials said today.
October 19, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is on his way to Japan, where he will discuss a broad range of defense issues as the first Cabinet-level U.S. official to visit the new Japanese Democratic Party government since it took office last month.
October 19, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presided over a change-of-command ceremony here today as Navy Adm. Timothy J. Keating passed the U.S. Pacific Command helm to Navy Adm. Robert F. Willard.
October 16, 2009 - Deborah Mullen, wife of the nation's most senior military officer, had a message for military families while on the Sesame Street TV set here Oct. 14: servicemembers and their families have a wealth of support behind them.
October 09, 2009 - President Barack Obama said today he'll accept the Nobel Peace Prize as a "call to action" for the international community to work together to confront common challenges, while also recognizing his responsibility for U.S. security.
October 06, 2009 - American Forces Press Service, the Defense Department’s vehicle for news and feature content on the Defense.gov Web site, has unveiled a “widget” for photographs.
October 05, 2009 - Withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan before accomplishing the mission there would greatly embolden Islamic radicals worldwide, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
October 05, 2009 - Soon after donning his Air Force second lieutenant uniform in 1967, Robert M. Gates learned an important lesson about how the U.S. military functions.
October 05, 2009 - President Barack Obama’s decisions on the next phase of the Afghan war will be among the most important of his presidency, said Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who vowed to faithfully execute his orders.
October 02, 2009 - The Navy is merging its information technology, intelligence and communications operations into one organization to better address Information Age challenges, including threats to computer networks, the Navy's top officer said here yesterday.
October 02, 2009 - Accidents on and off duty pose a greater threat than combat to U.S. servicemembers’ lives, and Defense Department leaders continually strive to eliminate them.
October 01, 2009 - President Barack Obama is getting the ground-level perspective on Afghanistan, and soon will address the strategy and resources needed in the country, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said here today.
October 01, 2009 - Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn said the department’s culture regarding cyber security issues must change, and become more robust.
October 01, 2009 - Bonnie Carroll, co-chair of the congressionally mandated Suicide Prevention Task Force, aims to remove the stigma within the military of seeking mental health care.
September 27, 2009 - Revelations that Iran has covertly been building an underground nuclear-fuel processing plant belie the Iranian-government’s denials that it is attempting to develop nuclear weapons.
September 27, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today gave his unequivocal vote of confidence to the senior U.S. military officer in Afghanistan.
September 24, 2009 - President Barack Obama’s decision to restructure a previous missile defense plan designed to protect Europe from a possible ballistic missile attack from Iran provides a more effective, flexible system that will take less time to implement.
September 24, 2009 - The needs of warfighters and value for taxpayers are at the heart of the new draft request for proposal for aerial refueling capability, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn said here today.
September 23, 2009 - A deliberative approach is best for everyone as President Barack Obama and his national security team grapple with the way forward in Afghanistan, the Pentagon spokesman said today.
September 18, 2009 - The military is fortunate the nation offers its unbridled support and backing to its military employees, the deputy defense secretary said last night.
September 18, 2009 - A group of senior U.S. officials today paid homage to servicemembers who have been prisoners of war or are listed as missing in action during an observance ceremony on the Pentagon’s River Terrace parade field.
September 18, 2009 - The father of Army Sgt. 1st Class Jared C. Monti, who posthumously received the Medal of Honor, remembered his son today as a person defined by selflessness.
September 16, 2009 - A senior Defense Department executive was honored for her superb leadership and professionalism during a ceremony at the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes here yesterday.
September 16, 2009 - Airmen around the world are making a life-and-death difference for U.S. military ground forces, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
September 14, 2009 - An endeavor that began about a month ago comes to fruition today with the airing of the first virtual town hall meeting in which the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff answers questions posed online by servicemembers and the public.
September 11, 2009 - President Barack Obama today reflected on those who perished on Sept. 11, 2001, and said today’s anniversary is an opportunity to renew American resolve against those who perpetrated the attacks.
September 11, 2009 - Family members of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon gathered here today to remember lost loved ones.
September 11, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates welcomed a group of 50 civilian community leaders, scholars and professionals to the Pentagon here today as they begin a seven-day tour of America’s armed forces in Central and South America.
September 10, 2009 - Marine Sgt. Tikonblah Dargbeh is like the tens of thousands of other troops who have served in Iraq as a U.S. military member, save for one major distinction: until today, Dargbeh was not American.
September 09, 2009 - Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki visited Meade High School on Fort George G. Meade, Md., yesterday to challenge more than 700 students to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning.
September 08, 2009 - As President Barack Obama was in nearby Arlington giving his pep talk today to America’s schoolchildren, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here in a receiving mode to hear firsthand about challenges military children face in the education system.
September 04, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates used the strongest terms in trying to persuade the Associated Press to refrain from running a graphic picture of a Marine taken shortly after the servicemember was wounded in southern Afghanistan.
September 03, 2009 - The top U.S. commander in the Pacific said yesterday he’s “cautiously optimistic” last week’s Military Maritime Consultative Agreement talks in Beijing have opened the door to closer military-to-military engagement between the United States and China.
September 03, 2009 - Enemies of America remain in Afghanistan, and the United States must stay there to defeat the terrorists, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
September 02, 2009 - A proposed alternative engine for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter would cost far more than the existing engine and push back the production timetable, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said this week.
September 02, 2009 - Two days ago, I and six other reporters accompanied Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to Texas to see two high-tech operations under way.
September 01, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates visited the Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter factory here Aug. 31, assessing progress on what he called "the heart of the future of our tactical combat aviation."
September 01, 2009 - It is imperative for the nation to get defense acquisition reform right, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday during a visit to Texas to tour the plants of two major defense contractors.
August 31, 2009 - The commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan has completed his assessment of the situation there and has forwarded it to NATO and U.S. leaders, Defense Department officials said today.
August 31, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates gave a pep talk today to employees outfitting the MC-12 Liberty aircraft for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, telling them their work is saving lives on the battlefield.
August 27, 2009 - Senior defense leaders will use a recently issued report on the National Security Personnel System when they decide what to do with the civilian personnel system this fall, a Pentagon official said here today.
August 26, 2009 - The new Defense Department Web site is designed to make military news and information more accessible, and also invites greater participation from the public, the department's top public affairs official said Aug. 25.
August 25, 2009 - The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stressed relevance, adaptability and affordability as top concerns for programs ranging from nuclear weapons to satellites during the Space and Missile Defense Conference here Aug. 19.
August 25, 2009 - In its final report, a Defense Business Board task group has recommended a “reconstruction” of the National Security Personnel System.
August 24, 2009 - As Defense Department officials overhaul the Pentagon’s acquisition system, they’re asking warfighters to define exactly what they need.
August 17, 2009 - Defense officials at the Pentagon have redesigned the Defense Department Web site to use social networking tools to engage the American public -- particularly 18- to 24-year-olds.
August 14, 2009 - For servicemembers who still remember hand-carrying their medical records back and forth to appointments, the new virtual lifetime electronic record will help prevent misplaced paperwork and help providers maintain and offer quality health care, the actin
August 13, 2009 - The United States must maintain relationships with Pakistan for the long term to build trust between the nations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
August 12, 2009 - Senior defense officials are getting a glimpse this week of the latest in unmanned systems technologies, which many concede is the way of the future for the U.S. military.
August 11, 2009 - The Taliban will not win the war in Afghanistan, the commander of NATO and U.S. forces there said in Kabul today.
August 06, 2009 - As Pentagon officials weigh the benefits and risks of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, they hope to craft a policy that shores up security vulnerabilities without requiring a ban.
August 05, 2009 - Women have actively supported the U.S. military since the Revolutionary War. By providing medical care to wounded soldiers and support to their militia men, women introduced themselves as an asset to protecting the nation.
August 05, 2009 - Citing the direct correlation between military deployments and post-traumatic stress disorder, President Barack Obama said he’s hopeful that increasing the size of the force will help to reduce incidents of stress.
August 04, 2009 - A Defense Department review is weighing the benefits of social networking and other Web 2.0 platforms against potential security vulnerabilities they create.
July 30, 2009 - U.S. Rep. John McHugh’s inspiration to serve as secretary of the Army lies in his desire to repay the devotion to duty exuded by today’s military members despite the many challenges he’ll face.
July 30, 2009 - The commander of Multinational Corps Iraq said an unanticipated result of the U.S.-Iraq security agreement is that relationships between Iraqi and U.S. commanders have improved.
July 29, 2009 - The Defense Department remains committed to meeting President Barack Obama’s one-year timeline to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Pentagon’s top lawyer said yesterday.
July 28, 2009 - The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review now under development envisions a U.S. military with the wherewithal to confront current threats such as al-Qaida as well as having the capacity to meet future security challenges.
July 28, 2009 - The Defense Department boasts the world’s strongest ability to respond to chemical, biological and other weapons of mass destruction, a top Pentagon official said today.
July 27, 2009 - The United States and Jordan enjoy a strategic partnership aimed at promoting peace in the greater Middle East, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
July 25, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates begins a trip to the Middle East tomorrow with stops in Israel and Jordan.
July 24, 2009 - The U.S. military’s senior uniformed officer saluted a group of high school student leaders interested in learning about the U.S. government and political processes during a meeting at the Pentagon Auditorium today.
July 22, 2009 - President Barack Obama praised a Senate vote that struck down $1.75 billion in additional funding in the fiscal 2010 defense budget for more F-22 Raptor fighter jets July 21 here.
July 20, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today announced plans to add up to 22,000 soldiers to the U.S. Army’s ranks.
July 20, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said American commanders are “sparing no effort” to locate a U.S. soldier who went missing early this month in Afghanistan.
July 17, 2009 - Defense leaders bestowed honors on Army Secretary Pete Geren at his farewell ceremony and Geren turned the event into a paean of praise for soldiers and their families.
July 16, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates began his town hall meeting here today by acknowledging the sacrifices of the members of the 10th Mountain Division.
July 15, 2009 - I left the USNS Comfort July 13 after a little more than three days aboard the hospital ship. It was not long enough.
July 15, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has made it clear he does not plan to restrict tobacco use among troops in war zones, the Pentagon’s press secretary said today.
July 15, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates begins a two-day trip tomorrow that will take him to Fort Drum, N.Y., home of the 10th Mountain Division, and Chicago.
July 10, 2009 - The very day he assumed his post as NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe last week, Navy Adm. James Stavridis reached out in a way none of the previous 15 NATO commanders since Army Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower had: he posted a blog.
July 09, 2009 - The military is sending thousands of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles to Afghanistan, even while a new version is being built, to protect troops against their biggest threat: improvised explosive devices.
July 08, 2009 - While devoting much of his National Press Club address today to efforts under way in Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was quizzed on a broad range of other defense issues.
July 06, 2009 - The defense secretary who presided over the department during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the U.S. involvement in Vietnam died today.
July 01, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates visited Landstuhl Regional Medical Center here yesterday, meeting with wounded warriors and the staff that treats them and touring a new USO facility that’s providing them a better quality of life as they heal.
July 01, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Spanish Defense Minister Carme Chacon discussed operations in Afghanistan, counter-piracy initiatives and continuing military-to-military ties during a meeting at the Pentagon today.
June 30, 2009 - Partnership, readiness and presence are the cornerstones of the U.S. Pacific Command’s new strategy, its commander said at a meeting of the Atlantic Council think tank here last night.
June 27, 2009 - The United States and Russia’s shared struggles offer great opportunities, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today during an address at Russia’s Military Academy of the General Staff in Moscow.
June 26, 2009 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he was pleased with what he described as frank discussions with his Russian counterpart on regional and international security during his first visit to Moscow.
June 26, 2009 - Since he took office two and a half years ago, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has traveled the world talking with troops about their service and sacrifices.
June 25, 2009 - Air Force Gen. Douglas M. Fraser assumed the top post at U.S. Southern Command today, promising to build on the strong partnerships fostered by the outgoing commander, Navy Adm. James Stavridis.
June 25, 2009 - As the nation fights two protracted wars and North Korea rattles off war-like rhetoric, officials working on the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review are striving to strike a balance between the needs of the current fight and preparing for future threats.
June 24, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates signed a memo yesterday establishing a subcommand focused on cyber security, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today.
June 23, 2009 - It’s official. The Defense Department signed off yesterday on policies and procedures servicemembers will use to transfer their unused Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to their spouses or children, a Pentagon official said today.
June 22, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today commended the work of the volunteers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, saying they set the example for the rest of the country.
June 19, 2009 - Navy Secretary Raymond E. Mabus Jr. assumed office yesterday, pledging that commitment to sailors, Marines and their families will be the cornerstone of his service.
June 18, 2009 - The United States has deployed missile defense equipment to the Pacific amid reports alleging that North Korea has threatened to fire a ballistic missile toward Hawaii, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
June 18, 2009 - The United States and NATO must do everything possible to prevent civilian casualties in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
June 16, 2009 - North Korea and Iran pose serious nuclear and missile proliferation concerns for the United States and other nations and will be major considerations in the U.S ballistic missile defense review.
June 15, 2009 - When Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates tapped Price Floyd to run the Defense Department’s public affairs operation, he gave him two basic marching orders: improve the way the department communicates.
June 15, 2009 - Threats to U.S.-based computer networks -- posed by the intelligence branches of foreign countries and teenage hackers alike -- represent an unprecedented national security challenge, the Pentagon’s No. 2 official said today.
June 13, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates implored America’s youth to weigh the virtues of a career devoted to serving the country, saying “no life is complete without service to others.”
June 12, 2009 - Minimizing civilian casualties has to be one of the highest priorities for U.S. and other NATO troops in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
June 12, 2009 - Citing the organization’s long history of selfless service and sacrifice, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III helped to commemorate the Army’s 234th birthday today at a Pentagon ceremony.
June 12, 2009 - Defense Department officials are preparing a far-ranging report on current and future goals as part of a congressional mandate.
June 11, 2009 - Because it comes from what he called “an unpredictable regime,” bellicose rhetoric from North Korea needs to be watched closely, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
June 11, 2009 - The Senate confirmed Army Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal yesterday to receive his fourth star and serve as commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
June 11, 2009 - With NATO defense ministers having agreed to reduce the alliance’s military presence in Kosovo from 14,000 to 10,000 troops by the year’s end, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today urged that the reduction take place as an organized process.
June 11, 2009 - The United States delivered four Mi-17 cargo helicopters to the Pakistani army yesterday to support Pakistan’s counterinsurgency as well as humanitarian efforts, officials at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad announced.
June 10, 2009 - The 8,301 Americans buried at this beautifully manicured cemetery reminded Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today of the cost Americans pay for freedom.
June 09, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will depart for NATO meetings in the Netherlands and Belgium this evening.
June 09, 2009 - The fiscal 2010 defense budget request is a “reform budget” that builds on lessons learned on the battlefield to shape the military to confront other potential threats around the world, now and in the future, Defense Secretary Gates told Congress today.
June 09, 2009 - Amid speculation that North Korea could be preparing for another missile test, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told Congress today he’s confident the United States has the missile defenses in place to defend itself, if necessary.
June 05, 2009 - The last time the 25th Naval Construction Regiment had a mission even remotely approaching the scope of its task in Afghanistan, was during its last deployment, preparing for the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France.
June 04, 2009 - The Defense Department’s Priority Placement Program placed its 250,000th employee in March, program officials said today.
June 04, 2009 - The overseas basing choices the United States makes for its military forces are a factor in deterring potential enemies, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.
June 03, 2009 - Vice President Joe Biden praised winners of the 2009 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards today for leading the way in environmental stewardship as they lead the way in the nation’s defense.
June 02, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stopped here briefly yesterday on the final leg of a week-long trip to the Asia-Pacific region.
June 01, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made a brief stop here today to reaffirm U.S. commitment to the country’s fight against terrorism.
May 30, 2009 - In some of his strongest words on the subject to date, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today said the United States will not accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state and promised to defend U.S. allies in the region.
May 30, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates opened the “Shangri-La Dialogue” Asia security summit here today outlining a broad set of regional security issues and promising continued support from the U.S. administration.
May 30, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today called on U.S. allies in Asia to render more aid to bolster the fight in Afghanistan.
May 30, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates delivered the keynote address today to open the “Shangri-La Dialogue,” an annual Asia security conference in Singapore sponsored by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
May 29, 2009 - President Barack Obama's decisions to grow the military, broaden the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and focus on 21st century threats are making America "increasingly safer," the president's national security advisor said May 27.
May 29, 2009 - As the plane flying him to a security conference in Singapore travels into a storm of regional unrest stirred up by this week’s North Korean nuclear tests, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today downplayed the swirling rhetoric.
May 28, 2009 - As young Tim Keating was growing up just outside Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, his parents taught him to treat other people the way he’d like his children, one day, to be treated, and as if all those other people outranked him. As young
May 28, 2009 - President Barack Obama’s decisions to grow the military, broaden the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and focus on 21st century threats are making America “increasingly safer,” the president’s national security advisor said yesterday.
May 27, 2009 - Service, leadership and goals were the main themes of a graduation speech Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates delivered today to students of his alma mater, Wichita East High School in Wichita, Kansas.
May 26, 2009 - ‘Fear-mongering’ is clouding the national debate about closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday.
May 23, 2009 - It wasn’t the enormity of the sections of ship being welded together at Bath Iron Works here that impressed the defense secretary yesterday, but rather those stitching the hulking pieces together and the crews that would man the finished ships.
May 23, 2009 - May 23, 2009 – Before 970 cadets took the commissioning oath or "covers" tossed high overhead, graduating West Point cadets heard some praise and sage advice from their future boss.
May 22, 2009 - As Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pushes to get deployed troops whatever they need to succeed and return home safely, the services are gearing up campaigns to reduce deaths at home during the summer vacation season that kicks off today.
May 22, 2009 - President Barack Obama today signed legislation aimed at reforming the Defense Department’s buying process.
May 21, 2009 - In his annual Memorial Day message to servicemembers worldwide, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urges them to observe a moment of silence on the holiday to honor their fallen comrades.
May 20, 2009 - The recently submitted $664 billion defense budget proposal for fiscal 2010 by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates can best be characterized as a “reform budget,” the Pentagon’s chief financial officer said.
May 19, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates helped to dedicate a Pentagon corridor here today that recognizes the efforts of America’s men and women in uniform to bring hope to people in need of help around the world.
May 17, 2009 - The Afghan national army could lead operations in Afghanistan in two to four years, with the U.S. playing a support role, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a May 8 interview, portions of which aired on CBS’ “60 Minutes” today.
May 15, 2009 - The Marine Corps is lean and built for a fight, including the scrutiny of the upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review, its commandant said during a military strategy forum here today.
May 14, 2009 - The Air Force has made tough choices and some prudent trade-offs to balance the service across the spectrum of capabilities needed for the future, Air Force leaders said.
May 14, 2009 - The defense department’s budget and acquisition reform efforts represent a dramatic, and needed, departure from the past, so that the U.S. military can stay strong and be flexible in challenging times.
May 13, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stands behind President Barack Obama’s decision today to fight releasing hundreds of photos of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan, a senior Pentagon spokesman said.
May 11, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today recommended Army Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal to replace Army Gen. David D. McKiernan as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.
May 10, 2009 - Taliban operatives shaking down villages for money appear to have forced civilians to remain in buildings that were bombed in the course of a long May 4 firefight, the commander of U.S. Central Command said today.
May 08, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates wrapped up a two-day visit to Afghanistan today, telling reporters he’s optimistic about efforts under way and the initiatives he pushed to support them.
May 08, 2009 - During his last stop on a whirlwind two-day visit through Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates brought encouragement and assurance of support to 10th Mountain Division soldiers who have been deployed here since January.
May 07, 2009 - The Pentagon’s chief financial officer today described the Defense Department’s fiscal 2010 funding request as a “reform budget.”
May 07, 2009 - Defense Department officials want to increase acquisition jobs by 20,000 over the next five years, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III told Congress yesterday.
May 06, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today called the mentorship that U.S. forces are providing the Saudi Arabian military a key factor in maintaining stability in the region.
May 05, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates praised Egypt today as a key U.S. ally and said progress on a wide range of security issues in the region will require Egypt’s “full participation and leadership.”
May 05, 2009 - The United States’ maritime supremacy allows the Defense Department to slow production of sea-based defense systems.
May 04, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is en route to Egypt and Saudi Arabia for sessions aimed at reaffirming ties with the important regional powers that both have strong military-to-military relationships with the United States.
May 04, 2009 - The type of “hybrid warfare” that defense experts predict the United States is increasingly likely to face will pull the military in two directions, the Defense Department’s top policy official said today.
May 04, 2009 - Getting the defense budget right for servicemembers and their families will be the measure of success, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
May 03, 2009 - The recent push by Taliban forces to take more ground in Pakistan has served as a wake-up call for the government there, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
May 01, 2009 - The Pakistani government finally is beginning to respond to the threat that Taliban extremists pose inside the country, the secretaries of State and Defense said yesterday before the Senate Appropriations Committee.
May 01, 2009 - President Barack Obama today welcomed two dozen American servicemembers as newly naturalized citizens of the United States.
April 30, 2009 - There is strong support on Capitol Hill for Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ procurement-reform efforts at the Pentagon, President Barack Obama told reporters at a White House news conference today.
April 27, 2009 - The Defense Department directorate that procures warfighters’ weapons systems has achieved much success in recent years, the organization’s departing chief said here today.
April 24, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates welcomed a group of recently appointed senior defense civilian officials during a Pentagon ceremony today.
April 22, 2009 - Defense Department officials are working to reduce vulnerability to cyber-attack attempts that occur regularly and are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said.
April 22, 2009 - Defense Department officials are working to reduce vulnerability to cyber-attack attempts that occur regularly and are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said.
April 18, 2009 - Military force is only part of the solution to the recent wave of piracy in the waters off Somalia, the Pentagon’s top military and civilian officials said.
April 17, 2009 - A recent agreement among the Defense Department, the Navy and shipbuilders will enable more efficient construction of the next-generation destroyer at one shipyard instead of two, a senior Defense Department official announced here today.
April 16, 2009 - In his two-and-a-half years as Defense secretary, Robert M. Gates has had many hard decisions to make. But none, he said here today, compare to the difficulty of his part in sending men and women into combat.
April 15, 2009 - As the world prepares to mark Earth Day 2009 on April 22, the Pentagon has become the “greenest” of federal agencies, with military operations worldwide deriving a full 10 percent of their power from sources other than fossil fuels.
April 14, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today stopped here today to find out how fast the home of Army aviation could expand training operations here.
April 13, 2009 - Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki is a no-nonsense leader who wants veterans to measure his performance and that of the department he leads through concrete results, not rhetoric.
April 13, 2009 - The U.S. military’s rescue of a kidnapped American ship captain yesterday was “textbook,” but the issue of piracy is likely to worsen in the absence of a systemic solution, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
April 13, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today that servicemembers and military families were his primary concern when formulating the fiscal 2010 defense budget recommendations.
April 10, 2009 - President Barack Obama yesterday forwarded the White House’s $83.4-billion war supplemental appropriations request to the U.S. House of Representatives.
April 09, 2009 - The safe return of the American maritime captain being held captive by pirates off the coast of Somalia is of primary importance, senior U.S. officials said here today at the annual Australia-U.S. Ministerial.
April 07, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says the changes to the budget that he proposed yesterday will provide a “home” for warfighters that doesn’t currently exist in the Pentagon’s institutions.
April 03, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will make budget decisions this weekend that will indicate a “fundamental shift in direction” for the department, the Pentagon press secretary said today.
April 03, 2009 - All systems are on track for this summer’s rollout of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, which Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said he expects to have as monumental an impact as the original World War II-era GI Bill of Rights.
April 01, 2009 - The leaders of the world’s two largest nuclear superpowers today agreed to start new talks aimed at reducing nuclear arms stockpiles, and to use the platform to “reset” relationships between the United States and Russia.
April 01, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has approved a policy change that, under strictly delineated conditions, allows media filming of dignified transfer operations of fallen servicemembers’ remains at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
March 30, 2009 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today recognized eight civil servants for their positive impact on national security and their efforts in support of the Joint Staff throughout the past year.
March 29, 2009 - The United States’ short-term goal for Afghanistan may have been refined, but the long-term goal has stayed the same, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today on “Fox News Sunday.”
March 24, 2009 - The Department of Homeland Security is “still considering” the use of National Guard troops along the U.S.-Mexico border, along with several other initiatives, the DHS secretary said in a White House press briefing today.
March 24, 2009 - Upwards of $40 billion dollars in savings could be realized by eliminating wasteful programs in the Pentagon’s procurement budget, President Barack Obama said during his nationally televised news conference.
March 18, 2009 - The wishes of the families will be the overriding principle guiding any media coverage of fallen warriors’ remains arriving at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
March 18, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today announced his recommendations that President Barack Obama re-nominate Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright as the chairman and vice chairman.
March 18, 2009 - The U.S. military must continue to develop its capability to wage irregular warfare for the foreseeable future, the chief of U.S. Joint Forces Command told the House Armed Services Committee here today.
March 17, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates traveled to Dover Air Force Base, Del., last night to pay his respects to four servicemembers killed recently in Afghanistan, a senior Pentagon official said here today.
March 16, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will remain here to tend to Defense Department budget issues during next month’s NATO Summit in Europe, a Pentagon spokesman said today.
March 16, 2009 - The Defense Department will undertake a comprehensive review of the National Security Personnel System to ascertain whether it is fair and transparent to participating employees.
March 13, 2009 - As President Barack Obama considers deploying National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to control escalating violence, Arizona's governor has requested about 250 more National Guard troops on its border with Mexico.
March 12, 2009 - As President Barack Obama considers deploying National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to control escalating violence, Arizona's governor has requested about 250 more National Guard troops on its border with Mexico.
March 11, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will await the results of a thorough review process before making decisions about major defense systems.
March 06, 2009 - As the Obama administration continues its comprehensive review of the Afghanistan strategy, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay met here yesterday to discuss the allies’ commitments in the NATO effort.
March 05, 2009 - A senior Pentagon spokesman offered gratitude to Canada and touched on a variety of other topics in a wide-ranging news conference today.
March 04, 2009 - President Barack Obama today pledged to ensure the security of the American people while trimming fat from the Defense Department budget and reforming government contracting.
March 03, 2009 - The Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military Services is interested in talking with victims of sexual assault worldwide to gain understanding about their experience with the military’s response to the incident.
March 02, 2009 - The United States could increase its military support to help Mexico fight drug cartels that pose an increasingly alarming security risk, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday.
February 26, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has called for forthright, collegial discussions among Defense Department leaders to make tough choices about programs, projects and procurement as the defense portion of the fiscal 2010 federal budget takes shape.
February 26, 2009 - Defense Department officials will allow the news media to photograph the flag-draped caskets of fallen U.S. troops returning home if their families agree, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Feb. 26.
February 25, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has called for forthright, collegial discussions among Defense Department leaders to make tough choices about programs, projects and procurement as the defense portion of the fiscal 2010 federal budget takes shape.
February 24, 2009 - President Barack Obama announced yesterday that he will nominate Ashton Carter to be the next undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.
February 23, 2009 - Ending the military’s so-called “stop-loss” program is a priority for Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, a senior official said here today.
February 23, 2009 - The detention facilities at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, meet all standards of humane treatment and are in compliance with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, the vice chief of naval operations said today.
February 19, 2009 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff noted the progress Air Force officials have made in the service’s nuclear weapons program during a visit here yesterday.
February 19, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he is encouraged by discussions with NATO allies here today on the way forward in Afghanistan.
February 17, 2009 - President Barack Obama has ordered a Marine expeditionary brigade and an Army Stryker brigade combat team -- totaling 12,000 soldiers and Marines -- to Afghanistan.
February 13, 2009 - Senior defense leaders are taking a serious and critical look at the president’s fiscal 2010 defense budget request, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said here today.
February 10, 2009 - Discussions within the administration about the fiscal 2010 defense budget have been cordial and productive, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today, but department leaders are prepared to make tough choices.
February 10, 2009 - U.S. forces are stretched, but they are resilient, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
February 03, 2009 - More U.S. troops are needed in Afghanistan to confront insurgent violence and to establish “a baseline of security” there, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters here today.
February 03, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has selected a Navy four-star admiral to lead an assessment of operations at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a senior Defense Department official said here today.
January 29, 2009 - President Barack Obama thanked U.S. troops and pledged to provide the resources they need to accomplish their missions Jan. 28 in his first visit to the Pentagon as commander in chief.
January 28, 2009 - In his first visit to the Pentagon as commander in chief, President Barack Obama today thanked U.S. troops and pledged to provide the resources they need to accomplish their missions.
January 27, 2009 - Afghanistan poses the greatest military challenge to the United States today, and President Barack Obama has made that country a top priority for the Defense Department.
January 27, 2009 - The National Guard must be able to meet its domestic responsibilities in addition to its operational missions, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
January 27, 2009 - The Defense Department is forming a civilian expeditionary workforce that will be trained and equipped to deploy overseas in support of military missions worldwide, according to department officials.
January 26, 2009 - Sailors assigned to USS Green Bay (LPD 20) brought their ship to life during a commissioning ceremony Jan. 24 at the port of Long Beach, Calif.
January 23, 2009 - The U.S. military will focus its efforts on achieving shorter-term goals there, the Defense Department’s top official said here yesterday.
January 23, 2009 - As the Defense Department prepares plans to close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, defense officials acknowledge the possibility that released detainees could return to the battlefield.
January 22, 2009 - President Barack Obama’s decision to close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has made a positive impression in the world community, and that will assist America in its fight against global terrorism.
January 21, 2009 - Responding to a presidential directive, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates yesterday ordered a suspension of active military commission proceedings at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a senior Pentagon official said here today.
January 21, 2009 - As President Barack Obama and the first family began moving into the presidential residence here yesterday, the administration unpacked a new presidential agenda on the White House’s official Web site.
January 19, 2009 - America’s most senior defense leaders honored 43 men who risked their lives with unmatched heroism in service to their country during a luncheon here today.
January 16, 2009 - Decisions about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and F-22 Raptor aircraft programs are expected early in President-elect Barack Obama’s administration.
January 14, 2009 - Air Force officials are "all in" with regard to unmanned aircraft systems, and understand the Defense secretary's direction to field the systems in the combat theater as fully and quickly as possible, a senior leader said Jan. 12 here.
January 14, 2009 - The Air Force is “all in” with regard to unmanned aerial systems, and the service’s leaders understand Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ direction to field the systems in the combat theater as fully and quickly as possible.
January 10, 2009 - With traditional pomp and circumstance and its namesake on hand, the last Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS George H.W. Bush, was commissioned in Norfolk, Va., today.
January 08, 2009 - Iraq has witnessed “some remarkable milestones” already this month, with more on the horizon, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
January 08, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is pleased by “great progress” in improving care and support for wounded warriors, but believes these developments “are still not good enough” and plans to implement more,Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
January 08, 2009 - President-elect Barack Obama today announced his choices for four key Defense Department positions: deputy defense secretary, two undersecretary positions and general counsel.
January 06, 2009 - Gates called Bush a visionary who recognized before becoming president the threat terrorists and other unconventional threats posed.
January 06, 2009 - With 15 days left in office, President George W. Bush today reflected on a list of “lasts” that includes his final weeks as the commander of U.S. military forces.
December 30, 2008 - About 100 U.S. European Command soldiers, airmen and Marines deployed to Israel to help set up an early warning radar system reported no close encounters with air strikes or retaliatory attacks along the Gaza Strip, a Eucom spokesman said.
December 23, 2008 - President George W. Bush has signed an updated unified command plan.
December 18, 2008 - After more than two years of promoting the idea that “What gets checked gets done,” the Defense Department’s “Check It” campaign came to an end today with an awards ceremony at the National Defense University on Fort McNair here.
December 18, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates hopes commanders with a “vested interest” in the future role of U.S. forces in Iraq can share their views directly with the incoming president, a Pentagon official said today.
December 17, 2008 - Fighting in Afghanistan probably will increase in the coming year, but it will be on U.S. and NATO terms, not on the enemy’s, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.
December 16, 2008 - As the military institutionalizes new and unconventional warfighting skills, it also must work to maintain its conventional dominance.
December 13, 2008 - U.S. combat forces are on track to be out of Iraqi cities by June 30 in accordance with the recently signed status of forces agreement between the United States and Iraq, the top U.S. general in Iraq said today.
December 13, 2008 - The mission in Iraq is still relevant despite the recent political attention on the fight in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told troops here today.
December 11, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told several hundred troops here today that a sense of duty caused him to agree to stay on in his current job through the administration change.
December 09, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met yesterday with Vice President-elect Joe Biden as Gates continues to work to ensure the department’s transition between the two administrations is as seamless as possible.
December 08, 2008 - Army Gen. William S. Wallace today relinquished the colors of the U.S. Army command responsible for developing soldiers’ skills and doctrine.
December 05, 2008 - 66 West Point cadets of the Army Spirit Pep Team made their way through the Pentagon corridors rallying support for Saturday's 109th annual Army-Navy gridiron clash in Philadelphia.
December 03, 2008 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with senior Pakistani officials in Islamabad today to thank them for their willingness to work with Indian authorities in a joint investigation into the recent terror attacks in Mumbai, India.
December 02, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will devote himself to resolving challenges facing the Defense Department while serving as part of the administration of President-elect Barack Obama.
December 01, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will remain in the Pentagon’s top post when President-elect Barack Obama’s administration takes office.
December 01, 2008 - President-elect Barack Obama cited the need for continuity as the United States fights two wars.
November 24, 2008 - Tough economic times are no excuse for the international community to withhold support for Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told reporters returning with him Nov. 21 from a two-day defense ministerial in Nova Scotia, Canada.
November 21, 2008 - Conventional military wisdom holds that enemies have a vote in combat. But manufacturers of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle have worked to disenfranchise them.
November 14, 2008 - As ghostlike Capitol Hill workers scurried through a cold, misty fog early yesterday evening, a nearby group of wounded warriors cosseted in a warm room broke bread and shared stories about far-away lands and future hopes.
November 12, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip discussed Russian behavior and new cooperation on cyber security during meetings here today.
November 06, 2008 - President Bush warned today that terrorists could use the government transition under way as an opportunity to attack, and urged his staff to give the incoming administration the support it needs to “hit the ground running.”
November 05, 2008 - Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev’s threat today to deploy missiles targeting proposed U.S. missile defenses in Eastern Europe misses the point that the system will be purely defensive and will pose no threat to Russia, a Pentagon spokesman said today.
November 04, 2008 - The Defense Department has made extensive plans for a smooth transition from the present administration to that of the president-elect, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said here today.
October 31, 2008 - Army Gen. David H. Petraeus assumed leadership of the U.S. military command charged with helping to build peace in a tough and war-torn part of the world today.
October 30, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ concerns raised this week about a “serious brain drain” at laboratories that design and develop nuclear weapons is resonating within the research and engineering community.
October 30, 2008 - No matter who wins the election Nov. 4, Defense Department officials will work to ensure a smooth and efficient transition to the new administration, DoD officials said today.
October 28, 2008 - The United States military is the best-manned, best-equipped and best-trained force in the world, but that doesn't mean a thing if it can't get to the fight, said the commander of U.S. Transportation Command.
October 28, 2008 - Gates said at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace he’s confident the Russians know the proposed missile defense system in Eastern Europe does not threaten them.
October 28, 2008 - “As long as others have nuclear weapons, we must maintain some level of these weapons ourselves,” Gates noted in a speech to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
October 27, 2008 - President Bush kicked off the weekend by signing agreements endorsing Albania and Croatia as NATO members and called on other Balkan and former Soviet countries to join the alliance.
October 23, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called it an honor “to welcome into citizenship 42 men and women who have served and sacrificed for their country before it officially was their country.”
October 22, 2008 - The draft status of forces agreement between the governments of the United States and Iraq contains adequate protections for U.S. military members.
October 21, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today honored career civilian employees from throughout the department.
October 21, 2008 - The National Fraternal Order of Police formalized its support here yesterday for the men and women who wear both the military uniform and that of their local law enforcement agencies.
October 20, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates assured participants in the first Wounded Warriors Family Summit here today he will “continue to press forward with a sense of urgency” to provide top-level care and support for wounded warriors.
October 17, 2008 - Servicemembers should not be concerned about the status of forces agreement between the United States and Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said.
October 10, 2008 - Wounded, ill or injured service members and their families now have until November 28, 2008, to help Military Health System (MHS) leadership better understand the needs and expectations of warriors in their care.
June 20, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates praised Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden at the general’s military retirement ceremony here today as “the quintessential intelligence professional in government."
June 10, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates spoke candidly to Air Force Space Command members here June 10 about the resignation of top Air Force officials and problems of leadership and accountability in the control of nuclear assets.
May 09, 2008 - Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Flowers has served combat deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and understands firsthand what warfighters need to succeed.
May 06, 2008 - President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates paid tribute today to about 1,100 military spouses who gathered for a Military Spouse Day celebration at the White House, where Bush promised to continue pushing for more benefits for military families.
May 01, 2008 - Seeking mental-health care due to post-traumatic stress will no longer be seen as an obstacle to getting a government security clearance, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced here today.
April 21, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates established a new task force last week to ensure the Defense Department is doing everything possible to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets to support warfighters.
April 17, 2008 - A study released today shows that nearly 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression, findings that military health officials called “very consistent” with their own.
March 17, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice landed here today for two days of talks with their Russian counterparts.
March 01, 2008 - On what was described as a “fine Navy, Marine Corps day,” in New Orleans, Defense Department officials, servicemembers and distinguished guests gathered today to christen a tangible symbol of America’s mettle.
November 30, 2007 - Army and Navy drummers, buglers and cheerleaders stormed the halls of the Pentagon over the past two days, rallying or roiling soldiers and sailors in their wake before tomorrow’s Army-Navy football game.
July 30, 2007 - Three pitchers from Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals and about 20 others associated with the team spent their day off at the Pentagon today, exploring the Defense Department’s nerve center and signing autographs for fans.
February 23, 2007 - Injured American troops should not return home to battle the bureaucracies of a broken outpatient health care system, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told reporters at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here today.
October 20, 2006 - With the 2.2 percent across-the-board pay raise that is part of the Fiscal 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, the Defense Department will reach its goal to bring military basic pay to the 70th percentile when compared to civilians.
October 07, 2006 - Many of the World War II veterans sprinkled among the crowd greeted the former president. All ignored the rain to watch Bush’s daughter Dorothy Bush Koch smash a champagne-filled bottle to officially name the 90,000-ton aircraft carrier.
October 06, 2006 - Five years ago tomorrow, America was still stinging from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as it began striking back in the global war on terror.
September 29, 2006 - The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved a $447 billion defense spending bill that includes money to continue military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite their support of the bill, Senate Democrats continued criticism of the Bush administration.
September 28, 2006 - Some 12,000 U.S. troops in 14 eastern provinces of Afghanistan will come under NATO control in the near future following a decision by the alliance’s defense ministers.
September 11, 2006 - Remembrance ceremonies, both large and small, took place across the United States Monday to mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
September 11, 2006 - Tears flowed freely under the gray sky as family members of those killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, gathered outside the Pentagon today to honor the memory of their loved ones.
September 11, 2006 - For those hours from when they first assembled on the National Mall until they concluded their two-mile Freedom Walk at a grandstand near the Pentagon crash site, the participants shared a common focus and sense of commitment.
August 31, 2006 - Officials from the Defense Department and military services got together here yesterday for the first 'From Deployment to Employment' conference to discuss ways to better serve America’s severely injured servicemembers.
August 28, 2006 - Severely injured servicemembers and their spouses are seeing doors open to meaningful civilian careers, thanks to a partnership between the Defense Department and the private sector.
July 28, 2006 - The top U.S. general in Iraq had hoped to be able to recommend what he called a fairly significant reduction in U.S. troops in the country this year. Instead, Donald Rumsfeld approved the general's request for 3,500 more troops.
July 23, 2006 - Three severely wounded soldiers recovering in the Washington area got "a dream come true," as Washington's Major League Baseball team honored them and military members everywhere July 21.
June 27, 2006 - The highest priority in funding the global war on terror is to ensure that the military members fighting it have all they need to win, a senior defense official said. The bulk of the expenditure, $210 billion, has funded Operation Iraqi Freedom.
May 20, 2006 - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says U.S. military forces are helping people every day in all parts of the world in unconventional ways: building hospitals, digging water wells and administering medical aid to those in need.
May 09, 2006 - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has welcomed indications by Iraq's new leader that he is close to forming a national unity government, but said he is still not ready to recommend any reduction in U.S. forces in the country.
April 17, 2006 - President Bush has rejected calls from a group of retired generals for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for alleged mismanagement of the war in Iraq.
April 12, 2006 - Israel has reacted cautiously to Iran's announcement that it has successfully enriched uranium. Israeli officials say the international community and especially the United States must take the lead in pressuring Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions.
April 04, 2006 - Weinberger presided over the largest peacetime buildup of the American military, and many believe that buildup was the straw that broke the back of communism. Weinberger died in Maine on March 28 at 88.
March 29, 2006 - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called on Russia to conduct a "serious investigation" into an allegation that Russian officials provided intelligence on U.S. military plans to Iraqi leaders in the early weeks of the war in 2003.
March 28, 2006 - Caspar W. Weinberger, the nation's 15th secretary of defense, died Tuesday. He was 88. Weinberger took office Jan. 21, 1981, and served until Nov. 23, 1987, making him the longest-serving defense secretary to date.
March 27, 2006 - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today paid respects to the 40 passengers and crewmembers killed here when they struggled against terrorist hijackers and crashed on Sept. 11, 2001. He declared their heroic effort a turning point in the war on terror.
March 22, 2006 - Currently, the United States has a limited missile defense capability. Multiple sensors and radars are positioned around the world to detect and track enemy missiles, but they do not yet offer global coverage.
March 22, 2006 - Sergeant Michael Smith's lawyer said he was doing what he was ordered to do, and that other soldiers had allowed their dogs to go even farther in threatening detainees, including allowing some dogs to actually bite detainees.
March 20, 2006 - President Bush marked the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq Monday with a pledge that U.S. troops will stay there until Iraq's new security forces can protect the country's fledgling democracy.
March 07, 2006 - U.S. officials have long accused Iran of allowing insurgents and their supporters to cross its border with Iraq. And some media reports have indicated that Iran is sending in specially trained soldiers.
March 01, 2006 - The survey by the well-known Zogby International polling company says 72 percent of the U.S. troops in Iraq believe all U.S. forces should be withdrawn within 12 months.
February 05, 2006 - The U.S. Defense Department has called for changes to its structure and capabilities to make the U.S. military more effective at facing the challenges of the 21st century.
December 22, 2005 - A senior U.S. military officer says the number of insurgent attacks in Iraq is down since last week's election, and he believes the Iraqi people have reached what he calls the saturation point of their willingness to tolerate such attacks.
November 07, 2005 - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today announced the next major units to deploy to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He emphasized that rotation planning remains flexible and will be based on conditions on the ground.
October 26, 2005 - Improving the process that provides servicemembers with correct pay and allowances is part of the Defense Department's plan to modernize its business practices, senior DoD transformation officials said.
October 20, 2005 - The commander of U.S. and South Korean forces says North Korea has reduced the number of provocations along the de-militarized zone in the past year, apparently in an effort to protect growing economic cooperation with the South.
October 11, 2005 - Eight U.S. military helicopters are in Pakistan providing heavy-lift capabilities in disaster-relief operations after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake devastated large swaths of the country.
September 29, 2005 - The commanding general of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq is backing off of a prediction he made two months ago that a substantial number of U.S. forces could be withdrawn from Iraq next year.
September 16, 2005 - The acting deputy defense secretary today reaffirmed the nation's commitment to fully account for all the nation's prisoners of war and servicemembers missing in action.
September 13, 2005 - Severely wounded servicemembers and all military spouses are encouraged to attend a "Hiring Heroes Career Fair" Sept. 20 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to explore job opportunities in the federal government and private sector.
September 10, 2005 - For the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Pentagon allowed the public to view the 9/11 memorial site on September 10, 2005.
September 05, 2005 - The 38,000 National Guard troops and almost 13,000 active-component forces in the region are working feverishly to wrap up search-and-rescue operations and get the hurricane victims to safety.
August 25, 2005 - The Defense Department announced its plan August 24 to deploy additional U.S. military forces to Iraq on a temporary basis to increase security in advance of Iraqi elections.
August 24, 2005 - The Base Realignment and Closure Commission generally supported the Defense Department's recommendations today as the panel began its final four days of deliberations.
August 09, 2005 - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has criticized the Iranian government, saying it is not stopping the flow of weapons across its border into Iraq. The criticism follows recent reports that Iraqi border guards intercepted shipments of bombs from Iran.
August 03, 2005 - Hard-charging servicemembers who are promoted ahead of their peers may one day also be rewarded with performance pay, the chief of a defense panel studying military compensation issues said.
July 29, 2005 - Chibitty died July 20 in Tulsa, Okla. He was 83. He was invited to the Pentagon three times -- in 1992, 1999 and 2002 -- in honor of his service to the nation as a World War II code talker.
July 27, 2005 - The commanding general of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq says there could be a significant reduction in the number of U.S. troops in the country by this time next year, if the political process remains on track.
July 27, 2005 - A fairly substantial withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq could take place next spring or summer if the insurgency doesn't grow.
July 26, 2005 - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has obtained assurances from Kyrgyz officials that U.S. military forces supporting anti-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan will not have to withdraw from an airbase near the Kyrgyz capital anytime soon.
July 18, 2005 - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the military trials of two terrorism suspects being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba will resume as soon as possible, following a court ruling that such proceedings are legal.
July 08, 2005 - Veterans with service-related disabilities looking for business opportunities need look no farther than the U.S. government -- and more specifically, the Defense Department.
July 06, 2005 - The U.S. armed forces will expand their ability to protect the homeland through a strategy of an active and layered defense, according to a recently approved Defense Department plan.
June 01, 2005 - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has warned countries near Iraq not to provide sanctuary or medical treatment to Iraq's al-Qaida leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is believed to have been wounded by coalition forces.
June 01, 2005 - WASHINGTON, June 1, 2005 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld defended U.S. military men and women accused of running a "gulag" at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The secretary spoke during a Pentagon press conference today.
May 30, 2005 - America's top military leaders commemorated this Memorial Day by paying tribute to the tradition of wartime military service that has distinguished generations of Americans, past and present.
May 30, 2005 - Ever since it unveiled its proposal to save nearly $50 billion over the next 20 years by closing dozens of U.S. military facilities, the Pentagon has been busy defending its list of targeted bases.
May 06, 2005 - A full lineup of commemorations is scheduled to kick off this weekend in observation of the 60th anniversary of V-E - for "Victory in Europe" - Day, the end of World War II there.
May 05, 2005 - Today's military is smaller than the Cold War force. It is already more agile and more flexible. And experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan show that joint operations enable the military to focus more power, more quickly exactly where it is needed.
May 03, 2005 - Few people dispute that the U.S. military has too much infrastructure to face the threats and opportunities of the 21st century. The question is: What's the best way to close or realign installations to match challenges of the new world?
April 08, 2005 - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he’d like to see sweeping changes to the military services’ personnel systems.
March 11, 2005 - The battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan and the operations in the Horn of Africa have produced battle-tested leaders who understand the new warfare and are able to battle the threats of the 21st century.
February 07, 2005 - People are the highest priority in the budget. It funds a 3.1 percent pay raise for military personnel and raises the basic allowance for housing 4 percent. The budget request expands Tricare to cover mobilizing reservists and their families.
January 24, 2005 - The U.N. General Assembly has held a special session marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camps. Foreign ministers and a host of dignitaries joined death camp survivors for the observance.
December 22, 2004 - It appears that a suicide bomber was responsible for the attack on the mess hall at Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul that killed 22 people Dec. 21, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a Pentagon news briefing.
December 08, 2004 - Some soldiers headed for duty in Iraq took the secretary of defense at his word in Kuwait today when he encouraged them to ask him tough questions at a town-hall meeting.
October 21, 2004 - Britain has accepted a U.S. request to move some of its troops in Iraq closer to Baghdad to free up American forces for counter-insurgency operations ahead of Iraqi elections in January.
October 18, 2004 - Britain says it could deploy combat troops near Baghdad to free up U.S. forces for counter-terrorism operations before Iraqi elections planned for January.
October 15, 2004 - Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Alan P. Dementer, a hospital corpsman, does not consider himself a hero. He says he was just doing his job when he treated 31 Marines wounded during an attack on their battalion command center in Iraq.
October 10, 2004 - t least 18 people, including an American soldier, were killed following two car bombings in Baghdad. The attacks occurred while Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld made a surprise visit to Iraq to speak with military leaders and U.S. Marines.
September 11, 2004 - During a brief speech, Rumsfeld offered words of condolence, and afterward talked personally with family members. "We think of you often," he said. "We remember your loss, our loss, our country's loss, and the loss of precious lives."
August 24, 2004 - Responding to recommendations contained in the report by the 9/11 Commission, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts unveiled comprehensive legislation to revamp the 15-agency U.S. intelligence community.
August 20, 2004 - The 3.5 percent pay raise provided for in the 2005 Defense Appropriations Bill shows the U.S. government and the American people are committed to supporting their military forces.
August 17, 2004 - Top U.S. Defense officials say President Bush's plan to reposition American military power overseas is intended to put U.S. forces in a better position to respond to potential conflicts and the threat posed by terrorism.
July 27, 2004 - U.S. and Korean officials have agreed on a plan to move all 8,000 American troops out of Seoul and its suburbs by December 2008. The forces will be relocated to south of the Han River in the Pyongtaek area, roughly 50 miles south of Seoul.
June 20, 2004 - Iraq's deputy prime minister implored the American press to provide more balanced coverage of operations in Iraq.
June 14, 2004 - While the uniforms, equipment and formations of the Army have changed since it was founded on June 14, 1775, its values that helped win the nation’s independence have not.
June 09, 2004 - The Cold War was heating up when Ronald Wilson Reagan became the 40th U.S. president in early 1981. Reagan assumed the presidency at a time when the Soviet Union was flexing its muscles to contest American influence in world affairs.
June 06, 2004 - The former president died of pneumonia June 5 in California. He was 93 and had Alzheimer's disease. In a White House press statement, the president said the former president had won America's respect with his greatness.
June 05, 2004 - Long before the world heard of the mass graves Saddam Hussein filled in Iraq, the Khmer Rouge slaughtered millions of Cambodians in the mid-1970s after the United States stopped bombing their sanctuaries in Indochina.
May 14, 2004 - The words spoken at opening ceremony honored all veterans, but those serving in the most recent war felt them most strongly. Seated in front of hundreds of service members and visitors at this year's event were severely injured Iraq war veterans.
May 13, 2004 - President Bush has formally sent Congress his request for an initial $25 billion for continued military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the next budget year beginning October 1.
May 06, 2004 - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is expected to face tough questioning before Congress Friday about the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops.
May 04, 2004 - President Bush is urging the Pentagon to take action against any U.S. soldier who has abused Iraqi prisoners. Iraq was a major theme when the president left Washington for his first major campaign trip of the election year.
April 15, 2004 - About 20,000 soldiers now in Iraq and Kuwait will serve at least 90 days past their originally scheduled tours of duty
April 08, 2004 - Senior U.S. officials decided to focus on the al Qaeda-Taliban connection in Afghanistan rather than on Iraq shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.
April 06, 2004 - U.S. military officials say as many as a dozen Marines may have been killed when Iraqi insurgents attacked their position in the town of Ramadi late Tuesday.
March 28, 2004 - The Defense Department's top civilian today said he supports the 9/11 commission's investigation into the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, while noting the necessity of preventing future terrorist acts.
February 25, 2004 - The Defense Department's senior personnel official assured Senate Armed Services Committee members that the military would get to the bottom of allegations that scores of female service members were sexually assaulted during overseas deployments.
February 23, 2004 - Army leaders have recommended canceling a multibillion-dollar helicopter program, citing an Army study that suggests the funds would be more effective improving other areas of the service's aviation program.
February 01, 2004 - Witnesses in Irbil say one suicide bomber blew himself up in a meeting hall of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and another detonated his explosives across town at the headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
January 29, 2004 - The Army will grow to 510,000 soldiers over the next four years as a temporary measure.In the next four months, an official said, the Army will move 220,000 soldiers into and out of Iraq and Afghanistan.
January 23, 2004 - In a break from past practice, the Defense Department announced that President Bush will request a $401.7 billion defense budget for fiscal 2005. Normally, this is one of the more closely guarded figures in the Pentagon.
January 05, 2004 - The new year brings new hope for families of the more than 88,000 Americans who are still missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the 1991 Gulf War.
January 03, 2004 - Declassified British government documents show that the British government believed the United States contemplated using force to seize Middle East oilfields during the 1973 Arab oil crisis.
December 24, 2003 - Department of Defense officials and lawyers with the Justice Department are examining a decision handed down by a federal judge that ordered DOD to stop anthrax vaccinations for U.S. servicemembers without their consent.
December 16, 2003 - The Central Intelligence Agency will oversee the interrogations of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told Pentagon reporters today.
December 13, 2003 - President Bush says the Pentagon is investigating whether a subsidiary of a company once run by Vice President Dick Cheney overcharged the government for work it performed in Iraq.
November 06, 2003 - ''I took this photo with the purpose of giving it to my father for his retirement ceremony after 40 years in the government,
November 02, 2003 - In response to news of a U.S. helicopter being downed in Iraq today, killing 15 soldiers and injuring 21, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said, ''It was a bad day, a bad day, a tragic day for those people.''
October 31, 2003 - Intelligence officials say no one knows for certain who is behind the upsurge in terrorist attacks in Iraq. But there are a number of theories, including the possible involvement of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
October 27, 2003 - Scores of people have been killed and injured in several early morning bomb blasts in Baghdad. Three explosions rocked Baghdad Monday morning, the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
October 26, 2003 - A U.S. military spokesman said six to eight rockets struck the west side of the hotel between the second and 10th floors at about 6:10 a.m. local time. One U.S. soldier was killed in the attack and 15 people were wounded.
October 25, 2003 - A U.S. army helicopter crashed Saturday near Tikrit, the hometown of ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Hours earlier, a top U.S. official was in Tikrit to inspect an Iraqi defense training facility.
October 22, 2003 - Far from being a glum assessment, a memo Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld sent to senior leaders poses questions Rumsfeld believes leaders should be asking about the new security environment.
September 03, 2003 - he prepares for his 80th birthday on Sept. 3, the creative genius behind the popular comic strip "Beetle Bailey" said he has no plans to retire his drafting pen – nor Beetle and his cohorts at Camp Swampy.
August 26, 2003 - The days of the ''weekend warrior'' are gone. Guardsmen and reservists are giving much more than a weekend a month and two weeks of annual training a year, the retired Navy rear admiral said. Many serve 60 to 120 days a year.
August 25, 2003 - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is rejecting calls by some prominent members of Congress for more troops to be sent to Iraq, saying U.S. force levels there now are adequate.
August 20, 2003 - The attacks on U.S. and coalition forces are coming from a mixture of ''different elements,'' Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said during an interview with National Public Radio.
August 06, 2003 - American forces have found Russian fighter jets buried in the Iraqi desert, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in an Aug. 5 press briefing.
August 01, 2003 - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is trying to help raise money to a build memorial honoring the 184 military and civilian personnel that died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon.
July 24, 2003 - Releasing photographs of the brothers' bodies was not a decision he made lightly, but Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld believes the Iraqi people deserve proof that their longtime tormenters are really gone.
July 21, 2003 - Forty-one additional U.S. military security personnel were sent into Liberia July 21 as the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia was caught in the cross-fire between the troops of embattled Liberian President Charles Taylor and rebel forces fighting them.
July 16, 2003 - U.S. and coalition forces are facing organized opposition by Baathist remnants throughout Iraq, U.S. Army Gen. John Abizaid told reporters at the Pentagon July 16.
July 10, 2003 - The general who led U.S. forces to victory in Iraq has acknowledged American troops may need to remain in that country for several more years.
July 08, 2003 - Gen. John P. Abizaid assumed command of U.S. Central Command from Gen. Tommy R. Franks July 7 during a ceremony at the St. Pete Times Forum in downtown Tampa.
July 08, 2003 - President Bush said during a quick media opportunity in Senegal that the United States will participate with the Economic Community of West African States and the United Nations in any humanitarian mission to Liberia.
June 26, 2003 - With the number of coalition casualties climbing in Iraq, U.S. forces are continuing a massive sweep north and west of Baghdad designed to crackdown on Iraqis responsible for the violence.
June 24, 2003 - Coalition personnel are making progress in Iraq, but the recent deaths of American and British soldiers show the world is still engaged in a dangerous war against terrorism.
June 18, 2003 - The U.S. military says it has captured Abid Hamid Mahmud, the number four man on the most wanted list of Iraqis. Mr. Mahmud was the personal secretary for ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
June 17, 2003 - For three decades, America's armed forces have served on a solely volunteer basis. The nation is about to mark the 30th anniversary of the All-Volunteer Force.
May 29, 2003 - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says he still believes coalition forces in Iraq will eventually find clear evidence of Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction programs.
May 27, 2003 - It was a little over 1.5 years ago that Afghan forces, backed by U.S. firepower, dislodged the Taleban in Afghanistan. But analysts say recent hit-and-run attacks indicate the Taleban are trying to regroup.
May 26, 2003 - ''God is crying too,'' said 4-year-old Robert as he and his family participated in the Memorial Day ceremonies here today. Robert was one of thousands who sat through the rain to honor the men and women who have died in defense of the United States.
May 22, 2003 - National Guard leaders from the 54 states and U.S. territories supported the chief of the National Guard Bureau's initiative for transforming their organization into a force of ''modern Minutemen that is more responsive for the American people.''
May 07, 2003 - A new audio tape, purported to be Saddam Hussein exhorting Iraqis to reject the presence of U.S. forces, has surfaced. It is the first alleged tape by the former Iraqi leader since he was ousted from power last month.
May 02, 2003 - Major combat operations in Iraq are over, and America and her allies have prevailed, President George W. Bush said May 1 on the flight deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.
April 28, 2003 - The number of U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region will drop as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.
April 25, 2003 - The man who for years had been perhaps the most visible symbol of Saddam Hussein's regime, former foreign minister and later deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, has surrendered to U.S. led forces in Iraq.
April 20, 2003 - Darryl Worley gave a 45-minute concert at the Pentagon for several hundred servicemembers, civilian employees and family members April 16. The show was broadcast live to troops overseas, and an audio webcast now also is available.
April 17, 2003 - The United States is intensifying the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, where sporadic fighting continues. Meanwhile, the ongoing effort by U.S. forces to round-up former Iraqi regime leaders nets the second of Saddam's three half-brothers.
April 16, 2003 - U.S. officials announce the capture of a major Palestinian terrorist in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Meanwhile, U.S. forces have shut down a pipeline used for illegal oil shipments from Iraq to Syria.
April 14, 2003 - .S. troops are clearing out the remaining pockets of resistance in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. U.S. forces now occupy the center of Tikrit, including the presidential palace.
April 13, 2003 - DoD officials identified the seven American prisoners of war found in northern Iraq today as five members of the 507th Maintenance Company and two Apache helicopter pilots.
April 11, 2003 - The State Department said Thursday it has been told by Syria that it is closing its border with Iraq to all but humanitarian traffic. This follows charges by the Bush administration that Syria may have allowed arms and Arab volunteers across its border.
April 07, 2003 - President Bush prepares to hold talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair Monday on the postwar future of Iraq. Meanwhile, coalition troops have ratcheted up the pressure on Baghdad and the country's second largest city, Basra.
April 03, 2003 - Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, defense officials have pointed out the Iraqi regime's policy of consistently ignoring the laws of armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions.
April 01, 2003 - It's Day 12 of ''Where's Saddam?'' Since Sunday, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, and other senior DoD officials have noted that no one has seen Saddam Hussein since the operation to open the war.
March 29, 2003 - Iraq is denying allegations by coalition officials that Iraqi soldiers are disguising themselves as civilians. Meanwhile, Iran and Syria have strongly denied charges by a top U.S. official that they are getting involved in the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
March 26, 2003 - The Pentagon is reporting several hundred Iraqis forces have been killed after U.S. troops came under fierce attack south of Baghdad Tuesday.
March 24, 2003 - As many as ten American Marines were reported killed and another 12 Americans soldiers are listed as missing, believed to have been taken hostage or killed by Iraqi forces in a tough day of fighting for the coalition
March 23, 2003 - Iraqi television videotape purports to show U.S. service members captured by Iraqi forces. Al Jazeera – a satellite news network based out of Doha, Qatar – broadcast the tape.
March 22, 2003 - U.S. troops yesterday attacked a terrorist complex located in northern Iraq, Army Gen. Tommy Franks said.
March 21, 2003 - Coalition forces have begun a massive air campaign against Iraq, pounding military targets in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities after the apparent failure of efforts to force Saddam Hussein's government to relinquish power without a fight.
February 01, 2003 - The White House says there is no indication that terrorism was involved in Saturday's apparent breakup of the space shuttle Columbia, minutes before it was due to land in Florida.
January 24, 2003 - If there is a new war with Iraq, the Bush administration expects Saddam Hussein to order the destruction of his country's oil fields, creating an economic and environmental disaster.
January 13, 2003 - Thirty years after then-Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird established the all- volunteer force, some politicians are again calling for resumption of a military draft. Defense leaders are crying foul.
January 07, 2003 - The U.S. military is building up forces in the Persian Gulf, but that's not a sign war with Iraq is inevitable, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today.
December 23, 2002 - Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is telling North Korea the U.S. military is capable of dealing with it, the Iraq crisis and the war on terrorism all at the same time.
December 23, 2002 - An American Predator unmanned aerial vehicle was assumed lost today over southern Iraq.
December 16, 2002 - Terrorism, Iraq and North Korea were the main topics of discussions here today between senior American and Japanese officials.
October 24, 2002 - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld spoke briefly today at a DoD press conference about two suspects arrested in connection with sniper shootings that have plagued the Washington metro region for three weeks.
October 17, 2002 - After a fake withdrawal by elements of the Republic of Korea from Sniper Ridge, the ROK 2nd Division trap the Chinese on the ridge as a part of Operation Showdown, 50 years ago this week in Korea.
October 16, 2002 - The Pentagon has been enlisted to support efforts to catch a deadly sniper who has preyed on metro Washington residents since Oct. 2.
October 01, 2002 - Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has proven time and again he can't be trusted. And Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld took to the podium today to point that out.
September 25, 2002 - A little-known pay measure, set to become law, could turn into a budget-busting problem for the Defense Department, officials said. If enacted, the legislation may cost DoD around $58 billion extra over the next decade.
September 20, 2002 - Recent writing on the wall about Saddam Hussein's intentions and capabilities should be enough to justify pre-emptive military action without the United States providing further evidence, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told Congress this week.
September 12, 2002 - The last five victims of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon were buried Sept. 12 with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 64, even though there were no identifiable remains.
September 06, 2002 - Yesterday's deadly bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, was a deplorable, deliberate act that targeted innocents to spread terror, a senior Pentagon spokesperson said here today.
September 06, 2002 - If you love country music, you know Alan Jackson. If you work at the Pentagon, you can see him up close and personal Monday morning.
September 03, 2002 - A field of bleachers is growing alongside the Pentagon as workers assemble seating for 12,000 in advance of a Sept. 11 ceremony.
August 15, 2002 - New threats call for a new approach to defense and highlight the need to transform the nation's armed forces ''now'' Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the president and Congress in his annual report.
August 02, 2002 - The U.S. military is constantly trying to find new ways to find and kill al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists, Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said today during a briefing.
July 23, 2002 - Rumsfeld ordered the Air Force's Office of Special Investigation to look into a leak that is the purported basis of a July 5 New York Times article on a secret war plan for an attack on Iraq.
July 15, 2002 - The Defense Department honored two private citizens today for their bravery during the terrorist attack on the Pentagon Sept. 11, 2001.
July 04, 2002 - Security is at unprecedented levels for Fourth of July celebrations all around the country, and nowhere is it so apparent as the national celebration in Washington, D.C. Still, people should try to enjoy the holiday, Deputy Defense Secretary said.
June 14, 2002 - After visiting nine countries in 10 days, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld believes much of the rest of the world is listening when President Bush speaks about the risks of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.
June 09, 2002 - Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, just off the plane from New Delhi said tensions between India and neighboring Pakistan have eased somewhat.
May 30, 2002 - President Bush announced today that he plans to send Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to India and Pakistan ''early next week.''
May 27, 2002 - When Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Tracy Thomas started singing ''America the Beautiful,'' a few people in the Memorial Amphitheater here began waving small American flags. By the time the chief had finished everyone was standing and waving ...
May 02, 2002 - Making and keeping military-to-military ties with foreign nations is important to U.S. national security, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said at the Pentagon today.
April 29, 2002 - The relationship between the United States and Russia today goes beyond arms control, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.
April 28, 2002 - Kazakhstan is ready to do more in the global war against terrorism, top government officials here told Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today.
February 02, 2002 - The world must act now to prevent terrorist networks from unleashing even more devastating evil than they did on Sept. 11, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said today in Germany.
January 10, 2002 - In signing the fiscal 2002 Defense Appropriations Act, President George W. Bush said the United States owes military personnel the full measure of respect for their service and sacrifice.
January 03, 2002 - In his first news conference of 2002, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today there is a lot left to do in Afghanistan, and the war on terrorism will be pursued wherever it leads.
