U.S. Department of Defense Official Website

	May. 12, 2009

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LAND SCAN - U.S. Army Pfc. David Mitchell scans the landscape surrounding Vehicle Patrol Base Badel at the mouth of the Narang Valley in Konar province, Afghanistan, May 9, 2009. Mitchell is assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Battalion. The base has closed down enemy activity in the valley and in Narang, Chowkay and Nurgal districts.U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Amber Robinson

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MILITARY NEWS

Proposed Recruiting Cuts 'Reasonable'

Military recruitment and retention is likely to remain strong, despite an $800 million cut in the proposed fiscal 2010 defense budget, a senior Defense Department official said. Story

• Recruiting, Retention Numbers Strong

Reservists Should Bring Bosses to Soldier Show

Members of the Guard and Reserve are being encouraged to bring their civilian employers with them to the 2009 U.S. Army Soldier Show through outreach by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Story

Fort Benning Team Wins Army Best Ranger Event

A team of two from Fort Benning has won the 26th annual David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition, an event often compared to the Ironman and Eco-Challenge competitions. Story

U.S. Marines, Morroccan MPs Train Together

Photo: U.S. Marines train with Morroccan police

About 66 U.S. Marine Corps and Royal Morroccan Army military policemen recently participated in joint non-lethal weapons training as part of Exercise African Lion 2009. Story | Photos

WARRIOR CARE

Army to Study Returning Soldiers' Nightmares

Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington state is conducting the first-of-its-kind study on reducing combat-related nightmares among returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. Story

FACE OF DEFENSE

Tattoos Reflect Soldier's Loyalties, Dreams

Tattoos on the arm of a 22-year-old soldier tell the story of his past as he prepares for his future as one of the 21,000 additional troops going to Afghanistan as part of a new military strategy in the area. Story

AROUND THE SERVICES

• Army Fields New MRAP Rollover Trainers

• Training Helps Marines Learn to Escape After Crash

• Navy Completes Marine Mammal Survey in Alaska

• Airmen Give Florida Youth Tour of Base

TOP NEWS

Military Needs New Strategy for Present, Future Threats

The U.S. military requires a new, grand strategy to address today’s complex security threats as well as tomorrow’s challenges, a senior U.S. military officer said. Story

Obama Pledges to Discover What Led to Base Slayings

President Barack Obama said his administration “will press to ensure that we fully understand” what led to the shooting of five U.S. servicemembers, allegedly by a U.S. soldier, on a U.S. military base in Iraq. Story

Gates Expresses Horror, Regret Over Shooting Deaths of Five Soldiers

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the Defense Department will devote its “highest-priority attention” to the slaying of five U.S. servicemembers in Baghdad. The U.S. military has in custody an American soldier suspected of involvement in the shooting deaths that occurred at Camp Liberty in the Iraqi capital. Story | Transcript | Video

Gates Recommends McChrystal Serve
As Top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan

Citing the need for new thinking and new ideas in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has recommended President Barack Obama nominate Army Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the new commander of NATO and U.S. forces there. Story | Transcript | Video

U.S. Denies White Phosphorous Use, Gates Pledges Further Investigation

The U.S. military denies using white phosphorous during recent fighting with Taliban militants, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said American and Afghan officials will further investigate the recent Western Afghanistan battle. Story

AFGHANISTAN NEWS

Special Ops Save Lives After Bombing

A coalition Special Operations team in southern Afghanistan rescued and treated 19 civilians after a suicide bomb attack in a bazaar. Story

• Forces Detain Five, Seize Opium

IRAQ NEWS

Media Spread Word on Improvements

A partnership among the local government, Iraqi security forces and U.S. soldiers has given citizens of northwestern Baghdad’s Hurriyah neighborhood an improved community. Story

Communication Earns Public Trust

Iraq’s Interior Ministry is a “learning organization” that understands the need to build Iraqis’ confidence in their police force, a coalition advisor said. Story

• Troops in Iraq Capture Suspect, Weapons

NATIONAL GUARD

Airmen Conduct 100th Shuttle Mission

Pararescuemen aboard an HC-130 Hercules from the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing breathed a collective sigh of relief as the space shuttle Atlantis reached orbit for NASA’s final visit to refurbish and restore the Hubble Space Telescope. Story