WASHINGTON - Army Secretary John M. McHugh and Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the service’s chief of staff, joined defense leaders and hundreds more today to send off Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff, as he retired after 40 years of service.

WASHINGTON - As the Navy and Marine Corps continue “Bold Alligator,” their largest joint, multinational amphibious assault exercise in 10 years, it is important that both services sustain amphibious operations, said Navy Adm. John C. Harvey Jr., the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

WASHINGTON - The $50 billion military health system will plan for its future by slowing the growth rate of health care costs, strengthening partnerships and focusing on prevention, primary care and chronic disease management, the Defense Department’s top health official told attendees at the 2012 Military Health System Conference .

WASHINGTON - America and the world are facing the most complex set of challenges in at least 50 years, James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were among hundreds who gathered to celebrate the career of Army Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff, as he retired following 40 years of service.

WASHINGTON - The Office of Special Counsel has determined that supervisors at the U.S. Port Mortuary at Dover Air Force Base, Del., retaliated against four employees who tried to expose wrongdoing at the facility.

KABUL, Afghanistan - During an operation in the Afghanistan’s Helmand province, an Afghan-led and coalition-supported security force captured a Taliban leader responsible for conducting attacks against Afghan forces and directing kidnapping missions.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s announcement that it will fund six military programs designed to reduce energy demand is centered on increasing force effectiveness, said Sharon E. Burke, assistant secretary of defense for operational energy plans and programs.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon will use $18 million to fund six military programs designed to reduce the energy demand of future expeditionary outposts, Defense Department officials announced.

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - Army National Guard Maj. Jonathan Steinbach, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot on Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, took an unusual route to the cockpit.

WASHINGTON - The USO has served America’s troops and their families for seven decades, and thanks to innovations and adaptability, that service is better than ever, said Sloan D. Gibson, the organization’s president.

WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama and Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis announced a Labor Department proposal to expand military family leave protections under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

WASHINGTON - In what she called her last public speech in office, Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of defense for policy, said U.S. policymakers today can draw some useful lessons in managing “profound transitions” from President Harry S. Truman’s actions in 1950.

WASHINGTON - Despite an unseasonably mild winter for much of the United States, military safety officials offer a reminder that Old Man Winter still has two months to go as they underscore the importance of winter safety for service members and their families.

WASHINGTON - In a weekend call to Egyptian Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta applauded recent elections and asked for his help in lifting a travel ban on U.S. citizens wishing to leave Egypt, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - The reserve components are an integral part of the military in ways that Cold War planners could not have imagined, retired Army Gen. David H. Petraeus -- now director of the CIA -- said at a Reserve Officers Association meeting.

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Army Reserve, the Army Human Resources Command and the Army National Guard have joined to provide Individual Ready Reserve soldiers and their families a way to connect with the military community.

WASHINGTON - His role in taking down Osama bin Laden was a high point in his career, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told CBS' "60 Minutes," noting the high stakes mission "was probably the most remarkable operation" he participated in.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan and coalition security force captured an al-Qaida facilitator in the Gardez district of Paktia province.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Raymond German Jr. took up running as a youth, but while deployed in Afghanistan he has taken the sport to a new level, covering 1,000 miles to beat the Leatherneck Challenge distance of 944 miles.

WASHINGTON - Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of defense for policy, was among the first U.S. senior officials to know of the success of the joint special operations mission in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden. Flournoy will leave office this week after serving for three years.

WASHINGTON - “Reports about additional U.S. force presence in Turkey are false,” said Navy Capt. John Kirby, Pentagon spokesman. “We have had no such discussions with the Turkish government.”

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has nominated Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John F. Kelly to be the next commander of U.S. Southern Command, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced.

WASHINGTON - The United States has no interest in establishing new military bases in Asia and the Pacific, but welcomes opportunities to rotate forces there and would consider doing so in the Philippines, if offered, said Navy Adm. Robert F. Willard, the U.S. Pacific Command commander.

WASHINGTON - The Air Force will drop 10,000 airmen in fiscal 2013 as the service reshapes itself to meet new challenges, but will retain the capabilities needed to support the joint force, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz said.

WASHINGTON - Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said his service will become more capable through its planned drawdown of 80,000 soldiers and at least eight brigade combat teams over the next six years.

WASHINGTON - Members of the Joint Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Command are preparing for their first mission to North Korea in seven years to search for remains of missing U.S. Korean War veterans, a defense official reported.

CAMP MARMAL, Afghanistan - Navy Lt. Eric R. Bond, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, understands the demands of leadership and duty under dangerous conditions as the officer in charge of an explosive ordnance disposal unit based in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban facilitator and detained several suspected insurgents during an operation in the Lashkar Gah district of Helmand province.

WASHINGTON - An overview of the Defense Department’s proposed fiscal 2013 budget reveals “the most consequential adjustments” the Pentagon has had to make in more than a decade, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama traveled to Buckley Air Force Base near Denver to praise the military for “doing its part” – not just in the nation’s defense, but also as leaders in energy conservation.

WASHINGTON - The military must accept greater risks as a result of the new defense strategy and the constrained fiscal environment, but they are manageable, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.

WASHINGTON - Almost a month into 2012 -- a year both Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the top commander in Afghanistan, called pivotal to operations there -- International Security Assistance Force officials said last year’s accomplishments have set the stage for continued success.

WASHINGTON - The decisions behind the fiscal 2013 defense budget request Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced today represent the department’s priorities of maintaining capability, keeping military pay and benefits fair, and managing risk, said Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

WASHINGTON - Spending priorities in the fiscal 2013 defense budget request call for reductions in the end strength of the Army and Marine Corps, an increase in special operations forces and maintaining the number of big-deck carriers, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta saluted the “lasting impact” of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Pentagon's 27th annual observance of the great civil rights leader's legacy.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan-led and coalition-supported security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. - Marine Corps Capt. Kyle Ugone is the Guinness world record holder for the most completed Lego sets in a private collection, with an astonishing 1,091 sets.

WASHINGTON - The United States and Canada expanded their security relationship by entering into two new agreements and renewing another that promote closer cross-border cooperation and lay out both countries’ roles and responsibilities in the event of a natural disaster or attack.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon Comptroller Robert F. Hale thanked Congress for its role in helping the Defense Department improve its auditing processes, but urged a more stable fiscal environment to allow these efforts to move forward.

WASHINGTON - The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is partnering with the Federal Trade Commission to put a stop to unscrupulous businesses preying on service members.

LANDSTUHL, Germany - Medical-surgical teams at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, save the lives every day of warriors wounded in Afghanistan and, until recently, saved troops wounded in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Before repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, Air Force Col. Ginger Wallace said she felt her career as an intelligence officer could be over if her sexual orientation became known. Last night, she openly represented gay and lesbian service members as one of the First Lady's guests at the State of the Union address.

WASHINGTON - While President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union address, a joint special operations forces team was finishing up a dramatic rescue of two hostages -- one of whom was seriously ill -- from an armed encampment in Somalia, Pentagon officials said.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WHITEHOUSE, Afghanistan - Afghanistan-deployed Marine Corps Sgt. Xuchill Laput employs the values he has learned from his Junior ROTC mentor back in California in ensuring the Marines and four fuel farms under his supervision are efficiently managed.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed several insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader in the Kot district of Faryab province.

WASHINGTON - Special operations forces rescued an American woman and Danish man who had been held captive in Somalia for three months, President Barack Obama has announced.

WASHINGTON - Washington politicians and all Americans can accomplish anything if they follow the example set by U.S. troops, President Barack Obama said during his annual State of the Union address.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta hosted Czech Defense Minister Alexandr Vondra at the Pentagon to discuss key issues including NATO participation and the countries' contributions in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Fifth-generation fighter aircraft are key to America maintaining domain dominance in the years ahead as the technology - exemplified in the F-22 and F-35 - assumes greater importance in combating anti-access, area-denial capabilities, Air Force officials said.

WASHINGTON - Military guests joining First Lady Michelle Obama during the State of the Union address include an Army sergeant, an astronaut and retired Navy captain, the commander of the nation’s special operations forces, and a colonel whose same-sex partner helped her make history.

WASHINGTON - Two ongoing bilateral command post exercises with Japan reflect the growing strategic importance of the Asia-Pacific region as outlined in the new defense strategy guidance announced by President Barack Obama.

WASHINGTON - Iraq war veteran Army National Guardsman Capt. Luke Sanders is building a new career thanks to the Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces program.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed five insurgents and detained eight suspects during multiple operations in eastern Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has nominated his choices for undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness; undersecretary for defense for acquisition, technology and logistics; undersecretary of defense for policy; and assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs.

WASHINGTON - A new Defense Department website, Military Kids Connect, offers military children an online community where they can learn about deployments, recognize and share feelings, and develop coping skills.

WASHINGTON - Food scientists at the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center near Boston look to Applebee’s, TGI Friday’s and other popular chain eateries for inspiration in their quest to provide warfighters the kind of food they’d seek out at home if they weren’t deployed.

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials stand by their assertion that the Nov. 26 attack that resulted in the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers was in self-defense, Navy Capt. John Kirby, Pentagon spokesman, told reporters.

WASHINGTON - All four active-duty services and four of the six reserve components have met or exceeded their recruiting goals over the first three months of fiscal 2012.

WASHINGTON - The Joint Operational Access Concept is designed to provide the U.S. military with the strategy and capability to defend national security in the coming decades, said Marine Corps Lt. Gen. George Flynn, the Joint Staff’s director of joint force development.

WASHINGTON - A combined patrol in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province found about 660 pounds of marijuana, while a combined force in the province's Dand district discovered roughly one ton of hashish.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Marine Corps Sgt. Nicholas Marchioni, a former infantryman and now an engineer, is respected for his leadership skills. He is now serving his second duty tour in Afghanistan.

ABOARD USS ENTERPRISE - Aircraft carriers will continue to be important to U.S. military strategy, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told 1,700 U.S. sailors and Marines assigned to the USS Enterprise during an all-hands call aboard the ship.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, thanked wounded warriors and their families for their service and sacrifice during a visit to the Warrior Hope and Care Center at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, took a whirlwind tour of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., thanking Marines and their families at each stop along the way.

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced on Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., that he has lifted probation from the Short Takeoff, Vertical Landing variant of the fifth generation F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, which is vital to maintaining air superiority.

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. - The U.S. military is the world’s best and it’s on the right path to face the challenges ahead, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said during a town hall meeting at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

WASHINGTON - U.S. defense officials expressed condolences to the families of four French soldiers -- members of the International Security Assistance Force -- killed in eastern Afghanistan’s Kapisa province during an attack by an Afghan gunman.

CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan - Marine Corps Sgt. Christopher Lemke’s diligence as a helicopter mechanic paid off when he discovered a potentially deadly flaw in a UH-1Y Huey aircraft while deployed to Afghanistan.

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany - The potential rippling effects on regions caused by revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East lead discussions at a Defense Department-sponsored conference held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, traveled to Israel this week where he met with his Israeli counterpart and other officials for the first time as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea - Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno made his first visit to South Korea since assuming his service’s top uniformed post, and spoke to soldiers about the military’s shifting focus to the Asia-Pacific region.

WASHINGTON - Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff, discussed a newly released Army study on behavioral health showing a decline in soldier suicides and more seeking treatment for their problems.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed a Taliban leader who was responsible for constructing roadside bombs, planning attacks and distributing bomb-making materials during an operation in the Achin district of Nangarhar province.

LOS ANGELES - Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, joined a group of educators in Los Angeles for a discussion on how schools can better serve and support military families and to learn about a program that’s having a positive impact in military children’s lives.

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Navy medical researchers have expanded their knowledge of the bacterium that causes “travelers’ diarrhea” and are in the early stages of clinical trials for a vaccine they developed to combat it.

WASHINGTON - As America’s focus shifts to the Asia-Pacific region, the U.S. Pacific Fleet is well-placed to protect national interests and connect with regional nations, Pacific Fleet’s commander, Adm. Patrick Walsh, said.

WASHINGTON - A hard push by the Defense Department and the military services to reduce dependence on fossil fuels will shrink risks on the battlefield along with the Pentagon’s carbon footprint, a DOD official said.

WASHINGTON - The battle against corruption in Afghanistan is crucial to the nation’s future and the country's government must maintain a strong political will to overcome this threat, two leaders at the forefront of that struggle told Pentagon reporters.

WASHINGTON - As he prepares to turn over the reins of U.S. Pacific Fleet, Navy Adm. Patrick M. Walsh looks back with pride on his command’s adaptability in responding to last year’s earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to answer President Barack Obama’s call for more job opportunities for veterans, said Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki during a career fair and exposition designed specifically for vets.

WASHINGTON - International Security Assistance Force and Afghan security troops are investigating a recent insurgent attack that injured and killed multiple civilians when a vehicle-borne bomb was detonated outside an entry control point at Kandahar Airfield.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE GERONIMO, Afghanistan - Marine Corps Cpl. Alexander McDonald traded in his cook's whites for a battle dress uniform in his new chaplain's assistant job in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Family members who lost loved ones during the USS Cole attack were joined by two survivors as they urged that justice be served during a pre-trial hearing for the accused mastermind of the attack, which killed 17 sailors and wounded 37 others.

FORT MEADE, Md. - A prosecutor in the trial of the alleged mastermind behind the USS Cole bombing revealed that a copy of an extremist magazine is at the root of a new order that allows officials to monitor prisoners’ legal mail at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Air Force Maj. Gen. Mary Kay Hertog, director of the department's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, announced policies designed to enhance reporting and prevention of military sexual assault.

WASHINGTON - Though diplomacy is the preferred path to solve issues related to recent Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military remains ready to safeguard the important strait, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced four initiatives to aid victims and strengthen prosecution of military sexual assault cases, stating that the crime is "a stain on the good honor of the great majority of our troops.”

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. - The Defense Department has launched a new interactive website designed to help military children cope with the stress, changing family roles, and concern brought about by having a deployed parent.

WASHINGTON - Sexual assault has no place in the Defense Department, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said, calling it “an affront to the basic American values we defend" and "a stain on the good honor of the great majority of our troops and their families.”

WASHINGTON - The Defense and State departments have agreed an international code of conduct should govern activities in outer space, and officials announced plans to work with the European Union to develop it.

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. - For Air Force Master Sgt. Marty Stanton, a vehicle management superintendent, and his 12-year-old daughter, Alicia, working on cars is a labor of love.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province.

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, detailed in a blog entry a new Defense Department concept to assure U.S. forces entry and sustained access to any contested domain: land, air, space, sea or cyber.

DURHAM, N.C. - Caring about military families comes naturally to Deanie Dempsey, wife of Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She has dedicated her life to supporting her own military family and to sharing her experiences with others.

WASHINGTON - Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, has written a children’s book to raise awareness among Americans, particularly children, of the challenges military families face during deployments.

FORT MEADE, Md. - The commander of the U.S. detention facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, defended the new policy that allows government officials to monitor prisoners’ mail during pretrial proceedings for the alleged mastermind in the USS Cole bombing.

WASHINGTON - The Air Force’s investigation into an April 27 shooting incident that left eight U.S. airmen and a civilian contractor dead at the Afghan air force headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, determined that the gunman acted alone.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force called in an airstrike that killed two insurgents in the Manduzai district of Afghanistan’s Khost province.

PAKTIA PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Staff Sgt. Corrie Walden spent 16 months of her first two years in the Air Force either training to deploy, being deployed,or returning from deployments in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

WASHINGTON - The National Guard’s State Partnership program provides a unique venue for the Defense Department to support security cooperation and peacekeeping efforts, while developing positive and lasting relationships with participating partner nations, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

WASHINGTON - An upcoming Department of Veterans Affairs job fair to be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., will offer mid-Atlantic veterans an unusual opportunity, a senior Defense Department official said.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - First Lady Michelle Obama joined Nickelodeon TV’s “iCarly” cast to pay tribute to the children of troops and preview the show’s upcoming episode about the hardships of military families.

WASHINGTON - More than 1,000 military spouses were on the job hunt at the nation’s largest hiring fair and career forum dedicated solely to career-seeking military spouses held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

WASHINGTON - Cobra Gold, the United States’ longest-standing military exercise in the Pacific, brings together more than 10,000 members of the U.S. and six other militaries to focus on interoperability and multinational coordination and training.

WASHINGTON - Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James F. Amos has appointed a three-star general to investigate and take any required administrative or disciplinary action stemming from an Internet video that appears to show four U.S. Marines urinating on dead enemy fighters in Afghanistan.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Inspired by the Pashto word for "hope," U.S. Marine Lance Cpls. Lauren Kohls and Sarah Lowe, both linguists, joined forces to create a nonprofit corporation dedicated to helping young Afghans obtain an education.

WASHINGTON - The permanent U.S. military presence in Europe will be smaller due to strategy resets, but America's security commitment there will not be diminished, said Navy Capt. John Kirby, Pentagon spokesman.

EL PASO, Texas - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta taught a history class and talked about public service with students at John L. Chapin High School in El Paso, Texas, as part of his visit to nearby Fort Bliss.

WASHINGTON - The commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan has joined other senior Defense Department officials in expressing outrage over an Internet video that shows four U.S Marines apparently urinating over three enemy corpses.

WASHINGTON - In anticipation of the Jan. 16 observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has issued a message to Defense Department personnel outlining his personal view of the slain civil rights leader’s impact on America.

FORT MEADE, Md. - Army Lt. Col. Paul Almanza has concluded that reasonable grounds exist for Army Pfc. Bradley Manning to face a general court-martial for charges of leaking classified government documents to the website Wiki-Leaks.

EL PASO, Texas - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta thanked the residents of El Paso, Texas, which borders Fort Bliss, for the continued support of service members based in their local community.

DURHAM, N.C. - Service equities, the U.S. relationship with Iran and Pakistan, and the future of women in combat were among questions put to Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a town hall meeting in Durham, N.C.

DURHAM, N.C. - The Defense Department’s new military strategy offers it more opportunities than liabilities, and the military is not being victimized by the need for a leaner budget, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said.

EL PASO, Texas - The military is at a moment of transition brought about by the service and sacrifices of a generation of service members, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told about 800 military members at Fort Bliss, Texas.

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT - To accomplish the new mission sets for the 21st century, the United States needs a smaller, quicker, more agile military, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT - In an interview on his way to Fort Bliss, Texas, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said that the Army will withdraw two brigade combat teams from Europe, while retaining a strong presence in the region via rotational units.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Dutch Defense Minister Hans Hillen discussed the new U.S. defense strategic guidance, bilateral defense cooperation issues, and ongoing operations in Afghanistan during their first official bilateral meeting.

SAN ANTONIO - A team of experts at San Antonio Military Medical Center has launched a military study aimed at improving outcomes for service members suffering from a signature wound of today’s wars: traumatic brain injury.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has released a statement strongly condemning the actions of a small group of Marines depicted in a video that is circulating online.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained seven suspected insurgents and seized weapons caches while searching for a Taliban leader in the Khugyani district of Ghazni province.

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. - Afghanistan-deployed dentist Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Courtney Schapira strives to improve dental care and medical procedures for Afghan soldiers, police and civilians.

WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama announced a commitment from the nation’s medical colleges to better train civilian health-care providers in caring for war veterans and to push for more research in the wounds of war.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department remains committed to trying to improve its relationship with Pakistan, Navy Capt. John Kirby, Pentagon spokesman, told reporters during a Pentagon press briefing.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military's relationship with India, support to a United Nations mission in South Sudan, and the Defense Department’s view of recent events in Egypt were among topics discussed at a Pentagon press briefing.

WASHINGTON - While meeting with reporters, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said the United States has been very clear “that we seek to lower the temperature on tensions with Iran, and we think that things have calmed down a bit in recent days.”

WASHINGTON - The Navy will remain focused on the Middle East, particularly the strategic Strait of Hormuz, while ensuring its sailors operating there remain properly equipped for the mission, said Navy Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, the chief of naval operations.

WASHINGTON - The Navy is bolstering existing partnerships and forging new ones in Asia and the Pacific to support U.S. Pacific Command’s overarching goals in implementing the new defense strategic guidance, said Navy Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, chief of naval operations.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan-led and coalition-supported force captured a Taliban facilitator responsible for planning roadside-bomb attacks and distributing heavy weaponry in the Ghazni district of Afghanistan’s Ghazni province.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Mechanical engineer Army Lt. Col. Rob Rabb, a member of the Afghanistan/Pakistan Hands program, never dreamed that he would become a speech writer or that his letters would land on the desk of Afghan President Hamid Karzai for signature.

WASHINGTON - Almost 300 troops from eight countries, all bound for Afghanistan to mentor Afghan national security forces, kicked off a rigorous pre-deployment training rotation this week in Hohenfels, Germany.

WASHINGTON - While technology is an incredible enabler, the country is best served through having U.S. military forces present abroad, said Kathleen Hicks, deputy undersecretary of defense for strategy, plans and forces.

BETHESDA, Md. - A sophisticated prosthetic knee with a newly designed microprocessor is giving many wounded warriors with above-the-knee amputations the chance to return to active duty, said officials at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

WASHINGTON - The state of military logistics is healthy and service members are performing amazing supply missions around the world, but the system is strained as a result of 10 years of war, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Brooks L. Bash, the Joint Staff’s logistics director.

WASHINGTON - Several hours before dawn this morning, U.S. Coast Guard cutter Monomoy rescued six Iranian mariners from the disabled cargo dhow Ya-Hussayn in the North Arabian Gulf, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan-led and coalition-supported security force killed seven insurgents and captured more than 30 others during a search for a Taliban leader in the Charhar district of Afghanistan’s Balkh province, military officials reported.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, Afghanistan - Afghanistan-deployed religious program specialist Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James Vanzella is living his dream as he protects chaplains and helps them with their daily duties and coordinates religious services.

WASHINGTON - As the United States implements new strategic guidance that increases its focus on Asia and the Pacific, it also needs to pursue “smart defense initiatives” as it continues to honor its NATO commitments, a senior defense official said.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured two Taliban facilitators and detained a suspected insurgent in the Khugyani district of Nangarhar province.

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan - With a little help from their father back home, three deployed siblings were able to reconnect at Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, following a four-year separation.

WASHINGTON - Ten years of conflict has given rise, not only to the world’s best body armor and state-of-the-art battlefield technologies, but also to a new understanding about ways to prevent eye injuries and treat those who suffer from them.

WASHINGTON - Next month will mark a major milestone in advancing care for wounded warriors suffering debilitating eye injuries with a ribbon-cutting at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s new 10-year strategy will go “out the window” if the federal Budget Control Act’s additional spending cuts go into effect next year, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department leaders agree international economic pressure represents a better option than military action in dealing with Iran.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s new, 10-year strategy will ensure the United States remains the world’s strongest military power as force size adjusts to accommodate changing fiscal needs, DOD leaders emphasized in media interviews.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Navy’s Jan. 5 capture of 15 suspected pirates in the northern Arabian Sea demonstrates the Defense Department’s commitment to maritime freedom of navigation, Defense Department senior leaders said.

WASHINGTON - Alongside First Lady Michelle Obama, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has launched a new campaign to recognize, honor and support service members and their families.

ARABIAN SEA, Jan. 6, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta made a congratulatory phone call to the commander of a U.S. strike group that rescued 13 Iranian sailors from suspected pirates in the northern Arabian Sea.

WASHINGTON - Combined Afghan and coalition security forces captured two insurgent leaders in Afghanistan's Helmand and Khost provinces.

WASHINGTON - The new defense strategy guidance President Barack Obama has announced recognizes challenges as well as opportunities in Asia and the Pacific, where change is the only constant, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said.

WASHINGTON - The new defense strategic guidance has set clear priorities in a new decade for those who are finalizing the Defense Department’s 2013 budget request, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and British Defense Secretary Phillip Hammond talked defense strategy and the way ahead during their first meeting.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials will use the military strategy guidance that President Barack Obama has announced to tie numbers to the department’s fiscal 2013 budget request, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - Members of the National Guard and reserves have just 10 more days to nominate their employers for the Defense Department’s highest award recognizing employers who have gone the extra mile to support their reserve-component workers.

WASHINGTON - The coming round of defense budget cuts will differ from previous drawdowns, “where the threat kind of went away,” Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said during an interview on the PBS “Newshour” program.

SAN ANTONIO - Military researchers in San Antonio have developed a cutting-edge cancer vaccine that’s slashing breast cancer recurrence rates and giving some survivors a better shot at a cancer-free future.

WASHINGTON - With election activity steadily picking up, defense officials are in the process of issuing regular election-year guidance to remind military and Defense Department civilians that they're subject to rules regulating their involvement in political activities.

WASHINGTON - New military strategy guidance unveiled at the Pentagon does not change the Defense Department’s longstanding commitment to prevail against any adversary anywhere, top officials said.

WASHINGTON - The American military will be leaner in the years ahead, but it will remain lethal and without a match in the world, President Barack Obama said while announcing the nation's new defense strategic guidance.

WASHINGTON - Specifics on how the new defense strategic guidance will affect the Pentagon’s budget will take shape in the weeks to come as White House and Defense Department officials prepare President Barack Obama’s 2013 budget request.

WASHINGTON - At a moment of national transition, the United States is reshaping defense priorities and its military force to sustain U.S. global leadership and respond to changing security and fiscal needs, President Barack Obama said at the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama announced a defense strategy he said will allow the military to defend the United States and its national interests while cutting military spending in a responsible, balanced manner.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force killed a Taliban leader in the Mazar-e Sharif district of Balkh province.

DAVIS MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. - Air Force Master Sgt. Ruby Zarzyczny combats youth homelessness on the streets of Tucson, Ariz., as a way of volunteering and giving back to those who helped her when she was a homeless teenager.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama signed the Risk-based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act into law to streamline airport screening procedures for service members and their families traveling on official orders.

WASHINGTON - Just over two years since its inception, the Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands program is delivering the capability it was designed to provide and is a model for future U.S. engagement around the world, the program’s director reported.

WASHINGTON - The commander of the International Security Assistance Force has condemned recent terrorist attacks that reportedly killed at least 12 people, including two children, and wounded dozens of others in Kandahar City.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Three years ago, Marine Corps Staff Sgt. James Pribyl recruited Ernest Wetzel in Wetzel's hometown of Woodstock, Conn. Today, the two are reunited as members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 deployed in southwestern Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. relationship with Pakistan is important, and military dialogue between the two countries continues despite serious setbacks experienced in late 2011, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - Closure of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has threatened while holding military exercises there, will not be tolerated, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters.

WASHINGTON - Combined international and Afghan forces captured two Taliban leaders during separate operations in Afghanistan's Baghlan and Helmand provinces.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - After walking into an Army recruiting station in Florida over a year ago, Allison Scarbrough has undergone an incredible physical transformation all for the sake of serving her country.

WASHINGTON - The latest American Forces Press Service special report provides a comprehensive look back at 2011, a year of change for the Defense Department.

WASHINGTON - Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, has become a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, following President Barack Obama's authorization of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta kicked off the new year by making phone calls to four deployed service members to extend New Years greetings and thank them for their service and sacrifices, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little reported.