FORT WORTH, TEXAS - On hand for a pair of service academy football bowl games in Texas, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, emphasized the importance of looking at an academy experience as a potential for launching careers as military officers.

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, to support the Air Force Falcons and to accept an award on behalf of the 2.2 million men and women in the armed forces.

KABUL - Afghan and international security forces captured suspected militants and seized weapons in Afghanistan, military officials reported.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - Army Staff Sgt. Brain K. Pascual likes to get out and tell soldiers about their re-enlistment options as part of his work as a career counselor in Iraq.

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Walking off the ramp of a C-17 cargo plane, members of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment arrived on Camp Bastion. For some, this marks their first deployment.

WASHINGTON - Building partnerships and understanding the nature of Afghanistan and its people are keys to achieving success in that country, said Army Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez, the commander of NATO’s Joint Command in an interview.

WASHINGTON - The director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program explains the changes to voting laws and how officials are working to expedite the voting process for servicemembers.

LATHAM, N.Y - As New Yorkers and visitors gear up for New Year’s Eve celebrations, National Guard soldiers and airmen will remain on duty in support of homeland security missions across the state.

WASHINGTON - Capable partner nations help fight terrorist networks, reducing stress on U.S. forces, and this year, the Defense Department has $350 million available to help nations that need assistance in developing such counterterrorism capabilities.

FORT WORTH, Texas - U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcons footballers a quick pep talk before their college bowl game against the University of Houston, reminding them that have already achieved much.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program is working to prepare troops and families for a successful transition to civilian life.

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - U.S. Air Force Theater Hospital personnel are training Iraqi medical personnel in burn care, focusing on proper medical evaluation techniques.

WASHINGTON - Defeating improvised explosive devices, terrorists' weapon of choice, will remain a priority for the Defense Department, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said during a ceremony to install a new director to lead the fight.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed several militants, detained suspected insurgents and confiscated weapons in Afghanistan.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Guard and Reserve officials say support from employers is more critical than ever with ongoing global operations and want troops to nominate their companies for the annual Employer Support for the Guard awards.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The Army has hired 61 community support coordinators to help connect geographically dispersed military members and their families with community-based support.

SOUTHWEST ASIA - A civilian administrator working for the Air Force in Southwest Asia transforms old computer parts into works of art. His favorite sculpture is a robot.

KONAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Military and civilian members of Konar's provincial reconstruction team are training Afghans to build structures to exact engineering specifications.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - Soldiers in Iraq fly donated U.S. flags at Multinational Division South’s headquarters for “Fly the Flag” program.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces, aided by U.S. advisors, arrested nine suspected terrorists in Iraq.

KABUL - Afghan and international security forces captured some Taliban commanders and other suspected militants and seized weapons in Kandahar and Khowst, Afghanistan.

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines - Members of Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines taught Philippine National Police officers how to identify homemade bombs during training conducted in Zamboanga del Norte province.

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Marines and sailors are working to improve their interaction with Afghan women so they can better help them with medical and humanitarian assistance needs.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - Soldiers and sailors conducted a 10-day Toxic Industrial Chemical Protection and Detection Equipment training exercise in Iraq to ensure the servicemembers are prepared for any situation.

BREMERTON, Wash. - Navy Chief Petty Officer Connie Smith, a hospital corpsman, is helping to combat malnutrition in Afghanistan through the Strong Food Project.

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Georgia Air National Guardsmen assigned to the 165th Air Support Operations Squadron are providing support to 48th Infantry Brigade soldiers in eastern Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces are training and advising Iraqi officials in forensics, evidence collection, human rights and how a legal system is managed in a democracy.

ARLINGTON, Va. - More than 100 National Guard soldiers and airmen responded over the holiday weekend to support callouts by governors in four Midwest states hit by severe winter weather.

WASHINGTON - The United States will not only strengthen defenses, but seek out those who wish Americans harm “anywhere they are plotting attacks against the U.S. homeland,” President Barack Obama said in the wake of an attempt to blow up an American aircraft Christmas Day.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces, aided by U.S. advisors, arrested several suspected terrorists and seized weapons, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and international security forces detained several suspected militants, including a Taliban commander, in Afghanistan in recent days, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The Yemeni government deserves praise for taking on the al-Qaida threat in that country, said a Defense Department official.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has launched a study on the possible long-term effects of the smoke emitted from burn pits used in overseas locations such as Iraq.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE, Basra, Iraq - Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Bari, a medic serving with the 34th Infantry Division in Iraq, plans to climb mountains, including the world's highest peak, after he departs Iraq.

NOW ZAD, Afghanistan - Afghanistan’s Now Zad district governor greeted more than 100 local citizens of a once-abandoned market that was cleared by U.S. Marines and Afghan security forces.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING STATION GARRYOWEN, Iraq - U.S. Army scouts are instructing Iraqi commando leaders how to be more effective trainers for their soldiers so the Iraqis can continue quality training after the drawdown of U.S. forces.

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Marines of 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion are serving in southern Afghanistan with pride, despite the hardship of being away from their families during the holidays.

WASHINGTON - In this season of giving, America has not forgotten her troops or their mission overseas. Thousands have contributed their time, energy and Beanie Babies in order to assist Marines in gaining the respect and confidence of the Afghan population.

KABUL - Afghan and international security forces in Afghanistan detained numerous suspected militants and seized weapons stockpiles in various operations today, military officials reported.

PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - About 45 Task Force Cyclone members arrived by helicopter in Afghanistan’s mountainous Parwan province on a mission to find out how to better serve a remote village there.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - Volunteers from several charities and troop-support groups teamed with a local baker in Minnesota to pack up 10,000 cookies to send to troops assigned to the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry Division who are deployed to Iraq.

FORT BENNING, Ga. - The first blind student to attend the Maneuver Captain's Career Course at Fort Benning, Ga., has completed the 20-week course that prepares soldiers for company commands and serving as staff officers at the battalion and brigade levels.

POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. - On Dec. 6, it was not a team of reindeer, but Air Force Maj. Jeff Dasher, a navigator in the 95th Airlift Squadron here, who guided the mission for the 440th Airlift Wing's C-130 Hercules that flew a group of “Soldier Santas” across the morning sky.

WASHINGTON - Servicemembers and their families continue to enjoy tremendous support from American civilians, but at no time of the year is that support greater than during the holidays.

BALTIMORE - As the rest of the Baltimore airport bustled with holiday travelers, its USO Lounge offered military travelers -- many returning home from overseas deployments -- a welcome sanctuary of solace.

BALTIMORE - Two days before Christmas, the longest line at the Baltimore airport wasn’t at a ticket counter, or at security checkpoints. It was at the international terminal, where hundreds of well-wishers lined up to welcome about 150 troops home from combat deployments.

WASHINGTON - Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory are working to prevent a host of catastrophic events, all possible reactions from a single source: the sun.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has nominated Navy Vice Adm. James A. “Sandy” Winnefeld Jr. to be the next commander of U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

WASHINGTON - Just in time for the college bowl season, troops in Afghanistan and Iraq will receive team-dynamics videos featuring Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer in an effort to promote resilience and team spirit that could help give troops an edge.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces working with U.S. advisors arrested seven terrorism suspects during two security operations, military officials reported.

KABUL - Afghan and international forces in Afghanistan killed or detained numerous militants in various operations, military officials reported.

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan - On a rugged Afghan mountaintop, less than two miles from the Taliban stronghold in Pakistan's Northern Waziristan, U.S. soldiers are working with Afghan border police, and using a wealth of firepower, to keep the peace.

WASHINGTON - Military families are coming up with creative ways to cope with separations during the holidays and sharing tips to help each other.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - A company of soldiers with the 1st Battalion's 77th Armor Regiment, is leading the way in the “advise and assist” mission of the 1st Armored Division’s 4th Brigade as it assists the provincial reconstruction team in Iraq’s Muthanna province.

WASHINGTON - Jason Huang survived the 1989 uprising in China's Tiananmen Square, then became a neurosurgeon in the United States. Now he is an Army Reserve major working to help troops suffering from brain injuries.

WASHINGTON - An Army general in Iraq is going beyond the typical protocol to ensure every able-bodied soldier in his unit stays fit to fight, even if it means punishing troops for engaging in sexual activities while deployed.

WASHINGTON - Combined international and Afghan forces conducted multiple operations in southern and eastern Afghanistan, killing and capturing numerous insurgents.

PHILADELPHIA - It may not be Mom’s home cooking, but the Defense Logistics Agency is making sure deployed troops eat a meal that tastes just as good.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials identified 6,000 servicemembers to deploy in 2010 as part of President Barack Obama’s order to increase the U.S. footprint in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Iraq security forces, working with U.S. advisors, arrested 15 terrorism suspects, some of them cell leaders, in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a special holiday message for military members and their families.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - The Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Infantry Division recently hosted a city hall teleconference in St. Cloud, Minn., showcasing the individuals and organizations the soldiers of central Minnesota will deal with when they return home.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Army soldiers and civilians spread good cheer this holiday season to U.S., coalition and Afghan audiences in what they have dubbed “Operation Caroling.”

WASHINGTON - Defense officials are hailing passage of the fiscal 2010 budget that funds military programs and wartime operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and provides a military pay raise.

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq - Sgt. 1st Class John Bushnell was an excellent Army recruiter. But he came from a family of paratroopers and now is part of that tradition after 13 years in the service.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates praised young Americans who have answered the nation’s call to duty in a commencement address at Indiana University.

WASHINGTON - The Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy takes primacy in the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s guidance for 2010. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen signed the guidance, which goes to members of the Joint Staff and informs the joint force, on his plane after finishing a trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.

ARLINGTON, Va. - National Guardsmen in seven states were called to duty over the weekend after a record snowfall blanketed the Northeast.

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY PLANE - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said his trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq has given him an opportunity to assess changes in strategy and meet the men and women who will carry out that strategy.

BAGHDAD - The teamwork between Iraqi and American security forces is behind the vast improvements in Iraq, said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

BAGHDAD - Iraq “is not going to be pushed around” by Iran, said the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates issued a joint statement encouraging Senate passage of the Defense Appropriations Bill.

WASHINGTON - A self-described “recovering budget geek” who spent four years as the Pentagon comptroller, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said what drives him as he crunches numbers and scrutinizes programs is knowing their impact on front-line troops.

WASHINGTON - Archaeologists with the U.S. Navy History and Heritage Command are conducting underwater research to study wrecks, recover artifacts and preserve Navy history.

TALIL, Iraq - Iraq has made remarkable progress in a short while, said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a news conference in Talil, Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Improved oversight and management of civilian contracts should result in better stewardship of U.S. tax dollars, said a military commander formerly involved with Afghan training.

BAGHDAD - The “advise and assist brigade” concept is a hit with leaders of the provincial reconstruction teams in southern Iraq.

ABOARD AN AIR FORCE C-17 - Results, not talk, are what’s important in Afghanistan now, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said while en route to Iraq after visiting Afghanistan.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, Afghanistan - During a trip to Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff praised the soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry, for their service in Kandahar province, saying the unit has made a difference.

NAWA, Afghanistan - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff toured Nawa, Afghanistan, witnessing a transformation in security and prosperity that did not exist when U.S. Marines first deployed there in July.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates challenged the graduates of the University of Georgia to consider the obligations of service, citizenship and patriotism as they move forward into the next chapter of their lives.

KABUL - The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force is sending a team to work with Afghan officials in assessing reports of civilian casualties as a result of an operation in the Shah Wali Kot district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.

BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces arrested two suspected members of an al-Qaida in Iraq cell responsible for making bombs and attacking government officials during a combined security operation in western Baghdad.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - Contractors with an Iraqi company work six days per week alongside U.S. soldiers at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, to ensure constant electricity, hot showers and well-lit avenues.

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Traveling through Afghanistan, has become easier for hundreds of Afghan families, thanks to recently completed new roads.

BASRA, Iraq - Discussions about upcoming elections and the withdrawal of American troops are highlighting Navy Adm. Mike Mullen’s visit to Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Some supplies of a pediatric version of the H1N1 vaccine have been voluntarily recalled because they are slightly less potent than the manufacturer indicated, officials said.

WASHINGTON - The United States is committed to a long-term strategic partnership with Pakistan that’s critical to the success of President Barack Obama’s new Afghanistan strategy, senior U.S. leaders assured their Pakistani counterparts during a recent consultative session.

WASHINGTON - Doctors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the University of Miami performed the first pancreas islet cell transplant on an airman whose pancreas was injured so severely in Afghanistan that it had to be removed.

NAWA, Afghanistan - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited Patrol Base Jaker in Afghanistan's Helmand province to tour the base and the Nawa district center and spend time with Marines and sailors assigned there.

WASHINGTON - Researchers at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine are coming up with ways to sustain soldiers’ performance in environmental extremes.

WASHINGTON - The demonstrated bravery and resolve of the nearly 3,000 Canadian forces serving in Afghanistan reflects the necessary commitment, said the commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan.

BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces with U.S. advisors arrested a suspected leader of a terrorist group operating in southern Baghdad and followed up with four more operations targeting the Baghdad al-Qaida in Iraq network.

KABUL - Combined Afghan and international security forces detained several militants in three operations around Afghanistan, military officials reported.

NAWA, Afghanistan - More than a dozen Afghan soldiers joined a squad of Marines near Nawa, Afghanistan recently to improve their combat marksmanship.

WASHINGTON - Improving the quality of life for servicemembers and their families stationed in South Korea is a top priority, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea said during a “DODLive” bloggers roundtable interview.

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. - Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Raymond Moran has a hard time getting around -- not because of any ailments, but because the Reserve recruiter knows so many people.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq - With Iraq’s national elections approaching, U.S. soldiers are preparing to support the Iraqi army and police while remaining in the background.

SUFFOLK, Va. - U.S. Joint Forces Command, in partnership with U.S. Strategic Command, has concluded a two-day proof-of-concept missile exercise in Suffolk, Va..

WASHINGTON - Military members will see an average raise of 2.5 percent in housing allowance rates in 2010.

WASHINGTON - A new law protects military spouses from being taxed for work performed in states where they’re living outside their home states as a result of military orders.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell expressed concern over Iran’s reported test-fire of a medium-range missile, saying it undermines Tehran’s claim of peaceful intentions regarding its nuclear program.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff got a first-hand look at Taliban tactics during a tour of Pakistan’s Swat province.

STAFFORD, Va. - First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a van full of toys and a holiday message of giving to volunteers at the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots distribution center in Stafford, Va.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department moves troops and supplies into land-locked Afghanistan via an air-and-land logistics “bridge” that transits Central Asia, said a senior defense official at a Capitol Hill hearing.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Members of the armed forces are strong, healthy and ready to accomplish their mission, a survey of their health-related behaviors has revealed.

ILOPONGO, El Salvador - Flood-stricken residents of the Salvadoran city of Ilopongo are getting relief from U.S. Central Command forces, the U.S. Agency for International Development and a number of nongovernmental aid organizations.

NEAR SHARAN, Afghanistan - For a South Dakota National Guard unit, dangerous convoys through Afghanistan's rugged terrain is all in a day's work.

BAGHDAD - Iraqi security forces arrested two suspected terrorists during a combined security operation targeting the Kataib Hezbollah terrorist network in northeastern Baghdad.

KABUL - Combined Afghan and international forces detained four Taliban commanders and other suspected militants in three operations in two Afghanistan provinces, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The planned transfer of fewer than 100 detainees held at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to a little-used Illinois prison resolves “a national security issue of the highest order,” National Security Advisor James L. Jones said.

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Viriato B. Sena is applying some of what he learned in the evacuation of Saigon to the drawdown in Iraq.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - U.S. soldiers known as the"signaleers" make sure troops can communicate with each other, and their loved ones back home.

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The first Afghan National Police training center exclusively for women has opened in Jalalabad.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Though American and Pakistani soldiers are interacting at an unprecedented rate, that trend needs to gain momentum, said a senior U.S. embassy official in Islamabad, Pakistan.

WASHINGTON - Despite a new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan that entails sending 30,000 additional American forces, the more important operation for the Marine Corps is Iraq, the service’s top officer said.

WASHINGTON - Defense officials have launched virtual “listening sessions” in hopes of gaining more insight into the effectiveness of military family programs.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama’s administration plans to transfer a limited number of detainees held at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to a prison in rural western Illinois, senior administration officials said.

WASHINGTON - With a handover of the security lead looming on the horizon, the U.S.-South Korean security alliance has grown tighter this year in the wake of provocations by North Korea, the commander of U.S. forces in South Korea said.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with U.S, NATO and Afghan forces based throughout Afghanistan’s Regional Command East.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the students of Pakistan’s National Defense University that he is not interested in revisiting the history between Pakistan and the United States.

WASHINGTON - A Defense Department contest that challenges participants to solve imaginary crimes also helps real investigators stay ahead of the growing threat of Cyber security.

WASHINGTON - Preparations are under way for the arrival of soldiers in Afghanistan to focus on a key goal of the troop surge: recruiting, equipping and training Afghan security forces.

KABUL - A combined Afghan-international security force detained a Taliban commander and other militants in Afghanistan today, and militants caught planting a roadside bomb were killed.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces arrested nine suspected terrorists in four operations, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Police in Iraq’s Babil province soon will distribute 2,000 backpacks filled with school supplies donated by the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division's 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team to the children in their province.

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - A unit of Marines doing police mentoring work in Helmand province, Afghanistan, are using their Marine ingenuity to have nightly 'home-cooked' meals.

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Marines and local Afghan leaders gathered in Helmand province to bid farewell to one special Marine who forged strong ties with residents in the battle-torn province.

WASHINGTON - The road to success in Afghanistan goes through the south, a former commander of international forces there said.

WASHINGTON - South Korea’s military is on track to assume the lead for its nation’s defense as scheduled a little more than two years from now, the top U.S. military officer posted there said.

BETHESDA, Md. - Reservists face unique challenges that may be tipping their stress level over that of their active-duty counterparts, a health affairs official said.

KABUL - U.S. troops need to be prepared to operate in a “complex human terrain” when they arrive in Afghanistan, the commander of International Security Assistance Force Joint Command said in Kabul.

WASHINGTON - The active-duty services met or exceeded their November recruiting goals, Defense Department officials announced.

KABUL - The insurgency in Afghanistan has become more pervasive, more sophisticated and more violent, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in Kabul.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and international security force killed five enemy militants and detained another in Afghanistan’s Laghman province while pursuing a Taliban bomb maker linked to several attacks in the area.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi soldiers and police arrested four terrorism suspects in two operations yesterday, military officials reported.

BETHESDA, Md. - A Defense Department study that explores the long-term health effects of military service, including deployments, will expand its scope to military families starting in June.

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Advance notice of a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan enabled a Marine company to arrive so prepared that they've seen little of the enemy.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The post office at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, is overflowing with cards, letters and packages sent from the states to share holiday cheer with the troops.

BAGHDAD - A North Carolina National Guard troop and their family and friends have brought the gift of sight to an Iraqi baby born blind with congenital cataracts.

WASHINGTON - About 6,000 volunteers helped place 16,000 wreaths on graves at Arlington National Cemetery in honor of America's fallen heroes.

WASHINGTON - The United States and Russia are making progress on a pledge to reach an agreement on a nuclear weapons reduction pact to replace a long-standing bilateral treaty that expired.

WASHINGTON - A battalion of Marines in southern Afghanistan now has the upper hand in a city they believed to be a Taliban stronghold, said a senior Marine Corps officer in Helmand province.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - Sgt. Billy Willingham left the Army and spent the next 17 years looking for his career "home." Now he's found it -- back in the Army.

WASHINGTON - Military families should check with individual airlines as to whether they may meet their servicemember loved ones at airline gates, a Transportation Security Administration officials says.

BETHESDA - Sheri Hall doesn't want any military family to go through what hers did when her husband, Army Maj. Jeff Hall, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. As part of her outreach efforts, she recently spoke at a National Institutes of Health conference.

BETHESDA - The nation must move beyond the “suck it up and drive on” military culture of the past and look to a future that puts psychological injuries on par with physical ones, the Army’s highest-ranking psychiatrist said.

WASHINGTON - The rate of soldier suicides this year exceeded the 2008 total with 147 reports through November, marking the fifth consecutive year the service’s suicide rate has increased.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces arrested seven terrorism suspects in multiple operations in Iraq today, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a message today commemorating 373 years of service by the National Guard.

WASHINGTON - A Navy program seeks to create an environment where sailors, commands and families can thrive in the midst of stressful operations.

WASHINGTON - After an initial delay caused by software and manpower issues, the first retroactive payments will be disbursed to soldiers who were retained on active duty involuntarily under the “Stop Loss” program.

KIRKUK, Iraq - About 300 troops peppered Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates with high-level, strategic questions when he met with them in Kirkuk, Iraq.

BAGHDAD - In preparation for the upcoming Iraqi national elections, Army engineers are working to construct 15 “expedient police stations” in northern Iraq.

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Servicemembers are working with Afghan government officials and contractors to replace a much-needed bridge across the Saracha River.

KIRKUK, Iraq - The U.S. military role remains critical in the roll-up to Iraq’s national elections, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told about 300 soldiers and airmen at Forward Operating Base Warrior near Kirkuk, Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Wounded warriors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are testing a new microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee.

WASHINGTON - Any changes in U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan when security responsibility starts to transfer to the Afghans in July 2011 will be considered in light of the situation on the ground at that time, President Barack Obama said.

WASHINGTON - The upcoming buildup will give the commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan “all the forces he needs in 2010,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a Pentagon briefing.

WASHINGTON - As the military answers President Barack Obama’s order to reinforce efforts in Afghanistan, the Army and Marine Corps are adjusting their plans to redeploy working and serviceable equipment.

WASHINGTON - Defense and military officials gathered to discuss the top issues facing the Yellow Ribbon Program for reserve-component servicemembers and their families during a two-day summit.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces arrested two terrorism suspects.

BAGHDAD - Plenty of operational activity still is under way in partnership with Iraqi security forces and on track with the U.S. drawdown timetable, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq said.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Two Department of Defense Education Activity students will travel to Washington, D.C., and receive $5,000 scholarships as delegates to the 48th annual U.S. Senate Youth Program.

WASHINGTON - The commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan wrapped up a round of hearings on Capitol Hill regarding the new U.S. approach to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

BAGHDAD - The recent spate of violence that has rocked the Iraqi capital dominated Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ talks with President Jalal Talabani and Iraq’s Presidency Council.

WASHINGTON - It is necessary and right that Iraqi soldiers and police assume security responsibilities for their people, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq said in New York City.

WASHINGTON - Instruments of war play a role in preserving peace, President Barack Obama said as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.

WASHINGTON - Among the many factors White House and Pentagon officials say will drive success in Afghanistan, developing a credible government there may be the most challenging, the commander of U.S. and international forces there said.

WASHINGTON - An Air Force captain, deployed as a legal officer, recently found herself in a life-saving role when her convoy was struck by an improvised explosive device.

CAMP BUCCA, Iraq - An infantryman with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, can lay claim to designing what may be the only golf course in southern Iraq.

ARLINGTON, Va. - As the first major winter storm of the season continues to drop snow and ice throughout the Midwest, elements of the Iowa and Wisconsin National Guard stand ready.

WASHINGTON - Children in military families experience emotional and behavioral difficulties above national averages, a study has revealed.

WASHINGTON - The military component that coordinates the forces that fight America’s wars has allocated almost all of the troops that will take part in the Afghanistan surge.

BAGHDAD - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived in Baghdad to meet with Iraqi and U.S. military leaders about continuing progress and drawing down the U.S. force presence.

KABUL - Senior Afghan military and national police leaders thanked Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for his support for President Barack Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan and a strong military team to support it.

WASHINGTON - U.S. military logisticians are up to the challenge of getting 30,000 more American troops into Afghanistan and moving troops and equipment from Iraq, the commander of U.S. Transportation Command said.

WASHINGTON - Pakistan’s months-long military offensive against internal insurgent threats is assisting the campaign in Afghanistan, the commander of U.S. Central Command said at a Capitol Hill hearing.

ARLINGTON, Va. - The National Guard’s contribution in Afghanistan has been “extraordinary,” the commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan told Congress.

WASHINGTON - The largest U.S. Defense Department-sponsored exercise in Africa this year yielded many important lessons, the commander of U.S. Army Africa said.

WASHINGTON - A senior leader of the Promised Day Brigade terrorist group was among eight people Iraqi security forces arrested in three operations.

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Air Force Col. Michael Stapleton has come a long way since being diagnosed with cancer in 2006 while serving as the 43rd Fighter Squadron commander.

WASHINGTON - The Air Force has rolled out a new plan to reduce energy consumption and incorporate energy considerations into all phases of its practices.

PAKTIA PROVINCE, Afghanistan - A new program backed by Afghan national security forces and Combined Joint Task Force 82 empowers Afghan citizens to take a stand against improvised explosive devices.

WASHINGTON - Achieving success against extremists in Afghanistan is a challenging, yet attainable mission, the commander of U.S. Central Command said at a Capitol Hill hearing.

KABUL - Better pay for Afghan national security forces and a government-led emphasis on national service appear to be paying off in stronger recruiting, said the U.S. commander responsible for recruiting and training them.

FAW, Iraq - Iraqi security forces are constantly stepping up their role in the protection of Iraq, from the heart of the country out to the borders, where the Iraqi coast border guard can be found at work with U.S. Army border transition teams.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - North American Aerospace Defense Command officials are getting ready to track Santa Claus, and are giving children and the young-at-heart even more options for viewing St. Nick's annual trek around the world.

KABUL - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates spent the day checking out operations supporting President Barack Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan, including a new joint headquarters overseeing the tactical fight.

WASHINGTON - Al-Qaida remains a danger, and the area along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan is the epicenter of global Islamic extremism, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the Foreign Press Center.

WASHINGTON - The training of tens of thousands of additional, capable Afghan soldiers and police is among the crucial tasks necessary to achieving success in Afghanistan, Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials highlighted the Pentagon’s programs for people with disabilities and recognized accomplishments of employees with disabilities.

WASHINGTON - While the increase of 30,000 American troops in Afghanistan has garnered most of the headlines, a concurrent increase on the civilian side also is occurring, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan told Congress.

WASHINGTON - Combined Afghan and international forces killed seven militants and detained several suspected insurgents in operations today in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces today assisted Iraqi security forces in arresting five people after an indirect-fire attack on Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

WASHINGTON - On the eve of holding parliamentary elections early next year, Iraq continues to make steady progress as a sovereign country that is a valued U.S. ally in the Middle East, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq said.

WASHINGTON - The core goal of American forces in Afghanistan is to defeat al-Qaida and disrupt and degrade the Taliban, the commander of U.S. and international forces there told Congress.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE UBAYDI, Iraq - Army Spc. Wenderson Jangada became a paratrooper and U.S. citizen for love. Now he's ready to return to his native Brazil to reclaim the title of heavyweight boxing champion.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - Six days a week, U.S. soldiers meet with East African international guardsmen, and Iraqi interpreters for the global game of soccer at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq.

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Marines in at least one village of Afghanistan's Helmand province are seeing a marked improvement in security, and in villagers' reception of them.

KABUL - The deployment of 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan underscores the enduring U.S. commitment to Afghanistan and its people, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in Kabul.

KABUL - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived in Afghanistan to ensure that troops have what they need to accommodate the incoming 30,000 soldiers and Marines, and to tell them, “We are in this thing to win.”

KABUL - NATO’s commitment of 7,000 additional troops for the International Security Assistance Force it leads in Afghanistan comes as a pleasant surprise to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who calls it a sign of the alliance’s renewed commitment there.

KABUL - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived in Kabul to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other leaders.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited the men and women who have to carry out the new strategy in Afghanistan with stops at Fort Campbell, Ky., and Camp Lejeune, N.C.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and international forces detained several suspected militants, including a bomb cell leader and Taliban commander, in operations in Afghanistan over the past three days.

WASHINGTON - Officials are working to boost the resources and support the Defense Department’s Exceptional Family Member Program provides to military families with special needs.

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. - A 7-year-old boy at Quantico Marine Corps Base, Va., and many other children with disabilities will get their wish of being able to play with their friends thanks to a project to revamp playgrounds on military installations.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces, aided by U.S. advisors, arrested several terrorism suspects over the past three days.

WASHINGTON - The United States and its allies are still open to negotiations with the Iranian government to resolve concerns about its nuclear program, National Security Advisor James L. Jones said, but added that time is running out for discussion with Iran.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama’s Afghanistan strategy gives the United States and its allies clearer objectives and a more focused approach to eventually transitioning security responsibilities to the Afghan government, the Defense Department’s policy chief said.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Troops from the Maine National Guard’s 286th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion have long been supplying forward operating bases in Afghanistan and will continue under President Barack Obama's 30,000 surge.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has made progress in improving its response to the needs of sexual assault victims, but there remains a need for institutional change to more effectively prevent sexual assault, a task force has determined.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - Educating children might not be the first thing Americans discuss when the subject of Iraq comes up, but for soldiers of Task Force Pathfinder, helping the next generation of Iraqis obtain a basic education is a critical part of their mission in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - About 16,000 Marines and soldiers have been notified they will deploy to Afghanistan as part of President Barack Obama’s new strategy.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - A soldier on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, is building unit pride and esprit de corps by using his artistic skills to decorate an office inside a refurbished shipping container.

WASHINGTON - The Air Force Office of Scientific Research, which funds some of the world's best scientists' projects resulting in inventions like CDs, GPS and computer mice, is celebrating nearly 60 years of achievements.

WASHINGTON - Top U.S government and military officials made the Sunday morning news-show circuit spelling out President Barack Obama’s new war strategy.

WASHINGTON - An Army Reserve unit that had soldiers both killed and wounded during the Nov. 5 shooting on Fort Hood, Texas, has deployed as scheduled to Afghanistan.

UMM QASR, Iraq - When the city of Basra was particular unstable between 2006 and 2008, the port of Umm Qasr was left to tread water as a contributor to Iraq’s economic development. Now, the port is positioned to navigate over its next developmental hurdle.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has issued a proclamation recognizing Dec. 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, paying tribute "to the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country."

WASHINGTON - The Army’s chief of staff stepped back in history to Christmas Eve in Belgium 65 years ago, reading one of the most inspirational letters written by a commander to his troops during the annual Union Station Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

WASHINGTON - More than 3,000 military families will have a few extra presents under the tree this year thanks to the generous efforts of Operation Homefront and The Wal-Mart Foundation.

WASHINGTON - As 30,000 additional troops move into what admittedly will be “pretty austere conditions” in Afghanistan, the Army Corps of Engineers is working to provide basic creature comforts for soldiers, and longer-term projects to help Afghans.

WASHINGTON - More than 1,000 International Security Assistance Force troops are partnering with Afghan forces to begin a large-scale operation in northern Helmand province.

WASHINGTON - As the Pakistani military achieves success against extremists operating in Pakistan, the campaign also is aiding anti-insurgent efforts in Afghanistan, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, told NPR.

WASHINGTON - Some 43 nations vowed their support to help win the war in Afghanistan, a move that U.S. Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, NATO’s supreme allied commander in Europe, called "striking."

RICHMOND, Va. - As a former warfighter and current supply relations manager at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Craig “Bud” Weiser understands the urgency for warfighter support.

WASHINGTON - A combined force detained several suspected militants and members of the International Security Assistance Force targeted a Taliban commander in Afghanistan in recent days, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces arrested six terrorism suspects in recent days, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - 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.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates summed up why the administration is deploying 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan during a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Transportation Command officials are confident they can accomplish the mission of delivering 30,000 U.S. troops and their equipment to Afghanistan when they are needed.

WASHINGTON - Many of the extra 30,000 U.S. forces deployed to Afghanistan in the coming months will confront continued enemy threats in the country’s southern and eastern regions, the U.S. military’s senior officer told a Senate panel.

WASHINGTON - Through combined military research programs and medical cooperation, the Defense Department has been able to accomplish incredible promise in a future vaccine development for HIV and AIDS, a senior official in that effort said.

CHIEVRRES, Belgium - Some Belgian World War II veterans are paying tribute to the U.S. soldiers who became partners in an effort to resist the German occupation 65 years ago.

WASHINGTON - July 2011 is not a withdrawal date, but a specific target date for beginning to transition security responsibility to Afghan forces, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said on several morning talk shows.

WASHINGTON - The United States will not turn its back on Afghanistan and Pakistan as it did when the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan ended in 1989, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said.

NEW YORK - 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.

ARLINGTON, Va. - When President Barack Obama announced a troop surge for Afghanistan, the Defense Logistics Agency stood ready. Logisticians have spent the past several months planning to support more forces there.

NEW YORK - 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 told industry representatives.

KABUL - Combined Afghan and international forces detained several suspected militants in operations in Afghanistan over the last two days

HEIDELBERG, Germany - For Army Spc. Andrey West, the Lord has worked in mysterious ways. After driving trucks for two years in the Army, he's now on the road to becoming a chaplain.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - Twelve soldiers from 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, and 1st Battalion, 130th Aviation Regiment, conducted an air-support live-fire exercise for ground leaders at a detonation range in Iraq.

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Indiana National Guard soldiers from the 38th Infantry Division’s Task Force Cyclone ensure that a forward operating base along the Pakistan border is maintained properly.

WASHINGTON - Realignment of military medical facilities in the national capital region ordered by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission is on track to meet the commission’s deadline, senior Defense Department officials said.

NEW YORK - The Quadrennial Defense Review under way within the Defense Department will be unlike any other: the first to be driven by current wartime requirements, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn said.

WASHINGTON - Thirty-two specifications of attempted premeditated murder were preferred against alleged Fort Hood, Texas, shooter Army Maj. Nidal M. Hasan.

WASHINGTON - Setting July 2011 for the beginning of a U.S. drawdown in Afghanistan was intended for two primary audiences: the Afghan government in Kabul and war-weary Americans, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said.

WASHINGTON - Training Afghan forces to take security responsibility for their own country is the transition strategy for U.S. forces in the country, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said.

NEW YORK - Aerospace assets will be critical to the success of stepped-up operations in Afghanistan, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn told industry executives gathered in New York.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama’s decision to send 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan signifies a dramatic turning point for the U.S. and coalition mission there, Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal told his staff in Kabul.

WASHINGTON - The additional troops President Barack Obama is sending to Afghanistan will focus on reversing the Taliban’s momentum, a senior Defense Department official said during a “DoDLive” bloggers roundtable.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - A soldier who was badly wounded in a 2005 roadside-bomb explosion is serving in Iraq again, and he’s finding deployed life easier this time around.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi police arrested eight terrorism suspects today, and an air strike during one of the operations killed an enemy fighter.

WASHINGTON - Additional U.S. forces slated for deployment to Afghanistan will be employed to target and eliminate terrorist leaders and assist the Afghan government, the commander of U.S. Central Command told CNN in an interview.

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. soldiers and their Afghan partners bedded down for the night in Nangarhar province recently with Afghan national police in preparation for a meeting with Shinwari tribal elders and Afghan security personnel.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan-international security force detained several suspected militants in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province at a compound known to be used by a Taliban financier and facilitator.

WASHINGTON - Civilian partnerships, in combination with military efforts, are crucial to success in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON - A new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan that entails adding 30,000 more troops by summer enables commanders there to take the lead within a year, the military’s top officer told the Senate Armed Service Committee.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama’s decision on the Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy offers the best chance to change the momentum in Afghanistan and fundamentally alter the equation in Central Asia, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a Senate panel.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - Soldiers with the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade who work with civilian contractors to run supply operations in Iraq find there is little difference between their jobs.

WASHINGTON - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he expects the alliance and its partners will make a “substantial increase” in their contributions to the effort in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, has posted a message to the troops on the way ahead, highlighting the opportunity to take the coalition's work "to the next level."

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama explained his decision to increase U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan and addressed concerns regarding U.S. involvement there during his speech at West Point, N.Y.

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan expressed support for a new strategy that entails sending 30,000 more American troops to Afghanistan by next summer and begins a drawdown of forces in July 2011.

WASHINGTON - It is in America’s vital national interests to send another 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan, President Barack Obama said.

WASHINGTON - Military leaders “fully and unhesitatingly” support President Barack Obama’s decision on the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

WASHINGTON - The United States will send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan by next summer, but plans are to begin transferring security responsibilities to the Afghan forces and withdrawing U.S. forces in July 2011, a senior administration official said.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama travels to the oldest U.S. service academy, perched high above the Hudson River, to unveil his strategy for bringing security to Afghanistan and eliminating terrorist safe havens that threaten the world.

WASHINGTON - Air Force Global Strike Command has assumed the U.S. Air Force's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile mission as part of an effort to unify all of the service's nuclear-capable assets under one command.

WASHINGTON - With President Barack Obama’s announcement to send more U.S. forces to Afghanistan, a defense official said some troops are likely to reinforce the country’s contentious eastern and southern areas.

CHIÈVRES, Belgium - Sixty-five years after World War II's landmark Battle of the Bulge, U.S. and Belgian troops will again march side by side in Bastogne.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - Four soldiers serving in Iraq with the New Hampshire National Guard earned a special distinction when they became their company’s first all-female medical evacuation crew.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is commemorating World HIV/AIDS Awareness Day with a broad range of activities with partner militaries aimed at education and prevention, and with progress toward developing the first-ever vaccine.

BAGHDAD - Iraqi police arrested 11 suspected members of the al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist group during two joint security operations in northern Iraq.

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team servicemembers took to the airwaves to combat misinformation about the spread of the H1N1 flu virus in Nuristan province, Afghanistan.

SOUTHWEST ASIA - A deployed Air Force reservist and elementary school teacher is keeping in touch with her students through the use of a blog.

BASRA, Iraq - Some soldiers at a base in Basra, Iraq, awoke to find that concrete barriers had tipped over during the night and had come to rest upon containerized housing units.