WASHINGTON - Defense officials expect to announce within a month what shape the new Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program will take.

WASHINGTON - Planned NATO enlargement should not be an exercise in how little the alliance can get away with, but "how much we can do to advance the cause of freedom," said Douglas Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's aggressive missile defense testing program will continue with a test launch March 15, Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish told Congress Feb. 27.

WASHINGTON - Air Force Lt. Gen. Russell C. Davis told top industry and government conferees how the National Guard can communicate better with federal, state and local officials and help improve homeland security.

WASHINGTON - The commander-in-chief of U.S. Central Command praised the support provided by Guardsmen and reservists in the global war on terrorism.

WASHINGTON - From the Arabian Sea to Kyrgyzstan's airfields and the the caves of Afghanistan , the world's military counterparts are supporting U.S. forces in their fight against terrorism.

WASHINGTON - Some of the 300 Al Qaeda and Taliban detainees in the temporary U.S. holding facility at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have refused to eat at several meals in the last few days, a spokesman for Joint Task Force-160 said.

ARLINGTON, Va. - As more states implement stricter graduation requirements, DoD wants to ensure military kids who change schools during high school still have the right stuff.

WASHINGTON - The Army has named its new interim armored vehicle after two soldiers who received the Medal of Honor.

WASHINGTON - An Air Force special operations trooper described moments of danger and levity when he and Army compatriots were hunkered down atop an adobe building north of Kabul last fall.

WASHINGTON - U.S. military officials are making plans to help the former Soviet republic of Georgia train and equip its armed forces to improve internal security, senior Pentagon officials said today. Such assistance would ultimately help the war on global terrorism, they said.

WASHINGTON - Sixth-grader Shallah Marshall said he researched African American history in libraries and received help and encouragement from his parents to write the award-winning African American History Month essay in the annual DoD-sponsored competition.

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Tommy R. Franks today told House Armed Services Committee members that his command "remains on the offensive" in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Defense officials continue to work on the structure of military commissions or tribunals that may be used to try some Al Qaeda or Taliban detainees, Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said today.

WASHINGTON - The Office of Strategic Influence will be closed, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today praised the contributions made by America's coalition partners in the war against global terrorism.

WASHINGTON - At least a dozen countries have or are actively seeking anthrax for use as a biological weapon, a top DoD proliferation expert said.

WASHINGTON - The security situation in Afghanistan is "murky and troublesome," but the Afghans themselves are in the best position to fix it, the general in charge of U.S. operations in the region said.

WASHINGTON - DoD held its African-American History Month observance in the Pentagon auditorium Feb. 21 in celebration of the diverse heritage and culture of the defense military and civilian work force.

WASHINGTON - U.N. Security Council weapons inspectors would face a tough job if they return to Saddam Hussein's Iraq, according to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the U.S. military is prepared to do whatever mission President Bush orders it to do.

WASHINGTON - Combating Al Qaeda and the Taliban government that provided safe haven for the terrorists is just the first step in ending the long-term strife in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Navy Adm. Dennis C. Blair wants to ensure the Asian Pacific region is "a very unfriendly place for terrorists who may be looking for new homes."

WASHINGTON - High school students whose parents are stationed in remote locations are eligible to attend a resident school program at London Central High School.

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. - After 40 years of federal service, most folks would be ready to call it quits. But not Command Chief Master Sgt. Stephen S. Moore of the New Jersey Air National Guard.

SALT LAKE CITY - Visiting with troops assigned to the Joint Task Force - Olympics here, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said that the service provided by the JTF-O has been a 'gold medal' performance.

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Last year's Sept. 11 terrorist attack turned the New Jersey Air National Guard's 177th Fighter Wing upside down, according to the wing commander.

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Terry Ford and Vince Cooper live with the reality of terrorism each day. They know they could be ordered to sacrifice some American lives to save many.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said U.S. forces' actions at Hazar Qadam Jan. 24 were justified and supported by intelligence information.

WASHINGTON - Twelve U.S. service members are feared dead in the crash of an MH-47 helicopter in the Philippines, Department of Defense officials said.

WASHINGTON - The United States will stand by its friends and allies against global terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, President George W. Bush said today to U.S. troops in the Republic of Korea.

WASHINGTON - When Defense Department officials speak to the public, they tell the truth, said Defense Undersecretary for Policy Douglas Feith.

WASHINGTON - The top seven reserve component family readiness and mission support programs recently received Defense Department awards here during a large Pentagon ceremony.

WASHINGTON - A soft-spoken National Guard soldier steered her two-seat bobsled to a gold medal Feb. 19 in the first women's bobsled competition featured in the Olympic Games.

WASHINGTON - As part of military transformation efforts, DoD Comptroller Dov S. Zakheim and his posse of accountants are riding the Pentagon's financial paper trail, seeking to corral billions of dollars in so-called "lost" expenditures.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today that Pentagon officials have no intention to provide "disinformation" to foreign media.

WASHINGTON - "Expect the unexpected" was the message Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld delivered to airmen Feb. 20 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., near Las Vegas.

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Betsy Diaz thought about being a lawyer, or maybe a state trooper. At the moment, she's not sure what she wants to be.

WASHINGTON - "To my mind, the 'T' in 'Transformation" stands for time," Air Force Maj. Gen. Daniel "Fig" Leaf said during an interview.

WASHINGTON - Coalition actions in Afghanistan and around the world have hurt the Al Qaeda terrorist network in many ways, but the organization remains a threat to America and its allies.

WASHINGTON - Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz today noted that weapons of mass destruction possessed by the "axis of evil" -- Iraq, Iran and North Korea -- pose a real threat to the world.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon's chief financial officer said Feb. 14 that DoD's fiscal '03 budget proposal of $379 billion contains far fewer dollars than late-'70s, peacetime-era military costs.

WASHINGTON - DoD's proposed fiscal 2003 budget request rightly provides for increased pay, better housing, and addresses other quality-of-life troop issues, DoD Comptroller Dov S. Zakheim said Feb. 14 at the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON - "When Gen. Patton said for you be there, you were there if you had to drive all day and all night. Those trucks just kept running. They'd break down, we'd fix them and they'd run again," said James D. Rookard, a truck driver with the famous World War II Red Ball Express.

WASHINGTON - When President Bush says the United States will bring terrorists to justice, he isn't just talking about Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network.

WASHINGTON - U.S. military personnel are extraordinary, said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and the best way to thank them is to ensure they have the tools they need to defend against current threats and the newer threats of the 21st Century.

WASHINGTON - U.S. special operations forces' use of satellite phones, global positioning systems and laser-designators to precisely locate targets in Afghanistan for long-range bombers isn't unusual in this day and age.

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. - On a flat stretch of country road down a piece from glitzy, glamorous Atlantic City, a billboard featuring airborne F-16 fighter jets directs motorists to "Break left" for the home of the "Jersey Devils."

ARLINGTON, Va. - Feb. 28, 1991, wasn't a good day for Air Force Capt. Bill Andrews or his wife, Stacey. His F-16C fighter was shot down over Iraq on the last day of the Persian Gulf War.

WASHINGTON - The service members participating in Operation Enduring Freedom will know they are loved.

WASHINGTON - The departments of the Interior and the Army have released 26 acres of land to make room for more graves and a new columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

WASHINGTON - Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has taken "a bold and firm and constructive" position on the war against terrorism and the situation in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.

WASHINGTON - TRICARE personnel and assets are playing a big part in DoD's preparedness plans in support of other federal, state and local emergency medical response teams in dealing with possible terrorist acts committed on American soil, a senior DoD official said here Feb. 6.

WASHINGTON - President Bush raised public speculation about U.S. military involvement in Iraq when he called that country part of "an axis of evil" during his Jan. 29 State of the Union address.

WASHINGTON - Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he doesn't believe 27 Afghans detained during a U.S. raid were abused during their two weeks in U.S. custody.

NEW YORK - The National Football League has endowed funds for $10,000 annual scholarships in memory of CIA intelligence officer Johnny "Mike" Spann and Marine Sgt. Jeannette Winters, the first American man and woman killed in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The 27 Afghans captured by U.S. forces in a Jan. 24 raid and since returned to Afghanistan's interim government were 'little fish,' DoD officials said today.

FORT MEADE, Md. - They call themselves Texas- One-Two, this Special Forces team that returned from the war in Afghanistan in early December.

WASHINGTON - WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2002 –- U.S. investigators searching a missile strike site in Afghanistan discovered some documents, ammunition, weapons and bits of human remains, DoD spokesperson Victoria Clarke said today.

SALT LAKE CITY - It was an offer two-time Olympian Sgt. Kristina Sabasteanski couldn't refuse.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Central Command officials have turned over 27 detainees to Afghan Interim Authority officials.

WASHINGTON - Bad weather has prevented U.S. military officials from reaching a site near Zawar Kili, Afghanistan, where a Feb. 4 strike by a CIA Predator unmanned aerial vehicle reportedly killed several Al Qaeda leaders, Pentagon spokeswoman Torie Clarke told reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - Legislation signed last month by President Bush provides a guaranteed $10,000 minimum of federal tax relief to families of all victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States.

WASHINGTON - A straight-shooting former Army artilleryman turned nurse now gives advice to senior DoD health affairs and TRICARE Management Activity leaders.

WASHINGTON - It is because the United States places such emphasis on the Geneva Convention that American officials do not consider Al Qaeda covered by the agreement nor are they willing to award the Taliban detainees POW status.

WASHINGTON - All military and civilian personnel assigned to the "Pentagon reservation" will receive training in what to do in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack, officials said Feb. 8.

WASHINGTON - Military and civilian space specialists will seek ways to increase the amount of intelligence gathered by orbiting satellites as part of DoD efforts to integrate national security space capabilities, the Air Force's No. 2 civilian said here today.

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Department of Defense held its eighth annual National POW/MIA Prayer breakfast here today to focus attention on the nation's commitment to the fullest possible accounting of missing Americans from all wars.

WASHINGTON - The Canadian Ministry of Defense today signed a memorandum of understanding with the Defense Department to participate in the Joint Strike Fighter program.

WASHINGTON - President Bush said the United States would regard the Geneva Conventions as applying to Taliban detainees under U.S. control -- but not Al Qaeda detainees.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon opened its doors to tourists Feb. 6 for the first time since the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. But, the tours are restricted to school groups only.

WASHINGTON - Senior DoD leaders Feb. 4 praised improvements made to TRICARE, the military's healthcare system, and also noted the need for new methods and efficiencies to meet anticipated challenges ahead.

WASHINGTON - Despite the progress in Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda terror network remains the greatest danger confronting the United States, CIA Director George Tenet told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

WASHINGTON - Defense-based capabilities. Transformation. Force-sizing construct. Asymmetric threats. These are some of the latest buzzwords at the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON - A new culture is emerging in America in the aftermath of last year's Sept. 11 terrorist attack, President George W. Bush told police officers and firefighters in New York City today.

WASHINGTON - "Smart weapons are worthless unless they're in the hands of smart, well-trained, highly motivated soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told members of the House Armed Services Committee today.

WASHINGTON - Troops going into combat count on one thing: No matter what happens, their buddies won't leave them behind.

WASHINGTON - DoD's top uniformed officer told the Senate Armed Services Committee today that the country must invest in its military to maintain the quality of the force and to fulfill U.S. obligations around the world.

WASHINGTON - "We must do everything in our power -- everything -- to protect our fellow Americans," President Bush said today at the University of Pittsburgh. And that's why he wants nearly $6 billion to help America defend against anthrax and other forms of biological terrorism.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military must accomplish three difficult missions at once, and ignoring any one of them would put the nation in peril, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON - Officials of Hamid Karzai's Afghan interim government said the U.S. raid on suspected Taliban compounds Jan. 24 in the village of Hazar Qadam may have killed some Karzai allies.

WASHINGTON - In addition to providing funds for the war on terror, President Bush's fiscal 2003 DoD budget request starts the military transformation process, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Feb. 4.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2002 - Young service members expect military leaders to issue equipment and or - WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2002 –- Young service members expect military leaders to issue equipment and orders, and to pay attention to their quality-of-life concerns, the chief of naval operations said here today.

WASHINGTON - Now that the United States has put the Taliban out of business, President George W. Bush says the military's next objective in Afghanistan is clear.

WASHINGTON - President Bush is asking for a fiscal 2003 defense budget of $379.4 billion, an increase of $48 billion over the fiscal 2002 budget.

WASHINGTON - The gravest danger facing the United States is a rogue regime giving weapons of mass destruction to terrorist organizations, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Feb. 3.

WASHINGTON - NATO support for the war on terrorism proves the trans-Atlantic alliance is strong, united and ready to face new threats, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told European allies today in Germany.

WASHINGTON - The world must act now to prevent terrorist networks from unleashing even more devastating evil than they did on Sept. 11, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said today in Germany.

WASHINGTON - Maybe the announcer will go "It's 'The Late Show With David Letterman' featuring guest appearances by the U.S. military." Then again, probably not.

WASHINGTON - DoD civilian employees can access even more financial information services through an improved Defense Finance and Accounting Service Internet site.

WASHINGTON - Life has been more hectic than usual lately for Army Staff Sgt. Martin Lowrey and his K-9 partner, Kiko. The military policeman and his 6-year-old bomb-sniffing German shepherd have been on the go almost constantly since Sept. 11.

WASHINGTON - Participation in the nation's electoral process "is a mark of good citizenship, and I would say our military are certainly fine examples of good citizens," DoD's senior voting assistance officer said.

WASHINGTON - Mentor a child. Serve your community. Be a volunteer. President George W. Bush wants all Americans to do their part to protect the American homeland.

WASHINGTON - Many people, particularly the younger generation, are not aware of Whitney M. Young, Jr.'s contributions to the civil rights movement or his role in making life better for African Americans in the armed forces.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - "In the unlikely event" the St. Louis Rams win the Super Bowl Feb. 3, Bryant College President Ronald K. Machtley said here, look for him to sport a temporary U.S. Marine Corps tattoo while 12 of his students parade around campus for a day in Western Illinois University sweatshirts.

WASHINGTON - Question-and-answer sessions between mid-level career officers and top brass normally are rather rigid affairs, but that's not the case when Donald H. Rumsfeld's runs the show.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2002 - The 158 Al Qaeda and Taliban detainees under U.S. military control at C - Where would I send my combat patrols? These are all new things that we are, frankly, not prepared for.