WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta blasted Congress for threatening the Defense Department with sequestration he said would be devastating to the force.

WASHINGTON - The United States has reached a turning point after a decade of conflict, but must stay the course to continue to face down terrorism and other threats, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said during a visit to the USS Peleliu.

WASHINGTON - Children of U.S. service members around the world will be honored throughout April for their contributions to their families’ well-being and sacrifices on behalf of the nation, Barbara Thompson, director of military community and family policy, children and youth, said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department leaders are determined to be as transparent as possible about military mortuary operations at the Dover facility in Delaware, a group of senior defense and military officials told Pentagon reporters.

WASHINGTON - Service members can draw strength from each other rather than attempt to deal with tough times alone, wounded warrior and Medal of Honor recipient Army Sgt. 1st Class Leroy A. Petry told the attendees of the Warrior Resilience Conference.

WASHINGTON - Air Force leaders provided an update on the service’s Scientific Advisory Board study into F-22 Raptor aircraft life support systems and flight operations during a Pentagon briefing.

WASHINGTON - Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki offered assurances that VA will make good on its promises to veterans and those currently serving in uniform, despite growth in demand for its services and benefits and federal belt-tightening initiatives.

WASHINGTON - The military is taking a holistic approach to resilience building and readiness, Army Brig. Gen. W. Bryan Gamble, deputy director of the TRICARE Management Activity, told attendees at the Warrior Resilience Conference.

WASHINGTON - This is a time of transition for the U.S. military and part of that change requires service members to immerse themselves in the study of their profession, said Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

WASHINGTON - As the military transitions its focus toward the Asia-Pacific region, the Korean Peninsula is a focal point where U.S. forces must maintain “unquestioned” readiness, Army Gen. James D. Thurman, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea, told a House panel.

WASHINGTON - If North Korea goes forward with its missile test in April, the United States will stop millions of dollars in food aid for that secretive country, James N. Miller told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing as undersecretary of defense for policy.

WASHINGTON - The military must keep the bond of trust between service members, their families and their communities during difficult economic times, said Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury’s Warrior Resilience Conference.

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Air Force Senior Airman Alexander Blench, an avionics specialist with the 46th Maintenance Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is recognized as his service's top aircraft technical maintainer.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan-led security force captured a Haqqani leader during an operation in the Khost district of Khost province. The leader was responsible for organizing roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the district.

WASHINGTON - Accepting the 2012 Dwight D. Eisenhower Award, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta offered his perspective on what he termed the “strategic turning point” facing the nation and looked to lessons from President Eisenhower to shed light on this important time.

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he hopes to expand military-to-military relations with Brazil, a country he said is “clearly, an economic engine globally,” after returning from a recent trip to the country.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is striving to improve energy security for the warfighter and it needs funding to achieve that goal, defense officials told Congress during budget hearings.

WASHINGTON - The nominees for the Pentagon’s top personnel and readiness post and assistant to the defense secretary for Reserve Affairs told Congress that championing the men and women in uniform while tackling budgetary challenges is at the top of their priority lists.

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT - The military-to-military relationship between the United States and Pakistan is on the road to recovery, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.

WASHINGTON - The military needs to “eviscerate” societal problems plaguing the force with an unmatched and unyielding effort, Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Micheal P. Barrett said during a panel discussion at the Warrior Resilience Conference.

WASHINGTON - The most senior enlisted leaders from each branch of service and the combatant commands focused on the health of the force, and specifically on suicide prevention, during a conference this week, the military’s top enlisted member said.

WASHINGTON - Estimated costs for the F-35 joint strike fighter have increased over the life of the program, but the Defense Department is working to contain cost growth and remains committed to the fifth-generation fighter, defense officials said.

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he stands by his testimony that the fiscal 2013 defense budget request grew from the new strategy and was not simply a target number that planners had to hit.

WASHINGTON - The strategy in Afghanistan is working, James N. Miller Jr., the Pentagon policy chief nominee, told Congress, warning that recent difficulties can’t cause the United States to abandon it in favor of a “Plan B.”

WASHINGTON - Even in this “belt-tightening era,” Defense Department officials remain committed to sustaining efforts that have led to groundbreaking medical advances in areas such as post-traumatic stress disorder, the Pentagon’s top health affairs official said.

LUMBERTON, N.C. - Matt Ellis, a former sergeant in the Marine Corps, received his second Purple Heart in a ceremony at his old high school for injuries he suffered in an improvised explosive device strike in Afghanistan.

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo. - Five years after suffering a traumatic brain injury in combat, Chris Carver is among a growing legion of veterans from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan who have discovered the healing power of helping other wounded warriors on their road to recovery.

BRASILIA, Brazil - The Colombians have a good strategy to take down the main terrorist group in the country, and they will stick with it, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters following a visit with the country's senior leaders.

MANAUS, Brazil - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Brazil’s Amazon Military Command headquarters here today to get an idea of the range, capabilities and challenges facing the armed forces’ effort in the remote Amazonian jungle..

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he is pleased that U.S. and Pakistani military leaders have met to discuss mutual concerns.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s proposed fiscal 2013 budget request would slow the growth in pay and benefits without negatively affecting today’s service members, senior defense leaders told senators.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces in South Korea help to sustain an important alliance, deter an unpredictable threat and support the national defense strategy’s shift toward the Asia-Pacific region, senior defense officials told Congress.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta welcomed Peruvian Defense Minister Luis Alberto Otárola Penaranda to the Pentagon to discuss transnational organized crime, terrorism and a defense cooperation agreement.

WASHINGTON - Concerns that North Korea would resume provocative behavior on the international stage in 2012 have proven true, so the United States has suspended plans to provide nutrition aid to the impoverished nation, senior defense officials told a House panel.

WASHINGTON - Troops deployed to Afghanistan are receiving the best trauma care in the world, and the services are determined to continue that level of expertise as service members return home, the military’s top health professionals told a Senate panel.

WASHINGTON - Defense officials have challenged industry to develop mobile applications that provide innovative science, technology,engineering and math learning tools.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will travel to Camp Pendleton, Calif., where he will visit the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu, which represents a naval priority for the department, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters.

OTTAWA, Ontario - During a visit to Canada, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta reaffirmed the Defense Department’s commitment to the F-35 joint strike fighter program and to ensuring it remains within the defense strategy’s budget.

WASHINGTON - Senior U.S. officers met with their Pakistani counterparts in Islamabad, Pakistan, to discuss the future of military collaboration between the two countries, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan special unit assisted by coalition troops killed the senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in the Shirin Tagab district of Afghanistan's Faryab province. The leader was responsible for leading attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

WASHINGTON - Nearly 750 military leaders and psychological health care experts will attend the Defense Department’s fourth annual Warrior Resilience Conference with the goal of developing resilience-building techniques and tools that can be utilized by the military community.

WASHINGTON - Family-member-accompanied tours for U.S. service members in South Korea should not expand beyond the roughly 4,600 family members now authorized, Army Gen. James D. Thurman, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea, told a House panel.

PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Army Sgt. Richard Davies wanted to be in the infantry, but he's now serving with distinction and saving lives as a medic in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The two missions of fighting terrorism and combating global organized crime are increasingly linked, senior Defense Department officials told a Senate panel.

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo. - About 400 disabled veterans gathered at Snowmass Mountain, Colo., were advised to expect miracles during the annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.

OTTAWA, Ontario - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta attended a historic trilateral meeting in Ottawa with defense leaders from Canada and Mexico to discuss common challenges and improve continental security.

TIBU, Colombia - The dusty town of Tibu, Colombia, is home to the government's latest effort to defeat the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and other terror groups and criminal gangs.

WASHINGTON - The military’s top enlisted leaders and their spouses gathered at the Pentagon to discuss the most pressing issues affecting service members’ lives, and to identify possible solutions.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s request for $11.2 billion for military construction and family housing in the fiscal 2013 budget would balance the armed forces’ needs with the nation’s economic situation, the Pentagon’s chief financial officer told the Senate Armed Forces Committee.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama, attending the nuclear security summit in Seoul, South Korea, met with Pakistan’s prime minister and said he welcomes the Pakistani parliament’s review of the countries’ bilateral relationship.

WASHINGTON - Spring and summer will offer “unique operational conditions” in Afghanistan as the security transition there gains momentum, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, said at the Brookings Institution.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department needs private-sector cooperation in reporting computer network attacks in real time, Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander, the head of U.S. Cyber Command, told a Senate committee.

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Reliability is a trait that Marine Corps Cpl. Jesse R. Mendoza learned from his father while growing up in San Fernando, Calif. He has used it as a foundation to build his life upon, and it has helped him to gain recognition as his unit's noncommissioned officer of the quarter.

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo. - As disabled veterans gathered at the base of Snowmass Mountain to tackle their first ski runs on adaptive skis during the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, they had an unexpected cheering squad: U.S. Paralympians, including two training for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation in the Maidan Shar district of Wardak province.

WASHINGTON - While progress has been made toward security and peace, it’s “undeniable” that a nuclear terror threat remains, President Barack Obama said at the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korea.

WASHINGTON - The United States is well protected against the current threat from limited intercontinental ballistic missile attacks, but the threat is growing, underscoring the need for a robust and flexible defense system.

BOGOTA, Colombia - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has arrived in Bogota, Colombia, for the first part of a two-nation trip to view U.S. Southern Command’s mission in South America through the prism of the nation’s new defense strategy.

BOGOTA, Colombia - The United States will do more to prevent attacks on coalition personnel by members of Afghanistan’s security forces, but ultimately it will be up to Afghans to stop these tragedies from happening, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

MIAMI - Transnational organized crime is not specifically mentioned in the new defense strategy, but leaders understand the threat, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said at U.S. Southern Command.

WASHINGTON - Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial groundbreaking, officials of the memorial's fund announced the development of an education center to inform younger generations about the war's history.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition leaders are working to prevent “insider threat” killings in Afghanistan, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the International Security Assistance Force commander, told Pentagon reporters.

WASHINGTON - As investigations continue regarding charges filed against Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the NATO International Security Assistance Force commander, said speculation about the case serves no purpose.

WASHINGTON - Attending the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korea, President Barack Obama reaffirmed America's intention to take a larger role in the future of security in the Asia-Pacific region.

WASHINGTON - Supporting troops, veterans and their families as they’ve supported the nation is a charge that will define America’s next generation of leaders, Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, said at a 4-H youth conference.

WASHINGTON - Afghan forces are improving faster than coalition leaders or they themselves anticipated, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, told Pentagon reporters.

WASHINGTON - The United States, Canada and Mexico have completed a joint nuclear security project to convert the fuel in Mexico’s research reactor from highly enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium to help prevent nuclear terrorism.

WASHINGTON - The world is safer because the international community has made it harder than ever for terrorists to acquire nuclear weapons, President Barack Obama told students at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, South Korea.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II - Growing up as a self-described “military brat,” Navy Chaplain (Lt. Cmdr.) Mark Tews knew he wanted to serve his country, and today he ministers to military members serving in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan-coalition security force detained two insurgents during an operation to capture an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in the Shirin Tagab district of Faryab province.

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo. - Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki opened the 26th annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass Village, Colo., challenging more than 400 participants to draw on the qualities they demonstrated in uniform to live life to its fullest.

WASHINGTON - Visiting with U.S. troops stationed in South Korea near the demilitarized zone, President Barack Obama lauded their historic security role that assisted South Korea as it transformed itself into a democratic and prosperous nation in the years following the Korean War.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta recently met with the leader of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command based at Fort Meade, Md., to observe technology and receive key briefings, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - The starting point of analysis for the U.S.-coalition fighting force in Afghanistan in 2013 will be the withdrawal of 23,000 surge troops after this year’s fighting season, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the International Security Assistance Force commander, said during an interview with PBS's Charlie Rose.

WASHINGTON - The relationship between U.S. and Afghan officials remains intact despite some recent negative events in Afghanistan, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force, said during an interview with PBS's Charlie Rose.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Forces Afghanistan formally preferred criminal charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice against Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales for the alleged premeditated murder of 17 Afghan civilians on March 11, 2012.

WASHINGTON - During a recent Defense Writers Group breakfast, Air Force Gen. William L. Shelton talked about the integral role that space capabilities like GPS satellite technology play within all military operations and outlined options for cutting related costs in a constrained fiscal environment.

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - For the past six months, Marine Corps Sgt. Matthew Branch has provided security for Afghan truck drivers while they deliver fuel to forward operating bases in Helmand province.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A coalition airstrike killed a Taliban expert bomb maker and wounded another insurgent in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Baghlan province. The airstrike targeted the two insurgents as they were planting two roadside bombs.

WASHINGTON - Senior enlisted leaders from each service denounced hazing in the armed forces and delivered a message of unity while testifying before a congressional panel.

WASHINGTON - Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, and James N. Miller, acting undersecretary of defense for policy, told senators that training Afghan soldiers and police is going well, but it will require patience to ensure the job is done correctly.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department exhibited its latest technology and practices in the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injuries at the 11th annual Brain Injury Awareness Day Fair in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is asking for less money for military construction and more for energy conservation in its fiscal 2013 budget request, the deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment told a Senate panel.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will travel to Canada’s capital of Ottawa on March 26 for meetings with Canadian and Mexican defense officials, Pentagon officials said.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A coalition security force found 1,300 pounds of opium in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province. The troops seized a small quantity of the opium for examination and destroyed the rest, officials said.

WASHINGTON - Service members and veterans whose military service was involuntarily extended under the “Stop Loss” program between the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Sept. 30, 2009, are eligible for special retroactive pay, and they now have more time to apply for it.

ABOARD USS ESSEX AT SEA - Every Marine and sailor aboard the USS Essex serves a crucial role in the success of the mission, but Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Samantha A. Sabalboro serves two.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s top medical official detailed during a Capitol Hill hearing the Pentagon’s strategy to corral health care costs while continuing to provide a high level of care.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s request for two new rounds of base realignments and closures should be compared to the cost effectiveness of the first four BRAC rounds, not those done in 2005 to transform installations to match force structure, the deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment told a Senate panel.

WASHINGTON - Experts from Defense Department, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Security Agency discussed the department’s vulnerabilities and needs during the unclassified portion of a hearing of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities.

WASHINGTON - The United States has suspended efforts to find remains of U.S. service members lost during the Korean War due to North Korean threats to launch a ballistic missile, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A coalition airstrike destroyed an improvised explosive device-making facility in the Sangin district of Helmand province. Insurgents used the facility to build bombs and coordinate IED attacks in the area, officials said.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will visit the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea and meet with U.S. troops as part of his visit to the South Korean capital of Seoul.

WASHINGTON - With military moving season about to kick into high gear, officials are urging service members to book their moving dates early and to remain as flexible as possible when doing so.

WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. - Air Force Tech. Sgt. Blaire Sieber’s 15 minutes of fame stretched out over weeks as a contestant on the Fox network's “American Idol” television series.

WASHINGTON - The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments are using their partnered programs to identify and treat traumatic brain injury, representatives of both departments said during a panel discussion.

WASHINGTON - Whether by land, sea or air, Defense Department leaders have long crafted rules of engagement to determine how, where and when forces can attack the enemy. They expect soon to complete the same for their newest domain: cyberspace.

WASHINGTON - The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program -- the centerpiece of future tactical aviation and a key to implementing new military strategic guidance -- made strong progress in its development last year, a defense official said.

ARLINGTON, Va. - More than 3,000 reserve-component service members have nominated their civilian-life employers for an award that recognizes outstanding support for the citizen-soldiers and citizen airmen who work for them.

WASHINGTON - All of the active service components and five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their numerical year-to-date recruiting goals for fiscal 2012 through February, Pentagon officials reported.

WASHINGTON - As the counterterrorism strategy is succeeding, now is not the time to abandon the fight in Afghanistan, James N. Miller, the acting undersecretary of defense for policy, told the House Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama encouraged Americans to rally in support of military families during a recent appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman.”

WASHINGTON - As has been his custom for all of his foreign travels, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta provided a personal account of his recent trip to Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.

WASHINGTON - As Iran and other nations celebrate Nowruz -- the Persian New Year -- President Barack Obama called for understanding between Americans and Iranians.

WASHINGTON - Despite recent incidents that he acknowledged temporarily have set back progress in Afghanistan, Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, NATO’s top military officer, said he’s confident the strategy there is succeeding and will continue to bear fruit.

WASHINGTON - “Stay the course in Afghanistan” was the message Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the International Security Assistance Force commander, delivered to the House Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON - Recent negative incidents in Afghanistan have been deplorable, but they will not stand in the way of accomplishing goals in that country, said Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the International Security Assistance Force commander.

LANCASTER, Calif. - Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Joshua Escandon was on his way to lunch with his wife when heard a cry for help and stepped in to aid a person being assailed by a man in Lancaster, Calif.

WASHINGTON - First Lady Michelle Obama met with military families and support group leaders on Minnesota Air National Guard Base in St. Paul, Minn., to “shine a spotlight” on the state’s efforts to aid troops and their families.

WASHINGTON - On the ninth anniversary of U.S. forces moving into Iraq, President Barack Obama has proclaimed March 19 “A National Day of Honor.”

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghanistan-deployed Air Force colonel and her daughter back in the United States have solicited donations of soccer equipment for Afghan girl players.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force killed four insurgents during a search mission for an insurgent leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in the Shirin Tagab district of Faryab province.

WASHINGTON - Iranian leaders could make a gross misjudgment of American will and suffer the consequences, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

WASHINGTON - While recent incidents have challenged U.S. operations in Afghanistan, the long-term objectives there remain the same, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said in an interview with Charlie Rose.

WASHINGTON - The Army has identified the U.S. soldier accused of killing Afghan civilians in a March 11 rampage as Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, who is being held at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

WASHINGTON - Despite some tragic incidents experienced over the past months in Afghanistan, the security strategy is working there and coalition and Afghan forces are committed to the successful conclusion of the mission, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said.

WASHINGTON - The Navy has not seen much difference following last fall’s repeal of the Defense Department’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, the chief of naval operations, told reporters.

WASHINGTON - Improper management practices, such as the retaliation against whistleblowers at Dover Port Mortuary, Del., won't be tolerated, Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley said in a statement in response to a report by the independent Office of Special Counsel.

WASHINGTON - The April launch of a long-range rocket announced by North Korea would violate U.N. resolutions and represent a destabilizing influence in the region, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said.

WASHINGTON - The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global choke point for the movement of oil and the U.S. Navy is ensuring it has all the capabilities needed to keep the strait open to maritime traffic, said Navy Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, the chief of naval operations.

WASHINGTON - The commander of the International Security Assistance Force, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, expressed his condolences over the crash of an ISAF helicopter in the Bagrami district of Afghanistan’s Kabul province.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Fort Bragg, N.C.-based Army brothers Sgt. Bryan Vinson and Spc. Duane Vinson recall their 9-month deployment together in Afghanistan.

CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan - Coalition troops and their Afghan partners have a new initiative and momentum going into this year’s fighting season, said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Curtis “Mike” Scaparrotti, commander of ISAF Joint Command. “It’s clear to me that we’ve made a good deal of progress here in Afghanistan,” he said.

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Defense officials provided more details about an apparent failed attack conducted by an Afghan interpreter at Bastion Airfield just as U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta was arriving for a two-day Afghanistan visit.

ARLINGTON, Va. - In an effort to streamline cemetery operations, Arlington National Cemetery began using geospatial technology this week in a move officials say makes them nearly paperless and will help ensure information accuracy.

WASHINGTON - Though the Defense Department’s role in nuclear nonproliferation centers on dismantling weapons of mass destruction, DOD also plans, equips and trains for scenarios in which terrorists get their hands on nuclear weapons, Kenneth B. Handelman, principal deputy assistant defense secretary for global strategic affairs, told a Senate panel.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to wrap up a Central Asia and Middle East trip that also took him to Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. While visiting Abu Dhabi, Panetta will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al Nauhyan, deputy supreme commander of the Emirati armed forces.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Wrapping up his sixth trip to Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said U.S., Afghan and coalition leaders are unified in achieving the mission of ensuring Afghanistan never again becomes a terrorist safe haven.

WASHINGTON - Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps medical specialists are working closely together and with civilian experts to develop the best prevention, diagnosis and treatment practices for traumatic brain injuries, service representatives said.

ARABIAN GULF - Crews of the Navy guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones and Coast Guard Cutter Baranof rescued 24 Filipino mariners in the Arabian Gulf, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command officials reported.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Veteran unemployment numbers are encouraging, but the need for jobs will increase as the services trim their ranks, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told reporters in Kabul, Afghanistan.

MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING COMPLEX, Ind. - Army Pvt. Travonce Marquiese Covey is grateful that the National Guard provided him the opportunity to gain his high school diploma and obtain a better life.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader and detained an additional suspected insurgent in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Baghlan province.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The suspect in a car theft and possible attack at Bastion Airfield in Afghanistan’s Helmand province has died while under medical care, the commander of International Security Assistance Force Joint Command said.

WASHINGTON - Sanctions and diplomatic pressure against Iran are working and need more time, but the window for Iran to act is closing, President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron said.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military has airlifted out of Afghanistan the U.S. soldier accused of going on a shooting rampage targeting Afghan civilians. The soldier, whom the military has yet to identify, was taken out of the country because there was no appropriate place to detain him there, a Pentagon spokesman said.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron agreed the two nations will continue to follow the strategy for Afghanistan that calls for all combat troops out of the country by the end of 2014.

CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan - A fire at Bastion Airfield in Afghanistan appears to be unrelated to the fact that Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta was supposed to land there, Pentagon and NATO International Security Assistance Force officials said.

COMBAT OUTPOST SHUKVANI, Afghanistan - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta visited Georgian 31st Battalion troops on Combat Outpost Shukvani, Afghanistan, and read a letter from their former commander, who was wounded and is undergoing treatment in the United States.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron reaffirmed the “rock-solid” alliance between their two countries during a White House welcome ceremony. The two men and their staffs plan to discuss a range of issues from Afghanistan and NATO to economic policy and trade.

WASHINGTON - Army Sgt. 1st Class Leroy A. Petry, the Army’s most recent Medal of Honor recipient, cited the “miracles” that saved his life one fateful day in Afghanistan during the Pentagon’s national prayer breakfast, which featured spiritual resilience to overcome adversity as its theme.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Coalition forces are achieving their mission of helping Afghanistan transform its future, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told U.S., Afghan and coalition troops during his visit to the country.

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. - Air Force Senior Airman Shawn Watters uses his technical skills to help keep A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft flying in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Priorities for U.S. Northern Command include expanding partnerships, keeping eyes on air, space, cyberspace, land and sea domains, and outpacing all threats, the Northcom and the North American Aerospace Defense Command commander told a Senate committee.

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta thanked Kyrgyzstan Minister of Defense Taalaybek Omuraliev and Secretary of Defense Council Busurmankul Tabaldiev for Kyrgyzstan’s contribution to regional stability while visiting the country as part of a Central Asia tour.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Southern Command is focused on stopping transnational organized crime and building partners’ capabilities, Air Force Gen. Douglas Fraser told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said the United States takes seriously the March 11 murder of Afghan civilians and promised Afghan leaders that U.S. defense officials will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. He said the investigation "will follow the facts wherever they lead us."

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Army Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Avi Weiss, the only U.S. military rabbi now serving in Afghanistan, employs the Internet and other means to extend his reach across the country.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani network leader, responsible for directing attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces, during an operation in the Sabari district of Afghanistan’s Khost province.

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is in Kyrgyzstan, which is home to a transit center for all U.S. troops entering or leaving Afghanistan, to meet with government leaders and U.S. service members there.

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Recent tragic events in Afghanistan highlight important lessons, but should not detract from significant progress achieved or derail the overall International Security Assistance Force objectives there, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

WASHINGTON - A policy board plans to ask Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta to highlight service in the reserve forces as a good option for outgoing active-duty members during downsizing.

WASHINGTON - A state-of-the-art millimeter-wave system gives warfighters something more persuasive than shouting but less harmful than shooting when dealing with potentially hostile crowds, Defense Department experts said during a demonstration.

WASHINGTON - The Sesame Street and USO Experience for Military Families, a free traveling tour, will kick off April 7 at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., and will visit military families on more than 70 installations over the next eight months.

WASHINGTON - Officials believe a lone service member was involved in the shooting deaths of civilians in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - For their service and sacrifice, five military children have earned Operation Homefront’s 2012 Military Child of the Year Award.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force captured two Haqqani network leaders and five additional suspected insurgents in the Pul-e Alam district of Afghanistan’s Logar province.

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - For Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason F. Figgeroa, a hospital corpsman with Medical Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 25, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, the military was his ticket to a better and exciting life.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and senior military leaders condemned a shooting incident in Southern Afghanistan, and they pledged to work with Afghan authorities in fully investigating the incident.

WASHINGTON - The environment facing the military comes down to balancing strategic challenges with fiscal realities, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a town hall meeting on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

WASHINGTON - Navy Adm. Robert F. Willard, who passed command of U.S. Pacific Command to Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, praised Locklear for his ability to lead the command forward.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, saluted outgoing U.S. Pacific Command chief Navy Adm. Robert F. Willard and welcomed his successor, Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, during a ceremony on Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.

WASHINGTON - The $9.6 billion for space programs within President Barack Obama’s fiscal year 2013 budget request will boost resilience for U.S. space capabilities but cut some modernization and other programs, Air Force Gen. William L. Shelton, commander of the Air Force Space Command, told a House panel.

WASHINGTON - Two Department of Defense Education Activity students were among the more than 100 student delegates to the 50th Annual U.S. Senate Youth Program who stopped by the Pentagon to hear from senior leaders and to gain insight on national defense.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department released an implementation plan for cutting energy consumption in military operations. In the plan, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta reiterates that the department must do its part to reduce U.S. fuel consumption to save money and reduce dependence on foreign oil.

CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan - Marine Corps Cpl. Matthew J. Kirby employs his sense of humor and leadership skills to keep up the spirits of his fellow Marines in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department leaders want to retain excellence in military health care while cutting costs, Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, told the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta have issued statements marking the upcoming one-year anniversary of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters that devastated Japan.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan and coalition security force captured several Taliban leaders during an operation in the Maidan Shahr district of Afghanistan’s Wardak province.

WASHINGTON - The Pacific will be a growing focus for the American military in the years to come, but the Middle East also must remain a priority, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told reporters in Hawaii.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, and Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak signed a memorandum that Allen called “an important step forward in our strategic partnership negotiations.”

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department needs two rounds of the Base Realignment and Closure process this year and next to shed excess building space and save money, the deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment told a congressional panel.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is working to ensure that it has the right makeup of forces and facilities in strategic locations, and that includes moving U.S. Marines from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam, Dorothy Robyn, deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment told a congressional panel.

WASHINGTON - A Defense Department teacher’s quest to bring lessons alive for her students from military families has landed her a spot as a finalist for 2012 National Teacher of the Year honors.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Officials at Arlington National Cemetery will use an Army-designed geospatial mapping system to manage cemetery operations, the executive director of the Army National Cemeteries Program said.

WASHINGTON - Technical challenges remain for the complex ballistic missile defense system designed to protect the United States and its allies, but the capability is crucial to the nation’s defense posture, Defense Department experts told a congressional panel.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan joined Afghan President Hamid Karzai in condemning a terrorist attack that killed four people and wounded eight others.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - For Army Sgt. Kristina R. Melton, a member of the Illinois National Guard’s 1344th Transportation Company in East St. Louis, Ill., no field manual could have prepared her for what she learned during a health examination. She had cervical pre-cancer cells.

BETHESDA, Md. - Art therapist Melissa Walker uses her talents to help service members to heal from traumatic brain injuries and psychological health issues at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md.

SILVER SPRING, Md. - The Joint Pathology Center in Silver Spring, Md., a new Defense Department organization, has assumed the human and veterinary pathology mission from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, which closed in September.

WASHINGTON - Iran will be the biggest loser when Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime falls, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told the Senate Armed Services Committee while testifying on the situation in Syria.

WASHINGTON - Some service members traveling out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport soon will be able to speed through security as part of a joint Defense Department and Transportation Security Administration program.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Southern Command’s central mission -- disrupting transnational trafficking in drugs, weapons, cash and people in Central and South America –- is too large and complex for even a U.S. combatant command to tackle alone, said Air Force Gen. Douglas M. Fraser, Southcom’s commander.

WASHINGTON - Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thanked the owners of the Washington Capitols ice hockey team for their $105,742.76 donation to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors program.

WASHINGTON - Military families with special-needs members would benefit from better communication and education, according to members of an exceptional family member panel.

NATICK, Mass. - Once homeless, Army Staff Sgt. Sharalis Canales often shares her military success story with young soldiers at Natick Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass.

WASHINGTON - The Syrian regime will fall, and the United States will help to speed that day through political and diplomatic efforts, said Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON - A coalition air weapons team killed several insurgents in the Asadabad district of Kunar province. No civilians were harmed during the exchange, officials said.

WASHINGTON - U.S. special operations forces remain focused on Afghanistan, but they also are active across the globe, Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON - Afghan forces now are leading all of the night raids U.S. special operations forces conduct with them in Afghanistan, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command told senators.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama took questions from reporters during a press conference aimed at learning more about his administration’s policies and intentions on situations in Iran, Syria and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Thousands of service members and veterans whose mortgages were wrongfully foreclosed on, or who were improperly denied lower mortgage interest rates in the national housing crisis, can receive “significant relief,” President Barack Obama announced.

WASHINGTON - As al-Qaida takes advantage of the unrest in Syria, Iran is working desperately to keep Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in power to support its own agenda, the U.S. Central Command commander told Congress.

WASHINGTON - Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, the commander of U.S. Central Command, staunchly defended the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan before Congress, saying that, despite recent violence over the Quran-burning incident, he believes it is bearing fruit.

WASHINGTON - Declining defense budgets mean the U.S. military must reduce its contracting costs, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said while speaking at the fifth annual Joint Operational Contract Support Leaders Conference.

WASHINGTON - A special operations exercise under way in Guyana is enhancing capabilities of both U.S. and Guyanese special operators and ensuring they have a foundation to respond together in the event of a common threat.

WASHINGTON - Defense cooperation between the U.S. and Israel is already close, and it will get closer as both countries face common future threats, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said while addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

WASHINGTON - As the first anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Japan’s northeast region approaches, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reaffirmed the U.S.-Japan partnership, saying it grew stronger in the face of adversity.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that the United States “is determined to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition security forces captured a Taliban weapons supplier during an operation in the Aliabad district of Kunduz province.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Charles P. Barrett Jr. received the recognition the Marine Corps says he was due for his heroic actions 60 years ago.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Military spouses have amazing stories that all Americans need to hear, Deanie Dempsey, wife of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, told a group of military spouses attending Military.com’s 2012 Military Spouse Summit.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The military needs to examine the barriers that can prevent the best people from serving, Navy Vice Adm.William E. Gortney, the director of the Joint Staff, told participants at the Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium.

WASHINGTON - Small businesses are an important part of the Defense Department’s plans for better managing how it uses energy, said Sharon E. Burke, the assistant secretary of defense for operational energy plans and programs.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader in the Chahar Darah district of Kunduz province.

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait - For military marriages, deployment normally means a yearlong separation. But that’s not the case for two Kansas Army National Guard soldiers serving together at Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

ARLINGTON, Va. - More than 700 National Guard soldiers and airmen are supporting civilian authorities in four states recovering from tornadoes and floods.

ARLINGTON, Va. - More than 500 National Guard members are supporting civilian authorities in five states after devastating tornadoes in the Midwest and the South.

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - The Taliban’s adoption of murder tactics is a sign of their weakness, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said while visiting service members and Gold Star families on Fort Campbell, Ky.

WASHINGTON - Recent bilateral security talks between the United States and India reaffirmed the importance of the partnership between the two nations and the growing U.S. interest in advancing it, said Robert Scher, deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia.

WASHINGTON - A proposed new governance structure will make the military health system more effective and produce savings, said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, the Pentagon’s top health affairs official.

SAN DIEGO - Retired Air Force Col. Lee Ellis, a former prisoner-of-war during the Vietnam War, uses his experiences to help redeployed reservists reintergrate with their families.

WASHINGTON - In talks with science chiefs from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, House Armed Services Committee members targeted technology advances, cyber security and gaps left by mandated cuts in the 2013 defense budget.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta was asked following a speech at the University of Louisville what keeps him awake at night, he didn’t hesitate: a major cyber attack.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Success in Iraq and the drawdown in Afghanistan does not mean the U.S. military should be dismantled, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told an audience at the University of Louisville.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department’s new strategic guidance drove science and technology budget requests that include funding for projects ranging from hypersonics to electronic warfare, DOD officials told a congressional panel.

WASHINGTON - In the wake of the deaths of two U.S. troops in southern Afghanistan, U.S. military leaders are working to strengthen security measures at partnered facilities, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters.

WASHINGTON - European countries strongly support continuing with the mission in Afghanistan despite violent uprisings there, and NATO is likely to continue its partnership with Afghanistan well past the end of combat operations, said the alliance’s supreme allied commander for Europe.

ARLINGTON, Va. - About 90 National Guard members are supporting civilian authorities responding to tornadoes that ripped through communities throughout the Midwest.

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kenny Jeanfelix credits a person who was closest to him for influencing his decision to join the Marine Corps.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon’s top leaders joined President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in paying tribute to Iraq War veterans and their families during a White House dinner held in their honor.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama honored troops for their devotion, strength and resolve while Vice President Joe Biden praised the “9/11 Generation” during a tribute to Iraq War veterans and their families.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a White House tribute to Iraq War veterans and their families to honor them for their service, sacrifice and commitment to the nation.