06/30/2005
DoD Seeks Congressional Support in Influencing Influencers
WASHINGTON - President Bush made the plea to the American public during his address to the nation June 28, and now Defense Department leaders are asking Congress to go out and do the same. That is to ask Americans, especially those of enlistment age, to step up and serve their country.
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06/30/2005
U.S. Recovers Fallen Chinook's Aircrew, Passengers
WASHINGTON - The U.S. military has recovered the bodies of the aircrew and passengers aboard a MH-47 Chinook helicopter that was reported shot down by insurgents in eastern Afghanistan June 28, the Defense Department announced today.
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06/30/2005
Country Singer Mark Wills Supports Servicemembers, Families
ATLANTA - Country music artist Mark Wills didn't deliver a speech during the Military Child Education Coalition lunch and opening general session here June 29, but he spoke to the more than 550 conferees in the international language: music.
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06/30/2005
Insurgents Changed Tactics After Fallujah Fight, General Says
WASHINGTON - Insurgents in Iraq are increasingly employing suicide bombers and roadside explosives and not engaging U.S. and coalition forces in stand-up battles like the one at Fallujah last fall, a senior U.S. military officer said in Baghdad today.
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06/29/2005
Detainees Treated Humanely as Task Force Supports Terror War
WASHINGTON - Probably no example in modern history matches the extent of the effort going into ensuring the fairest and most humane treatment possible for enemy combatants being detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the task force commander there asserted today during questioning by the House Armed Services Committee.
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06/29/2005
Rumsfeld, Myers Call on Americans to Support Troops
WASHINGTON - In anticipation of upcoming Independence Day celebrations, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers asked for support of the troops and expressed confidence in the American people's spirit during a Pentagon town hall meeting today.
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06/29/2005
America Supports You: Couple Helps War-Wounded GIs
WASHINGTON - When Karen Grimord found out in August 2004 that war-wounded servicemembers were spending long days and nights at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany without any entertainment in their hospital rooms, she decided to do something about it.
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06/29/2005
Joint Task Force Respects Detainees' Religious Practices
WASHINGTON - Members of Joint Task Force Guantanamo, Cuba, go to great lengths to respect the religious practices and beliefs of an estimated 520 enemy combatants being detained there, senior task force leaders told Congress today.
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06/29/2005
EUCOM Marines Give, Receive Key Insights in Georgia
STUTTGART, Germany - Sworn enemies during the Cold War, the Republic of Georgia - part of the former Soviet Union -- and the United States are brothers in arms now, forming friendships and training side by side.
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06/29/2005
Overseas Basing Changes Mean Less Troop Stress, DoD Tells Senate
WASHINGTON - The plan to relocate troops from overseas bases back to the United States as part of the Defense Department's Global Defense Posture Realignment will mean less stress on military people and their families, DoD officials told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee here June 28.
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06/29/2005
Al Qaeda Manual Drives Detainee Behavior at Guantanamo Bay
WASHINGTON - If you're a Muslim extremist captured while fighting your holy war against "infidels," avoid revealing information at all costs, don't give your real name and claim that you were mistreated or tortured during your detention.
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06/29/2005
Education Group Seeks Ways to Help Guard, Reserve Children
ATLANTA - More than 550 people from around the world are gathered here for the three-day Military Child Education Coalition's 7th annual conference that starts today. This year's conference theme is "Making Connections for Children."
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06/29/2005
ISAF Deploys Quick Reaction Force in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan - NATO's International Security Assistance Force deployed its Quick Reaction Force to the area of the Farah provincial reconstruction team in western Afghanistan, an ISAF spokesman said during a news briefing at ISAF headquarters here today.
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06/29/2005
Bush Explains Troop Levels, Rejects Deadline for Iraq Pullout
WASHINGTON - President Bush said troop levels in Iraq are where military commanders want them and explained why he believes setting a deadline for their withdrawal would be a mistake in a nationally televised June 28 speech at Fort Bragg, N.C.
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06/28/2005
'As Iraqis Stand Up, We Will Stand Down,' Bush Tells Nation
WASHINGTON - On the one-year anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty in Iraq to a transitional Iraqi government, President Bush tonight promised that U.S. forces would remain in Iraq until the job is complete, "but not one day longer."
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06/28/2005
New Guantanamo Camp to Pave Way for Future Detention Ops
NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Camp 4, the only medium-security camp at Guantanamo Bay, is the most sought-after camp here for detainees here. It's reserved only for those who live by the camp rules and offers them the privilege of living in a communal setting that offers more freedoms and perks than less-cooperative detainees receive.
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06/28/2005
Rumsfeld Says Media Show Only 'Negative' Side of Iraq War
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld took to the airwaves June 27 to clear up what he characterized as "misinformation" by the media about the war in Iraq, telling radio listeners in Kansas City, Mo., that "the news media seem to want to carry the negative."
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06/28/2005
Reservists, Guardsmen Bring Valuable Skills to Special Missions
WASHINGTON - Air Force Reserve Maj. Eduardo Alzona, an Air Reserve attache with the U.S. Defense Attache Office at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, is proficient in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Tagalog and Arabic. And DoD is targeting people like him -- reservists and guardsmen with specialized skills -- more and more to fill specific unique positions.
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06/28/2005
Army's 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment Jumps Down Under
SHOAL WATER BAY TRAINING AREA, Australia - Dropping in and destroying enemy ground forces is the specialty of the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment. Based at Fort Richardson, Alaska, the unit is playing a pivotal role this week in Talisman Saber '05, a combined joint exercise with Australian forces.
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06/28/2005
Training for Iraq Boosts Security in Caucasus
STUTTGART, Germany - The $64 million Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Program, known as GSSOP and administered by U.S. European Command, recently began a 15-month run and is the answer to Georgia's commitment to deploy troops to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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06/28/2005
Official Says DoD Committed to Veterans' Health Care
WASHINGTON - The Defense Department will work with the Veterans Affairs Department to help cover a shortfall in VA funds due to increased dental benefits claimed by returning veterans of the global war on terror, a top DoD health official told Congress today.
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06/28/2005
Rice: Insurgents Will Fail To Stop Iraqi Political Progress
WASHINGTON - A year to the day after a new, democratic government assumed sovereignty in Iraq, insurgents there still are seeking to derail the country's political progress through violence, the State Department's senior official said today.
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06/27/2005
DoD Constantly Striving to Improve Detainee Operations
NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - In its quest to provide the fairest treatment possible for enemy combatants detained here, the Defense Department is constantly fine-tuning the practices and procedures in place and introducing new ones as appropriate, according to DoD's detainee affairs chief.
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06/27/2005
Marine Shares Combat Skills With Members of Other Services
KABUL, Afghanistan - Being thrown around in the dirt after working a 12- to 15-hour shift in a combat zone may not be an ideal ending to the day. But 14 soldiers, sailors and airmen at Camp Eggers, Afghanistan, volunteered for it.
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06/26/2005
Rumsfeld Discusses Guantanamo Bay Detainee Issues
WASHINGTON - Though a "legitimate national debate" can be had over the status of military detainees being at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld insisted today that the detainees are being treated humanely.
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06/26/2005
Iraq's Shiias Earn Rumsfeld's Praise for Outreach Efforts
WASHINGTON - The Shiia majority in the Iraqi government drew praise from Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today for reaching out to political opponents who might be amenable to working within that country's nascent political framework.
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06/26/2005
Rumsfeld Clarifies Status of Iraqi Security Forces
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld clarified widespread media and legislative confusion over the status of U.S. and Iraqi security forces when he appeared today on NBC's "Meet the Press," ABC's "This Week," and "Fox News Sunday."
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06/26/2005
Insurgents Have 'No Chance,' CENTCOM Chief Says
WASHINGTON - Insurgents "don't have a chance" provided the United States stays the course in Iraq, Army Gen. John Abizaid said today on CBS's Face the Nation and CNN's Late Edition.
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06/25/2005
Guantanamo Bay Troops Recognize Contribution to Terror War
NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Talk about troops fighting the war on terror, and most minds leap immediately to Iraq and Afghanistan. But servicemembers serving here say they feel the important contribution they're making to the effort sometimes gets overlooked.
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06/25/2005
'First Fan' Sees Washington Nationals Salute Military
WASHINGTON - With President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on hand to enjoy a night of major league baseball, the first-place Washington Nationals paused to honor the military before the team's interleague game against the Toronto Blue Jays at RFK Stadium here June 24.
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06/24/2005
Troops Rescue Afghan Civilians Trapped by Floodwaters
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - The Afghan National Army and local government officials coordinated efforts with coalition forces to rescue 119 Afghans stranded on a small island by floodwaters June 23.
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06/24/2005
Cheney Attributes Spike in Attacks to Insurgents Sensing Defeat
WASHINGTON - Increased violence and a growing number of foreign insurgents are signs that the United States is close to accomplishing its objective in Iraq, Vice President Richard B. Cheney said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer June 23.
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06/24/2005
Car Bomb Strikes Marine Convoy in Fallujah
WASHINGTON - Two Marines assigned to 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) were killed and 13 were wounded when a suicide car bomber struck their convoy June 23 in Fallujah, Iraq, U.S. military officials in Baghdad reported.
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06/24/2005
Potential Recruits List Critical to 'All-Recruited' Force
WASHINGTON - The term "all-volunteer force" is a misnomer, a senior Defense Department personnel official said here June 23. In truth, the U.S. military is an "all-recruited force," and its success depends on recruiters having access to potential recruits, David S. C. Chu, undersecretary for personnel and readiness, told reporters in the Pentagon.
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06/23/2005
Political Process in Iraq Will Stay on Schedule, Rumsfeld Says
WASHINGTON - America is not losing the war in Iraq, and despite the insurgency's efforts at disruption, the political process will continue on schedule through elections planned there for December, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said in radio interviews June 21.
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06/23/2005
Coalition, NATO Forces Take Pride in Afghanistan's Progress
WASHINGTON - Afghanistan "has come alive," thanks to progress made during Operation Enduring Freedom, and troops serving there can't help but feel motivated knowing the role they're playing in that progress, the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe said here today.
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06/23/2005
Air Force Transformation in Europe Aiding Terror War
WASHINGTON - The transformation taking place throughout the Defense Department started early for U.S. Air Forces in Europe, which began reshaping and repositioning its assets 15 years ago and is now better prepared to support the war on terror, the command's top officer said today.
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06/23/2005
Rumsfeld: Operations at Guantanamo 'Transparent'
WASHINGTON - There has been no torture at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said in a series of radio interviews June 21. In fact, he added, the facility there is being run as a model detention facility.
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06/23/2005
U.S., Iraqi Forces Complete Operation Spear Near Syrian Border
WASHINGTON - Iraqi security forces and U.S. Marines and sailors with Regimental Combat Team 2 completed Operation Spear on June 22, concluding a five-day operation in and around the city of Karabilah, near Iraq's border with Syria, military officials in Baghdad reported today.
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06/22/2005
Air Force Addressing Problem of Religious Intolerance
WASHINGTON - Air Forces officials have instituted changes designed to stop instances of religious intolerance. The changes came as a result of an investigation into allegations of religious disrespect at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
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06/22/2005
America Supports You: 'Tight-Knit' Group Supports Troops Worldwide
WASHINGTON - Just a month after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Ellen Harpin sat in her Florida home and began to knit a pair of slippers for a sailor aboard the USS Bataan. The sailor had responded to an "any sailor" letter and had asked Harpin, an avid knitter, if she'd make her a pair of slippers.
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06/22/2005
Humanitarian Assistance Advances Partnerships With Host Nations
STUTTGART, Germany - Often overlooked and little-publicized, the people who work in the Defense Department's Humanitarian Assistance Program are accustomed to living in the shadows, content to go about the business of winning hearts and minds in the host nations the program serves.
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06/22/2005
America Supports You: Group Lends Heroes a Helping Hand
WASHINGTON - "Operation Purple Hearts" is not about the well-known medal awarded to those wounded in war, but about honoring heroes by helping them and their families overcome difficulties associated with military service.
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06/22/2005
Defeating IEDs Demands Going After Munitions Source
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. - "There's no silver bullet" for dealing with improvised explosive devices killing and wounding U.S. troops in Iraq, the chief of staff for the Army Engineer School here told American Forces Press Service.
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06/22/2005
Brussels Conference to Build International Partnership for Iraq
WASHINGTON - The Iraqi government and the international community are in Belgium today discussing priorities, aspirations and expectations for the future, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in opening remarks at the Brussels Conference hosted by the United States and the European Union.
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06/22/2005
'Operation Helping Hand' Helps Families of Wounded War Vets
WASHINGTON - A $10,000 check is a wonderful reward for doing something you'd do anyway without even thinking about being paid for your efforts. That's how much money "Operation Helping Hand" was granted on June 20 as the first-place winner in the 2005 Newman's Own Awards competition.
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06/22/2005
Fighting in Afghanistan Leaves 40 Insurgents Dead
WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces killed about 40 enemies June 21 in fighting southwest of Deh Chopan, Afghanistan, after insurgents attacked with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, military officials reported today.
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06/21/2005
Marines Adapt to Protect Against Threats from IEDs
WASHINGTON - The Marine Corps is adapting the way it protects its servicemembers against improvised explosive devices, according to a statement read to the House Armed Services Committee here today.
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06/21/2005
Bush, Vietnamese Prime Minister Focus on Mutual Security Concerns
WASHINGTON - Today's meeting between President Bush and Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai represents an important step forward as the two countries put the past behind them and build on common ground, the Pentagon's international security affairs chief said today.
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06/21/2005
Lowry Redevelopment Assists Denver's Economic Renaissance
DENVER - When Lowry Air Force Base, Colo., was selected to be shuttered as part of the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Act, many recession-battered Denver residents thought the end had come to the "Mile High" city.
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06/21/2005
Ground Forces Commander in Iraq Cites Progress
WASHINGTON - With the one-year anniversary of the return of sovereignty to the Iraqi government approaching, the commander of ground troops there today said he is pleased with the progress being made in the country.
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06/21/2005
New Facility to Support WMD Response Capabilities
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. - First responders will soon have a state-of-the-art facility here to hone the skills they'll need to deal with weapons of mass destruction and other chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological incidents.
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06/21/2005
Vietnam Allows Access to Crash Site; Families Elated, Hopeful
ARLINGTON, Va. - They were elated, yelling with joy. Some of them even hugged the defense official who announced June 17 that the Vietnamese government had agreed to allow Americans to visit the site where seven soldiers perished in a plane crash on Jan 3, 1971. But the excitement didn't last long.
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06/20/2005
Newman's Own Awards Presented at Pentagon
WASHINGTON - Eleven volunteer organizations that reach out to help improve the quality of life of military families took home between $2,500 and $10,000 today to help them continue their work in military communities.
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06/20/2005
Coast Guard Ready to Meet Security Requirements, Commandant Says
WASHINGTON - To meet post-Sept. 11 security responsibilities, the United States Coast Guard has crafted and is implementing a transformation policy to ensure America's coastlines and waterways are safe, the Coast Guard's top official said June 17.
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06/20/2005
President, EU Leaders Affirm Commitment in Iraq
WASHINGTON - The upcoming international summit on support for Iraq sends "an important signal for people to hear loud and clear," President Bush said today during a news conference in the East Room of the White House.
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06/20/2005
Bush: Guantanamo Detainees Receiving Humane Treatment
WASHINGTON - While awaiting a federal court ruling about how to try detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the United States continues to treat them humanely and according to the Geneva Conventions, President Bush said today during a news conference at the White House.
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06/20/2005
MP School Infuses Combat Realism into Training
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. - Recognizing that many of their students are likely to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan within three or four months of leaving here, the cadre at the U.S. Army Military Police School is stepping up the curriculum to infuse as much realism as possible, the school's director of training told the American Forces Press Service.
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06/20/2005
Fort Leonard Wood Communities Prepare for Growth
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. - The communities surrounding Fort Leonard Wood are preparing for the growth anticipated due to upcoming base realignments and the return of forces from Europe and Korea to stateside bases -- and applying important lessons they learned from the past.
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06/20/2005
Family of Missing Serviceman Copes With Lack of Closure
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Defense Department annually briefs families of servicemen still missing in Southeast Asia, and in their quest for closure, mother and daughter Jeanette Lilly, 79, and Susan J. Harvey, 58, haven't missed a meeting in more than 15 years.
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06/19/2005
Iraqis, Coalition Combine to Snare Terror Leaders
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi soldiers and coalition forces, working together and independently, captured 11 known terrorists in a series of early-morning raids in central and western Baghdad, Iraq, June 17. One other terror suspect was also taken into custody.
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06/19/2005
Baghdad Attacks Kill, Wound Iraqi Civilians, Police
WASHINGTON - Two attacks in Baghdad, Iraq, today have left at least 16 civilians and five Iraqi police officers dead and scores wounded. A mortar attack in Mosul killed one civilian and injured five more.
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06/19/2005
U.S. Marines, Iraqis Continue Operation Spear in Iraq
WASHINGTON - Marines and Iraqi security forces continue Operation Spear, called Rohme in Arabic, in Iraq's Anbar province, finding weapons caches and calling in air strikes on terrorist strong points.
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06/18/2005
Two Soldiers, Two Marines Killed in Iraq
WASHINGTON - Two Task Force Liberty soldiers were killed near Buhritz, in Iraq's Diyala province, June 17. One Iraqi civilian and one detainee, who was being transported by the combat patrol at the time of the engagement, were also killed.
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06/18/2005
Bush Calls on Americans to Unite Against Terror in Iraq
WASHINGTON - While people may disagree on the decision to liberate Iraq, all should agree that the country is the central front in the war on terror, President Bush said in his weekly national radio address today.
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06/17/2005
DoD Launches Sexual Assault Prevention Web Site
WASHINGTON - Servicemembers who are victims of sexual assault or who need information on the DoD policy on preventing sexual assaults can find the information at a new Web site.
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06/17/2005
DoD Cautions Servicemembers Against 'Loan-Shark' Lenders
WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has launched a new effort to educate servicemembers about the dangers of borrowing from "loan-shark" lending companies and to teach them how to avoid ending up in a spiral of compounding debt, a DoD official said here today.
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06/17/2005
Flintlock Exercise Trains Africans to Handle Defense
WASHINGTON - There is more than one way to fight terrorism, as U.S. servicemembers participating in Exercise Flintlock '05 are finding. The biennial exercise now under way in Africa is designed to enhance African nations' ability to patrol and control their own territory
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06/17/2005
General Cites Influencers as Part of Recruiting Challenge
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. - The greatest challenge facing recruiters is the people who influence young men and women of the "Millennium Generation" not to serve, the commander of the Army Recruiting Command said here today.
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06/17/2005
DoD Strongly Supports Stabilization Office
WASHINGTON - In line with the idea that all aspects of national power must be applied against terror, the Defense Department is working closely with the office of the State Department's Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, DoD officials said before a Senate committee June 16.
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06/17/2005
Task Force Liberty Soldiers Reverse Effects of War
WASHINGTON - U.S. and Iraqi soldiers this month continued their efforts to repair and rebuild areas battered by war, improve the lives and education of children, and help the citizens of Iraq advance toward a safe, secure and democratic nation.
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06/17/2005
General Promises Families DoD Will Continue Searching for MIAs
ARLINGTON, Va. - A top Army general this week thanked more than 270 family members of servicemen still missing in Southeast Asia for their service and sacrifice during the Defense Department's 2005 annual government briefings for Vietnam War-era families.
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06/17/2005
Kitchen Builders Serve Up Safer Humvees
WASHINGTON - If there is a government building here in the nation's capital, said James Phillip Poole of American Metal Fabricators Inc., chances are his company has built its food-service equipment.
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06/16/2005
2005 POW/MIA Recognition Day Poster Unveiled
WASHINGTON - The 2005 POW/MIA Recognition Day poster was unveiled here June 15 in honor of the sacrifices made by prisoners of war and servicemembers still unaccounted for, spanning World War II to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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06/16/2005
Insurgency Unpopular; Iraqi Forces Growing More Capable
WASHINGTON - The June 14 capture of Muhammad Khalaf Shakar reflects the growing intolerance of the Iraqi people for an "unpopular insurgency" and shows the increasing capability of Iraqi security forces, a U.S. military official in Iraq said today.
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06/16/2005
Vietnam Vets Impressed by Scope of POW/MIA Efforts
BRANSON, Mo. - Active-duty servicemembers here for "Operation Homecoming USA" are giving Vietnam veterans faith that the U.S. military is working aggressively to account for some 1,800 Americans still missing from the Vietnam War.
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06/16/2005
Sailor, Five Marines Killed in Iraq; Car Bomb Attack Fails
WASHINGTON - Five Marines assigned to 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), were killed near Ramadi, Iraq, June 15 when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. A sailor assigned to the same unit also died June 15 from wounds received from enemy small-arms fire.
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06/15/2005
Official Cites Progress in WMD Countermeasure Development
WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has made progress in several areas of chemical and biological defense, is coordinating regularly with other federal agencies, and has developed a long-term science and technology investment strategy to protect U.S. forces well into the future, a DoD official said June 14 at a congressional hearing.
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06/15/2005
Indiana City Flourishes After 'Fort Ben' Closure
INDIANAPOLIS - After Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., closed nearly a decade ago as a result of the 1991 base realignment and closure process, more than a million square feet of building space has been demolished. In its place has risen millions of more square feet in new business and housing.
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06/14/2005
Rumsfeld, Pace Speak About Future in Iraq
WASHINGTON - The coalition and Iraqi security forces are facing a "thinking enemy," and that enemy has changed its tactics in response to what the coalition has done, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
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06/14/2005
Secretary Defends Guantanamo Bay Detention Center
WASHINGTON - The United States can no longer afford the luxury of treating terrorism as a law enforcement problem, and that is why the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is necessary, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said at a press conference at the Pentagon today.
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06/14/2005
30 Years Later, Vietnam Vets Get Branson-Style Homecoming
BRANSON, Mo. - Thirty years after the last U.S. forces left Vietnam, tens of thousands of veterans of that conflict gathered here in the Ozark Mountains today to get the official welcome home and thanks they never received.
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06/14/2005
Vietnam Vets Set Example for Today's Troops
BRANSON, Mo. - Today's young military men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan "are walking in our bootprints," the secretary of Veterans Affairs told thousands of Vietnam veterans and their families here today.
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06/14/2005
Top Army Sergeant Outlines Transformation, Promotes New Uniform
WASHINGTON - In addition to making the Army a more sleek, deployable force, transformation will add predictability and stability to the lives of soldiers and their families, the Army's top noncommissioned officer said in an interview with the Pentagon Channel.
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06/14/2005
Media Focuses on 'Sensational,' Cheney Says
WASHINGTON - Media focuses on a "drive to report the sensational," said Vice President Richard B. Cheney during an interview with Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity that aired on the "Hannity and Colmes" show June 13.
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06/14/2005
CD Raises Awareness for Armed Services YMCA
WASHINGTON - Sony BMG Music Entertainment company today, Flag Day, released a CD entitled Patriotic Country 2, which features 17 patriotic songs from well-known country music artists.
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06/14/2005
U.S. Soldiers Wounded; Troops Save Infant's Life
WASHINGTON - Four U.S. servicemembers and an Afghan interpreter were wounded today when an improvised explosive device detonated near their up-armored Humvee south of Ghazni, Afghanistan, the capital of Ghazni province, on the Lora River.
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06/14/2005
Volunteers Fly 'Greatest Generation' to See Their Memorial
WASHINGTON - Thousands of visitors have come to the National World War II Memorial here since it opened last year. But the miles between the memorial and the ever-dwindling, increasingly frail ranks of World War II veterans make it difficult for many members of "The Greatest Generation" to make the pilgrimage to the nation's long-overdue tribute to their service.
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06/14/2005
Iraqi Freedom Veteran Reflects on Meaning of Flag Day
WASHINGTON - It's been a little more than two months since I returned from Iraq. The day I returned, I watched my wife eagerly remove the Blue Star Service Banner from our front window, and she happily watched me bring down the yellow ribbon that had hugged our yard's corner tree for a year.
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06/13/2005
Good Things U.S. Troops Do Far Outweigh Detainees' Allegations
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Vice President Richard B. Cheney bristled in a June 10 interview here at the attention being given to allegations made by detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and how the publicity given to those allegations far outweighs that given to the good things U.S. servicemembers are doing.
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06/13/2005
Suicide Car Bomber Injures Four GIs in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - Four U.S. servicemembers were injured today near Kandahar, Afghanistan, by a suicide bomber driving a vehicle laden with explosives, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials reported.
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06/13/2005
U.S. Soldiers, Iraqi Forces Uncover Weapons
WASHINGTON - U.S. Third Infantry Division soldiers conducted a raid in southern Baghdad on June 11, uncovering a weapons cache that led to the arrest of several men, according to coalition officials in Iraq.
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06/11/2005
Cheney Praises 'Silent Professionals' of Special Operations
WASHINGTON - Praising the warriors he calls "the silent professionals," Vice President Richard B. Cheney culminated International Special Forces Week here June 10, providing closing remarks for U.S. Special Operations Command's annual conference.
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06/11/2005
Teen Queen Makes 'Dream Come True'
WASHINGTON - One child stood out above the rest of the nearly 100 children from military families and their parents packed into the room here on Capitol Hill June 10.
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06/11/2005
Commandos Continue to Press Terrorists
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - More than 600 suspected terrorists have been detained in Baghdad area operations led by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, since May 20, said the team's deputy commander Lt. Col. Michael J. Infanti on June 10 here.
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06/11/2005
Coalition Transfers Base to Iraqi Army
FORWARD OPERATING BASE CONSTITUTION, BAGHDAD, Iraq - A ceremony was held in western Baghdad June 9 to officially transfer the authority of Raider Base from the coalition forces to the Iraqi Army.
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06/10/2005
Iraqi Forces Seize Terrorists, Cash, Weapons
WASHINGTON - Iraqi Army and Task Force Baghdad soldiers captured 33 terror suspects, seized 2 million Iraqi dinars and confiscated a variety of bomb-making materials in a series of operations conducted June 8 and 9, military officials in Baghdad reported.
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06/10/2005
Iraq Command Investigates Deaths
WASHINGTON - Multinational Corps Iraq has opened a criminal investigation into two Task Force Liberty soldiers' deaths June 7 at Forward Operating Base Danger, near Tikrit, Iraq, officials in Iraq reported today.
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06/10/2005
New Incentives, Marketing Aim to Attract Military Recruits
WASHINGTON - The Army hopes to introduce new incentives to attract recruits while working to educate parents, teachers and other adults who influence young people's decision to enlist about the long-term benefits of military service.
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06/10/2005
DoD Won't Resort to Draft or Sacrifice Quality to Boost Numbers
WASHINGTON - Despite recruiting shortfalls for the active Army and all reserve components except the Air Force Reserve in May, defense officials say they will strive to fill the ranks with the highest-quality recruits possible and have no intention of supporting a draft.
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06/10/2005
NATO Expanding Missions in Afghanistan
BRUSSELS, Belgium - NATO is committed to expanding its International Security Assistance Force into western and southern Afghanistan, and will reinforce Afghan security forces during upcoming elections.
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06/09/2005
Homeland Security Defenses Must Be Active, Layered
WASHINGTON - Homeland security requires defense in depth and at a distance, the Defense Department's top official for homeland defense said during a speech today at the Heritage Foundation here.
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06/09/2005
Programs Aim to Reduce Military Divorce Rates
WASHINGTON - Recognizing the stresses military life and multiple deployments put on families, the services are stepping up their efforts to help their members strengthen their family relationships and avoid the divorce courts.
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06/09/2005
Booz Allen Classic Hosts Wounded Servicemembers at Pro-Am Round
BETHESDA, Md. - Servicemembers being treated at Washington's Walter Reed Army Medical Center were guests for the pro-am round of the Booz Allen Classic golf tournament at the Congressional Country Club here June 8, a day after PGA Tour officials and pro golfers visited patients at Walter Reed.
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06/09/2005
Seabasing to Transform Marine Deployments, Commandant Says
WASHINGTON - The "seabasing" capability being developed for the Marine Corps will enable the service to deploy 15,000 troops anywhere in the world in as little as 10 to 12 days, according to the commandant of the Marine Corps.
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06/09/2005
NATO Countries Working Together in More Ways Than Ever
BRUSSELS, Belgium - NATO counties are working together in ways they never have before, and the alliance is expanding its membership and global responsibilities, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said at NATO headquarters here today.
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06/09/2005
Talisman Saber Exercises 'Framework for Action' Concepts
ABOARD USS BLUE RIDGE - Exercise Talisman Saber, the first of a biennial series of exercises aimed at further developing and enhancing the defense relationships between the United States and Australia, began in various locations in eastern Australia on June 8.
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06/08/2005
Mrs. Myers Receives First 'American Spirit Award'
WASHINGTON - The wife of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today received the National Defense University Foundation's inaugural American Spirit Award at Fort Lesley J. McNair here during NDU's 2005 American Patriot Award Gala Kickoff.
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06/08/2005
DoD Working to Increase Tricare Access for Reserve Components
WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has made "tremendous efforts and strides" to meet the needs of Reserve and Guard servicemembers who now qualify for health-care coverage under the Tricare program, the program manager said today during an interview on Fox News.
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06/08/2005
Myers Says Cooperation Key Against Extremists
FORT LESLEY J. MCNAIR, District Of Columbia - The nation's top military officer stressed the role international relationships play in the struggle against violent extremists in remarks here today.
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06/08/2005
Rumsfeld Signs Pre-positioning Agreement With Norway
STAVANGER, Norway - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and his Norwegian counterpart today signed an agreement here to allow U.S. Marines to pre-position military equipment in Norway for use should they ever have to come to this country's aid.
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06/08/2005
AT&T Joins DoD's 'America Supports You' Team
WASHINGTON - AT&T has joined the Defense Department's "America Supports You" team, continuing its more than 85 years of support for the U.S. military through a range of activities and contributions designed to benefit America's servicemen and women, officials announced today.
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06/08/2005
Bush, Blair Affirm Commitments in Middle East, Africa
WASHINGTON - The United States and Great Britain share a common commitment to spreading peace and freedom in the world and are working together to promote that vision - in Iraq, Afghanistan, the greater Middle East and Africa, the leaders of the two countries affirmed during a news conference here June 7.
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06/07/2005
England Says DoD Actions Must Be 'Above Reproach'
WASHINGTON - Emphasizing that the Defense Department has "very high ethical standards," acting Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he expects everyone in DoD to act legally and ethically with every action they deal with.
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06/07/2005
Health-Behavior Survey Tracks Military Trends
WASHINGTON - Midway through the survey period, the Defense Department is reporting steady returns on its latest health-related behaviors survey, and officials are urging others selected to participate to weigh in with their responses.
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06/07/2005
Terrorists Attack Convoy; Two Marines Die in Iraq
WASHINGTON - Terrorists attacked a convoy of contractors about 11:30 a.m. today while the contractors were delivering supplies for coalition forces west of Baghdad, Iraq, according to U.S. officials.
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06/07/2005
BRAC Positive for Affected Communities, Senior Official Says
WASHINGTON - Many civilian communities emerge from military base closures or realignments often in better economic health than before, a senior DoD official noted at a defense community redevelopment association meeting here June 6.
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06/06/2005
Citizen Tips Target Insurgent Activity in Iraq
WASHINGTON - Tips from local residents helped Iraqi security forces rescue a kidnapping victim, seize weapons and uncover a weapons cache June 5, Multinational Force Iraq officials in Baghdad reported today.
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06/06/2005
Rumsfeld Visits Cultural Sites, Government Leaders in Bangkok
BANGKOK, Thailand - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld took a brief break from his whirlwind overseas trip today to do some sightseeing here -- but many of the tourists seemed more excited to see him than their actual destination.
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06/06/2005
Media Need to Focus on Extremist Acts, Myers Says
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - The media ought to focus on the very real, vicious acts of violent extremists, and not on vague allegations of Koran abuse, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said to reporters here today.
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06/06/2005
Myers Discusses Guantanamo Detention Facility
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - While debate about the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is good, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today, a separate debate is needed on an underlying problem: How does a civilized nation deal with non-state violent extremists?
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06/06/2005
Pace: Today's Marines Build on Proud Legacy
WASHINGTON - Marines serving today in Iraq are living up to the legacy Marines of previous conflicts have passed on to them, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told a gathering of Korean War era veterans June 4.
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06/05/2005
Task Force Liberty Soldier Killed by IED in Iraq
WASHINGTON - A Task Force Liberty soldier was killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near a vehicle patrol in Iraq's Kirkuk province at about 4 p.m. today, military officials in Baghdad reported.
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06/05/2005
Piracy in Straits Highlights Need for Maritime Security
SINGAPORE - The Straits of Malacca is a maritime choke point for ships going from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. Asian defense experts examined the problem here today at the Asia Security Conference, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
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06/05/2005
Roadside Bomb Kills Two Troops in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - Two U.S. servicemembers were killed and another was wounded after an improvised explosive device detonated near their convoy near Orgun-E June 3, according to Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials.
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06/05/2005
Monsoon Rain Greets Rumsfeld in Thailand
BANGKOK, Thailand - In a driving monsoon rain, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived here today after spending the weekend at a regional-security conference in Singapore.
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06/05/2005
Rumsfeld: U.S. Welcomes Chinese Influence in North Korea
SINGAPORE - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld this weekend urged China to become more involved in persuading North Korea to return to six-nation talks -- among the United States, China, Russia, Japan and both Koreas -- and to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
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06/04/2005
Iraq Ops Yield Suspects, Weapons, Missing Artifacts
WASHINGTON - Operations in Iraq during the past three days yielded a terrorist hideaway, terror suspects, weapons and ammunition stockpiles, and a treasure chest of Iraqi artifacts looted from the Baghdad Museum more than two years ago.
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06/04/2005
Koran Inquiry Reveals Pattern of 'Respectful Handling'
WASHINGTON - An inquiry into allegations of mishandling of the Koran by U.S. personnel at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, reveals "a consistent, documented policy of respectful handling" dating back almost two and a half years, the general who led the effort said June 3.
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06/03/2005
Former Mayor and Defense Official Offer BRAC Advice
WASHINGTON - Two officials who have experience with base realignment and closure - one the former mayor of an affected city and the other who directs the Defense Department office charged with helping affected cities meet economic challenges, have written some insights they hope will be of value to communities that may lose facilities in this year's BRAC round.
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06/03/2005
Nine Servicemembers Earn Asian-Pacific American Council Award
WASHINGTON - Nine servicemembers representing the four active duty services, reserve components and the Coast Guard were presented the Federal Asian-Pacific American Council's Military Meritorious Service Award during the Defense Department's Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month luncheon and military awards ceremony here June 2.
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06/03/2005
DoD's Personnel Chief Gives Asian-Pacific American History Lesson
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Defense Department's top personnel official gave a history lesson about Asian-Pacific Americans' contributions to the defense of the nation to about 800 attendees at the DoD Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month luncheon and military awards ceremony here June 2.
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06/03/2005
Rumsfeld Arrives in Singapore for Security Talks
SINGAPORE - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in this island nation today to meet with local leaders and deliver a speech on security issues facing the Asia-Pacific Region.
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06/02/2005
DoD Changes Report Date for Recruiting Data
WASHINGTON - Armed services recruiting information, including that of the reserve components, will now be made available to the public on the 10th day of each month, a Pentagon spokeswoman noted today.
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06/02/2005
Soldiers Killed in Combat Operations Near Ramadi
WASHINGTON - Two soldiers assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), were killed in action June 1 while conducting combat operations near Ramadi, Iraq, military officials reported today.
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06/01/2005
Challenge, Change Face USAFA Graduates, Says Vice President
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. - Vice President Richard B. Cheney told more than 900 graduating cadets here today that they are taking their places as commissioned officers of the most powerful air and space force in the history of mankind.
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06/01/2005
Myers Says 85 Percent of Iraqis Likely to Vote in October
WASHINGTON - Some 85 percent of Iraqis said they will vote in October elections to ratify a new constitution in October, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at a Pentagon news conference today, citing recent polling data.
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06/01/2005
NATO Expands Into Western Afghanistan
WASHINGTON - NATO took command of two more provincial reconstruction teams and a forward support base in Afghanistan May 31, expanding the alliance's security and reconstruction mission in the western part of the country.
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