Dec 30, 2011

The Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Fort Leonard Wood hosted the 2nd Annual Wreaths Across America ceremony Dec. 10 as part of a national event originating at Arlington National Cemetery in 1992.

Dec 30, 2011

FOB Pasab, Afghanistan- Soldiers assigned to the 389th Finance Detachment, US Army Reserve Puerto Rico, who recently arrived to Afghanistan, took a moment to celebrate the holiday season.

Dec 30, 2011

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District reminds the public to always wear a life jacket when recreating in, on, or near the water, especially during the winter months when cooler water temperatures increase the risk of hypothermia.

Jan 9, 2012

2nd graders at Lausanne Collegiate School proudly show letters and snacks they have prepared for the Soldiers of the 689th Engineer Company currently deployed to Afghanistan.

Jan 3, 2012

Throughout 2011 more than 100 communities across New York State welcomed Soldiers and Airmen of the New York National Guard, not to hear about their overseas wartime experiences, but to share life skills with students and keep them drug-free.

Jan 3, 2012

The U.S. experienced an unusual number of natural disasters in 2011, including Hurricane Irene, flooding across the northern Plains states and Midwest, southwestern wildfires and tornadoes that leveled communities.

Jan 3, 2012

The 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, is the first unit in the Army to have their entire fleet of Apache helicopters replaced with the comprehensively upgraded Apache (AH-64D) Block III beginning in February.

Jan 3, 2012

Coalition Special Operations Forces partnered local leaders and Afghan National Army forces to coordinate installing solar panel lights in the Kotgay village bazaar to extend the hours the market could stay open safely.

Jan 3, 2012

In a country where the literacy rate is below 30 percent, a coalition Special Operations Forces team assists Afghan citizens by facilitating a regular radio literacy program in Jaji district, Afghanistan.

Dec 30, 2011

Since the start of current combat operations in 2001, deployments have become all too common for many military families. While it may be easy at times to explain to adults that duty calls them away for an extended period, it can be very complicated to convey that message to children.

Dec 30, 2011

Team Bliss welcomed members of the NFLs Arizona Cardinals cheerleading team to Freedom Crossing, Dec. 15.

Dec 30, 2011

"No one is more professional than I," is how the creed of the noncommissioned officer begins. Those who hold the distinction of being an NCO are tasked with the health, welfare, training and morale of Soldiers under their care.

Jan 3, 2012

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait -- It is common for Soldiers to meet up after years of being assigned to the same unit, but it is unique for two brothers to have the same timeline documented on their enlisted record brief.

Jan 3, 2012

The Republic of Korea-United States Joint Investigation Team announced that it discovered no evidence of Agent Orange during its probe into claims that the toxic defoliant was buried on Camp Carroll, South Korea.

Dec 30, 2011

Soldiers of the U.S. Army Armor School arrived at their new home, Ft. Benning, Ga., to state-of-the-art barracks, dining facilities, headquarters, instructional and maintenance facilities customized especially for them. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, completed a $1.5 billion construction program, mostly in the Harmony Church training area, in preparation for the Soldiers' arrival.

Dec 29, 2011

The 401st Military Intelligence Company recently conducted water survival training to ensure the confidence of its Soldiers when they encounter a "wet environment."

Jan 3, 2012

Representatives from across the defense community had the opportunity to view, firsthand, the Ford Ranger J97 LTV Police variant currently in use by the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF). This variant, which is also the most commonly used vehicle within the ANSF, provides the ANSF with key maneuver capabilities and is critical to expediting the strategic drawdown of U.S. Combat Forces from Afghanistan by 2014.

Jan 3, 2012

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- Senior decision makers with the Mission and Installation Contracting Command here will soon have a new planning tool that allows them to better gauge their effectiveness in executing the acquisitions mission.

Dec 29, 2011

More than 100 communities across New York State welcomed Soldiers and Airmen of the New York National Guard in 2011, not to hear about their overseas wartime experiences, but to share life skills with students and keep them drug-free. Part of the nation's War on Drugs is fought in classrooms by Soldiers and Airmen of the New York National Guard's Counterdrug Task Force. The Guardsmen and women support drug prevention coalitions, other state organizations and local agencies to reduce the abuse and illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

Dec 29, 2011

Veterans of the Persian Gulf War with undiagnosed illnesses have an additional five years to qualify for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Dec 30, 2011

New Year's Eve is a night to have fun and celebrate the coming year. However, safety is a must when participating in the festivities.

Dec 29, 2011

Since fiscal year 2008, every new construction project in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Savannah District is designed to meet standards of the Leadership in Energy in Environmental Design rating system.

Dec 29, 2011

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command welcomes its top civilian leader with the coming of the New Year.

Dec 29, 2011

The 280 members of the New York National Guard's Joint Task Force Empire Shield will be on duty New Year's Eve assisting police in security missions in New York, N.Y.

Dec 29, 2011

Dec 29, 2011

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Brig. Gen. Jonathan A. Maddux, Picatinny Senior Commander and PEO Ammunition, fires the inaugural shot at Picatinny Arsenal's new small arms range on Dec. 16. Maddux is firing the Lightweight Small Arms Technology Light Machine Gun (LMG), which is currently in the technology base by the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at Picatinny. With a basic load of 1,000 rounds, the LMG and its cased telescoped ammunition is 20.4 pounds lighter than a traditional M249 Squad Automatic Weapon with the same amount of standard, brass-cased ammo.

Dec 29, 2011

Engineers from the USACE Afghanistan Engineer District-South went on a foot patrol with Marines in Helmand province, Afghanistan, to inspect ongoing construction projects.

Dec 29, 2011

Coalition Special Operations Forces in southern Afghanistan worked with international charities to help 13-year-old Rafeeullah have his cleft palate repaired.

Dec 30, 2011

BALKH PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Medics from the Afghan National Army's 5th Commando Kandak trained on the proper loading and unloading of casualties onto medical evacuation aircraft in Mazar-E Sharif, Dec. 27.

Dec 29, 2011

The United States Army Garrison Grafenwoehr, Germany, teamed-up with the Joint Multinational Training Command's Simulation Center to host the garrison's annual force protection exercise.

Dec 29, 2011

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District will begin its annual Adopt-A-Tree program next month at the J. Strom Thurmond Dam and Lake Project on the Georgia-South Carolina border.

Dec 29, 2011

Hundreds of family members and friends of Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division braved near-freezing temperatures and a steady downpour to welcome 176 troops home to Fort Hood, Texas, from Iraq, Dec. 24, 2011.

Dec 28, 2011

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - The president of Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association's Aberdeen chapter presented a $3,339 check to APG's Army Community Service during their "Thanks for Giving" fall social Nov. 16 at the APG North recreation center.

Dec 28, 2011

The winning units for the 2012 Philip A. Connelly Award for Excellence in Army food service have been selected for the active Army, National Guard and Reserve components. The U.S. Army Quartermaster School, which is part of the Combined Arms Support Command, headquartered at Fort Lee, Va., manages the program through the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence. The International Food Service Executives Association and Department of the Army G-4 are co-sponsors of this awards program.

Dec 28, 2011

Radio News from around the Army

Dec 29, 2011

After ten years of conflict, some Army units may take for granted that their Soldiers are well-versed with the weapons on which they are expected to qualify.

Dec 28, 2011

Defense Commissary Agency officials have announced the end of magazine sales in their overseas stores beginning January 2012. This affects all commissaries in Europe, the Pacific (Japan, Okinawa, South Korea and Guam) and Puerto Rico.

Dec 29, 2011

Soldiers with Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), photographed and documented the location of every tombstone, grave marker and cremation site in Arlington National Cemetery, Va., Dec. 23, 2011.

Dec 28, 2011

Command Sgt. Maj. Abe Vega officially retired Dec . 22 after 30 years of service in the U.S. Army. A ceremony marking the event was held at the Fort Sam Houston Theater.

Dec 28, 2011

A 12-minute compilation video of all 70 U.S. Army Contracting Command holiday greetings from employees around the world.

Dec 29, 2011

Nine new JTAGS NCOs inducted during first NCO ceremony for Det. D, 1st Space Co.

Dec 28, 2011

Three Soldiers from the 52nd Ordnance Group, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), provided a program of instruction on explosive ordnance disposal to 13 soldiers in the Republic of Chad, Nov. 7-25, 2011.

Dec 28, 2011

Afghan National Army troops now have the skills and equipment to document their successes in securing eastern Afghanistan.

Dec 28, 2011

New students entering the Afghan National Police Noncommissioned Officer Course at Bamyan Regional Training Center, Afghanistan, experienced the biometrics record system firsthand, Dec. 12-13, 2011.

Dec 28, 2011

Coalition forces are training Afghan National Security Forces engineers basic carpentry, plumbing and electrical skills so they can maintain their facilities.

Dec 28, 2011

Lt. Michael McKee graduated from the airborne school at Fort Campbell, Ky., in December of 1961, before the school moved to Fort Benning, Ga.

Dec 28, 2011

It is a philosophy that has found its way into Vineyard's recovery after having surgery on his knee and being treated for a traumatic brain injury after the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle he was the gunner for was hit with an improvised explosive device. It is something that also helps his fellow Soldiers assigned to Fort Campbell's Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion.

Dec 28, 2011

Provincial Reconstruction Team Kapisa, who is currently training at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind., for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, was the first PRT to train on a new virtual reality combat simulator Dec. 16, 2011.

Dec 28, 2011

The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, awarded a $16.8 million task order to Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. of Arlington, Va., Dec. 22, to install a solar photovoltaic (PV) system and energy conservation measures at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., that will help the installation cut energy use by 10,000,000 kilowatt hours and save $805,000 annually.

Dec 28, 2011

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- The director of the Mission Contracting Office-Fort Knox, Ky., retires today after almost 38 years of service to the government.

Dec 29, 2011

Defense Department officials today released the "Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies," covering the academic year from June 1, 2010, to May 31, 2011.

Jan 3, 2012

CAMP VIRGINIA, Kuwait -- First Lt. Jill O'Dell, officer in charge of the theater gateway here, received mobilization orders the day after her first battle assembly as an officer with the 300th Sustainment Brigade, a U.S. Army Reserve unit from Grand Prairie, Texas.

Dec 28, 2011

The SMDC G6 office adopts a family for Christmas

Dec 29, 2011

Soldiers earned the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge in qualifications held Dec. 12-13, 2011, at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Dec 28, 2011

Soldier Spotlight: Getting to know Sgt. 1st Class Richard A. Shutt

Jan 3, 2012

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait -- Over the past five months, Soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division took on the responsibility of securing Iraq's roadways running south to Kuwait, aiding in the successful withdrawal of over 30,000 troops and millions of dollars worth of equipment. With one historic moment complete, their mission continues.

Dec 28, 2011

In these images released by Texas Military Forces Col. Leroy Ontiberos received several military honors during a small ceremony in Austin, Texas, Tuesday, December 27, 2011. Army Maj. Gens. Gary Bunch and Jaye Wells pinned the Meritorious Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Purple Heart on Ontiberos as several members of his family and friends observed the military ritual. Prior to the ceremony, Allen Bergeron, a representative from the Employer Support of the Guard/Reserve committee, presented a plaque to his longtime civilian employer for his continued support. (Photo/100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Melissa Bright)

Dec 28, 2011

When first comparing Capt. Angela Chipman to Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus, there aren't many similarities. She doesn't have a big white beard, a red suit and doesn't rely on reindeer to get from one place to the other.

Dec 28, 2011

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta added a pointed anti-bullying directive to a message sent Dec. 23, 2011, to service members around the world.

Dec 27, 2011

Army Reserve Sgt. Melissa Neal, a former active-duty Soldier and current military wife and mother, added "Operation Rising Star" winner to her repertoire, Dec. 17, at Fort Sam Houston Theatre.

Jan 9, 2012

Several local community leaders were recognized for their volunteerism and valuable contribution to the 36th Engineer Battalion Dec. 11, 2011, Schuylkill, Pa. Pictured with the group are Brig. Gen. Douglas R. Satterfield, deputy commander of the 412th Theater Engineer Command, and his wife Nancy (third from right).(Photo: 2nd Lt. Renee Zimmerman)

Dec 28, 2011

Army Reserve Sgt. Melissa Neal, a former active-duty Soldier and current military wife and mother, added Operation Rising Star winner to her repertoire Dec. 17, 2011, at Fort Sam Houston Theatre.

Dec 28, 2011

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno visited with Iraqi leaders and U.S. embassy staff in Baghdad, Dec. 22, 2011.

Dec 27, 2011

Hours before Christmas, friends and family members gathered at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., to welcome home more than 70 Soldiers assigned to the 92nd Military Police Battalion as they returned from an 11-month deployment to Afghanistan.

Dec 27, 2011

The Search and Recovery section of Company B, 204th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, mass produces Culvert Intrusion Denial Systems, a defense against improvised explosive devices, at Forward Operating Base Walton, Afghanistan.

Dec 28, 2011

The Soldiers of Task Force Resolute partnered with the United Service Organization to deliver holiday gift packages to Soldiers in the southern region of Afghanistan with Operation Christmas Convoy, Dec. 20-26, 2011.

Dec 27, 2011

Transporting a company's headquarters and operations from Europe to New York during the middle of the worst economic climate since the Great Depression may seem to some as either foolhardy or simply brilliant. But that is exactly what Vistec Lithography Inc. did when it moved its operations from Cambridge, England to the Watervliet Arsenal in 2008.

Dec 27, 2011

Many Camp Darby community members who were anxiously awaiting the arrival of gifts in the mail got some help from Santa's special staff at the community mail room.

Dec 28, 2011

Airmen from the U.S. Air Force 7th Weather Squadron hosted multinational weather training at the Grafenwoehr Training Area.

Jan 3, 2012

A small fingerprinting device allows recruiters to quickly gather background information on applicants while saving the Army money.

Dec 28, 2011

For Lisa McCombs, a former U.S. Army engineer officer with the 62nd Engineer Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas, it was truly a thrill to add a half triathlon to her list of accomplishments in 2011.

Dec 26, 2011

Maj. Gen. Larry D. Wyche, Army Materiel Command G-3, toured retrograde operations at Camp Virginia, Kuwait, Dec. 7, as the pace and volume of Soldiers and equipment flowing out of Iraq surged.

Dec 27, 2011

In the early morning hours of Dec. 18, 2011, while most service members stationed here were sleeping, a small group of Soldiers from the North Carolina Army National Guard's 1452nd Transportation Company, from Winston-Salem, were busy making history.

Dec 27, 2011

According to the U.S. Army, water pollution from raw sewage is the most significant environmental contamination problem in Afghanistan and is one of the most significant health threats to deployed personnel.

Dec 27, 2011

Four U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program wrestlers won national championships Dec. 16-17, 2011, at the 2011 U.S. Open in Arlington, Texas.

Dec 27, 2011

U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern in Germany now offers a comprehensive driver's education program for American teens.

Dec 27, 2011

A ceremony on Camp Dwyer in Helmand province, Afghanistan, marked the completion of a $14.9-million U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Afghanistan Engineer District-South project to provide parking and taxiways for coalition helicopters, Dec. 12, 2011.

Jan 3, 2012

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- For many Soldiers, deployment means entering a new environment and operating outside your comfort zone.

Dec 27, 2011

MAASTRICHT, Netherlands -- "I remember times bunkered down as rounds impacted near-by, but I don't think it was ever at the magnitude these men endured," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Rachel D. Weimar, a four-time war Iran/Iraq War Veteran from Cleveland, Minnesota, who lit candles today to honor Soldiers who celebrated Christmas Eve 1944 in the De Schark Caves here before facing the Battle of the Bulge.

Dec 27, 2011

As the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan looks to 2012 as a time to build on gains made and extend the security zone east of Kabul, the Soldiers of Regional Command East know they have a vital role to play in making that possible.

Dec 27, 2011

Emphasizing that bullying and hazing undermine everything the military stands for, the top U.S. military officer said every member of the armed forces has a personal responsibility to uphold its "zero tolerance" standard and intervene to stop any occurrences.

Dec 23, 2011

Kitchen fires may not always start for obvious reasons.

Dec 23, 2011

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash -- It seems like a foregone conclusion that there will be more e-readers and tablet computers needing gift wrap this holiday season than all previous ones combined. Before anybody in the Joint Base Lewis-McChord community starts making e-book purchases with their shiny, new devices, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation wants you to know ... your library remains open.

Oct 10, 2012

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Members of the Elkton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8175, local dignitaries and guests honored Soldiers, veterans and Family members during a military appreciation ceremony, Dec. 10. The event was also an observance of the 70th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks that took place Dec. 7, 1941. The aerial bombing killed more than 2,400 Americans, sunk 12 ships and destroyed 188 aircrafts. As a result of the attack, President Franklin Roosevelt said that Dec. 7, 1941, was "a date which will live in infamy."

Dec 23, 2011

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - The U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center is currently accepting applications for the 2012-13 SSCF program through March 15, 2012. The SSCF Program is a 10-month educational opportunity conducted under the auspices of the Defense Acquisition University at Huntsville, Ala., Warren, Mich., and Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

Dec 23, 2011

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - The folks at Aberdeen Proving Ground's Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation were in high spirits during their annual holiday celebrations and fun runs Dec. 6 and 7. More than 400 people from around APG attended the festivities at the APG North and South recreation centers. Prior to the celebrations, approximately 60 attendees took part in the traditional fun runs around APG that were more about holiday spirit than competition.

Dec 27, 2011

The 88th Regional Support Command conducted an Army Reserve Day in Washington State to demonstrate the needs and capabilities of the Army Reserve in conjunction with operational readiness.

Dec 23, 2011

A recent aggressive phishing attack is making the rounds in an email which appears be from USAA, a financial services company that serves military members, their families, and veterans. The email subject begins with "Deposit Posted."

Dec 23, 2011

Dec 23, 2011

Picatinny officials along with members of the Civil Air Patrol laid 149 wreaths Dec. 10 in honor of the fallen servicemembers from the Garden State. The trees are part of Picatinny's tree memorial honoring all New Jersey-connected service members who died during the nation's overseas contingency operations. The wreath laying ceremony is a national movement that happens each year at noon on a designated date in December.

Dec 27, 2011

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Emotions ran high at the unveiling of the Pooles Island Lighthouse painting in the newly renovated Susquehanna Room -- the former Regiment Room - at the Top of the Bay Dec. 9. A small group of observers, including Maj. Gen. Nick Justice, APG senior leader; Garrison Commander Col. Orlando Ortiz; artist Anna Sang Justice, the wife of the post commander; Wendy Roberts, CEO Future Skies; and representatives from the Fisher House Foundation, gathered to see the painting of the lighthouse on display in its new home. Roberts purchased the donated painting at the annual "Support Our Heroes" Ball held last summer at APG. The benefit ball raised more than $300,000 to support wounded warriors and their families at "comfort homes" around the nation.

Dec 23, 2011

LTG Mike Ferriter -- Installation Management Command's Commanding General -- and wife, Margie, extend their best wishes for a happy and safe holiday season.

Dec 23, 2011

During a Pentagon ceremony on Nov. 29, Joseph W. Westphal, Under Secretary of the Army, recognized Picatinny employees with an award for their efforts in streamlining Army business processes that helped save the Army money and accelerated the delivery of advanced technology to Soldiers.

Dec 23, 2011

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - With heads held high after meeting the ChalleNGe of their young lives, 116 cadets received certificates of completion during commencement ceremonies of the Maryland National Guard's Military Youth Corps Freestate ChalleNGe Academy at the Post Theater Dec. 10.

Dec 23, 2011

A recent aggressive phishing attack is making the rounds in an email to USAA members, which appears be from USAA, a financial services company that serves service members and veterans.

Dec 23, 2011

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey and wife Deanie offer holiday greetings to service members and their families.

Dec 23, 2011

Romanian Soldiers learned how to operate and maintain new versions of night-vision systems being issued in Afghanistan, with the help of the Logistics Support Element Kandahar.

Dec 23, 2011

For many spouses, family members and friends, their holiday wishes came true when their beloved Soldiers made it home from Iraq to Fort Bragg, N.C., Dec. 22, 2011, just in time for the holidays.

Dec 23, 2011

The North American Aerospace Defense Command tracks Santa at www.noradsanta.org throughout holiday season as he travels around the world.

Dec 27, 2011

The prosecution and defense rested Dec. 22, 2011, after delivering their closing statements in the Article 32 hearing of a Soldier charged with leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents.