military

Stories 201 - 220 | << Prev   Next >>

Robot Drones Have 'Changed War' in Iraq, Afghanistan

Unmanned vehicles help troops target trouble spots, keep casualties down

(Newser) - At the outset of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were little more than nifty, if sometimes helpful toys. They’ve since cemented a key role in US operations, Newsweek reports. Now hundreds of drones, some as small as model airplanes, keep an unblinking eye on militant...

May Iraq Death Toll Lowest in 4 Years

(Newser) - The death toll in Iraq plunged in May, with 21 US military dead the lowest monthly figure in more than 4 years. Iraqi civilians and troopers also saw a decline, with 532 deaths in May, compared with 1,080 the month before. But in the absence of lasting political agreements,...

Stress Disorder Surges Among US Troops

Number of diagnosed cases rises 46% to 14,000 last year

(Newser) - Post-traumatic stress disorder is surging among US troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. New cases rose by more than 46% to nearly 14,000 in 2007, reports Reuters. In the last five years, about 40,000 cases have been diagnosed, most of them in the Army.

'Miracle Marine' Dead After 3-Year Struggle

Struck by roadside bomb, he endured 100+ surgeries

(Newser) - A Marine who endured burns on 97% of his body with good humor and hope has died during routine surgery, USA Today reports. Hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq, Sgt. Merlin German walked, talked, and even danced during his 3-year recovery. Undergoing more than 100 surgeries, he became a...

Pentagon Emails Detail TV Propaganda Plans
Pentagon Emails Detail
TV Propaganda Plans
analysis
May 10, 2008 4:23 PM CDT

Pentagon Emails Detail TV Propaganda Plans

Defense officials sought military experts willing to "carry our water"

(Newser) - Need more proof that the Pentagon coached ostensibly impartial military analysts about what to say on TV? In Salon, Glenn Greenwald reveals emails from one top defense staffer who suggested developing a core group of insiders who are “most reliably friendly” and that “we can count on to...

Russia Parades Its Might, With Soviet Echoes

Red Square display, marking defeat of Nazis, puts revived military on display

(Newser) - Russia marked the 63rd anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany today with a parade of Soviet-era of tanks, missile launchers, and columns of foot soldiers, the New York Times reports. President-turned-prime-minister Vladimir Putin and his successor, Dmitry Medvedev, looked on, surrounded by the contrast of communist ritual with symbols...

Who Are You Calling 'Devil Dog'?
Who Are You Calling 'Devil Dog'?
Apr 28, 2008 8:41 PM CDT

Who Are You Calling 'Devil Dog'?

Marines now balk at WWI nickname once used with pride

(Newser) - Once used with pride, the Marines moniker "Devil Dog" now has a nasty bite to it, the Marine Corps Times reports. Young Marines recoil at the term that troops earned by fighting off Germans in a bloody World War I battle. They say it reminds them of angry COs:...

Military Families Sue VA Over Suicides

Agency doesn't do enough for veterans' mental health, suit says

(Newser) - Veterans Affairs hasn’t done enough to stem the “rising tide” of suicides and mental health problems, according to a class action lawsuit going to trial this week. Roughly 20% of deployed US troops are suffering from mental illness, a recent study shows, and an average of 18 kill...

Iraq's Secret $833M Arms Buy Raises Concern

Purchase from Serbia reveals Baghdad's military woes

(Newser) - A secret arms deal highlights Baghdad's trouble arming its troops and securing Iraq, the New York Times reports. Officials signed the $833 million deal with Serbia last month, without approval in Baghdad—and procured faulty or useless planes, tanks, and other arms. Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qadir defended the move,...

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Fly?
Don't Ask,
Don't Tell,
Don't Fly?
Apr 1, 2008 1:54 PM CDT

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Fly?

Pentagon-Congress flap spotlights tension over gay rights

(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi acted to have a gay Congresswoman's domestic partner included on a military flight to Europe, and the question of government acknowledgment of same-sex partners continues to reverberate, the Politico reports. Tammy Baldwin’s partner took the March fact-finding trip, but Pelosi and Robert Gates are at odds over...

Next Prez's To-Do: Fix Military
 Next Prez's To-Do: Fix Military 
OPINION
Mar 31, 2008 3:39 PM CDT

Next Prez's To-Do: Fix Military

Budget woes aren't the only defense issue facing White House's next denizen

(Newser) - Has President Bush done irreparable damage to our armed forces? Not necessarily, Phillip Carter and Fred Kaplan write in Slate, offering a to-do list for the next president to tackle as he or she begins the process of fixing a military "in strange shambles."
  1. Overhaul the budget: "
...

The Secret Life of Surrogate Moms
The Secret Life of Surrogate Moms
Mar 30, 2008 8:13 PM CDT

The Secret Life of Surrogate Moms

Women like the $25K paycheck but discover a labor of love

(Newser) - More women are carrying babies for dollars, despite opposition from Christians, feminists, and medical ethicists—not to mention some states and most EU nations. So why do they do it? A $20,000 to $25,000 paycheck doesn't hurt, Newsweek reports, but many also do it for love. "I...

Pundits Spar Over McCain as Dubya Redux
Pundits Spar Over McCain as Dubya Redux
OPINION
Mar 28, 2008 2:19 PM CDT

Pundits Spar Over McCain as Dubya Redux

Righty says speech shows foreign policy shift; lefty has deja vu

(Newser) - John McCain’s foreign-policy address Wednesday split watchers, with David Brooks, in the New York Times, declaring the Republican candidate a breath of fresh air and Glenn Greenwald, in Salon, seeing four more years of George W. Bush. Brooks says the “personal, nuanced and ambitious speech” shows McCain to...

Okinawa Protesters Rip US Military Crimes

Rape case sparks calls for slashing bases

(Newser) - Thousands poured into the streets of Okinawa today to protest crimes by US servicemen and to demand a smaller American military presence on the Japanese island, Reuters reports. "Crimes and accidents have happened over and over," said the mayor of Okinawa City. "But each time, our voices...

Nonprofit Builds Free Houses for Wounded Vets

Mass. group provides 'great ending to bad beginning'

(Newser) - A nonprofit group is putting up customized homes for badly injured vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Massachusetts-based Homes for Our Troops is building in 20 states, fueled by donated supplies, land, and labor. “When a vet is in need, people come out of...

Photo of NYC Bomb Suspect Released
Photo of NYC Bomb
Suspect Released
Mar 9, 2008 7:44 AM CDT

Photo of NYC Bomb Suspect Released

$12,000 reward offered in attack on Times Square recruitment center

(Newser) - Police have released photos of a hooded cyclist suspected in the bombing of a military recruitment center in New York City's Times Square, CNN reports. The frame from a grainy surveillance video shows a person in a hoodie riding up Fifth Avenue, near the spot where the bicycle is believed...

Cops Say Letters a Coincidence
Cops Say Letters a Coincidence
Mar 7, 2008 12:52 PM CST

Cops Say Letters a Coincidence

Envelopes sent to lawmakers not related to Times Square bombing

(Newser) - A hundred members of Congress got envelopes yesterday stuffed with a political rant, a photo of a man in front of the Times Square military recruiting station, and the bold taunt, “We did it.” But, bizarrely, they weren't  connected to the blast that damaged the landmark yesterday morning,...

Venezuela Adds Firepower on Colombian Border

Tanks, aircraft deployed as standoff escalates

(Newser) - Venezuela deployed tanks to the Colombian border, Reuters reports, as Latin American tensions remained high enough that Hugo Chavez warned of an Andean war. Though Colombia refused to send reinforcements to its border, the mobilization of heavy artillery, including support from air and sea forces, is the first in the...

'Puppy Kill' Video Triggers Probe
'Puppy Kill' Video Triggers Probe
Mar 4, 2008 8:46 AM CST

'Puppy Kill' Video Triggers Probe

Military investigating video showing puppy hurled from cliff

(Newser) - Military officials are investigating a video posted on YouTube that appears to show a Marine hurling a puppy off a cliff, the Marine Corps Times reports. The video shows a Marine joking with buddies in a rocky landscape before throwing the animal. An official from the Hawaii base where the...

Iraq Will Make or Break My Campaign: McCain

Says he'll lose if surge fails—then back pedals

(Newser) - John McCain flatly told reporters yesterday that if US policy in Iraq doesn't work, "I'll lose."  But then he quickly asked to "retract" his "stark" pronouncement, adding that he hoped voters would also back him for his ability to run the economy as well as...

Stories 201 - 220 | << Prev   Next >>
Most Read on Newser