military

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Soldier Sues Over Fifth Deployment
Soldier Sues Over Fifth Deployment
Jul 9, 2007 8:22 AM CDT

Soldier Sues Over Fifth Deployment

Reservist takes Army to court over tour he says could cost him home, job

(Newser) - A 26-year-old sergeant is suing the army to prevent his fifth deployment to Iraq, claiming that the Army follows inconsistent policies in mobilizing reserves. The military wants reservist Erik Botta return to Iraq next week, the Miami Herald reports, but Botta is suing to stop the order he says will...

Young Officers Challenge Brass on Iraq

Critiques of failure reveal rift between generals, troops

(Newser) - A growing number of young military officers are offering critiques of what went wrong in Iraq, revealing a generational divide between officers on the ground and the generals who deploy them, the Wall Street Journal reports. In an scathing essay in Armed Forces Journal,  Lt. Col. Paul Yingling charged...

Number of Black Recruits Plummets
Number of
Black Recruits Plummets
Jun 25, 2007 1:15 PM CDT

Number of Black Recruits Plummets

Job market, family pressure contribute to 38% decline

(Newser) - The number of blacks signing up for the military has dropped 38% since the beginning of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, reports the AP. The number of new active-duty and reserve recruits fell from 51,500 in 2001 to less than 32,000 in 2006, reflecting both greater job opportunities...

Bombs Force Troops to Hoof It
Bombs Force Troops to Hoof It
Jun 22, 2007 1:06 PM CDT

Bombs Force Troops to Hoof It

Fearsome devices call vehicle defenses into question

(Newser) - Roadside bombs are now so powerful and plentiful in Baghdad that US soldiers are leaving their vehicles behind and patrolling on foot. Militant-planted explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, can blow through the strongest Humvees and tanks, and the decision to "dismount" from the vehicles is coming from both commanders...

14 Troops Killed in 2 Days
14 Troops Killed in 2 Days
Jun 21, 2007 12:49 PM CDT

14 Troops Killed in 2 Days

5 soldiers dead after roadside bomb explosion; death toll hits 3,545

(Newser) - Fourteen American troops have been killed in Iraq over the past 2 days, bringing the US death toll to 3,545, with 68 fatalities in June. In the deadliest recent attack, five troops died today after a roadside bomb detonated under their vehicle in northeastern Iraq. Commanders attribute the worsening...

Military Preps for Iraq Pullout
Military Preps for Iraq Pullout
Jun 10, 2007 12:17 PM CDT

Military Preps for Iraq Pullout

Envisions 40K force to stay for years; big withdrawal by early 2009

(Newser) - Top military officials are quietly setting their post-pullout strategy, reports Thomas Ricks in today's Post, and they're readying to keep in place a long-term, mid-size force. The new plan requires upwards of 40,000 American troops to stay in the country, with half dedicated to security, a quarter to training,...

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gets the Gate

Defense secretary cleans house, taps admiral for top job

(Newser) - In an effort to avoid confirmation hearings that would amount to a referendum on the war, the defense secretary will not recommend the Joint Chiefs chairman for a second 2-year term. Robert Gates said today he had conferred with senators from both parties and "concluded that the focus would...

Protesting Vet Faces General Discharge

Marine board acts after antiwar rally; corporal vows to appeal

(Newser) - In a decision that may hold implications for veterans' free-speech rights, a disciplinary panel has recommended that a decorated Marine who appeared at an antiwar protest in desert fatigues receive a general discharge. Adam Kokesh, who had been honorably discharged from active duty, says the military is using "tactics...

Attacks on US Troops Get Deadlier
Attacks on
US Troops
Get Deadlier
Jun 4, 2007 5:07 AM CDT

Attacks on US Troops Get Deadlier

Bigger IEDs and more complex ambushes lead to more US deaths in Iraq

(Newser) - Iraqi insurgents are using bigger bombs and more sophisticated tactics to kill US troops, reports the Washington Post. While Iraq civilian deaths have dropped 50 percent since the new counterinsurgency strategy was launched in Baghdad, American fatalities compared to the number of wounded have nearly doubled.

Army Fights to Keep Up Quality
Army Fights to Keep Up Quality
Jun 1, 2007 12:13 PM CDT

Army Fights to Keep Up Quality

Report shows dip in quality of new soldiers

(Newser) - The Army is attracting the lowest rate of high-quality recruits in a decade, the Boston Globe reports. Almost 40% of volunteers scored below-average on verbal and math scores in 2006, according to an analysis of Defense Department personnel statistics. Four years ago, that figure was 29%. The number of recruits...

Contractors in Iraq Trigger Two Shootings

Two incidents ignited by Blackwater raise questions about quasi-miliary role

(Newser) - Contractors from private security firm Blackwater USA set off two firefights in Baghdad in as many days last week. On Thursday, a Blackwater guard shot and killed an Iraqi driver who trailed a convoy suspiciously, and Wednesday a Blackwater convoy escorting State Department officials was ambushed—sparking a battle between...

US Rushes to Aid Lebanon
US Rushes to
Aid Lebanon
May 25, 2007 9:49 AM CDT

US Rushes to Aid Lebanon

Troops surround refugee camp, prepare siege or incursion to rout out militants

(Newser) - The US has rushed military aid to Beruit, as the Lebanese army continues to battle Islamist militants holed up in a Palestinian refugee camp. The first shipment arrived today. Condoleeza Rice expressed support for Lebanon's government, if not confidence: "I certainly hope that the Lebanese government will be able...

Clashes in Lebanon Kill 39
Clashes in Lebanon Kill 39
May 20, 2007 2:20 PM CDT

Clashes in Lebanon Kill 39

(Newser) - A gunbattle between the Lebanese army and al-Qaeda-linked militants in Tripoli  today left 22 soldiers and 17 insurgents dead, the AP reports. The fighting—the worst in the city in two decades— began when police raided an apartment occupied by militants. The army later shelled a Palestinian refugee camp which...

Defense Dept. Blocks Access to YouTube

Bandwidth, security issues lead to ban on MySpace, other networking sites

(Newser) - MySpace as a national security threat? Yes, says the Department of Defense, which is blocking service members' access to the site—as well as YouTube and 11 other popular destinations troops use to communicate with family and friends—on department computers as of today. The department calls the online traffic...

21 Afghan Civilians Killed in Air Strikes

(Newser) - U.S. airstrikes killed 21 Afghan civilians in eastern Afghanistan late last night, just hours after the U.S. offered an official apology to the families of 19 killed in a March attack. The civilian deaths—as many as 1,000 in 2006 alone—are stirring unrest against NATO forces,...

Troops Bomb Ethics Test
Troops Bomb Ethics Test
May 5, 2007 8:00 PM CDT

Troops Bomb Ethics Test

Pentagon: troops are out of line with "soldier's rules"

(Newser) - U.S. troops in Iraq flunked a survey on battlefield ethics, according to a Pentagon report published yesterday. Of the 1,767 soldiers interviewed, more than one-third endorse torture, two-thirds would not turn in a team member for abusing civilians, and 10% admit to harassing civilians and vandalizing property—all...

Combat Soldiers' Blogs Make Brass Queasy

(Newser) - Some of the most riveting reporting about the war in Iraq is coming from the soldiers fighting it. As blogs from deployed soldiers proliferate, higher-ups are biting their nails over the ensuing transparency. Bloggers like Capt. Danjel Bout say posting provides "online therapy" and helps keep friends and the...

Troops to Serve Longer in Iraq
Troops to Serve Longer in Iraq
Apr 12, 2007 6:46 AM CDT

Troops to Serve Longer in Iraq

Many will spend more time in combat zones than the boys of World War II

(Newser) - Army units in Iraq and Afghanistan will have their tours of duty extended to 15 months, from the standard one year, the military said yesterday. The policy—enacted to alleviate troop shortages—allows soldiers to remain at home for at least one year between assignments.  “Our forces are...

Military Skimps On Soldiers' Benefits

Disabilities shrugged off, wounded troops are sent back into action

(Newser) - Soldiers are being deprived of disability benefits, having their injuries downgraded and even being sent back into the field when they're not fit to fight, a U.S. News investigation shows.  An arbitrary and system for rating disabilities has been a problem for years, veteran advocates say, but it's...

Officer Walls Sects Apart in Baghdad

Peace barriers defy official policy and stir controversy—but they're working

(Newser) - Lt. Col. Jeff Peterson is trying to pacify Baghdad one wall at a time, erecting concrete barriers around Sunni and Shiites neighborhoods in the sector of the city he controls. Each mini-community has its own market, mosque, and generator. It's a controversial strategy most often used during civil wars, the...

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