US military

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US Will Beef Up Military to Counter China

China's military buildup requires a US response, says defense secretary

(Newser) - With China quickly growing as a regional power, the US military is stepping up investment in a range of military technologies, including a long-range nuclear-capable bomber aircraft, a new generation of electronic jammers, and a radar-evading fighter jet, reports the New York Times . China has concerned many with its own...

Navy Videos Show Depths of Homophobia in Military
Navy Videos Show Depths
of Homophobia in Military
MEGHAN MCCAIN
Jan 7, 2011 5:40 PM CST

Navy Videos Show Depths of Homophobia in Military

Meghan McCain: Gay service members can come out, but who'd want to?

(Newser) - Former Navy Capt. Owen Honors' homophobic videos raise a big question in the wake of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, writes Meghan McCain in the Daily Beast . Now that gay service members can serve openly, why on earth would they in that kind of environment? "What gay...

Pentagon Plans a Rarity: No More Budget Increases

Gates says they won't be necessary by 2015

(Newser) - For the first time in more than a decade defined by costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Pentagon announced plans today to freeze its budget, forcing the military to shrink the Army and Marines and increase health care premiums for troops and their families. The Pentagon says it can...

Suicides at Fort Hood Double Last Year

Army thinks 22 soldiers at the base took their own lives

(Newser) - More bleak numbers on military suicides: The Army reports that a record-high 22 soldiers either killed themselves are or suspected of doing so at Fort Hood last year. The number is twice the figure from 2009, and the rate is more than double that of the same age group among...

Pentagon to Slash $100B From Budget

Weapons systems in development to be axed

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates is set to unveil details of some $100 billion in Pentagon spending cuts, sources tell Reuters . The savings, which could be announced as early as Thursday, are expected to include cuts to some weapons programs, including the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, a 40-ton landing craft being developed...

Derelict Iraqi Water Park a Symbol of US Fund Abuses

Program gave US officers great flexibility, but also led to waste

(Newser) - A derelict water park in Baghdad is testament to the waste and mismanagement of a $5 billion rebuilding program run by the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past six years, reports the Washington Post . The Commander's Emergency Response Program all but did away with bureaucratic hassles, giving...

Iran: We Shot Down Spy Planes
Iran: We Shot Down
Spy Planes
Jan 3, 2011 1:22 AM CST

Iran: We Shot Down Spy Planes

US denies any knowledge of drone downing

(Newser) - Iran officials are boasting that their nation's military shot down two Western spy planes. But no one is claiming the drones. The planes, "capable of taking photographs," were blasted over the Persian Gulf, Iran's air force commander told a local wire service. But a US source says there...

'Rent-a-General' Business Is Booming for Contractors
'Rent-a-General' Business
Is Booming for Contractors
investigation
Dec 26, 2010 2:06 PM CST

'Rent-a-General' Business Is Booming for Contractors

When officers retire, the vast majority pick up lucrative consulting jobs

(Newser) - For America's military generals, retirement is when the real money starts pouring in. It's no secret that former officers often show up on the payrolls of defense contractors, but a Boston Globe investigation into what it terms the "rent-a-general" business puts some eyebrow-raising numbers to the trend: 80% of...

Last-Ditch Move to Block 'Don't Ask' Repeal Fails

GOP effort to complicate passage defeated

(Newser) - A final Republican attempt to block the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" has failed and President Obama will sign the repeal into law today. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell attempted to add an amendment to the defense bill that would have required all four military service chiefs to...

Senate Repeals 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Senate Repeals
'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
breaking news
Dec 18, 2010 2:39 PM CST

Senate Repeals 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Ban on gays in the military will end with President Obama's signature

(Newser) - Almost a formality after this morning's successful vote to kill a Republican filibuster, but historic nonetheless: The Senate repealed the military's ban on openly gay service members this afternoon by a vote of 65-31, reports AP . President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law next week, though it...

Discharged Birther Army Doc Gets 6 Months in Prison

Terry Lakin 'crushed'

(Newser) - An Army doctor who refused to deploy to Afghanistan until he saw President Obama's birth certificate has been kicked out of the service and jailed for 6 months. Lt. Col. Terry Lakin, an 18-year-veteran, was found guilty of disobeying orders and ignoring his deployment instructions after a 3-day court martial...

Sexual Assault Reports Soar at Military Academies

But that might just mean more people coming forward

(Newser) - Reports of sexual assault shot up 64% in the 2009-10 academic year at the US’ three military academies, the Defense Department announced yesterday, but that might not be a bad thing. A total of 41 assaults involving students were reported to authorities at West Point, the Naval Academy and the...

Hoyer: Senate Has Votes to Kill DADT

Majority leader says stand-alone repeal will pass

(Newser) - The House has fired the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell back into the Senate's court , and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says he's confident it has enough votes to pass this time. Hoyer tells the Huffington Post that he's been working closely with reform advocates Joe Lieberman and Maine...

Top DADT Foe Committed After Breakdown

Supporters say Senate failure pushed Dan Choi over the edge

(Newser) - One of the most outspoken opponents of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has been involuntarily committed to a Veterans Administration psychological ward after a breakdown. Iraq veteran Dan Choi—who was discharged after coming out on a talk show last year—had been suffering stress and exhaustion,...

Air Force Blocks News Sites That Posted WikiLeaks Cables

Personnel denied access to New York Times , other sites

(Newser) - The Air Force has blocked more than 25 websites from its computer system, effectively barring its personnel from using work computers to view the New York Times and other news sites that published documents released by WikiLeaks. Users who attempt to access these sites see a message reading "Access...

Birther Army Doc Who Refused to Deploy Pleads Guilty

Lt. Col Terry Lakin facing discharge, 18-month sentence

(Newser) - An Army doctor who refused to deploy to Afghanistan because he doesn't believe President Obama is the legal president of the United States pleaded guilty to one of two charges against him at a court-martial yesterday. Lt. Col. Terry Lakin—who became a hero of the "Birther" movement after...

WikiLeaks Cable Triggers Lawsuit Over Journo's Death

WikiLeaks: Spain colluded with US to quash charges against troops

(Newser) - The family of a Spanish cameraman killed by American forces in Baghdad have launched what could be the first legal action to use WikiLeaks diplomatic cables as evidence. Jose Couso died along with a Reuters cameraman in 2003 when a US tank shell hit their hotel, a Pentagon-approved safe haven...

US Troops Have Another Battle: Identity Theft

Pentagon too casual with Social Security numbers, says report

(Newser) - Military service members—particularly those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan—are vulnerable to identity theft because the Pentagon tosses around their Social Security numbers too casually, says a study written by a West Point professor and highlighted in the New York Times . Though the culture is changing, service members have...

US Gives Troops 'Smart' Grenade Launcher

Pentagon sees it as a 'game-changer' for Afghan battles

(Newser) - They say a counter-insurgency war is won with hearts and minds, not weapons—but the new XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System can't hurt. The US military's latest innovation is a grenade launcher that can fire explosive charges 2,300 feet—well beyond the accurate range of an AK-47 or...

Afghan Police Officer Kills 6 US Soldiers

Taliban agent opens fire during training exercise

(Newser) - Six US troops were killed today in a deadly betrayal by an Afghan ally, according to NATO officials. The six were participating in a training exercise with members of the Afghan border police when a border police officer opened fire. The shooter was killed in the subsequent gunfight, but his...

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