US Army

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Army Names First Female 4-Star General

Ann Dunwoody is a 33-year veteran of the military

(Newser) - A 33-year Army veteran today became the first woman in US history to be named a four-star general, CNN reports. Ann Dunwoody, 55, will oversee Army Materiel Command, which outfits and equips soldiers. "The Army nurtured me and mentored me, and today the Army offers me the chance to...

As Tomb Cracks, Army Mulls New Monument to Unknowns

Repeated patching leaves Arlington marker 'shabby,' but replacement may dim symbolism

(Newser) - The US Army’s proposal to build a replica of the cracked marble monument atop the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery is reigniting controversy, USA Today reports. “It is important to have the authentic tomb that was there when the first remains were interred,” said...

Afghan Officials Helped Taliban Attack US Army

Nine Americans died when hundreds descended on camp

(Newser) - An Afghan police chief and a local government official aided Taliban militants who killed nine American soldiers, an internal military review has found. The July attack came as American and Afghan forces were constructing a base in the country's remote east, when around 200 fighters descended on the soldiers. The...

Paws C&eacute;l&egrave;bre Land in US
 Paws Célèbre Land in US 
Oct 21, 2008 3:10 AM CDT

Paws Célèbre Land in US

Baghdad pup en route to savior soldier's home

(Newser) - The friendly black mutt credited with helping a soldier survive her tour of duty in Iraq stepped out of a crate, tail wagging, as he arrived in the US yesterday following an international battle over his refugee status. Ratchet was rescued from burning trash in Iraq by soldier Gwen Beberg....

Soldier Fights to Bring Home Iraq Pup

Sergeant starts petition after Army blocks rescued pup's route home

(Newser) - A sergeant who saved a puppy from a pile of burning trash in Baghdad is fighting to be allowed to bring her beloved pet home, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. An Army officer took 6-month-old Ratchet off a convoy to Baghdad airport where the pooch was to be sent to...

Joint Chiefs Head Calls for Wider PTSD Screening

Post Traumatic Stress a 'bigger problem than we realize,' says chief

(Newser) - Every member of the US military should undergo screening for post-traumatic stress disorder upon returning from combat in Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has recommended. As many as 1 of every 5 returning combat vets suffers from mental health problems, USA Today reports. "I think...

Booby-Trapped Homes Pose Threat to Troops in Iraq

Insurgents load potential shelters with explosives

(Newser) - For US troops in Iraq’s still-volatile Diyala province, abandoned houses can be a refuge—or a serious threat, the Wall Street Journal reports. Soldiers depend on abandoned houses to provide shelter as combat bases, but insurgents have taken to wiring the buildings with “house-borne improvised explosive devices,”...

Army Unit to Handle Threats on US Soil

Deployment sparks concern that military is taking police role

(Newser) - A new US Army combat unit will focus on domestic threats like terrorist attacks and natural disasters, raising questions about the role of the military on American soil, CNN reports. The mission is a new assignment for a combat team that was the first to enter Baghdad in 2003. Based...

Army Sets Out to Stop Recruiter Suicides

(Newser) - The US Army is setting up a board to prevent suicides of Houston, Texas-based recruiters after the fourth suicide in 3 years, CNN reports. The board will examine the pressure they face at work and the post-traumatic effects of combat. "The suicides in the Houston battalion are a very...

3 Soldiers Charged in Iraqis' Murder

Killings were retribution for American casualties

(Newser) - Three soldiers have been charged with murder for their alleged role in the killing of four Iraqis last year, the US Army said today. The Iraqi men were blindfolded, shot in the head, and dumped in a Baghdad canal around April 2007 in retribution for casualties suffered by the 1st...

US Army Orders Mind-Reading Helmets
 US Army Orders 
 Mind-Reading Helmets 
glossies
Sep 15, 2008 6:53 PM CDT

US Army Orders Mind-Reading Helmets

(Newser) - The US Army has dished out $4 million for helmets that can read soldiers' minds, Time reports. The goal is to have commanders in the field think up orders that brainwave sensors pick up and distribute to troops. "It'd be radio without a microphone," says a neuroscientist in...

Petraeus: US Could Be Out of Baghdad by July '09

General says capital's security could enable handover to Iraqi forces within year

(Newser) - US troops could pull out of Baghdad by next summer if violence continues declining, David Petraeus told the Financial Times today. “Conditions permitting, yeah,” the top American general said when asked about a withdrawal by July 2009, adding that daily attacks in the capital have fallen dramatically enough...

Army School Gets Dropouts Ready to Serve

Military needs more eligible recruits to fill its ranks

(Newser) - The US Army today opened its first prep school to prepare high school dropouts for military service, the AP reports. With wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and not enough eligible recruits, the Army wants unqualified prospects to earn their GEDs. "Only three out of every 10 people of military...

US Officers: We Executed Handcuffed Iraqi Captives

Prisoners were killed to avenge platoon's losses, investigators told

(Newser) - Three US officers shot four blindfolded and handcuffed Iraqi detainees early last year and dumped their bodies in a canal, according to statements made to military investigators and obtained by the New York Times. The men are likely to face murder charges. Four others from the same platoon have been...

Deal Would Set Oct. 2010 for US Pullout: Iraqi Official

Legal immunity for troops remains stumbling block in talks

(Newser) - Significant progress has been made on the security agreement being negotiated between Iraq and the US, the AP reports, with two Iraqi officials saying that the deal sets October 2010 as the deadline for a near-complete withdrawal. Legal immunity for troops remains an issue, and contributed to a “very...

Army May Pay $150K Bonus to Arabic Speakers

It considers hefty retention incentive to keep translators

(Newser) - The Army may pay $150,000 to US soldiers who speak Arabic if they agree to stay in the service, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The Army also is ramping up its program to recruit and train Arabic speakers, both in the US and abroad. If the retention bonus is...

Retirement Plan Hurting US Military: Study

'Inequitable, inefficient' system handcuffs brass, needs overhaul

(Newser) - The retirement plan for the US military is "inequitable, inflexible, [and] inefficient," says a study released today by the Pentagon. It recommends the current system be swapped for a combination of cash and deferred compensation that kicks in with as few as 10 years of service, the Military...

Uncle Sam Short on Sergeants
Uncle Sam Short on Sergeants
Jul 30, 2008 2:26 PM CDT

Uncle Sam Short on Sergeants

Automatic promotions are turning battlefield into a classroom, soldiers say

(Newser) - The US Army, plagued by a shortage of non-commissioned officers, has lowered the bar for promotion so much that it has produced sergeants who are not ready to lead, Salon reports in an investigation of a military stretched thin by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In some cases, soldiers...

US, Iraqi Forces Launch Major Offensive

Diyala target of big push

(Newser) - US and Iraqi forces have launched a major operation in Diyala province, which they consider the last major refuge for insurgents near Baghdad, the AP reports. Authorities have set up new checkpoints and banned all but official traffic as troops zero in on the capital city of Baquba, hoping to...

Army Orders Lions Rookie to Active Duty

West Point star can't report to Detroit training camp

(Newser) - West Point graduate Caleb Campbell—drafted in April by the Detroit Lions—has been ordered to put his pro football career on hold and report for military duty, the Detroit News reports. The Army abruptly changed its policy and told Campbell—a day before he was to report to training...

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