United States Department of Defense

Top U.S. Officials Honor Americans Who Died in Libya

As they touched down for the last time on U.S. soil, four Americans killed during attacks this week at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, were honored with eulogies by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Story

• State Department Identifies More Americans Who Died in Libya

DOD Sends Marine Team to U.S. Embassy in Yemen

A Marine security team has arrived in Yemen to bolster security at the U.S. Embassy there, following the earlier dispatch of Marines to Libya in the wake of anti-U.S. demonstrations across the Middle East. Story

President Proclaims National Hispanic Heritage Month

President Barack Obama said the nation’s Hispanic citizens “have led movements that pushed our country closer to realizing the democratic ideals of America's founding documents, and they have served courageously as members of our Armed Forces to defend those ideals at home and abroad,” in his proclamation issued today declaring September as National Hispanic Heritage Month. Story

Secretary to Visit Japan, China, New Zealand

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will leave this weekend for his third visit to Asia in 11 months where he will meet with defense counterparts from Japan, China and New Zealand to discuss bilateral defense issues. Story | Transcript

Dempsey Arrives in Romania for NATO Talks

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Sibiu, Romania, to participate in NATO Military Committee talks. Dempsey will meet with his fellow chiefs of defense to discuss Afghanistan and other NATO issues. Story | Photos | Special

Obama Honors National Guard, Reserve Employers

President Barack Obama said the employers of Guard members and reservists are taking care of those who serve in the nation’s military by “hiring and retaining members of the Guard and Reserve, and by creating a culture of military support in the workplace,” in his proclamation issued today declaring Sept. 16 through Sept. 22 as National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week. Story

Olympians, Paralympians Get White House Welcome

Navy Lt. Brad Snyder, a U.S. Paralympic team swimmer and triple medalist in the recently concluded games, was joined by fellow U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes as they received a warm welcome at the White House from President Barack Obama. Story

Budget Uncertainty Hinders DOD Accountability Effort

DOD Comptroller Robert F. Hale, testifying before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, said that while modernization of the department’s business system environment is progressing, budget uncertainty has led to “time-consuming and unproductive planning efforts.” Story

Defense Department Deploys Security Team to Libya

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has authorized deployment of a Marine Corps fleet antiterrorism security team to Libya to protect U.S. citizens there and to secure the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters. Story | Video | Transcript

DOD Artist Creates Hispanic Heritage Month Poster

Artist Peter Hemmer knew he wanted a one-of-a-kind design when he set out to produce a poster highlighting the Defense Department’s participation in this year's National Hispanic Heritage Month. Story

DOD Overseas Voting Assistance ‘Never Better,’ Official Says

With less than eight weeks remaining before election day, American service members and other citizens overseas have more tools than ever available to help them register and vote, the acting director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program told Congress. Story

Branch Helps DOD Shippers Get Best Rates

Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command’s special requirements branch is a one-stop shop for finding rate and transportation modes for Defense Department shippers. Story

Civil War Scholar: General McClellan Was Victim of History

In a presentation for the Defense Department’s historical speakers series, retired history professor Tom Clemens said Union Army Gen. George McClellan, considered by many historians to be an ineffectual commander, was in fact hamstrung by political and military jealousies that ultimately led to his removal from command. Story

Military Leads in Treating Traumatic Brain Injury, Expert Says

The proper management of traumatic brain injuries has become a military medical standard of care that’s returning 95 percent of service members with mild TBI back to the field within five days, said an Army neurologist who served on a Joint Chiefs of Staff panel to develop the protocol. Story | Special

Voting Program Launches Website for Smartphones

Service members, their families and U.S. citizens living overseas now have voting information at their fingertips with the Federal Voting Assistance program’s new mobile website that's accessible from any smartphone. Story

Active Services Meet Fiscal Year Recruiting Goals

All four active services and five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal 2012 through July, Pentagon officials reported. Story

DODEA Focuses on Staff Development for New School Year

Students heading back to Defense Department schools over the next few weeks are likely to see many improvements including modernized classrooms, the latest technology, new course offerings, healthier school lunches, and even some new academic requirements. Story

Labor Department Awards Grants for Veteran Job Training

The Labor Department awarded grants totaling $11.53 million through the Veterans’ Workforce Investment Program to provide an estimated 5,500 veterans with job training and skills development services. Story | Special

Post-9/11 GI Bill Celebrates Start of Fourth Year

August marks the third anniversary of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and since it was implemented, the Department of Veterans Affairs has provided educational benefits to 773,000 veterans and their family members. Story

Veterans Gather to Mark 70th Anniversary of Guadalcanal

Seventy years after the beginning of a brutal, six-month-long battle in the South Pacific, veterans of Guadalcanal gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to pay respects to their fellow service members who were lost in the battle or have passed away during the years since. Story | Special

Army Takes New Steps in PTSD Diagnosis, Treatment

The Army, along with the other military services and the Department of Veterans Affairs, is standardizing the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in an effort to provide service members with better care. Story

Airstrike Kills Insurgent Transporting Weapons

A precision airstrike in the Mota Khan district of Afghanistan’s Paktika province killed an armed insurgent attempting to transport weapons toward a populated area. A post-strike assessment determined no civilian property was damaged and no civilians were harmed. Story

Officials Confirm Recent Taliban Death, Arrests

Afghan and coalition security forces confirmed the death or arrest of three key Taliban operatives. Forces also detained several suspected insurgents and destroyed a cache of assault rifles, grenades, explosives and illegal narcotics. Story

Forces Confirm Deaths of 2 Taliban Leaders

Afghan and coalition forces confirmed the death of two senior Taliban leaders, including the suspected mastermind of an August 2008 ambush that left numerous French soldiers dead and 21 wounded. Story

Combined Force Kills Insurgents in Laghman Province

A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed several armed insurgents during an operation to arrest a Taliban attack commander in the Alisheng district of Afghanistan’s Laghman province. Story

Airstrike in Helmand Kills Taliban Attack Cell Leader

A precision airstrike killed a Taliban cell leader during a security operation in the Nad-e Ali district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province. The leader is believed to have commanded an attack cell and directed insurgent activity throughout western region of the province. Story

Taliban Leader Arrested in Kandahar

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban network leader in the Kandahar district of Kandahar province. The leader is believed to have directed distribution of weapons and explosives in the region. Story

Airstrike Kills Taliban Leader Involved in Attack

A Taliban leader behind an Aug. 7, 2012, attack on a coalition base in Afghanistan's Logar province was killed by Afghan and coalition security forces in the Pul-e Alam district, military officials reported. Story

Force Arrests Suspected Taliban Explosives Dealer

An Afghan special operations unit, supported by coalition troops, arrested a suspected Taliban explosives dealer during an operation in the Zharay district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province. Story

Security Force Detains Several Suspected Insurgents

An Afghan and coalition force detained several suspected insurgents during an operation to arrest a Haqqani bomb maker in the Pul-e ‘Alam district of Logar province. The sought-after leader facilitates the construction of improvised explosive devices and directs their use in the district. Story

Helicopter Crash Kills 2 ISAF Members in Afghanistan

Two International Security Assistance Force service members died following a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan. The cause of the crash is under investigation, officials said. Story

Combined Force Arrests Taliban Weapons Supplier

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban weapons supplier during an operation in the Andar district of Afghanistan's Ghazni province. The supplier provided Taliban leaders in the province with improvised explosive devices, other weapons and ammunition. Story