PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - As Hurricane Sandy crept up the Atlantic coastline blowing a mix of sand, rain and salt mist, 920th Rescue Wing airmen at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., moved the wing's six HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters inside an aircraft hangar to protect them from the storm.

WASHINGTON - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has initiated widespread preparations, including joining forces with the Defense Department and other federal agencies to brace for Hurricane Sandy.

WOODBRIDGE, Va. - Elizabeth Carpenter, widow of Army Cpt. Matthew Carpenter, has become the 20 millionth recipient of the Veterans Affairs Home Loan Guarantee Program, a no-money down benefit that veterans and their families have enjoyed since 1944.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is coordinating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Northern Command and the National Guard in an effort to keep a close eye on the progress of Hurricane Sandy, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Frank J. Grass, National Guard Bureau chief, said the National Guard Bureau is prepared to respond if needed to the expected arrival of Hurricane Sandy, a Category 1 hurricane with winds upwards of 75 miles per hour.

WASHINGTON - The melting of the arctic ice cap opens new opportunities -- as well as risks and challenges -- that will require increasing cooperation among regional nations, said Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the commander of U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.

RAPID CITY, S.D. - Soldiers with the South Dakota Army National Guard’s 129th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment trained on state-of-the-art satellite equipment at Camp Rapid in preparation for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The International Security Assistance Force condemns with grave conviction the suicide attack carried out at the Eid Gah Mosque in Maimana, Faryab province, in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is funding a new study to determine if something as simple as drinking smoothies with high concentrations of the fatty acids found in fish oils can help to reduce suicides among veterans.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has stepped up efforts to encourage private-sector technology innovation and its adaptation into the federal government, a senior Pentagon official said during a Security Innovation Network workshop.

WASHINGTON - The United States' defense alliances and security partnerships are essential to meeting the challenge of projecting power and maintaining presence in an era of decreasing resources, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told reporters during a press briefing.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told reporters during a Pentagon press conference that he feels "confident" that American forces were alert and responsive to what was "a very fluid situation" in the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

WASHINGTON - Congress “is on the clock” and has critical work to accomplish when lawmakers return to work after the Nov. 6 election, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said during a joint news conference with Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

WASHINGTON - Streamlined information sharing between the government and the private sector would benefit efforts to protect the nation from a cyberattack, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy said.

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Air Force Senior Airman Latisha Chong, diagnosed with breast cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma, has a team of Air Force colleagues supporting her recovery.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Navy divers and six bottlenose dolphins have wrapped up an exercise in Montenegro, during which they trained Montenegrin divers to clear underwater explosives.

WASHINGTON - Fifty years after the United States stood on the brink of nuclear war with the Soviet Union, a historian told a Pentagon audience how President John F. Kennedy dealt with a still-dangerous situation in the aftermath of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

WASHINGTON - One of the strengths of the intelligence community is that the people within it have a tremendous spectrum of backgrounds, the principal deputy director of national intelligence said.

WASHINGTON - The District of Columbia National Guard is well under way in planning for January’s presidential inauguration.

MONS, Belgium - The flagship for NATO’s Ocean Shield counterpiracy mission came under sustained fire from suspected pirates off Somalia’s coast.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's partnerships with industry, particularly in the mobile realm, are essential to its future success, the department’s deputy chief information officer for command, control, communications and computers and information infrastructure said.

FORT MEADE, Md. - Alleging threats and aggression from military prison guards, the suspect in the bombing of the USS Cole told a military tribunal judge such actions were why he did not attend court recently at the U.S. naval station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon leaders are committed to caring for service members and their families, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual convention.

WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers have succeeded brilliantly in facing new demands during the post-9/11 era, and have now reached another major transition point, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said.

WASHINGTON - Al-Qaida is establishing a presence in Mali, and the United States is working with regional and international partners to deal with the terrorist organization, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force are participating in Orient Shield 2012 in Japan, the first in a series of annual tactical field-training exercises since the Defense Department’s new strategic guidance refocused attention on the Asia-Pacific region.

WASHINGTON - North Korea remains a threat to regional and global peace, U.S. and South Korean defense leaders said, adding that they still are unsure what North Korea’s new leader, Kim Jong Un, will do.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and South Korean militaries will continue their close cooperation against wide-ranging global security challenges and strengthen their cooperation in space and cyberspace, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SABIT QADAM, Afghanistan - When an 8-year-old boy fled Tibet with his family for religious and cultural freedom, becoming a United States Marine was the last thing on his mind.

WASHINGTON - Future Army forces must be tailored to meet local requirements, must be rapidly deployable at lower echelons, and must be scalable from squad to corps level, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said.

KABUL, Afghanistan - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader, detained two additional suspected insurgents and seized several firearms and grenades in Logar province.

WASHINGTON - Lt. Gen. Mark P. Hertling told the Defense Writers Group that it took years for a democratic government to emerge in West Germany following World War II, and he expects many of the same difficulties happening with Iraq.

WASHINGTON - As operations draw down in Afghanistan, the senior Army commander in the Asia-Pacific said he looks forward to opportunities to begin rotational deployments that will enable soldiers to train with their counterparts throughout the region.

WASHINGTON - With budget cuts already in place and more cuts possible next year, the Army can expect fewer resources to accomplish a mission that likely will not shrink, Army Secretary John M. McHugh said during the opening session of the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference.

WASHINGTON - Breakthrough national security capabilities, a differentiated U.S. technology base and a continued robust Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency are elements of DARPA’s future success, said Arati Prabhakar, the agency’s director.

WASHINGTON - Marine Corps Col. John Shafer, commander of Regimental Combat Team 6, called insider attacks in Afghanistan a failure and a drastic, last-ditch effort by a desperate insurgency struggling to gain an advantage.

WASHINGTON - Nowhere in the world is the disparity between freedom and oppression more apparent than on the Korean peninsula, Army Gen. James D. Thurman, the commander of U.S. and United Nations forces in Korea, told the audience at an Association of the U.S. Army luncheon.

FORT MEADE, Md. - The judge in the case of the alleged mastermind of the October 2000 bombing of Navy warship USS Cole ordered the defendant to appear in court after he failed to appear for a motions hearing at the U.S. naval station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON - Europe remains important, even as the United States shifts its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region, Lt. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, the commander of U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army, said during a Defense Writers Group breakfast in Washington, D.C.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban fighter in Kunduz province. The arrested insurgent fighter is suspected of organizing and executing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout Kunduz province.

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Afghanistan-deployed Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Walter Jones, a 61-year-old Vietnam veteran and aviation maintenance officer, continues to serve because "it's all about flying and soldiers."

WASHINGTON - The Army will continue to customize its mission objectives based on budget and force structure changes, Todd Harvey, director of force development for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, said during the 2012 Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference.

WASHINGTON - Fort Benning, Ga., long known as the home of the U.S. Army’s infantry, also recently served as host for a precedent-setting Army-Joint Staff collaboration aimed at testing new technologies for infantry squad-level training.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military is a learning and growing entity, and young officers must be flexible enough to lead their organizations, Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, told ROTC cadets.

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of active-duty women and veterans turned out Oct. 20 at Arlington National Cemetery to celebrate the legacy of the more than 2.5 million women who have served in the nation's military.

WASHINGTON - Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter met with Afghanistan’s defense and interior ministers in Kabul to emphasize the U.S. commitment to the Afghan national security forces and the ongoing development of the Afghan forces' enabling capabilities.

WASHINGTON - U.S. military commission proceedings against a suspect in the October 2000 USS Cole bombing and other alleged terrorist attacks are scheduled to resume in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON - Officials from the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments took part in a panel discussion on efforts to prepare service members for the transition to civilian life.

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Army Spc. Patrick Serna said thoughts of his son, Mason, are always with him as he patrols the mountains of Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The biggest challenge in the relationship between the military and the media is working together in an uncertain environment in an age of instant communication, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno told journalists at the 10th annual Military Reporters and Editors Conference.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Nangarhar province. The arrested insurgent leader is believed to be directly responsible for the coordination of weapons and equipment used in attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.

FORT MEADE, Md. - All five suspects charged with planning and orchestrating the 9/11 terrorist attacks skipped court on the Muslim weekly holy day, as the first week of pretrial hearings to continue through spring concluded at Naval Air Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON - For their efforts in cybersecurity, and information technology, management and assurance, finalists emerged as overall winners of the 2012 Defense Department Chief Information Officer Awards.

BAGHDAD - Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter met with Iraq's prime minster and acting minister of defense to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to strengthening security and defense.

ABOARD USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER - Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter joined approximately 5,000 military members aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to express the Defense Department's gratitude for their service, sacrifice and resiliency.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department and each of the services are drawing attention to the plight of domestic violence because of people like Amanda Tenorio, a victim advocate for Army Community Services at Joint Base Henderson Hall, Va., and a domestic violence survivor.

WASHINGTON - The United States is open to considering a Thai request to allow a small contingent of Burmese military officers to attend the joint exercise Cobra Gold 2013 as observers, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

NORFOLK, Va. - After a decade of war, the U.S. is at a strategic turning point as it prepares for congressionally mandated budget cuts that come at a time when the nation still faces a dangerous and unpredictable world, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said at the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce in Norfolk, Va.

WASHINGTON - An alleged assault of a female Japanese citizen in Okinawa by two U.S. service members Oct. 16 has drawn an apology from the commander of U.S. forces in Japan and imposition of a curfew throughout the country.

GYEONGGIDO, South Korea - Army Spc. Shernette Hyatt began running when she was 5 years old while she was living with her grandparents in Jamaica. Today, she's an accomplished soldier-athlete and world-class sprinter who has set her sights on Olympic competition.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Kunduz province. The arrested leader is suspected of being involved in planning and executing improvised explosive device attacks as well as weapons and explosives facilitation, military officials said.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is preparing to kick off its annual volunteer mentoring program to help hire individuals with disabilities as part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, said Stephen M. King, DOD’s director of disability programs.

FORT MEADE, Md. - Pretrial hearings for two major court cases – one involving the alleged perpetrators behind the 9/11 terror attacks and the other the soldier charged with the largest intelligence leak in U.S. history – are converging as attorneys operating in two very different legal systems focus on the issue of classified information in the courtroom.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department will work with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to ensure the financial health of service members and their families, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said during a joint press briefing with Holly Petraeus, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Servicemember Affairs assistant director.

WASHINGTON - Drug and substance abuse among Defense Department military and civilian personnel and their families is at its lowest point in the department’s history, the Pentagon’s director of operational readiness and safety said.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama intends to nominate Army Gen. David M. Rodriguez to succeed Army Gen. Carter F. Ham as the commander of U.S. Africa Command.

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. commander for the Pacific said he’s encouraged by the willingness of India, Bangladesh and Thailand to partner more closely with the United States on U.S. strategic goals in the region.

BALTIMORE - The U.S. lead in cyber technology innovation has created both advances and vulnerabilities, the commander of U.S. Cyber Command told industry leaders and technology experts at a dinner honoring the first 11 inductees into the new National Security Hall of Fame.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Kandahar province. The arrested insurgent leader facilitated the use of homemade explosives and bomb-making materials across Afghan borders into Helmand province.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - A teenager’s wish to serve as a nurse in a military hospital came true Oct. 11, thanks to a group of nurses assigned to San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

SPRINGFIELD, Va. - Fifty years after they discovered Soviet missiles poised to strike the United States from Cuba, two intelligence officers met with hundreds of their current-day counterparts to commemorate the anniversary of the crisis that nearly brought the world to nuclear war.

AL JABER AIR BASE, Kuwait - Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter thanked U.S. troops in Kuwait for their service and noted that they are not only serving their country, but they are doing a service to the whole world.

SOUTHWEST ASIA - It is important for the U.S. to maintain its commitments to the Middle East, even as the nation’s defense strategy starts to shift focus away from the region, the deputy defense secretary told troops on a military installation in Southwest Asia.

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait - Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter arrived in Kuwait and met with U.S. embassy officials to discuss current relations with the Middle Eastern nation.

FORT MEADE, Md. - Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-described mastermind in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, condemned the military commissions process for the second time since the pre-trial hearings for him and four other codefendants began at Naval Air Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON - Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., is the first military installation to earn top honors in the National Gold Medal Grand Plaque Award of Excellence in Park and Recreation Management competition for its recreation programs.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is developing an energy strategy that will carry it forward for decades, Sharon E. Burke, assistant secretary of defense for operational energy plans and programs, said at the Naval Energy Forum.

WASHINGTON - Conducting stability operations is a core mission for the U.S. military, but 10 years of war make clear a continuing need to augment such operations with the skills of regional partners and the private sector, said James A. Schear, deputy assistant secretary of defense for partnership strategy and stability operations.

WASHINGTON - More than 3,500 American service members will join with Israeli allies for Exercise Austere Challenge 2012 in Israel.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan-led security force, supported by coalition troops, arrested a Taliban senior leader in Kandahar province.

MADISON, Wis. - Command Sgt. Maj. Rafael Conde, the top enlisted soldier with the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was 5 years old when his parents fled Cuba on one of the last “Freedom Flights” in April 1968.

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. - A cadre of 12 medical experts in traumatic brain injury and psychological health from the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md., fell in line with boot-camp Marines to experience the rigors of military training, first hand.

FORT MEADE, Md. - Three of the five defendants charged with plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States have refused to attend the second day of their pretrial hearing at Naval Air Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON - A new one-year, full-time graduate program approved by Education Secretary Arne Duncan will help intelligence officers to study and research a growing range of emerging science and technology-related threats.

WASHINGTON - International Security Assistance Force officials expressed regret that an Oct. 14 coalition operation against suspected insurgents may have killed three Afghan civilians. A joint investigation into the incident is being launched by ISAF and Afghan officials.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - The cornerstone of administration is behind a desk, making keystrokes and mouse clicks that affect Marines’ pay, living arrangements and food -- in other words, their livelihood.

FORT MEADE, Md. - Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and four co-defendants have the right to skip court proceedings regarding their case, an Army judge has ruled.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's 2012 contribution to the “Feds Feed Families” campaign surpassed all expectations, said Paige Hinkle-Bowles, deputy assistant secretary of defense for civilian personnel policy.

WASHINGTON - A senior defense official recently announced the “Get Skills to Work” program, a partnered effort managed by the Manufacturing Institute that aims to train and place 100,000 veterans in advanced manufacturing and related jobs by 2015.

WASHINGTON - The United States will continue to funnel nonlethal aid to the Syrian opposition, and urges the international community to unite against Bashar Assad’s regime, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani network leader in Ghazni province. The detained Haqqani leader is believed to be directly associated with suicide-bombing and improvised explosive device attacks, military officials said.

PHILIPPINE SEA - Culinary specialist Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Latrice Walker serves up nutritious meals to service members aboard amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga while on deployment in the Western Pacific.

WASHINGTON - In his first visit to India as commander of U.S. Pacific Command, Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III encouraged a closer defense relationship between the United States and India in which they address shared interests to promote long-term regional security and stability.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, honored two wounded warriors during a Purple Heart ceremony at the Brooke Army Medical Center's Warrior and Family Support Center in San Antonio.

WASHINGTON - As service members prepare for any and all possible military operations, the Defense Department is reaching out to ensure that there are no contingencies back home to distract them from the mission, namely their personal finances.

WASHINGTON - Officials from the United States and China plan to meet to discuss sharing logistical resources, including fuel, as they operate together during counterpiracy and humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions.

WASHINGTON - Over the past six or seven years, cyberspace has undergone a tremendous transformation, the commander of U.S. Cyber Command told attendees of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation’s GEOINT 2012 conference in Orlando, Fla.

WASHINGTON - A new, five-year strategic plan unveiled by the U.S. Transportation Command will posture it to ensure the military maintains its global mobility edge, Air Force Brig. Gen. John E. Michel, Transcom’s chief change and learning strategist said.

WASHINGTON - Djibouti, a nation located in the horn of Africa and host to the only U.S. forward operating base on the continent, plays a strategic role for several U.S. military commands in the region, according to Amanda J. Dory, deputy assistant secretary of defense for African affairs.

MILDENHALL, England - U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Chris Bennett greatly enjoys long-distance running, and he recently completed a 61.2-mile ultramarathon from London to Brighton, England.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani leader in Afghanistan's Paktiya province.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta spelled out in detail the Defense Department’s responsibility in cybersecurity during a speech to the Business Executives for National Security meeting in New York.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department's top policy official on Africa says what happens there definitely affects the United States, and that Americans would be wrong to think otherwise.

WASHINGTON - Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn spoke to the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation about reshaping defense analysis and professional development of the workforce, but began with his plan to use the Defense Clandestine Service to integrate the intelligence community.

WASHINGTON - Michael G. Vickers, undersecretary of defense for intelligence, said the Defense Department is driving innovation across all defense intelligence functions and discussed priorities and partnerships during remarks at the annual Geospatial Intelligence Symposium.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan financial facilitator in Kunduz province. The arrested insurgent is suspected of being involved in purchasing and trafficking weapons for use in attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.

ORCHARD COMBAT TRAINING CENTER, Idaho - Army Pfc. Samuel Oehring, who grew up in the rural areas of Texas and Arkansas where hunting and shooting was a part of everyday life, practiced his marksmanship with the M240B machine gun.

WASHINGTON - Praising Bangladesh as a global model in both peacekeeping and disaster management, Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, told Bangladeshi leaders and reporters he welcomes more opportunities for the two countries to work together to support their mutual security interests.

WASHINGTON - While the Navy’s aircraft carrier fleet is sized correctly to carry out its mission, land forces are facing “significant changes,” Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the National Press Club.

WASHINGTON - The new commissary rewards card now offered at all 247 military commissaries worldwide offers a glimpse into what the Defense Commissary Agency is working to provide its customers: the same selection, conveniences and quality as popular commercial grocery store chains with better customer service and lower prices.

WELLSLEY HILLS, Mass. - Anonymous, online mental health screenings are available to service members, veterans and their families in conjunction with the observance of National Depression Screening Day.

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praised two Marine Corps generals nominated to key posts by President Barack Obama.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department depends on its relationships with partner nations, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said while delivering remarks at a National Press Club luncheon.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is working with Jordan and Turkey to help with collateral humanitarian and security issues affecting them because of the brutal war that continues in Syria, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said during a news conference in Brussels.

FORT DETRICK, Md. - The Defense Intelligence Agency's National Center for Medical Intelligence scientists, physicians and other experts at Fort Detrick, Md., monitor a range of intelligence and open-source channels for threats to the health of U.S. forces and the homeland.

WASHINGTON - NATO has no plans to reduce its Kosovo Force, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during an alliance defense ministers conference in Brussels.

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his senior enlisted advisor, Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, have joined forces to urge service members to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming election.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force killed several armed insurgents seized assault rifles, a machine gun and several grenades during an operation to arrest a Taliban leader in Sar-e Pul province.

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. - Air Force Senior Airman Kimara Duncan, 94th Fighter Squadron F-22 crew chief on Langley Air Force Base, Va., takes pride in ensuring her fighter jet is in tip-top mechanical condition.

BRUSSELS - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta detailed new realities of the coming year in Afghanistan and announced leadership changes for NATO and the International Security Assistance Force during a conference of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

BRUSSELS - When NATO defense ministers meet with representatives of six non-NATO nations that contribute to the International Security and Assistance Force, the topic will be Afghanistan’s successes, its challenges and its future.

WASHINGTON - An exercise under way in Germany – the largest in more than two decades – is providing a template for how U.S. ground forces will incorporate lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan into future training operations.

WASHINGTON - An Afghan-led security force, supported by coalition troops, arrested a Taliban facilitator and improvised explosive device producer in Kandahar province. The facilitator is suspected of managing the construction of large quantities of IEDs, and organizing the their transfer.

WASHINGTON - NATO defense ministers held discussions in Brussels on the alliance’s “Smart Defense” initiative and how to provide security during tough financial times, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.

WASHINGTON - All four active services met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal 2012 through August, Defense Department officials announced.

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. - While many airmen who play the sport avidly hope to make the Air Force softball team once or twice in their careers, Master Sgt. Tony Patrick has donned the blue and black uniform an unprecedented 10 times since 2000.

BRUSSELS - At a conference of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will convey U.S. support for enhancing alliance capabilities, missile defense, cybersecurity, counterterrorism and countering weapons of mass destruction.

PUNTA DEL ESTE, Uruguay - Nations of the Western Hemisphere are a family sharing many of the same threats that confront them across borders and oceans, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said during a conference of defense ministers in Uruguay.

PUNTA DEL ESTE, Uruguay - In advance of the 10th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Paraguay, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta held bilateral meetings with counterparts from the region.

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT - The United States is committed to deepening its defense relationship with Peru, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said during a visit to the country.

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT - A transformation has taken place over the past decade in the Western Hemisphere, where countries are doing more than they ever have to advance peace and security within and beyond their borders, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said aboard a military aircraft en route to Peru.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department wants to clarify a personnel policy -- generally known as the “five-year rule” -- that establishes time limits for civilian overseas assignments, an official said.

WASHINGTON - Pentagon officials have confirmed the Oct. 21 deadline to apply for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay has not been extended by the recently enacted Continuing Resolution.

WASHINGTON - In a video message, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta urges the men and women of the Defense Department and their families to vote in the upcoming election.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed several would-be suicide bombers, detained additional insurgents and seized multiple weapons during a security operation in Wardak province.

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany - Army Maj. Matthew Bisswurm, an acquistion officer with the 903rd Contingency Contracting Battalion in Kaiserslautern, Germany, is the first in his branch selected to work with Google Inc. as part of the Army's Training with Industry Program.

WASHINGTON - During a trip to meet with leaders of Peru and Uruguay and his counterparts at a conference of defense ministers of the Americas, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will implement elements of the 2012 DOD Strategic Guidance related to the Western Hemisphere, a senior defense official said.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff thanked service members and their families in the Pacific Northwest during a town hall meeting on Naval Base Kitsap in Bangor, Wash.

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Keith Alexander, National Security Agency director and commander of U.S. Cyber Command, discussed the costs and consequences of cybersecurity issues on commerce during his keynote address at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Cybersecurity Summit.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - TRICARE officials are working with beneficiaries located in Germany as they prepare for changes to their mail-order pharmacy service to accomodate a German law that prohibits importing medications into the country.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials released a policy statement explaining how the defense strategic guidance announced in January 2012 will influence U.S. military engagement in the Western Hemisphere.

WASHINGTON - The safe return of Army Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl, the only U.S. service member known to be in Taliban captivity, remains a top Defense Department priority, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military provided logistics and security support to an FBI team investigating the attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - The United States supports Turkey's response to a Syrian cross-border mortar attack that killed five Turkish civilians yesterday, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said while also emphasizing that it is time for Bashar Assad and his regime to step down.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will travel to South America and Europe to strengthen partnerships around the world, the Pentagon press secretary said.

WASHINGTON - The Afghan national security forces are growing increasingly capable, putting the insurgency under greater pressure, said a senior officer at NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Dozens of Afghan soldiers and police, supported by coalition special operations forces, concluded a six-day operation against insurgent networks in the Chak district of Wardak province.

SOUTHWEST ASIA - It had been a year since Air Force Master Sgt. Niihau Ramsey has seen his son, Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Brad Ramsey, until luck brought them together during an overseas tour of duty.

FAIRFAX, Va. - More than 100 colleges and universities have signed on to a White House initiative to prepare educators for the unique needs of their military-connected students, said Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the vice president, during a "Joining Forces" event in Fairfax, Va.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Once thought to be lost, a film reel containing clips of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” was recently discovered in a military visual information storage facility in Riverside, Calif., and returned to Jeff Sotzing, nephew of Johnny Carson.

WASHINGTON - The competence and capabilities of Afghan security forces continues to grow as troops of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force step back from key roles, British Lt. Gen. Adrian J. Bradshaw, ISAF deputy commander, said.

BETHESDA, Md. - Department of Defense Education Activity Director Marilee Fitzgerald urged recipients of the 2012 educational grant program to push the envelope in developing programs that ultimately will benefit all military schoolchildren.

WASHINGTON - International Security Assistance Force leadership continues to take steps to protect its forces as they advise Afghan security forces, said British Lt. Gen. Adrian J. Bradshaw, ISAF’s deputy commander.

WASHINGTON - The rebalance of U.S. military focus toward the Asia-Pacific region has regional prosperity as its objective, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter told an audience at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

FORT HOOD, Texas - Army Sgt. 1st Class Oscar Ayala, a platoon sergeant assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, excels as a senior noncommissioned officer despite two hip surgeries.

BETHESDA, Md. - Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., is the first military hospital to join and participate in a national network of civilian centers for a kidney transplant exchange, said Army Col. (Dr.) Edward Falta, chief of the center’s Army-Navy Transplant Program.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force killed the leader of a Taliban improvised explosive device cell in the Alisheng district of Laghman province. The leader was linked to multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces using IEDs, rocket-propelled grenades, rockets and mortars.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is working to improve its ability to share information, not just between the services, but also with industry partners and government agencies, said Dave DeVries, the Pentagon’s deputy chief information officer for information enterprise.

WASHINGTON - NATO'S North Atlantic Council has extended Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s four-year term as the alliance's secretary general for another year until July 31, 2014.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department continues to assess the security needs of its African partners, some of which face a growing terrorist presence, but is not planning for unilateral military intervention, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - Absentee Voting Week is a reminder that it’s still possible for eligible U.S. voters overseas to register and to vote, said Pamela S. Mitchell, the acting director of the defense department’s Federal Voting Assistance Program.

WASHINGTON - U.S. military training for Iraq’s security forces will continue uninterrupted despite Congress’s failure to approve money for it in a temporary spending bill now funding government operations, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Manpower Data Center recently launched a new system that is making it easier for service members and their families to get and maintain identification cards, said Mary Dixon, director of the Defense Manpower Data Center.

WASHINGTON - As Election Day nears, the Federal Voting Assistance Program has taken a global, innovative and user-friendly approach, including measures mandated by Congress to assist voters, said Pentagon Press Secretary George Little.

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan-led, coalition-supported force arrested a Taliban leader in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province. The security force also detained multiple suspected insurgents and seized an IED firing device and IED-making materials, officials said.

COMBAT OUTPOST FIDDLERS GREEN, Afghanistan - When Staff Sgt. Juan Contreras first joined the Marine Corps, he started out as an administration clerk but refined his skills to become a superb military cook.

WASHINGTON - Mobile devices are becoming the way we communicate, and the Defense Department views that change as an opportunity, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Robert E. Wheeler, the department’s deputy chief information officer for command, control, communications and computers and information infrastructure.

WASHINGTON - As the cyber threat intensifies over time from exploitation to disruption to destruction, responsible U.S. agencies and industries can fight back using cooperation and transparency, said Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander, the commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency.

WASHINGTON - The commander of U.S. Northern Command commemorated its 10th anniversary, praising the Colorado-based command for living up to its mission of protecting the homeland.

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Each generation of Americans has formed an image of its veterans, and today's veterans' courage, resilience, resolve and adaptability must be taken into account in forming that image, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a speech at Kansas State University.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Joe Biden and Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter hosted a ceremony at the Pentagon to mark the end of production of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle, credited with saving thousands of lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Ten years ago, the United States stood up U.S. Northern Command with the sole mission of detering, preventing and defeating threats against the homeland.

WASHINGTON - NATO defense ministers will meet next week to discuss the alliance’s defense capabilities and missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan - More than a decade after their paths first crossed in Operation Iraqi Freedom, a former Marine and a former Seabee are united as corpsmen with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan told CBS's "60 Minutes" he takes his mission personally and is angered by insider attacks by Afghan security forces and militants wearing Afghan uniforms.

WASHINGTON - A Sept. 29 exchange of gunfire in Wardak province that left an International Security Assistance Force service member and an ISAF-contracted civilian employee dead may have involved insurgent fire, ISAF officials reported.