WASHINGTON - Two Task Force 1st Armored Division soldiers died today in separate engagements south of Kufa, U.S. Central Command officials announced in a news release.

WASHINGTON - With the dedication of the National World War II Memorial here, the Memorial Day weekend has brought much overdue attention to the men and women whose efforts helped to win the war in two theaters of combat.

WASHINGTON - The stakes are high in the global war on terrorism, and if the United States doesn't handle it correctly, "I don't think we're going to like the world we'll live in in five or 10 years," Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today paid homage to U.S. service members who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country.

WASHINGTON - While a cease-fire agreement seems to be holding in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, insurgent violence continues in Najaf and Kufa, a coalition military spokesman noted today.

WASHINGTON - "Any person who says they wasn't scared in combat, they're a liar!" exclaimed World War II veteran Fred Garrison of Harford County, Md. "I was so scared one time I think smoked a pack of cigarettes in five minutes. I thought I was going to die, but I made it."

WASHINGTON - No one knows what the outcome of World War II would have been if more than 18 million women hadn't worked in home-front defense industries to free men for overseas battlefields and to keep the nation running.

WASHINGTON - Three Marines were killed today in Iraq's Anbar province, and four U.S. service members were killed today in southern Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command officials announced in news releases.

WEST POINT, N.Y. - "Life is not predictable," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the newest second lieutenants in the U.S. Army today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush used his weekly radio address today to pay tribute to the nation's war dead as America observes the Memorial Day weekend.

WEST POINT, N.Y. - After meeting midshipmen in Annapolis, Md., and cadets here May 28, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he believes the military is in good hands for the future.

WASHINGTON - Friendly fire probably killed former National Football League star Army Cpl. Pat Tillman in Afghanistan on April 22, U.S. Central Command officials announced in a news release today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today officially dedicated the World War II Memorial during a ceremony that featured more than 100,000 military veterans and guests.

WASHINGTON - Inspirational tributes and poignant quotations from famous, important military and civilian figures are inscribed into the walls around the National World War II Memorial.

WASHINGTON - A truce between radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and the U.S.-led coalition in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf is holding, the U.S. Central Command operations director said today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush thanked Denmark for its troop support to Operation Iraqi Freedom during Danish Prime Minister Anders Rasmussen's visit to the White House today.

WASHINGTON - The National World War II Memorial features a series of 24 sculpture panels on its ceremonial entrance walls.

WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers in Iraq are distributing leaflets in Karbala, urging Iraqis in the city to turn in their weapons in exchange for cash, a senior military official said today in Baghdad.

KEYSTONE, Colo. - Qatar is not as hellishly hot in November and December as it is in July and August. But the 80- to 90-degree days and the 40- degree nights in that small desert land between Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf can raise havoc with people who are not physically fit.

WASHINGTON - Today America honors the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our great Nation. We remember not only our friends and comrades who served alongside us, but also those brave Americans from generations past whose legacy of service secured our liberty.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers challenged the 990 new graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy's Class of 2004 today to prepare for the key role they will play "at this crucial moment in our nation's history" as the United States confronts the terrorist threat.

ARLINGTON, Va. - As the sound of "Taps" wailed from Army Sgt. Major Henry Sgrecci's bugle today, seven Iraqi citizens pressed their new prosthetic hands against their hearts at the Tomb of the Unknowns here to honor U.S. service members who have given their lives in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - If "Doc" Cooke could be here, he would have been proud.

WASHINGTON - A Coalition Provisional Authority official today said he is hopeful about an Iraqi-to-Iraqi-brokered agreement designed to end fighting in the cities of Najaf and Kufa.

WASHINGTON - White House officials are asking all Americans worldwide to pause for 60 seconds at 3 p.m. local time May 31 Memorial Day to honor America's fallen and to recognize veterans and today's servicemen and women, particularly those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Deployments can put unexpected financial hardships on military families sky-high telephone bills, unanticipated travel costs, loss of income for Guardsmen and reservists called to active duty for extended periods, among them.

WASHINGTON - A special Defense Department-sanctioned organization is highlighting key events of U.S. participation in World War II, the head of the committee noted May 25.

HERAT, Afghanistan - With the help of the soldiers at the provincial reconstruction team here, students and teachers of a few Herat schools are learning first aid.

WASHINGTON - A special task force will oversee compensation of Iraqi citizens who suffered under Saddam Hussein's regime, Coalition Provisional Authority officials in Baghdad announced today.

WASHINGTON - Along with the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi people, June 30 is expected to mark another milestone in Iraq: electricity production at 6,000 megawatts.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Iraq captured a key lieutenant of radical Islamic cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf and killed a "large number" of Sadr's militia overnight in Sadr City, a senior coalition military official in Baghdad said today.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Besides their more traditional role of providing installation security, airmen here assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron have taken on two other important combat-related responsibilities in support of the global war on terrorism.

WASHINGTON - The military's Stars and Stripes newspaper, in partnership with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the American Battle Monuments Commission, has produced a guide and commemorative program for the National World War II Reunion to be held on the National Mall here May 27 to 30.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Very little was routine for the first of 16 Afghan National Army battalions to be operationally fielded throughout southern Afghanistan during the unit's recent 52-day "force presence" patrol.

WASHINGTON - Marines now part of Combined Joint Task Force Haiti will leave the island nation by the end of June, Pentagon officials said today.

WASHINGTON - Beginning June 15, the Atlanta and Dallas-Fort Worth international airports will become the primary ports of debarkation for service members arriving home from Iraq and Afghanistan for rest and recuperation leave, Army officials announced this week.

WASHINGTON - If the global war on terrorism is going to be more than lip service to an ideal, then countries are going to have to learn to work together.

WASHINGTON - Third in a Three-Part Series

WASHINGTON - Two of the nation's top law enforcement officials today asked for help from state and local police and the public to stop a potential terror attack on the United States expected this summer or fall.

WASHINGTON - Having a parent deployed or experiencing frequent moves can be tough on a child, sometimes leading to social or academic problems at school.

WASHINGTON - When organizers first proposed placing the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall, critics complained.

WASHINGTON - The media-reported upcoming departure of Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez from Iraq was planned long ago and has nothing to do with the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, a senior U.S. military spokesman noted today.

WASHINGTON - The sad thing about the official dedication of the long-awaited tribute to "the greatest generation" on May 29 is that "a lot of veterans that won't be able to see this memorial," Roderick "Rod" V. Bell, the assistant project manager of the World War II Memorial, said in an in an American Forces Press Service interview.

WASHINGTON - American troops "are showing exceptional skill and courage" in Iraq, President Bush said in a televised address from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pa., May 24.

WASHINGTON - Second in a Three-Part Series

WASHINGTON - Security challenges in Iraq put a significant wrinkle into reconstruction efforts in early spring, but work is once again progressing rapidly on $5 billion in contracts awarded in March, the U.S. head of reconstruction in Iraq told Pentagon reporters May 24.

WASHINGTON - The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq continues operations to restore stability in order to repair infrastructure, stimulate the economy and continue the transfer of sovereignty to the people of Iraq.

ARLINGTON, Va. - Well-known corporate giants lead the pack in the 2004 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Awards.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi government that will take control June 30 will move the country "much closer to direct elections," a Coalition Provisional Authority spokesman said in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - It's a U.S. Naval Academy tradition. First-year students climb a lard-coated 21-foot-tall Herndon Monument on the academy grounds to replace the white plebe "dixie cup" hat on top of it with an upperclassman's hat, symbolizing their advancement to second-year status.

WASHINGTON - First in a Three-Part Series

KABUL, Afghanistan - With de-mining, a benefit of a U.N. program, and assistance from an effort called "disarmament, demobilization and reintegration," heavy weapons and mines no longer thwart those who wish to indulge in recreation at the Kabul Golf Club, Afghanistan's only operational golf course.

WASHINGTON - When high-school freshman Shauna Fleming launched her campaign, "A Million Thanks," to collect and distribute letters for the troops as part of National Military Appreciation Month, she could not have imagined where it would lead.

WASHINGTON - President Bush outlined five steps tonight that will help Iraq move toward democracy and security. He also laid out a proposal to demolish the notorious Abu Ghraib prison.

WASHINGTON - A suicide car bomb exploded outside a senior Iraqi's home in Baghdad today, killing three bodyguards and one woman and heavily damaging 22 vehicles, reported Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt at a Baghdad news briefing today.

WASHINGTON - There are no indications a wedding party took place at a remote desert site in western Iraq near the Syrian border where U.S. forces are accused of killing about 20 people May 19, including women and children, a senior military spokesman said today.

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. - Using words and pictures to tell the truths of war, even the difficult ones, is essential work both inside and outside the military, CBS News anchor Dan Rather said at the Defense Information School here today.

SAN FRANCISCO - When Army Spc. Hong Huynh's father immigrated to the United States after the Vietnam War, he gave her these words of advice:

Washington - The four-member Independent Panel to Review DoD Detention Operations met for the first time May 20 to begin its review and assessment work.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces captured four individuals suspected of involvement in the murder of American contractor Nicholas Berg during a May 19 raid in Baghdad, a senior U.S. military spokesman noted today.

WASHINGTON - The decision to send a combat brigade from South Korea to Iraq "makes sense," said the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before the House Armed Services Committee today.

WASHINGTON - Military members are now required to be tested for HIV every two years, according to a Defense Department health policy change implemented March 29.

WASHINGTON - "I'm of the school that the more the Iraqis can do, the better," said Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers to the House Armed Services Committee today. "And the faster we can get them to do that, the better as well."

WASHINGTON - Marine Gen. Peter Pace blew Wynonna Judd's cover today at a USO concert celebrating National Military Appreciation Month.

WASHINGTON - Helping Iraq become a free nation was a topic of discussion between President Bush and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi when they met at the White House May 19.

WASHINGTON - Insurgents using a smuggling route for foreign fighters and weaponry entering Iraq were the targets of a May 19 strike near the Iraq-Syrian border, a senior military spokesman said at a Baghdad news conference today.

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - The U.S. Army Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Program dedicated its newest capability and first fixed facility to treat recovered chemical weapons during a ceremony at the Edgewood Area here May 5.

SAN FRANCISCO - The Defense Department and the Federal Asian Pacific American Council came together here May 19 to honor the heritage and culture of Asian-Pacific Americans.

WASHINGTON - The first soldier to receive a court martial in connection with the Abu Ghraib prison abuse was sentenced May 19 in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - All reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross on detainee operations by the U.S. military in Iraq will now go through a single senior point of contact.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. general in command of operations in Iraq repeatedly ordered humane treatment of detainees, he told senators here May 19.

NATICK, Mass. - Stress fractures caused by repetitive pounding activities of physical training take a toll on enough of the military population, specifically recruits, that a major research program called "Bone Health and Medical Military Readiness" was started in 1997 to solve the problem.

WASHINGTON - The United States made a pledge to help Iraqis establish a new government free from tyranny, "and that commitment will be kept," Vice President Dick Cheney told Coast Guard Academy graduates today.

WASHINGTON - An 8-month-old Iraqi girl has a new lease on life, thanks to U.S. officials on both sides of the Atlantic who cut through mounds of red tape to set up surgery for a life-threatening birth defect.

WASHINGTON - When tragedy struck Ruth Ann Young of Kirkland, Wash., during the summer of 2003, she turned her bad luck into good luck for more than 6,000 service members on the battlefields of Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Nearly 600 enemy combatants being held at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will now have an annual opportunity to petition for their release.

WASHINGTON - Yang Gu dribbles the soccer ball across the grassy field. His opponent, a robot named "Brain," turns and moves toward the action.

WASHINGTON - Two 1st Infantry Division soldiers died in separate incidents and a Marine assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq's Anbar province died from nonhostile causes May 18, Multinational Force Iraq announced in news releases today.

WASHINGTON - While the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal is disturbing to Middle East leaders, of more concern to those leaders is whether the United States will lose patience with the process and leave Iraq before a stable government is in place, Army Gen. John Abizaid, commander, U.S. Central Command, said here today.

WASHINGTON - Despite yesterday's killing of a senior Iraqi official, the U.S. remains resolved to see through the establishment of a democratic Iraq, the Coalition Provisional Authority's chief spokesman said in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - With the return of stability in Haiti, military civil affairs specialists are working to improve the lives of Haitians throughout the country.

WASHINGTON - Buckle up your seat belt and don't drive too fast. This age-old advice applies as much on the streets of Baghdad as on Main Street USA.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government is taking steps to be ready for the transition of sovereignty to Iraq on June 30, government officials told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today.

WASHINGTON - Ann Flaherty's 18-month-old grandson was suffering from the emotional stress of his father not coming home from work as he usually did. He carried pictures of his dad around, and began having temper tantrums and difficulty sleeping.

WASHINGTON - About 3,600 members of the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division will deploy to Iraq from the Republic of Korea, Defense Department officials confirmed today.

WASHINGTON - It has been unpleasant, but the detainee abuse scandal shows the world how a democracy handles these situations, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.

WASHINGTON - The war on terror will be the mission of a generation, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the Heritage Foundation here today.

WASHINGTON - The war on terrorism will require the next generation to be leaders, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at Virginia Military Institute commencement May 15.

WASHINGTON - The coalition provides the tools for the best security possible for members of the Iraqi Governing Council and is in the process of standing up a protective service for the Iraqi government modeled loosely on the U.S. Secret Service, coalition officials said today.

WASHINGTON - A roadside bomb containing the nerve agent sarin a substance Saddam Hussein's regime insisted it had destroyed more than a decade ago exploded near a U.S. military convoy traveling near Baghdad, coalition officials said today.

WASHINGTON - The soldier touches the laptop screen, programming the route for an unmanned ground vehicle. Miles away, the vehicle begins its journey. As the robot maneuvers through the terrain, the soldier watches its progress on his screen.

WASHINGTON - Operation Carry the Flame, a national ride across America to honor the armed forces and veterans and to remember prisoners of war and service members missing in action, is slated to kick off May 18 in Modesto, Calif.

WASHINGTON - A suicide car bomb claimed the lives of the Iraqi Governing Council president and at least four other Iraqis outside the Coalition Provisional headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, today.

WASHINGTON - With Iraqi sovereignty less than two months away, the man who commanded the 101st Airborne Division the first year of the Iraq war is up for an enormous, new challenge.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Colin Powell said today he is confident the United States will the stay course in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - President Bush used his weekly national radio address to applaud the efforts of service members on Armed Forces Day.

WASHINGTON - Three Task Force 1st Armored Division soldiers were killed in Baghdad over the past 24 hours, Central Command officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - While coalition forces in Iraq are respecting holy sites in their operations in Najaf, radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia uses shrines as shields, a coalition military spokesman said today in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - Arizona entrepreneurs Ed Negrin and his wife, Tonie, are self-described patriots who've decorated several trucks they own with red, white and blue motifs to show their support for U.S service members.

WASHINGTON - Two new military commands will stand up in Iraq May 15, replacing the current coalition military organization.

WASHINGTON - A DoD task force has released details of a sweeping plan it recommends to help prevent sexual assaults within the military and provide the best possible care for victims.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. Patriot missile crew in Iraq downed a British Royal Air Force Tornado attack fighter jet in "perceived self-defense," U.S. Central Command's investigation of the March 22, 2003, incident has concluded.

WASHINGTON - Today, we pause to honor the noble service of the men and women in America's military. The threat of terrorism is great, but your willingness and ability to defeat the enemy are greater. Those serving in the Armed Forces of the United States of America stand between liberty and tyranny, as they have for over two centuries.

WASHINGTON - An Army medic, his wife and four young children came here from Fort Drum, N.Y., May 13 to be honored as the Armed Services YMCA "Volunteer of the Year" during the organization's 17th annual recognition luncheon on Capitol Hill.

WASHINGTON - Shortly after photos of prisoner abuse in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison complex appeared in the media, shocking the world, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered a review of operations in the U.S. military detention center at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston, S.C.

WASHINGTON - Security was the watchword of the day when Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers visited Baghdad May 13.

WASHINGTON - Although the 54th annual joint Armed Forces Day open house at Andrews Air Force Base has more to do with seeing both old and new generations of aircraft, military technologies and weapon systems, the message of the day from Defense Department officials was one of thanks and gratitude to service members.

WASHINGTON - Another U.S. soldier faces a general court-martial in connection with abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison, military officials announced today at a Baghdad news conference.

WASHINGTON - Private-sector information technology providers and military leaders will need to change the way they think and do business if transformation of the force is to be truly successful, a senior U.S. official noted here.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon Channel, the Defense Department's news and information television service, officially launches May 14 with a live broadcast from the Armed Forces Day opening ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

WASHINGTON - While American forces are fighting overseas, it's likely that terrorists are planning another attack on the United States, a senior military officer noted here today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush's request for a $25 billion emergency fund is not to be confused with a full fiscal 2005 supplemental funding request planned for early next year, the DoD's second-ranking civilian leader said on Capitol Hill today.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Baghdad today for a surprise visit to U.S. troops and to meet with military and Coalition Provisional Authority officials.

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait - The United States' top military and civilian defense officials saw firsthand today improvements being made at Iraq's Baghdad Central Correction Facility, more commonly known as Abu Ghraib prison.

WASHINGTON - Cheers and applause from hundreds of troops greeted Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers today when they arrived at Camp Victory in Baghdad for a "town hall meeting."

WASHINGTON - Revelations of alleged abuses committed against detainees by U.S. soldiers at Abu Gharaib prison in Iraq are indeed "terrible," the Pentagon's top civilian acknowledged today in testimony before a Senate subcommittee.

WASHINGTON - President Bush and other U.S., coalition and state officials expressed outrage today at the brutal execution of U.S. hostage Nicholas Berg in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Two more U.S. soldiers will face military courts- martial in the abuse of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison, coalition officials in Baghdad said today.

WASHINGTON - Deploying overseas means leaving friends and loved ones behind. For service members with no one to take care of their beloved dog, cat, bird or other pet, it once meant also having to abandon or turn the pet over to a shelter never to see it again.

WASHINGTON - Pinpointing who said what to whom is one key to determining how alleged abuse of detainees by soldiers at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison came about, the Army's top intelligence officer told the Senate Armed Services Committee here today.

WASHINGTON - The United States has its own asymmetric advantages in the asymmetric war on terror, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today, and those advantages are at the cusp of transformation.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld praised the progress being made in training the new Iraqi security forces for their critical role in their country's future, but warned naysayers that it's unrealistic to expect too much too quickly.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called incidents at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad "a body blow" to the nation's military, but said they don't overshadow tremendous strides being made in Iraq or the virtues of the men and women in uniform.

WASHINGTON - The best resolution to the standoff in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf will be one orchestrated not by the coalition but by the Iraqi people themselves, the commander of the 1st Armored Division said in Baghdad today.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - For nearly half a century, Florida has been at the forefront of space-launch technology, and recently the state's Air National Guard acquired new equipment to help maintain that distinction.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs is expanding its efforts to reach veterans of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to ensure they are aware of benefits they have earned.

ARLINGTON - The senior-ranking Defense Department civilian of Asian descent used the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal to shed positive light on a fellow Asian-Pacific American during a speech here May 10.

WASHINGTON - Detainee abuse allegedly committed by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq resulted from a lack of leadership, Army Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

FORT LESLEY J. MCNAIR, D.C. - "I suppose this is what Americans mean when they say the coalition must have an international face," said a European attendee at the first Coalition Conference, held here May 6-7.

WASHINGTION - Four service members were among 11 candidates NASA has chosen to be the next generation of space explorers, officials announced May 6.

WASHINGTON - As U.S., coalition, Iraqi and U. N. authorities work to transfer sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government June 30, a senior U.S. official cautioned today that it wouldn't be a complete process.

WASHINGTON - Organizers of the National Military Survivor Seminar have planned their 10th annual event for Memorial Day weekend here.

WASHINGTON - The coalition is winning in Iraq, and what matters is determination, will and steadfast leadership from the United States, President Bush said here today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush reiterated that the United States has "a vital national interest" in Iraq, following a meeting of his national security team at the Pentagon today.

WASHINGTON - The first court-martial to arise from allegations of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison will be held in Baghdad beginning May 19, U.S. officials in Baghdad said today.

WASHINGTON - Actions, not words, are important now, said Army Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, deputy commanding general for detainee operations for Multinational Forces, Iraq.

WASHINGTON - President Bush asked Americans today not to judge the U.S. military on the illegal and shocking actions of a few soldiers.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military's top officer praised the peacekeeping efforts of U.S. and NATO troops serving in Bosnia-Herzegovina during a recent visit there.

WASHINGTON - Terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may be responsible for the latest death of a U.S. soldier, Coalition Provisional Authority officials said at a Baghdad news conference today.

WASHINGTON - Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz praised the hard work and dedication of five military installations honored today as the "best of the best" as recipients of this year's Commander in Chief's Award for Installation Excellence.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld accepted full responsibility for "the terrible activities that occurred at Abu Ghraib."

WASHINGTON - President Bush called cases of abuse of Iraqi prisoners "a stain on our country's honor and our country's reputation" and said he told Jordanian King Abdullah II during their meeting today that he is sorry for the humiliation suffered by the prisoners as well as their families.

WASHINGTON - A former prisoner of the Saddam Hussein regime who returned to Iraq from exile last year has been appointed as the new governor of Najaf province, coalition administrator Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III announced today in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - A new procurement program boosts federal contract opportunities for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, Small Business Administration officials here announced May 4.

WASHINGTON - The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned abuse of Iraqi prisoners and said the military will get to the bottom of what happened at Abu Ghraib prison and bring the perpetrators to justice.

WASHINGTON - U.S. military installations worldwide will host a wide range of activities from receptions to workshops to "pampering parties" -- in observance of Military Spouse Day, May 7.

WASHINGTON - Saddam Hussein "institutionalized and sanctioned brutality on a scale" unimaginable to most Americans, the Pentagon's second- ranking civilian said in Philadelphia today.

WASHINGTON - Federal, state and local government employees including military members at home and overseas are selflessly performing vital and important work for a better tomorrow, a senior U.S. official said here today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush and Jordanian King Abdullah II vowed today to continue working together to rid the Middle East of terrorism and other threats to safety, freedom and prosperity in the region.

WASHINGTON - The coalition continues offensive and support operations aimed at restoring a stable environment in Iraq, Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said today at a Baghdad briefing.

WASHINGTON - President Bush considers the actions of a few soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq "abhorrent" and told Arab news services that the abuse at the prison "does not represent the America that I know."

WASHINGTON - Detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison are being fed, have and wear clothes, and do not sleep on the ground, asserted a coalition military spokesman at a Baghdad press briefing today.

WASHINGTON - "Any American who sees the photographs that we've seen has to feel apologetic to the Iraqi people who were abused and recognize that that is something that is unacceptable and certainly un-American," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.

WASHINGTON - After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America it became apparent to senior U.S. policy makers that Saddam Hussein and his regime had to go, the Defense Department's top policy official said here today.

WASHINGTON - All American military police receive training in the ethical treatment of prisoners, detainees and refugees, officials here and at the Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., said today.

WASHINGTON - Jeff Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet may have been the first to cross the finish line at the California Speedway May 2, but thanks to the efforts of a 15-year-old California girl, U.S. service members also will receive recognition.

FORT DETRICK, Md. - As a nurse helping to design a medical center for Fort Bragg, N.C., in 1995, Lt. Col. Sharon Steele never envisioned she'd be taking that expertise into a combat zone. But after joining the Health Facility Planning Agency in 1999 and leading trips overseas to help create or improve health facilities, she's hooked.

WASHINGTON - An Army brigade and two Marine expeditionary units will replace units of the 1st Armored Division and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Iraq, Defense, Joint Staff and Army officials said.

WASHINGTON - While investigations continue into charges of prisoner abuse at U.S. military detention facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, steps are already being taken to ensure that those in custody are treated "with dignity, respect and humanity," the Army vice chief of staff told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department will take all actions necessary to find out what happened at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and see that the appropriate actions are taken, the department's top civilian leader said today.

WASHINGTON - More often than not, as John Holmgren drives his big rig along the nation's roadways, he is greeted with honks, cheers and sometimes tears.

WASHINGTON - Despite great progress and improvements in the nation's defenses against another terrorist attack, "we are not comfortable -- we are not satisfied," the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense told a House subcommittee here April 29.

WASHINGTON - Depleted uranium poses very low health risks to U.S. service members, senior Defense Department officials said here April 29.

WASHINGTON - Soldiers who allegedly abused and tortured Iraqi prisoners acted as individuals, said the spokesman for the Combined Joint Task Force 7 during an interview on NBC's "Today" program.

WASHINGTON - Concerned about the welfare of troops returning home with disabilities from the war on terror, a new nonprofit group is raising money to build houses adapted to their needs.

WASHINGTON - A shipment of television equipment is on its way to Iraq to help Iraqi broadcasters offer more balanced news coverage than what is currently available in the region.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Central Command and Combined Joint Task Force 7 news releases provided details on U.S. casualties in Iraq today and over the weekend.

WASHINGTON - The commander of the U.S. soldiers in Iraq who found escaped captive Thomas Hamill May 2 said today in Baghdad that his troops came across the contractor by chance.

WASHINGTON - Once military authorities received information about possible prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, investigations moved swiftly, Defense Department officials said today.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military's top officer today said he'd soon review results of an investigative report conducted on detainee operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

WASHINGTON - An American truck driver in Iraq seized by insurgents April 9 apparently escaped his captors and was picked up today by U.S. forces, a senior U.S. official said.

WASHINGTON - A year to the day after his declaration that major combat operations in Iraq were over, President Bush cited progress for the Iraqi people his weekly national radio address.