Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters during a visit to Air Force and Army units in Washington State that he has ordered the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to help cover operations in Afghanistan, where anti-Afghan government attacks have increased, particularly along the Pakistan border. The Lincoln has been supporting coalition action in Iraq, working from the Persian Gulf and is now to operate from the Gulf of Oman, where it will be closer to Afghanistan. US and NATO commanders in Afghanistan have been asking for more air and ground support.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.