Ahead of the anniversary of the January 6th Capitol Riots, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III issued a memo to streamline authority for deploying the DC National Guard. The December 30, 2021 memo would give the Defense Secretary sole authority to authorize the deployment of ...
The danger faced by American troops training Iraqis and those fighting the Islamic State group in neighboring Syria remain high with U.S. Central Command repelling a drone strike Jan. 3 and destroying a rocket site Jan. 4. Two armed drones flew near an Iraqi military ...
A pair of combatant commanders reviewed the Air Force inspector general’s report on the erroneous Aug. 29 airstrike that killed 10 civilians in Kabul, Afghanistan, and made no recommendations related to accountability, the Defense Department’s top spokesperson said Dec. 13.
The United States ended its combat mission in Iraq and will transition to an “advise, assist, and enable” mission supporting Iraqi forces, reported Combined Joint Task Force-Inherent Resolve Dec. 9. “Many brave men and women gave their lives to ensure Daesh never returns, and as ...
As media reports indicate that tens of thousands of Russian troops have massed near the border with Ukraine, the Pentagon remains “concerned” about the situation and called on the Kremlin to explain itself, Press Secretary John F. Kirby said Nov. 10. The Ukrainian government has ...
The U.S. has consulted with allies regarding its ongoing Nuclear Posture Review and will continue to do so, the Pentagon said Nov. 8 after a media report indicated other nations have been pressing President Joe Biden not to change American policy on the use of ...
The Air Force released its first snapshot of COVID-19 vaccination compliance Nov. 3, the day after the Active-duty deadline, with some 800 uniformed personnel refusing the shot and nearly 5,000 Airmen and Guardians waiting to find out if their religious exemptions will be approved. In ...
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III chaired a China-focused military briefing Oct. 27, part of a biweekly series of briefings with senior military commanders about China’s growing threat in the wake of an orbital hypersonic weapon test that elicited public worries from the Chairman of ...
The Defense Department’s joint task force in support of Haiti has helped saved hundreds of lives in the past two weeks, a Pentagon official said, supporting relief efforts for the island nation as it recovers from back-to-back natural disasters. As of Aug. 24, the joint ...
Two explosions rocked Kabul on Aug. 26 just outside Hamid Karzai International Airport, killing 12 U.S. service members and injuring at least 15 others, Defense Department officials have confirmed. The attack, coming just days before President Joe Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan, ...
With a rapidly approaching deadline to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, President Joe Biden said the evacuation mission is on pace to finish by Aug. 31, though he has asked the Pentagon for contingency plans should that change. U.S. and coalition efforts have evacuated ...
The Pentagon’s plan to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for the U.S. military is set to take effect in the coming days, as the Food and Drug Administration issued full approval for the Pfzier-BioNTech shot Aug. 23. The Defense Department “is prepared to issue updated ...