'Miracle Marine' Dead After 3-Year Struggle

5 soldiers dead after roadside bomb explosion; death toll hits 3,545

(NEWSER) - Fourteen American troops have been killed in Iraq over the past 2 days, bringing the US death toll to 3,545, with 68 fatalities in June. In the deadliest recent attack, five troops died today after a roadside bomb detonated under their vehicle in northeastern Iraq. Commanders attribute the worsening situation in part to increased anti-insurgent efforts, the Washington Post reports. More»

Unmarried loved ones have no standing, get nothing from Army

(NEWSER) - To the US Army bureaucracy, love means little without a marriage certificate—so the fiancée of a man killed in Iraq was left with nothing other than what his family was willing to part with. Now, the Washington Post reports, Kyle Harper, 27, is trying to forge a path very different from what she and Sgt. Michael Hullender had planned. More»

Budget woes aren't the only defense issue facing White House's next denizen

(NEWSER) - Has President Bush done irreparable damage to our armed forces? Not necessarily, Phillip Carter and Fred Kaplan write in Slate, offering a to-do list for the next president to tackle as he or she begins the process of fixing a military "in strange shambles."

1. Overhaul the budget: "We don't have the money to stay this course."

Cite fewer attacks, changing mission

(NEWSER) - The Marines are cutting orders of a nearly "bombproof" Hummer replacement from 3,700 to 2,225, reflecting a more peaceful Iraq and the success of the vehicle, reports the Christian Science Monitor. “Combine the reduction in attacks with the fact that we're not losing as many vehicles as we thought, and the Marines don’t need as many, said an official. More»

99 active-duty soldiers took their own lives in 2006

(NEWSER) - American soldiers are killing themselves at the highest rate since the Persian Gulf War, the AP reports. Statistics out today show 99 active-duty soldiers committed suicide in 2006, both the highest single number and the highest rate per deployed since 1991. The problem was worst in Iraq, the most common deployment location for attempts and suicides. More»