US military

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Obama, House Order Fix for Fallen Troops' Families

Shutdown blocked $100K death benefit; remedy in the works

(Newser) - It looks like one unfortunate side effect of the showdown will be quickly fixed: The House voted unanimously today to restore the $100,000 death benefit paid to soldiers' families, reports the Hill . The Senate may not need to follow suit, however, because the White House has ordered an administrative...

Full Withdrawal From Afghanistan Grows More Likely

As US prepares to suspend failing negotiations

(Newser) - The US is getting nowhere in its negotiations with Afghanistan over the future of America's military presence in the country, rendering the prospect of a total troop withdrawal in 2014 ever more likely. Officials say they're getting ready to suspend talks unless there's a breakthrough in the...

Number of Furloughed Workers Just Got Cut in Half

Pentagon ordering about 400K back to work

(Newser) - About half of the 800,000 federal workers furloughed this week because of the government shutdown were civilians who worked for the Defense Department. And now the Pentagon is ordering most of them back to work on Monday, reports the AP . Defense chief Chuck Hagel says he can make the...

Don&#39;t Pay Our Troops
 Don't Pay Our Troops 
OPINION
Oct 2, 2013 1:06 PM CDT

Don't Pay Our Troops

It's only fair that the military gets shut down, too, David Dayen argues

(Newser) - President Obama says GOP bills that would end the shutdown for select parts of the government are "not serious" and "no way to fund a government." But on Monday he signed a bill just like that, ensuring that the military keeps getting paid. "How can I...

Army Cracks Down on Tattoos
 Army Cracks Down on Tattoos 
Sep 26, 2013 4:19 PM CDT

Army Cracks Down on Tattoos

Nothing below the elbow, soldier

(Newser) - Army soldiers looking to get tattoos will soon have some stricter rules to obey: No ink above the neckline, below the elbows, or below the knees, reports Stars and Stripes . The rules are expected to go into place in another month or two, but there's no use for soldiers...

Djibouti Kicks US Drones Out of Main Airport

Move follows several accidents, could hurt hunt for al-Shabab

(Newser) - It might have just gotten a little tougher for the US military to keep an eye on al-Shabab, the terrorist group behind the mall attack in Nairobi . The African nation of Djibouti has forced the US to remove a fleet of drones from a major military camp in the country,...

Looks Like Syria Will Miss First Arms-Deal Deadline

Plus: Pentagon says US could train some rebels

(Newser) - Syria probably won't get a full inventory of its chemical weapons to international authorities by Saturday, as proposed—but the US, it seems, isn't panicking. "Our goal is to see forward momentum," rather than the whole inventory, by Saturday, says a State Department rep. "We'...

Cost-Cutting Navy Yard Was Poorly Protected: Report

Aaron Alexis worked for Navy subcontractor

(Newser) - The Navy Yard attacked yesterday hadn't adequately guarded itself when it came to contractor access, an upcoming report finds. Seeking "to reduce access-control costs," the Navy "did not effectively mitigate access-control risks associated with contractor-installation access," says the report, begun in August 2012 by the...

Could Life Insurance Be a Factor in Military Suicides?

Suicide numbers have spiked since life insurance coverage went up

(Newser) - It's a depressing proposition to consider, but it's one the LA Times tackles anyway: Could life insurance play a role in the recent increase in military suicides ? It's not a question that has been studied specifically, and no expert the paper spoke to suggested it was...

US Strike Group Headed to Red Sea, Syria

Major naval force assembling in eastern Med

(Newser) - While President Obama waits for Congress to vote on a strike on Syria , the US is building up its naval force in the region. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and its strike group are now moving toward the Red Sea to be in place if it is needed, Reuters...

Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case
Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case 
UPDATED
Aug 30, 2013 7:58 AM CDT

Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case

When strike would occur remains unclear

(Newser) - The specifics of President Obama's plans for Syria don't seem much clearer after a conference call with Congressional leaders. The call didn't include information on when a strike would occur, Politico notes, nor did it appear to sway lawmakers who had doubts about military action. During the...

Necessary or Foolish? Pros, Cons of Syria Strike

Pundits makes their cases for and against

(Newser) - As the US considers what to do about Syria, there's no shortage of advice on the pros and cons:
  • Pro-strike: Nicholas Kristof is generally wary of the "military toolbox," but it's important here to "reinforce the international norm against weapons of mass destruction," he
...

Young Gitmo Guards Get Primers on 9/11
 Young Gitmo Guards 
 Get Primers on 9/11 
propublica
Aug 27, 2013 5:12 PM CDT

Young Gitmo Guards Get Primers on 9/11

Many were just kids 12 years ago: ProPublica

(Newser) - It's been almost 12 years since the 9/11 attacks, which presents the US military with an unusual concern: Many of its guards at Guantanamo Bay were just kids when the attacks happened. To make sure they fully grasp the seriousness of their duties, the military conducts briefings—or "...

US 'Ready to Go': What Syria Strike Could Look Like

UK also weighs action; Russia, China warn against it

(Newser) - With John Kerry blasting the "screaming" evidence of a chemical weapons attack in Syria, the Obama administration is moving closer to launching a military strike on the country. On Saturday, President Obama held a three-hour meeting with his national security team on the issue, and CBS News last night...

What Would a US Response Look Like? Think 1999

US officials say NATO airstrikes on Kosovo could be a guide for Syria

(Newser) - A government backed by Russia is accused of killing its own civilians. That applies not only to the current situation in Syria but to the 1999 situation in Kosovo. And as the New York Times reports, top US officials are keeping Kosovo very much in mind as they weigh their...

US Soldier Gets Life Without Parole in Massacre

Robert Bales killed 16 Afghan villagers

(Newser) - The second of two high-profile military trials is in the books: A military jury has sentenced a US soldier who massacred 16 Afghan civilians last year to life in prison without a chance of parole. The decision came today in the case against Staff Sgt. Robert Bales , who pleaded guilty...

Obama Weighing Strike on Syria

President calls alleged chemical strike 'a big event of grave concern'

(Newser) - Top Obama administration officials met yesterday to discuss potential military responses to what may have been the worst chemical weapons attack in decades. Officials were "sharply divided" and emerged from three-and-a-half hours of discussions about Syria without reaching a decision, the New York Times reports; options on the table...

Bradley Manning: 'I'm Sorry'

Wikileaker apologizes during sentencing hearing

(Newser) - US soldier Bradley Manning took the stand today during his sentencing hearing for leaking classified material to WikiLeaks and apologized for hurting the United States and others. Manning gave an unsworn statement, which means he cannot be cross-examined by prosecutors. He began with an apology. "I'm sorry that...

Memo: Gay Troops to Get 10 Days of Leave to Marry

As part of proposed Pentagon plan to extend benefits to same-sex couples

(Newser) - Now that the Supreme Court has overturned the Defense of Marriage Act , the Pentagon is reviewing a plan that would extend full marriage benefits to same-sex couples by the end of this month, according to a draft memo from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel outlining the proposal obtained yesterday by the...

Study: No Link Between Combat, Military Suicides

Suicide risk factors same as in civilian population

(Newser) - People in the military kill themselves for the same reasons civilians do and there is no clear link between combat or deployment overseas and the military's surging suicide rate , according to a new study. Researchers, who tracked 150,000 soldiers from 2001 to 2008, found that most of those...

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