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• Lawmaker wonders about NKorea leader's 'stability'

  March 17, 2013 12:06 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee says the U.S. just doesn't know about "the stability" of North Korea's young leader, who has threatened pre-emptive nuclear attacks on Washington. Republican Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan says Kim Jong Un is trying to "prove himself" to his military... more »

• Military benefits extended to same-sex partners

  February 11, 2013 1:53 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Pentagon officials say the department is not extending some housing benefits to same-sex partners of service members because the issue requires more review and military leaders are worried that it might be unfair. The Pentagon is detailing a number of other benefits that will be extended... more »

• Army teams going to Africa as terror threat grows

  December 24, 2012 11:10 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A U.S. Army brigade will begin sending small teams into as many as 35 African nations early next year, part of an intensifying Pentagon effort to train countries to battle extremists. The teams will be limited to training and equipping efforts, and won't be permitted to conduct... more »

• Firsthand account of Bin Laden mission selling fast Play Video

  September 4, 2012 8:29 PM

  Pentagon officials say the Navy SEAL's account of the mission killing Osama bin Laden contains classified information. Press Secretary George Little told reporters Tuesday that after an official review of the book it was determined to have "sensitive and classified" information, according to the Associated Press. The book, "No... more »

• Obama: Military budget deal unlikely by November

  August 20, 2012 9:09 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says he doesn't believe Congress can reach a deal before the November elections that avoids deep cuts in military spending, but says he is optimistic that reductions won't occur. Obama says he has made sure that service members don't lose pay or benefits and... more »

• Military looks to help livestock producers by buying more meat

  August 13, 2012 8:17 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - It appears that Meatless Mondays haven't really caught on in the U.S. military. The Pentagon is looking into increasing its meat purchases to take advantage of lower prices and to help ranchers struggling with drought. Under orders from President Barack Obama, the Defense Department may buy more... more »

• Senate panel OKs $604 billion defense bill

  July 31, 2012 12:29 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A Senate panel has approved a $604 billion defense spending bill that reverses proposed Pentagon cuts in Air Force personnel and equipment. The Appropriations defense subcommittee approved the bill by voice vote Tuesday. The measure would provide $511 billion for the base budget and $93.3 billion for... more »

• Labor Dept. says no need for warning on layoffs

  July 30, 2012 7:28 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Labor Department says federal contractors do not have to warn their employees about potential layoffs from across-the-board budget cuts Jan. 2. A guidance letter sent Monday says it would be "inappropriate" for employers to send such warnings because it is still speculative if and where the... more »

• Panetta says Syria's Assad hastening own demise

  July 29, 2012 5:12 PM

  TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says Syrian President Bashar Assad is hastening his own demise by using helicopter gunships to kill civilians. Panetta said the tactic ultimately will be "a nail in Assad's coffin." The Pentagon chief commented to reporters Sunday en route from Washington to... more »

• Admin discipline recommended in Quran burning

  June 19, 2012 6:32 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Associated Press has learned that a U.S. military investigation is recommending that as many as seven U.S. troops face administrative punishments, but not criminal charges, in the burning of Qurans at a U.S. base in Afghanistan in February. U.S. military officials say the classified report and... more »

• CU, Mines get Pentagon grants for equipment

  May 9, 2012 4:13 PM

  DENVER (AP) - The Defense Department has award grants for equipment to researchers at the University of Colorado and the Colorado School of Mines. The grants were among 190 announced by the Pentagon on Tuesday. Individual amounts weren't listed, but they total $54.7 million and average $288,000. The CU grants... more »

• Soldier collapses while Skyping with wife, she sees possible bullet hole

  May 6, 2012 1:15 PM

  DALLAS (AP) - The family of an Army officer serving in Afghanistan said Sunday his wife saw a bullet hole in the closet behind him after he collapsed during a Skype video chat. Capt. Bruce Kevin Clark's brother-in-law Bradley Taber-Thomas released a statement saying Clark's wife, Susan Orellana-Clark, was talking... more »

• Reported sexual assaults in military rose 1 pct

  April 13, 2012 4:43 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon says the number of sexual assaults reported in the U.S. military last year rose by 1 percent over 2010. In its annual report to Congress on sexual assaults, the Pentagon also said a growing proportion of military members who are disciplined for committing sexual offenses... more »

• US preparing to restart military aid to Yemen

  March 10, 2012 12:38 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon is developing plans to restart programs that would fund military training and equipment in Yemen, nearly a year after they were shut down due to escalating chaos in the embattled country. While no agreements have been cemented, U.S. defense officials say military assistance, which could... more »

• Supreme Court hears Stolen Valor arguments; local case hangs in the balance Play Video

  February 22, 2012 8:34 PM

  The U.S. Supreme Court is taking up the question of whether the Stolen Valor Act is constitutional. It's a law designed to punish people who lie about being war heroes. The case, hearing arguments on Wednesday, is against Xavier Alvarez; a man who falsely claimed at a public meeting... more »

• Expert says reported military cuts may not be too bad at Fort Carson Play Video

  January 26, 2012 12:42 AM

  Some big changes could be on the horizon for Fort Carson and Southern Colorado as a whole. The Pentagon is cutting its budget around $260,000,000,000 over the next five years. Military sources have leaked that as part of budget cuts, the Army plans to reduce the number of combat brigades... more »

• Army to slash combat brigades

  January 25, 2012 1:16 PM

  Washington (AP) U.S. officials say the Army plans to slash the number of combat brigades from 45 to as low as 32, broadly restructuring its fighting force to save money. This move would cut the service by about 80,000 soldiers. Officials say the sweeping changes will likely increase... more »

• Manning's status as gay soldier key to intel leak defense

  December 18, 2011 10:41 AM

  FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) - Lawyers for the Army private charged in the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history say he was influenced by his struggles with being a gay soldier. The military hearing continued Sunday to determine whether Pfc. Bradley Manning will stand trial at a... more »

• Change of command at Fort Carson

  November 16, 2011 4:06 PM

  The role of Commanding General at Fort Carson has changed hands; Major General David Perkins turned over power to Major General Joseph Anderson in a ceremony Wednesday morning on the Mountain Post. Maj. Gen. Anderson will be in charge of the Army's 4th Infantry Division as well as Fort... more »

• Debt forcing defense cuts, but where?

  October 12, 2011 5:11 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - With a nation deep in debt and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan winding down, the military knows it's in for painful spending cuts. But where? One potential target is the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the next generation, supersonic aircraft for the Air Force, Marines... more »

• Feds: Mass. man planned to blow up Pentagon

  September 29, 2011 3:16 AM

  BOSTON (AP) - A 26-year-old Massachusetts man has been arrested and accused of plotting to destroy the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol with large remote-controlled aircraft filled with explosives. Rezwan Ferdaus of Ashland was arrested Wednesday in Framingham when undercover federal agents delivered materials he'd requested for his alleged... more »

• AFA dedicates new 9/11 memorial with a piece of the WTC

  September 10, 2011 12:26 AM

  Many of this year's incoming freshmen at the U.S. Air Force Academy were born in 1993; making them eight years old during the September 11th terrorist attack. One cadet pointed out that she didn't know exactly what was going on, but the panic and distress left an impact on her.... more »

• Local couple shares stories from 9/11

  September 9, 2011 1:23 AM

  After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, all U.S. flights were grounded just after 9 a.m. However Marta Hannon was one of the few that left that morning; she flew from Washington D.C. to Newark, New Jersey. "I remember looking down at New York and I kept thinking,... more »

• Jury finds naval officer guilty in 9/11 fraud case

  August 29, 2011 4:36 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A retired naval officer honored for his valor during the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon has been found guilty of defrauding the victims' compensation fund by exaggerating his injuries. A jury found retired Cmdr. Charles Coughlin guilty Monday of fraud and stealing public money after... more »

• AFA instructor shares memories from the Pentagon on 9/11

  August 27, 2011 12:37 AM

  Air Force Colonel Marty France saw his first images of the 9/11 terrorist attacks like many, on the television screen; but soon the chaos was at his door step -- working at the Joint Chiefs of Staff office in the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Col. France was in the... more »

• Guard group unhappy over choice of new NORAD chief

  August 3, 2011 3:51 PM

  DENVER (AP) - An association of National Guard officers is criticizing the Pentagon for passing over two National Guard generals in choosing a new commander for NORAD and Northern Command. The National Guard Association of the U.S. said Wednesday it has nothing against the officer who got the job,... more »

• Pentagon chief worries about partisanship's impact

  June 19, 2011 3:47 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - After 40 years of working for presidents from both parties, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he's learned that it takes bipartisan support to succeed in national security and foreign affairs. What worries Gates as he prepares to step down this month as Pentagon chief is how... more »

• Man found with gun and suspicious package near Pentagon

  June 14, 2011 6:39 AM

  ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - Virginia State Police say a motorist found with a gun and what appeared to be a suspicious package near the Pentagon has been taken into custody. Police say a trooper saw the vehicle backing up on a southbound Interstate 395 ramp around 8:30 p.m. Monday. Police... more »

• Gates: Defense spending about to decline

  May 24, 2011 6:10 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates says defense spending is about to enter a steep decline that may force the Pentagon to abandon some military missions, shrink the armed forces and perhaps limit America's role in the world. In one of his final policy speeches before retiring next... more »

• Initial bombing called successful; endgame unclear

  March 20, 2011 5:43 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A senior Pentagon official says U.S. and allied attacks in Libya have been very effective in degrading Moammar Gadhafi's ability to threaten planes enforcing a no-fly zone over the North African country. Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney told reporters Sunday that attacks were especially effective... more »

• No immediate impact from Pentagon cuts in Springs

  January 7, 2011 12:16 PM

  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - The Pentagon's plans to cut defense spending aren't expected to have a big immediate impact on Colorado Springs. The Defense Department on Thursday announced a proposal to freeze its growing budget to help the nation reduce its massive deficit. The plan is based on... more »

• Pentagon plans to shrink budget over next 5 years

  January 6, 2011 3:33 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates will cut $78 billion from the Pentagon budget in the next five years, money that will come from shrinking the military's ground force, increasing health care premiums for troops and other potentially unpopular cost-saving measures. The plan, announced Thursday, identifies a separate... more »

• New rules on gays in military expected today

  October 21, 2010 2:49 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - By day's end, the Pentagon could have some new guidelines on gays in the military. A judge last week told the military to stop enforcing "don't ask, don't tell" -- prompting the Pentagon to tell recruiters to accept applications from gays. But now, an appeals court... more »

• Pentagon locked down after 'possible shots fired'

  October 19, 2010 12:05 PM

  Pentagon entrances were locked down early Tuesday after a report of possible shots fired near the building. Major Chris Perrine, a Pentagon spokesman, says a civilian reported he may have heard shots at about 5 a.m. EDT on the south side of the massive Defense Department headquarters. Perrine... more »

• Colorado refused waiver on military ballots

  August 27, 2010 3:20 PM

  The Pentagon has told Colorado Secretary of State Bernie Buescher that it has denied a waiver to exempt the state from a federal requirement to mail ballots to military service members overseas 45 days before the November election. Spokesman Rich Coolidge confirmed that Colorado's waiver request has been denied.... more »

• Virginia politicians voice outrage over Pentagon cuts

  August 10, 2010 8:21 AM

  Lawmakers are reacting swiftly and fiercely to news that the Pentagon's belt-tightening could mean lost military jobs in their districts. Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants to shutter a major command that employs some 5,000 people around Norfolk, Va., and to eliminate other jobs throughout the military. Gates says the... more »

• Pentagon move imperils Colorado Springs jobs

  August 9, 2010 4:05 PM

  Thousands of Colorado Springs jobs depend upon the defense industry. No doubt, a shiver went through offices around the city Monday when Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced a ten percent cut in the use of Defense and Homeland Security contractors next year. Secretary Gates also announced the elimination of... more »

• Pentagon demands website stop posting classified military documents

  August 6, 2010 8:12 AM

  A website that solicits leaked government secrets hasn't replied to calls and e-mails seeking comment on the Pentagon's demand that it cancel any plan to publish more classified military documents. The Defense Department also told the website WikiLeaks to pull back tens of thousands of secret Afghan war longs already... more »

• Legal group: Gays shouldn't answer Pentagon survey

  July 8, 2010 9:29 AM

  An advocacy group for gays in the military is warning those services members not to answer a Pentagon survey seeking opinions on repeal of the policy that bans homosexuals from serving openly. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said Thursday that troops could be accidentally outed by answering the survey.... more »

• White House considers military gay rules again

  May 24, 2010 1:44 PM

  The White House is talking with gay rights activists, lawmakers and Pentagon officials about a push to hasten the repeal of a ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. The group was meeting Monday at the White House to discuss a faster pace to end the... more »

• Pentagon and Ft. Carson discussing Warrior Transition Unit

  April 26, 2010 1:04 PM

  Fort Carson is hosting U.S. Army Medical Command on Post to discuss Warrior Transition Unit initiatives and Soldier care on Monday, according to a press release. The Army created the Warrior Transition Units in 2007 to manage care of Soldiers requiring extensive treatment of wounds, injury and illness. ... more »

• Group wants Pentagon to limit ties with Colorado Springs group

  April 20, 2010 3:02 PM

  A watchdog group is demanding the Pentagon cancel plans for an evangelist to speak at a National Day of Prayer observance, citing his past description of Islam as "evil." The Military Religious Freedom Foundation said Tuesday that Muslims who work at the Pentagon objected to evangelist Franklin Graham's planned... more »

• Volcanic ash delays wounded troop flights

  April 19, 2010 1:32 PM

  The Pentagon says that medical evacuation flights out of Afghanistan are taking eight hours longer because of the cloud of volcanic ash hanging over Europe. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Monday that the military is using the Navy's Rota Air Base in Spain, instead of Ramstein Air Base in... more »

• Troops question impact if gay ban is lifted

  April 6, 2010 3:52 PM

  Troops are asking what changes are in store for them if Congress lifts a ban on openly gay service. A working group tasked by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to examine the impact on lifting the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" policy convened its first survey meeting Tuesday with rank-and-file... more »

• Discharging gays to draw more scrutiny in military

  March 25, 2010 11:16 AM

  Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he has approved a series of changes in how the Pentagon implements the law banning gays from serving openly in the military. The changes would make it harder to discharge a gay person for violating the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy by putting... more »

• Changes coming on enforcement of military gay ban

  March 23, 2010 4:03 PM

  Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell says that the Defense Department is close to changing how it enforces its policy on "don't ask, don't tell," which bans gays from serving openly. In February, Defense Secretary Robert Gates directed his legal counsel to suggest ways to relax enforcement of the policy,... more »

• Gates orders study of Pentagon 'information ops'

  March 23, 2010 2:20 PM

  Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asked for a wide-ranging study of the Pentagon's information operations and given officials just 15 days to complete it. The review comes amid a separate Pentagon investigation into whether an official hired private contractors to run an off-the-books spy operation for tracking suspected insurgents... more »

• Officer credits God for protecting him at Pentagon shooting

  March 5, 2010 12:10 PM

  One of the two police officers shot by a gunman outside the Pentagon says he is doing fine and credits God for shielding him. Pentagon police Officer Jeffery Amos declined to answer questions about the shooting when reached by telephone by The Associated Press. Officials said Amos and Officer... more »

• UPDATE: Shooting near Pentagon

  March 4, 2010 7:34 PM

  Two Pentagon police officers were shot Thursday night at a Pentagon subway station. The officers returned fire, hitting the suspect. The injuries to the officers are said to be non-life threatening. The alleged shooter is said to be in critical condition. The suspect has been identified as 36-year-old John... more »

• Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania dies at 77

  February 8, 2010 3:04 PM

  A spokesman says Democratic Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a retired Marine Corps officer who became an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, has died. He was 77. He had been suffering complications from gallbladder surgery. In 1974, Murtha became the first combat veteran of the Vietnam War... more »

• Pentagon working to implement Obama's repeal of policy on gays

  January 28, 2010 12:59 PM

  The Pentagon says it's working on a plan for ending the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. In Wednesday night's State of the Union address, President Barack Obama urged Congress to repeal the ban, saying it's "the right... more »