Military News Updates: 5/10/10

Headlines include a look Obama’s pick for the Supreme Court and the latest  insights into the attacks in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan.

Obama picks Elena Kagan for Supreme Court

Washington (CNN) — President Obama nominated Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court on Monday, picking her to fill the seat being vacated by retiring Justice John Paul Stevens.

Pakistan test-fires pair of ballistic missiles

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) — Pakistan has test-fired two ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the military said Saturday.

Afghan, NATO forces kill 2 insurgents, find weapons cache

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) – Afghan and international troops killed two insurgents who fired at them while leaving a mosque in southeastern Afghanistan, NATO-led forces said Saturday.

Louisiana to bulk-up islands ahead of Gulf slick

Louisiana National Guard Sgt. George Achee uses a bulldozer to create a earthen barrier as they try to protect an estuary in Lafourche Parish, La., on Sunday.

With the prospects dimming for capping the Deepwater Horizon oil well blowout anytime soon, federal, state and local officials are actively assessing a plan to quickly and massively shore up the battered barrier islands that protect the Louisiana marshlands.

FOX Slideshow: Police, Rioters Clash in Greece

At least three people have been killed in a serious of violent riots in the streets of Greece.  Nearly 100,000 protesters took to the streets as government officials agreed to spending cuts to help prevent the nation from declaring bankruptcy.

4 Beheaded in Planned Attack on US Base

KABUL — A NATO soldier, three Afghan army personnel and 16 insurgents were killed in separate clashes in Afghanistan, and Taliban militants beheaded four militiamen, officials said Sunday.

At Least 60 Killed in Iraq Attacks

BAGHDAD -– Iraqi police say two car bombs ripped through the city of Hillah south of Baghdad, killing at least 25 people and raising the death toll across Iraq to at least 60.

Combating the No. 1 killer of troops in Afghanistan

Improvised explosive devices — or IEDs — are the No. 1 killer of NATO troops in Afghanistan. And although more than 40 nations are fighting in the ISAF coalition there, none of them have the kind of experience and resources the U.S. has in finding and eliminating these deadly bombs by insurgents.

VA letter addresses burn pits, other hazards

A new 30-page Veterans Affairs Department training letter outlines a new policy for VA regional offices to use in determining benefits for veterans who have been exposed to environmental hazards, including burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

First Women Headed to Subs Feel Blessed

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland — The first female U.S. Naval Academy graduates who will be able to serve as officers aboard submarines said Thursday they feel ecstatic, thankful and blessed by the chance to break one of the military’s last gender barriers.