Marines now eligible to receive Purple Heart for TBI

WASHINGTON — It’s no longer necessary for Marines suffering from mild traumatic brain injuries to have been knocked unconscious to qualify for a Purple Heart, a retroactive change that could affect thousands of troops who have served in battle since Sept. 11, 2001.

Destroyer Squadron CO Fired Over Relationship

The commander of a destroyer squadron deployed with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group has been relieved of command pending an investigation into accusations of an inappropriate relationship, the Navy announced Monday.

NATO denies strike was an attempt to assassinate Gaddafi

The commander of NATO operations in Libya said Tuesday that alliance bombers attacked a large government compound in Tripoli on Monday to destroy command and control nodes, and not to assassinate Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.

Pendleton Marines turn the tide in the ‘Fallujah of Afghanistan’

A young Afghan man stood on the side of a narrow dirt lane, the San Diego Union-Tribune writes, watching an open-top truckload of U.S. Marines head into a volatile neighborhood in this river valley town coveted by Taliban insurgents and drug lords.

Audit: Afghans unsure how many police on rolls

WASHINGTON — A U.S. audit says Afghan authorities don’t know how many police they have or whether everyone getting a police salary is actually doing the job, a situation ripe for abuse and waste of international donations.

Taliban tunnels at least 480 out of Afghan prison

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban militants tunneled at least 480 inmates out of the main prison in southern Afghanistan overnight, whisking them through a 1,000-foot-long underground passage they had dug over months, officials and insurgents said Monday.

Holly Petraeus: An Army Wife Takes Command

One of the first people hired to work at the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a small, quiet, unassuming woman named Holly Petraeus.

Military Documents Detail Life At Guantanamo

Thousands of pages of previously secret military documents about detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison now put a name, a history and a face on hundreds of men in captivity there. The documents include details on 158 men on whom no information has ever been released.

Pendleton Marines turn the tide in the ‘Fallujah of Afghanistan’

A young Afghan man stood on the side of a narrow dirt lane, the San Diego Union-Tribune writes, watching an open-top truckload of U.S. Marines head into a volatile neighborhood in this river valley town coveted by Taliban insurgents and drug lords.

Group works to give veterans proper burials

Arthur Uffman had just turned 24 when he joined the Army in January 1941. He never rose above the rank of private first class, but he served honorably overseas, most likely with the Army Air Forces in England. His wife, Pauline, passed away in 1992, and Arthur died two years later. Their bodies were cremated, and an Arizona mortuary worker placed their ashes on a shelf.

Airstrike Badly Damages Gadhafi Compound

TRIPOLI, Libya — NATO airstrikes targeted the center of Moammar Gadhafi’s seat of power early Monday, destroying a multi-story library and office and badly damaging a reception hall for visiting dignitaries.

Iran, Iraq Sign Extradition Agreement

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran and Iraq on Sunday signed agreements to return each others’ detainees, which could lead to the forced repatriation of an Iranian opposition group based in Iraq, Iranian state TV reported.

U.S. military officials want to keep 10,000 troops in Iraq

Senior U.S. military officials in Iraq want to keep 10,000 troops there beyond the end of the year, but talks between both countries are faltering because Iraqi officials worry that a continued U.S. presence there will inflame sectarian tensions, according to the Wall Street Journal.