NATO takes over air operations as CIA works the ground in Libya. And, 11 employers partner in a commitment to hire 100,000 veterans by 2020.

NATO takes over air operations as CIA works the ground in Libya

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) — NATO took sole command of air operations in Libya on Thursday as CIA operatives worked the field to connect with rebel fighters who have seen their surge toward Tripoli impeded.

Jet Engine Explodes, Injuring 10 on Carrier

SAN DIEGO — The engine of a fighter jet preparing to take off from an aircraft carrier in the Pacific exploded and injured 10 Sailors, the military says.

Officials ask: Do GI Bill transfer rights help retention?

More than 180,000 service members are approved to share Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits with spouses or children, but defense officials remain concerned that the ability to transfer unused benefits to family members is not enough to prevent troops from leaving the military to use the benefits themselves.

Employers promise 100,000 jobs for vets

A partnership of 11 companies, led by financial services firm JPMorgan Chase, has committed to hiring 100,000 military veterans by the end of 2020.

US Mulls Rebel Aid as CIA Sends Teams In

WASHINGTON — While the White House debates whether to arm rebels battling Moammar Gadhafi’s troops, U.S. officials have acknowledged that the CIA has sent small teams of operatives into Libya and helped rescue a crew member of a U.S. fighter jet that crashed.

Radiation slows recovery of dead near Japan plant

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (AP) — In the shadow of Japan’s struggle to stem radioactive leaks from its stricken nuclear complex, police in white moon suits pull bodies of tsunami victims from an evacuated zone in halting work interrupted by radiation alarms.

Cybersecurity breach may leave DOD networks exposed

WASHINGTON — Some Pentagon computer networks might have been laid open to intruders as a result of a recent electronic break-in at one of the nation’s most prominent cybersecurity firms.

DoD: Libya Mission Has Cost US $550M So Far

WASHINGTON — The military intervention in Libya has cost the U.S. Defense Department an extra $550 million so far, mostly for bombs and missiles, officials said Tuesday.

U.S. officials consider arming Libyan rebels

Officials from the White House, State Department and Pentagon are asking themselves a critical question, The New York Times reports, one that might well dictate how the campaign in Libya will play out. Should the United States arm the anti-Gadhafi rebels?

Karzai blasts US troops for gruesome Afghan deaths

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s president on Wednesday condemned the actions of a group of U.S. soldiers charged with murdering three unarmed Afghans, charging they killed for entertainment after taking drugs.

Rodriguez tapped for fourth star, FORSCOM command

WASHINGTON — Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez, the No. 2 commander of the Afghanistan War for the last two years, has been nominated to receive his fourth star and take command of U.S. Army Forces Command in Fort McPherson, Ga.

Appeals Court Overturns Gitmo Detainee Release

WASHINGTON — U.S. appeals court judges rejected a Guantanamo Bay detainee’s defense on Tuesday because they found it unlikely that he was an innocent who repeatedly just happened to find himself at hot spots where the United States was engaged against al-Qaida.

Deployments Cost NC a Seat in Congress

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina is losing out on a congressional seat and future tax dollars because so many of its military personnel were deployed during the U.S. Census and counted in population totals for other states, according to an Associated Press review.

Gunmen Kill 56 in Iraq Hostage Siege

BAGHDAD — Gunmen wearing military uniforms over explosives belts charged into a government building in Saddam Hussein’s hometown in an attack that left 56 people dead, including 15 hostages who were shot execution-style.

General: Military taking precautions to protect troops from radiation

TOKYO, Japan — The U.S. military constantly is monitoring radiation levels in Sendai to ensure its troops are not receiving dangerous doses of radiation from the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, the commander of the American military effort said Monday night.

Unyielding President Leaves Some Unswayed

President Obama on Monday offered a resolute answer to a question that has been on the minds of many war-weary Americans over the past 10 days: Why did we mobilize the U.S. military in Libya? And why now?