Gates seeking to contain military health costs. Citing deficit, Obama calls for freezing federal worker pay.

Senior NCO Busted for Unauthorized Medals

A senior noncommissioned officer with the North Carolina National Guard will be leaving the service a stripe lighter as a result of a Guard and Army investigation into his wearing unauthorized unit patches, tabs, decorations and badges.

Citing deficit, Obama freezing federal worker pay

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Monday called for freezing the pay of 2 million federal employees, saying the move is the first of many difficult decisions that must be made to slash the nation’s mounting deficits.

Gunman Turns on Troops in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan border police officer opened fire on NATO troops during a training mission in the east of the country Monday, killing six NATO servicemembers before he was shot dead, NATO and Afghan officials said.

SKorea Cancels Island Artillery Drills

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s military said Monday that new artillery drills planned for the front-line island targeted in last week’s deadly North Korean bombardment were postponed, hours after authorities on the island announced the exercises.

US Tries to Contain WikiLeaks Damage

WASHINGTON — The release of more than 250,000 classified State Department documents forced the Obama administration into damage control, trying to contain fallout from unflattering assessments of world leaders and revelations about backstage U.S. diplomacy.

Gates Seeking to Contain Military Health Costs

WASHINGTON — Francis Brady enjoys a six-figure salary and generous benefits at the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, but as a retired Marine lieutenant colonel he and his family remain on the military’s bountiful lifetime health insurance, Tricare, with fees of only $460 a year. He calls the benefit “phenomenal.”