DADT study will kick off debate on the hill today. And, new Army statistics show Guard soldiers’ suicide rate nearly doubles the 2009 rate.

DADT Study to Kick Off Hill Debate Today

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon study that argues that gay troops could serve openly without hurting the military’s ability to fight is expected to re-ignite debate this month on Capitol Hill over repealing the 17-year-old “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Guard soldiers’ suicide rate alarming; nearly double 2009 rate

National Guard soldiers who are not on active duty killed themselves this year at nearly twice the rate of 2009, marring a year when suicides among Army soldiers on active duty appear to be leveling off, new Army statistics show.

Russia’s Medvedev Warns of New Arms Race

MOSCOW — A new arms race will erupt if Russia can’t agree with the West about a joint European missile defense program, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned Tuesday in his annual address.

Presents ready for troops, but need postage

Charity organizations across the country have been collecting everything from blowup reindeer and hand-knit scarves to mp3 players and guitars all year long, planning to brighten the holidays for troops deployed far from home.

Signs of Diplomacy in North Korea Crisis

SEOUL, South Korea — A supercarrier sent jets into overcast skies Tuesday in U.S.-South Korean military drills that North Korea warned could spark war, but signs of diplomacy emerged alongside the tensions over last week’s deadly North Korean attack.

Yeonpyeong attack uniting South Korean public around harsher policy toward North

SEOUL – With a brazen daytime artillery barrage of a civilian-inhabited island, North Korea’s reclusive leaders may have achieved something that had previously eluded South Korea’s president, Lee Myung-bak: uniting the South Korean public around a more aggressive policy toward the North.

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.”