DOD promises to reign in contracting waste

WASHINGTON – Defense Department officials late Wednesday acknowledged “serious issues” behind a new report to Congress detailing up to $60 billion in wasted contracting funds, and said efforts have already begun to address those problems.

Petraeus: Budget cuts must not impair military

WASHINGTON — David Petraeus, the general widely credited with rescuing a failing U.S. war in Iraq, retired from the Army on Wednesday with a word of warning: Coming budget cuts must not impair the U.S. military’s ability to fight a full range of conflicts, from major land wars to Iraq-like insurgencies.

Iraq War marks first month with no U.S. military deaths

For the first time since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, an entire month has passed without a single U.S. service member dying, according to a story in The New York Times.

White House says Al-Qaida on the Ropes

WASHINGTON – On a steady slide. On the ropes. Taking shots to the body and head.

Group moves to halt attempts to reinstate DADT 

SAN DIEGO — The military’s ban on openly gay troops will be lifted within weeks, but the policy can still be re-enacted in the future.

Thousands of Servicemembers Honor Fallen SEALs

SAN DIEGO – Military officials say 2,000 members of the Navy, Naval Special Warfare and San Diego military communities attended a memorial service at a San Diego church to pay their respects to the 30 Americans killed Aug. 6 when their helicopter was downed in Afghanistan.

Yemen: U.S. strikes kill 30 al-Qaida suspects

SANAA, Yemen — Yemeni military and medical officials say 30 al-Qaida suspects have been killed in U.S. airstrikes and clashes with Yemeni soldiers in al-Qaida-held cities in the south.

August is deadliest month for US in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — August has become the deadliest month for U.S. troops in the nearly 10-year-old war in Afghanistan, where international forces have started to go home and let Afghan forces take charge of securing their country.

Female Vets Navigate Post-War Stress, Home Duties

America’s female veteran population has grown to an estimated 1.9 million, and the Department of Veterans Affairs projects 50,000 more servicewomen will join that population in the next five years. When they return, many will pick up where they left off, as mothers, wives and caretakers.