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• Pentagon grounds F-35 fleet after engine crack found

  February 22, 2013 3:33 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Pentagon grounded its entire F-35 fighter jet fleet today after a cracked engine blade turned up during an inspection. The Pentagon said the flaw was found at Edwards Air Force Base in California on an Air Force-issued F-35. There are other versions of the jet which... more »

• GOP lawmakers see automatic cuts as leverage

  January 30, 2013 4:18 AM

  WASHINGTON - Republican conservatives are driving a politically risky move to permit painfully large automatic budget cuts to strike the Pentagon and domestic programs alike in an effort to force Democrats into making concessions on the budget. It's a remarkable turnabout from last year, when GOP leaders were among the... more »

• White House says Obama supports women in combat

  January 24, 2013 3:50 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says allowing women to serve in combat marks another step toward the country's founding ideals of fairness and equality. Obama says in a written statement he expressed strong support for the decision to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who lifted the combat ban Thursday. Obama says... more »

• Panetta: Aircraft not close to stop Libya attack

  November 9, 2012 2:19 PM

  WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is telling Congress that the military did not have armed aircraft near Libya that could have helped defend against the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. In a letter to Republican Sen. John McCain... more »

• US officials say 2 warships moving toward Libya

  September 12, 2012 7:07 PM

  WASHINGTON - U.S. officials say the Pentagon is moving two warships to the Libyan coast, in the aftermath of the attack in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three others. Officials say one destroyer, the USS Laboon, moved to a position off the coast Wednesday, and the USS McFaul... more »

• Pentagon limits F-22 flights

  May 15, 2012 7:44 PM

  Flights of the F-22 advanced stealth fighter are now limited to regions where pilots can make quick landings if they experience oxygen problems. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made the decision after pilots complained about oxygen-deficit problems which have resulted in dizziness,blackouts and other symptoms that arise when the body doesn't... more »

• House OKs social programs cuts to aid Pentagon

  May 10, 2012 1:42 PM

  WASHINGTON - The GOP-controlled House has passed legislation to replace a looming 10 percent cut to the military budget with cuts to domestic programs like food stamps and health care. The partisan 218-199 vote sends the measure to the Senate, where it's a dead letter with Democratic leaders, who insist... more »

• More photos of troops posing with corpses

  April 18, 2012 9:01 AM

  WASHINGTON - In an embarrassment to the Pentagon, newly published photographs purport to show U.S. troops posing with the bodies of dead insurgents in Afghanistan. Top U.S. military and civilian officials rushed to condemn the soldiers' actions Wednesday, calling them repugnant and a dishonor to the sacrifices of hundreds of... more »

• Remains of some 9-11 victims went to landfill

  February 28, 2012 12:45 PM

  WASHINGTON - A new Pentagon report reveals that partial remains of some 9-11 victims were sent to a landfill after they could not be identified. The victims were among those killed when a terrorist-hijacked airplane struck the Pentagon, killing 184, and another crashed in Shanksville, Pa., killing 40. The report... more »

• First Lady to visit Pentagon

  February 15, 2012 8:47 AM

  WASHINGTON - First lady Michelle Obama is planning a visit to the Pentagon to promote more help for military spouses who often suffer higher unemployment than others because they move so much. Mrs. Obama will join Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other officials later Wednesday in talking about a new... more »

• Pentagon's first female policy chief quitting

  December 12, 2011 2:34 PM

  WASHINGTON - Michele Flournoy, the most senior female Pentagon official in history, told The Associated Press on Monday she is stepping down as the chief policy adviser to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. In an interview in her Pentagon office, Flournoy said she feels compelled to "rebalance" her personal life after... more »

• Accused Terrorist wants Bail

  November 14, 2011 7:40 PM

  A man accused of plotting to fly remote controlled model planes loaded with explosives into the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol wants bail. But prosecutors called Rezwan Ferdaus a "ticking time bomb" who was caught before he could carry out his plan. His lawyer says Ferdaus is a "mentally troubled" man... more »

• 9/11 Fraud

  August 29, 2011 7:19 PM

  A retired Navy Commander was found guilty of defrauding the victims' compensation fund by exaggerating his injuries after the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. Charles Coughlin was even honored for valor for going back inside the building to help others. He got $331,034 in compensation from the fund set up... more »

• Marines to be among first to leave Afghanistan

  July 6, 2011 12:49 PM

  WASHINGTON - The second-ranking U.S. commander in Afghanistan is providing new details on the planned pullout of U.S. troops this year. Army Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez told reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday that by the end of this summer the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment - based in... more »

• Officials: Man linked to DC-area shootings in 2010

  June 23, 2011 2:37 AM

  ARLINGTON, Va.- Officials say they have evidence linking a Marine reservist who was detained near the Pentagon last week to the 2010 shootings at several D.C.-area military buildings. The officials said Wednesday authorities are investigating Yonathan Melaku in the shootings. Melaku was detained Friday after he was spotted carrying a... more »

• Afghanistan troop cut this year likely near 10,000

  June 21, 2011 11:55 AM

  WASHINGTON - A senior U.S. defense official says the troop withdrawal to be announced Wednesday by President Barack Obama is likely to total two brigades this year, or roughly 5,000 troops this summer and another 5,000 by year's end. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Obama has... more »

• Pentagon Dreams of Star Trek

  June 16, 2011 8:04 PM

  The research agency at the Pentagon that helped foster the Internet now wants a dream come true for traveling to a distant star. The owner of the best idea gets half a million dollars. The plan is for interstellar travel in about a century. This month 150 people answered the... more »

• US: Islamic procedure followed in bin Laden burial

  May 2, 2011 11:29 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Pentagon says Osama bin Laden's body was placed into the waters of the North Arabian Sea after adhering to traditional Islamic procedures - including washing the corpse - aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. At a briefing for reporters at the Pentagon, a senior intelligence... more »

• Pentagon Clears McChrystal

  April 18, 2011 7:28 PM

  The Pentagon cleared retired general Stanley McChrystal of any wrongdoing after a profile in Rolling Stone Magazine got him recalled and dismissed as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. The investigation also called into question the accuracy of the article which quoted unnamed people around the general making disparaging remarks... more »

• Commander says civilians under attack in Libya

  March 22, 2011 1:20 PM

  WASHINGTON - The on-scene commander of the international coalition for Libya is confirming that civilians are under attack by government forces in Misrata, the North Africa nation's third largest city. U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear told Pentagon reporters Tuesday that the coalition is "considering all options" in light... more »

• House votes to let Pentagon sponsor NASCAR races

  February 18, 2011 1:28 PM

  WASHINGTON - The House has voted to let the Pentagon continue using taxpayer dollars to sponsor NASCAR race teams. By a 281-148 vote, lawmakers rejected an effort by Minnesota Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum that would have ended the practice. McCollum aides said the Army is spending $7 million... more »

• Foreign Cyber Intrusion

  February 15, 2011 7:20 PM

  The Pentagon says more than 100 foreign intelligence agencies have tried cyber intrusions, mostly to steal military plans and get information on weapons systems. Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynch predicts most of breaches may be more about theft and spying because foreign governments and rogue states may be worried about... more »

• WikiLeaks reveals sites critical to US security

  December 6, 2010 12:03 PM

  WASHINGTON - In a disclosure of some of the most sensitive information revealed by WikiLeaks so far, the website has released a secret cable listing sites worldwide that the U.S. considers critical to its national security. The locations cited in the diplomatic cable from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham... more »

• Gates downplays fallout of latest WikiLeaks dump

  November 30, 2010 2:30 PM

  WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he believes the damage to foreign policy because of a massive leak of diplomatic cables by the website WikiLeaks will be fairly modest. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other U.S. officials have said that the WikiLeaks disclosures have complicated the... more »

• NORAD: Mystery missile not a threat

  November 9, 2010 11:17 AM

  WASHINGTON - Whatever it was, it didn't represent a threat to the United States. That's according to a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, about what appeared to be a missile launched yesterday off the coast of Southern California. The agency says there was no launch... more »

• Military Base Security

  October 6, 2010 7:35 PM

  The Pentagon is taking steps to beef up security and surveillance at U.S. bases and will join the FBI intelligence-sharing program aimed at uncovering future terror attacks. This comes nearly a year after a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas where an Army Major killed 13 people. The military will... more »

• Top defense officials honor 9/11 Pentagon victims

  September 11, 2010 10:20 AM

  The nation's top defense officials remembered victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon, also honoring sacrifices the military has made in the war that followed that day's carnage. "We honor them with our presence and certainly with this memorial," Adm. Mike Mullen said at a Pentagon ceremony... more »

• New Fighting Vehicle

  August 25, 2010 7:51 PM

  The U.S. Marines showed off a new amphibious fighting vehicle called the EFV which will replace the aging AMTRACS. The EFV can carry 17 fully-outfitted Marines 25 miles from ship to shore faster than anything the branch has. Its in the reliability and road test phase at Camp Pendelton in... more »

• Military needs Suicide Prevention Office

  August 24, 2010 7:29 PM

  An independent task force report says the Pentagon needs to establish a new office of suicide prevention to help the military services decrease the high rate among troops. The report was ordered by Congress and revealed 1,100 members of the military killed themselves from 2005 to 2009. Sharp increases are... more »

• Investigation ties military workers to child porn

  July 23, 2010 1:28 PM

  The Defense Department says an investigation has identified dozens of members of the military and defense contractors, including those with top-level security clearances, as having obtained child pornography. The finding by investigators, released Friday by the Pentagon, is particularly alarming because many of the individuals would have access to... more »

• Pentagon: No worries about Russian nuke cheating

  July 20, 2010 11:52 AM

  A senior Pentagon official is dismissing the significance of any Russian cheating on a new nuclear arms treaty. James Miller, the Pentagon's leading authority on nuclear arms issues, told a Senate committee Tuesday that even large-scale Russian cheating would have no meaningful effect on U.S. security. He said... more »

• Pentagon concedes there's redundancy in intelligence community

  July 19, 2010 3:25 PM

  A Pentagon spokesman concedes that redundancy within the intelligence community is a "well known" problem. Col. Dave Lapan commented on a Washington Post investigation that found, among other things, that many intelligence agencies are doing the same work. Lapan says the intelligence community has grown since the Sept.... more »

• White House: July 2011 Afghan withdrawal 'firm'

  June 20, 2010 10:35 AM

  The Obama administration is reaffirming its pledge to begin pulling U.S. troops out of Afghanistan next summer. But the Pentagon and the White House are still saying different things about how many troops will leave - and when. President Barack Obama's chief of staff tells ABC's "This Week"... more »

• Gates: Veto possible of military gay ban bill

  June 20, 2010 10:31 AM

  Defense Secretary Robert Gates says President Barack Obama could end up vetoing legislation that would lift the ban on gays serving openly in the military. Obama supports repealing the law, and the White House has pushed for quicker congressional action than the Pentagon has favored. Gates also supports repeal.... more »

• US reconsidering pace of Iraq troop withdrawl

  May 11, 2010 12:30 PM

  Worries over violence fueled by Iraq's political instability have forced U.S. commanders to reconsider the pace of a major pullout this summer without overstepping a deadline to cut the military's presence by nearly half by the end of August. Under a plan by the top U.S. commander in Iraq,... more »

• Leave "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" alone for now

  April 30, 2010 8:37 PM

  Senior leaders at the Pentagon warned Congress not to tamper with the ban on gays serving openly in the Military. They say leave the current Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy the way it is for now. Both Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen say developing a... more »

• Oil Spill: Air Force gets order to help

  April 30, 2010 11:58 AM

  The Air Force has gotten the "green light" to dump chemicals on the oil spill threatening the Gulf Coast. The Pentagon approved the use of two C-130 Hercules cargo planes today. The planes were already on standby in Mississippi; they were sent from Ohio on Thursday to await... more »

• Navy sending equipment to help in oil spill cleanup

  April 29, 2010 12:49 PM

  The Navy is sending equipment to help clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and Navy bases are being used as staging areas for the operation. And that's just probably the beginning of a larger Pentagon effort to deal with the environmental disaster. Navy spokesman... more »

• Army considers rescinding invitation to Franklin Graham

  April 21, 2010 12:57 PM

  The Army says it's considering whether to rescind an invitation to evangelist Franklin Graham to appear at the Pentagon on the National Day of Prayer after a religious liberty group complained about his description of Islam as "evil." Col. Tom Collins says Army leaders were meeting Wednesday and that... more »

• Muslims object to Pentagon prayer event speaker

  April 20, 2010 8:45 PM

  Muslims who work at the Pentagon object to evangelist Franklin Graham speaking at the National Day of Prayer observance at the building because of his past description of Islam as "evil." The Military Religious Freedom Foundation also wants to limit the Pentagon's ties with the National Day of Prayer Task... more »

• Women on submarines

  February 23, 2010 2:45 PM

  The Pentagon has moved to lift a ban on women serving on Navy submarines. Congress was notified of the Navy's intent by the Defense Secretary. Congress has 30 days to weigh in on the matter. The policy keeps women from serving only on submarines. The thinking is a... more »

• U.S. scrapping missile shield for Czech, Poland

  September 17, 2009 6:30 AM

  The Pentagon confirmed that the U.S. is shelving plans to put a radar system on Czech territory and is also dropping plans to put 10 interceptor missiles in Poland. The Bush administration had said the missile shield was a strategic way to counter a threat from Iran or another rogue... more »