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- Pentagon offers limited benefits to same-sex partners of US troopsThe Pentagon said Monday it will offer benefits, for the first time, to same-sex partners of military personnel. Hospital visitation and on-base child care are part of the package; health care and housing are not.
Chuck Hagel, John Brennan threatened with Senate 'hold.' What's that?GOP Sen. Lindsay Graham may put a 'hold' on Senate votes to confirm Chuck Hagel to head the Pentagon and John Brennan the CIA, citing a need for more information about the Benghazi, Libya, terrorist attacks. How that would work.
Cybersecurity: how preemptive cyberwar is entering the nation's arsenalIn addition to authorizing the use of cyberweapons, the White House is preparing an executive order to beef up cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, such as the electric grid, refineries, and telecommunications.
McCain pounds Chuck Hagel in Senate confirmation hearingAt the confirmation hearing for Chuck Hagel as Defense secretary, Sen. John McCain took a particularly robust line of questioning, asking him about his views on the surge in Iraq.
Pentagon's budget nightmare: How each branch would handle sequester cuts With the threat of a mandatory, across-the-board series of cuts known as sequestration looming over the Pentagon, each of the services has begun its worst-case-scenario planning. Here is where the cuts stand now:
Women could be great Navy SEALs, says head of Special OpsThe head of Special Ops has indicated his support for integrating women into the elite force. The necessity, he adds, is ensuring that all special operators are in peak physical condition.
Women in combat units: Could it reduce sexual assault in the military?Ending the ban on women in combat removes a barrier to gender equality and could create more respect for women within the ranks, some say. Sexual assault is a major problem for the military.
Women could serve in combat in AfghanistanThe plan to let women serve in combat does not have any firm timeline. But it's possible implementation could begin before the Afghanistan war ends, one official says.
Women allowed in combat: Will that mean it's less safe for men?Critics say that opening combat to women will create pressure to lower standards so that women can meet them. Backers say that equal treatment will attract more serious women athletes.
Women in combat: Will they have to register for the draft?That may be a difficult question from a societal standpoint, but the answer is straightforward, according to a legal analysis. On Thursday, the Pentagon will lift its ban on women in combat.
How the Air Force is fighting sexual assault, post-Lackland scandalThe sexual assault scandal at Lackland Air Force Base, the subject of a House hearing Wednesday, is prompting the service to grapple with the need for change. Here's an inside look at how the Air Force is going about it.
Pentagon lifting ban on women in combat, opening new opportunitiesChiefs of the individual service branches are being told to submit a plan to implement the new policy to the secretary of Defense by May.
Algeria hostage crisis: frustration for US military, and maybe regretsA disastrous hostage rescue effort by Algeria's military this week underscores the Pentagon's difficulties in working with its counterparts in parts of Africa. But the US can't criticize too loudly: It needs Algeria as an ally to fight terrorism in the region.
Pentagon a quiet force in gun-control debate. What does it want?The Pentagon has already successfully taken on the NRA over a pro-gun congressional measure that it didn't like. Now some retired officials are speaking out in the gun-control debate.
Senate 'old boy' network is misfiring on Hagel nominationWhile senators typically support their own in confirmation hearings,聽聽that is not the case for former Senator Hagel, whose nomination to be secretary of defense is under heavy fire.
US 'fully committed' in Afghanistan, Panetta says. But no troops after 2014?Afghan President Hamid Karzai meets with President Obama Friday in the wake of a 'zero option' being floated for US troops. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Mr. Karzai met at the Pentagon Thursday.
Chuck Hagel, Vietnam vet: Would time as a 'grunt' be a plus at Pentagon?If confirmed by the Senate, Chuck Hagel would become the first Vietnam veteran 鈥� and the first enlisted soldier 鈥� to hold the post of Defense secretary. To many military veterans, that matters.
WikiLeaks: Bradley Manning was treated improperly in lockup, judge rulesBut the military court declined to throw out the case against former Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, who faces trial for allegedly facilitating the largest leak of classified documents in US history.
Obama's 'in your face' cabinet picks: why he chose Chuck Hagel, John BrennanPresident Obama officially nominated Chuck Hagel for Defense secretary and John Brennan for CIA chief Monday. Each brings a unique view of the organization he would lead.- Do war-weary troops have drinking problem? Marines launch get-tough policy.Recent Pentagon surveys indicate that after a decade of war, a 'shocking' number of troops say they're heavy drinkers. On-duty Marines found with even low levels of alcohol will be sent for counseling.