WASHINGTON - American military personnel are working around the clock to deliver relief supplies to earthquake-stricken regions of Pakistan, Pentagon officials said.

WASHINGTON - President Bush praised Italy as a strong partner for peace following a meeting with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi here today.

WASHINGTON - Fran O'Brien's Stadium Steakhouse in the Capitol Hilton here was the place to be Oct. 28, as the restaurant owners expressed appreciation for the troops and had the favor returned.

WASHINGTON - Despite a desperate media battle in Iraq, terrorists are failing to stop Iraqis from advancing on the political and security fronts, a senior military official in Baghdad told reporters Oct. 30.

WASHINGTON - Four U.S. soldiers from Task Force Baghdad were killed today when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the Yusufiyah district, southwest of Baghdad, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces foiled a terrorist ambush in an area northwest of Baghdad late Oct. 29, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier was killed Oct. 29 when enemy fighters fired on an Afghan and U.S. patrol north of Lwara, along the Pakistani border in eastern Afghanistan, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - As Iraqis marked another political milestone this week with the approval of a new constitution, President Bush stressed that success of the Iraqi government is critical to winning the war on terror and protecting the American people.

WASHINGTON - Three U.S. soldiers died in two incidents in Iraq today. Combined Iraqi and coalition security operations continue throughout the country.

WASHINGTON - Some 7,000 Marines of the headquarters of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force will relocate from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam over the next six years as part of recommendations accepted by the United States and Japan today.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney traveled to Robins Air Force Base, Ga., today to thank the troops there personally for their contributions to the war on terror and recent national disasters around the world.

WASHINGTON - American, Uruguayan, Brazilian, Argentinean and Spanish sailors are swapping salty tales while practicing seamanship and battle skills during an annual multinational naval exercise now being conducted off the coast of Brazil.

WASHINGTON - The United States and Europe are paying increasing attention to the problems of Africa, NATO's supreme allied commander for operations, said.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The compound within the 10-foot-tall mud walls resembles a basic training-meets-OK Corral ghost town. Barbed wire is snarled around posts low to the dirt, a concrete tunnel keeps vermin out of the sun, and small ramps and stairs to nowhere stand like monoliths.

WASHINGTON - Improvements in the Iraqi security situation since 2004 are amazing, a senior military official serving in Iraq said, noting the increase in number and proficiency of the security forces.

WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers with 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, killed one enemy and detained two others who were to trying to plant roadside bombs today in the Waza Khwa district of Afghanistan's Paktika province, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Considerable progress has been made in bolstering security across north-central Iraq as increased numbers of trained Iraqi forces are taking the fight to insurgents, a senior U.S. military officer told Pentagon reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush opened a major speech about the war on terror today by praising the military and crediting veterans for the solid example they've set for today's troops waging a fight he said the United States won't abandon.

WASHINGTON - Four U.S. servicemembers died in three separate incidents Oct. 27 in Iraq, military officials reported.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan - Afghan National Army medics teamed up with deployed U.S. military medics and doctors and members of a civil affairs team to provide basic medical assistance to four villages in Afghanistan's Khowst province Oct. 24 through 27.

WASHINGTON - A total of 2,939 new police officers graduated from basic police training courses throughout Iraq and in Jordan this week, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - While Iraq's political process moves forward and its security forces become more capable, a less dramatic but equally critical effort is under way and proceeding steadily, a defense official said today.

WASHINGTON - America's top intelligence official unveiled the blueprint for improving the intelligence community's information gathering and assessment capabilities for the 21st century.

WASHINGTON - Some public- and private-sector medical professionals were able to gain a much better understanding of the role of medical personnel during an Oct. 19 visit to observe detainee operations at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Defense Department's senior medical official said here Oct. 26.

WASHINGTON - Insurgents targeted the Baghdad's Palestine Hotel for its inherent media value, a senior U.S. military official said today during a news conference in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - As residents turn back their clocks one hour this weekend and revert to standard time, defense safety officials urge them to change the batteries of their smoke alarms, too.

WASHINGTON - Three U.S. soldiers were killed in action and four others were wounded in two separate incidents in Iraq Oct. 26, coalition officials in Baghdad announced today.

WASHINGTON - Ending a nearly two-year process, the Defense Department has presented the final National Security Personnel System regulation to Congress.

WASHINGTON - The military is not interested in fairness when it comes to warfighting, a senior Navy officer said here today.

WASHINGTON - Spectators going to the Virginia Tech vs. Boston College football game Oct. 27 will not only see a game with Bowl Championship Series implications, but a chance to help children in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Improving the process that provides servicemembers with correct pay and allowances is part of the Defense Department's plan to modernize its business practices, senior DoD transformation officials said here today.

WASHINGTON - The services are working to better coordinate operations when more than one service is firing on a common target.

WASHINGTON - Members of the Afghan National Army are helping Pakistan recover from the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck South Asia Oct. 8.

WASHINGTON - A coalition air strike that hit a terrorist safe house today in Ushsh, Iraq, likely killed a senior al Qaeda member who assisted foreign fighters in Iraq, U.S. officials in Baghdad announced.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier was killed in a vehicle accident near Camp Bucca in southern Iraq on Oct. 25, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. is determined to deny radical groups the support and sanctuary of outlaw regimes like Syria and Iran, President Bush said here today.

WASHINGTON - A majority of Iraq's citizens have approved their country's new constitution, an event the top U.S. diplomat called "a remarkable story."

ORLANDO, Fla. - National Guard soldiers from the Carolinas and New York are providing air and communications support to Florida in the wake of Hurricane Wilma.

WASHINGTON - Servicemembers stationed or deployed overseas have a new resource for solving financial problems. JPMorgan Chase and Co. has launched a telephone hotline for its military customers overseas.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today told attendees at a military spouses luncheon here that they and their husbands and wives deserve a clear strategy for victory over global terrorism.

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops serving in the war against terrorism "all rely on the love and support of their families," President Bush said at a gathering of military spouses at Bolling Air Force Base here today.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's "Montana" is home in Mongolia.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The top enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army arrived here earlier this month to discuss soldier issues with Afghan National Army senior noncommissioned officers.

WASHINGTON - Military officials today released more details about the three car bombs that detonated near the Palestine and Sheraton hotels in central Baghdad early Oct. 24.

WASHINGTON - Information is as important in the global war on terrorism as bullets and bombs, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Oct. 24.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - Cecilia Johnson was the "new kid on the block" at her new job. It was 1984, and she had just entered civil service as a secretary at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department kicked off its "Red Ribbon Week" observance here today, highlighting efforts to fight the scourge of drugs by awarding the annual Secretary of Defense Community Drug Awareness Awards.

WASHINGTON - More than 1,000 U.S. servicemembers will soon be assisting earthquake relief efforts in Pakistan, a senior U.S. officer told Pentagon reporters here today.

SHANNON, Ireland - Dr. Neil Fruman didn't realize how much of an impact a trip to military installations around the world had made on him until, during an airport stopover in Ireland on the way home Oct. 22, he saw a group of soldiers headed to Iraq.

WASHINGTON - With insurgent attacks down and voter participation up on Oct. 15, Iraq's constitutional referendum is being viewed as a security and participation success, a senior military official said in a news conference in Iraq on Oct. 23.

WASHINGTON - A U. N. investigative report that points to Syrian complicity in the murder of a former senior Lebanese official "is deeply troubling," the United States' top diplomat said Oct. 21.

WASHINGTON - More than 3,000 Florida National Guard soldiers and airmen have been mobilized and 3,000 more are on alert, Gov. Jeb Bush said today as Hurricane Wilma's eye was finishing its rapid journey across the southern part of the Florida peninsula.

WASHINGTON - A combination of rockets and car bombs exploded near the outer walls of the Palestine and Sheraton hotels in downtown Baghdad today, military officials reported.

ROYAL AIR FORCE STATION MILDENHALL, England - For one participant in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, the visit here Oct. 21 wasn't just an introduction to the Air Force; it was a mini family reunion.

WASHINGTON - Coalition raids conducted today in western Iraq produced two car bombs and four suspects, U.S. officials said.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Hurricane Wilma reached Florida's western coast around 6:30 a.m. today with sustained winds of about 125 mph.

WASHINGTON - Four servicemembers were injured when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter made a hard landing during combat operations in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province on Oct. 22, officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition and Iraqi forces nabbed 31 suspects and discovered several bombs in operations across Iraq conducted between Oct. 21 and today.

WASHINGTON - The Navy continues preparations for Hurricane Wilma's landfall in Florida, with three ships on a 96-hour alert for possible humanitarian relief, a Navy spokesperson said today.

VILNIUS, Lithuania - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld assured Ukraine's defense minister today the United States will continue its efforts to help the former Soviet state make the reforms necessary for it to qualify for NATO membership.

VILNIUS, Lithuania - Allegations like those lodged this week against soldiers in Afghanistan accused of mistreating Taliban fighters' dead bodies - whether true or not - can cause tremendous harm to the United States and need to be resolved quickly, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters traveling with him here today.

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia - A group of almost 200 Mongolian Army soldiers got a personal thank you today from U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for their service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld applauded Mongolia's efforts to enhance its peacekeeping capabilities here today, reaffirming to Mongolian Defense Minister Sharavdorj a commitment that the United States "is anxious and willing and ready" to assist.

WASHINGTON - Three Marines were killed in two combat operations in Iraq on Oct. 21.

WASHINGTON - The military continues preparations for the predicted Monday Florida landfall of Hurricane Wilma.

WASHINGTON - The provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan have been pivotal in the resurgence of society there, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe said here Oct. 20.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi army needs to develop a dependable logistics system and a professional cadre of noncommissioned officers, the top U.S. military commander in Baghdad said today.

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany - Before U.S. European Command soldiers deploy to Iraq to fight the war on terror, Timothy Maples makes sure they're ready.

WASHINGTON - Evoking President Ronald Reagan's leadership of America's resolve in confronting communism during his two terms in office, President Bush said today that Islamic radicalism is doomed to fail as communism did.

WASHINGTON - Members of Joint Task Force Guantanamo are ensuring detainees get special consideration for religious requirements of observing Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, which began Oct. 4 and runs to Nov. 3 this year.

WASHINGTON - A well-known artist visiting the nation's capital for the dedication of the "Extra Mile" monument celebrating volunteers went an extra mile himself last week.

WASHINGTON - Local, state and federal officials are taking all steps necessary to protect life and property in advance of Hurricane Wilma.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces detained five terrorists and seized a large weapons cache today when they raided a suspected al Qaeda safe house northwest of Qaim, Iraq, military officials reported.

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq - Take a design engineer, a project manager and a construction company. Drop them into Iraq's mountainous north and hand them a "mission, impossible": Turn a relic of an old military fort into an internment facility ready to receive 1,000 detainees within eight weeks.

ABOARD THE USS MOUNT WHITNEY - Business leaders participating in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference today got to visit a one-of-a-kind Navy ship and sail off the coast of Naples, Italy.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Oct. 28 is the last day for certain members and some former members of the National Guard and Reserve to purchase Tricare Reserve Select medical coverage.

WASHINGTON - "Veterans make great employees" was the clear message from the Labor Department at a National Press Club event here Oct. 20.

WASHINGTON - Preemptive raids conducted by U.S., other coalition and Iraqi forces in and around the Iraqi capital before the Oct. 15 referendum helped limit insurgent attacks on voting day, the U.S. military commander for troops in Baghdad said today.

MIANASHIN, Afghanistan - The paratroopers had spent the afternoon carrying box after box down from the ridgeline, but several large loads still needed to be transported. With daylight rapidly disappearing, the company seemed to have run out of options. Luckily, that is when "donkey man" showed up.

WASHINGTON - American helicopters are running sorties "from dawn till dusk," the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan said during a news conference Oct. 20.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Five soldiers will vie for the "Military Idol" title Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. EDT at Fort Gordon, Ga.

SEOUL, South Korea - U.S. and South Korean defense leaders today revalidated the alliance that's helped keep peace on the Korean peninsula for more than 50 years and explored ways to improve it to better meet changing world circumstances.

WASHINGTON - Three Marines and a soldier assigned to a Marine expeditionary force were killed in Iraq on Oct. 20, military officials reported.

SEOUL, South Korea - Just as the entire U.S. military and its basing strategies are undergoing change, so too is the half-century-old relationship between U.S. and Republic of Korean forces that protects the Korean peninsula, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today told troops serving here.

FORT LEE, Va. - Commissary shoppers looking for a different kind of gift for friends or family at home or abroad can now shop online at the "Virtual Commissary."

SEOUL, South Korea - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today told an enthusiastic group of almost 1,000 servicemembers serving in Korea that just as they and the troops who served before them have brought freedom to the South Koreans, U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq are helping to bring freedom to Iraqis.

SEOUL, South Korea - Economic woes and severe fuel shortages are having a significant impact on North Korea's military training, and increased economic and political cooperation between North and South Korea appears to be reducing tensions along the demilitarized zone that separates the two countries, the top U.S. general here told reporters.

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany - Business professionals and civic leaders on a tour of military installations got a closer look Oct. 19 at what many leaders call the Army's most valuable resource: the American soldier.

WASHINGTON - NATO is moving from the principle of collective defense to the principle of collective security, the alliance's top general said here today.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The Army Criminal Investigation Division continued its investigation today into alleged misconduct by U.S. servicemembers, including the burning of two dead enemy combatant bodies under inappropriate circumstances, said officials.

WASHINGTON - Afghanistan is NATO's No. 1 mission, the alliance's supreme allied commander for operations said during a Pentagon interview today.

SEOUL, South Korea - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived here today to take part in consultative talks aimed at assessing the U.S.-South Korean military alliance, South Korea's increasing defense capabilities, and the allies' capability to deter aggression from North Korea.

WASHINGTON - Increased numbers of Iraqi security forces and government-implemented precautions combined to thwart insurgents' desire to stop the Iraqi Oct. 15 constitutional referendum, a senior U.S. military officer said today in Baghdad.

BEIJING - The roadblocks to military transformation "are enormous," and overcoming them requires leaders who believe in and advocate the changes being introduced, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told members of China's Academy of Military Science here today.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is working to stem the rising cost of its military health system, which has essentially doubled since 2001, a senior defense health official said.

WASHINGTON - Five more U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq, military officials in Baghdad reported.

BEIJING - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld urged members of China's Academy of Military Science today to share information that could shed light on its military programs and, hopefully, eliminate concerns by the United States and other nations.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - The Army Criminal Investigation Division has begun an investigation into alleged misconduct by U.S. servicemembers, including the burning of dead enemy combatant bodies under inappropriate circumstances.

LANDSTUHL, Germany - A group of civilians on a worldwide tour to see the military works took time out today to thank young troops who have been injured in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The military is in a position of watchful waiting as Hurricane Wilma churns through the Caribbean.

WASHINGTON - In the summer of 1982, Mustafa Hassan Ali al-Doujaily watched the Iraqi army enter his hometown. Soldiers flattened date palm and fruit orchards and surrounded the town for months, beating and intimidating the populace into submission with systematic harassment, kidnappings and killings.

WASHINGTON - The coming year should witness more Iraqi security forces taking on insurgents and securing territory as a lasting democratic system is established, the senior U.S. diplomat told a Senate panel here today.

WASHINGTON - Jan Packwood was a strong supporter of the Guard and Reserve long before he became president and chief executive officer of IdaCorp and Idaho Power, a commitment that's deepened since he watched several employees and his two sons deploy to Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Saddam Hussein is getting something he didn't give his victims - a fair trial.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Commissary Agency and the Fisher House Foundation have teamed up again to offer educational scholarships to children of military families and retirees.

BEIJING - Defense officials are calling Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's visit to China's Strategic Rocket Forces headquarters today a historic event that they hope signals China's willingness to be more open about its military.

BEIJING - Defense leaders of the United States and China committed today to working to improve their countries' defense relationship, bringing it up to par with progress in the political and economic realms.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier was killed and two others were wounded in a roadside-bomb during a combat logistics patrol Oct. 18 near Iskandariyah, Iraq, military officials reported.

STUTTGART, Germany - Business professionals traveling with the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference expressed pride and confidence in U.S. troops after meeting with U.S. special operations forces at Panzer Kaserne Range Complex here Oct. 18.

BEIJING - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld challenged China's military buildup here today, telling Communist Party members the speed and scope of the expansion "understandably leads other nations to question China's intentions."

WASHINGTON - Defense officials have lauded Sears, Roebuck and Co. for the many benefits they provide employees who have been called to the colors.

WASHINGTON - President Bush shared a Ramadan dinner with U.S. and overseas Muslim leaders at the White House Oct. 17.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Freedom soldier was killed by small-arms fire in Mosul, Iraq, early today, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The Joint Civilian Orientation Conference will eventually expose participants to all branches of the military, but the group's first day was a "Marine day."

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Albert Davis of Largo, Fla., may have retired from the U.S. Navy in 1973, but he's still serving his country and doing all that he can for the military. For the last 15 years, he and his wife Barbara have been diligently baking loaves of banana bread for American troops serving around the world.

WASHINGTON - The spearhead element of Task Force 212, U.S. Army, Europe's medical response to the Oct. 8 earthquake in Pakistan, left Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Oct. 17 aboard a Russian cargo plane.

WASHINGTON - Two Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), were killed by small-arms fire near Rutbah, Iraq, Oct. 17.

WASHINGTON - A group of civilian business professionals and politicians embarked Oct. 17 on a weeklong trip meant to familiarize them with the military.

BEIJING - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived here today to continue building on an evolving relationship between the United States and the People's Republic of China, which he acknowledged has faced "ups and downs" but has become increasingly important to long-term security in the region and the world.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Defense today debuted a new joint, national awareness campaign aimed at encouraging parents, and other influencers of youth, to be prepared for what can be a tough conversation, a defense official said.

WASHINGTON - A letter from al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri, intended for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al Qaeda terrorist leader in Iraq, chided Zarqawi for some of his tactics.

WASHINGTON - America's employers are inextricably linked to the nation's defense, and their support is essential to fighting and winning the global war on terrorism, the secretary of the Army said here Oct. 15 at a banquet honoring the year's most supportive employers of National Guard and Reserve servicemembers.

WASHINGTON - All Americans enjoy their freedoms today "because there are thousands and thousand of troops protecting us," the U.S. military's top general said at the National Italian American Foundation's annual awards dinner here Oct. 15.

WASHINGTON - American businesses "thrive in the climate of freedom that we have," a senior corporate executive being lauded for supporting citizen soldiers said at an Oct. 14 gathering of executives at the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON - A case concerning colleges' right to receive federal funding but bar military recruiters from campuses because of disagreements over homosexual policy is scheduled to be argued before the Supreme Court this session.

WASHINGTON - Since soldiers of 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, took over operations in the Khadamiyah district in western Baghdad Sept. 10, they've been conducting patrols every day, contributing to the security of Iraq.

WASHINGTON - A Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), died when his vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device in Saqlawiyah, Iraq, on Oct. 15.

WASHINGTON - The Fisher House organization uses more than a million frequent flyer miles per week in distributing free round-trip airline tickets to families of war-wounded servicemembers being treated in military and Veterans Affairs medical facilities across the country.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is en route to Beijing, China, today to meet with Chinese leaders and discuss mutual security interests and ways to improve the two countries' military-to-military relationship.

WASHINGTON - President Bush congratulated the Iraqi people Oct. 16 for the success of their constitutional referendum Oct. 15.

MANAMA, Bahrain - The U.S. military continues ferrying food, water, clothing, medicine, tents and other essential life-saving supplies to Pakistani earthquake victims.

WASHINGTON - Critics of the Iraq War allege that there was no connection between Iraq and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. But Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice maintains the attack and actions in Iraq are linked.

WASHINGTON - U.S military forces in Iraq are staying on the offensive after completing security operations in support of that country's landmark, Oct. 15 constitutional referendum, officials said.

WASHINGTON - Officials are counting the votes in Iraq's historic constitutional referendum and people are asking whether the people of Iraq have accepted or rejected their new constitution.

WASHINGTON - Acting on intelligence sources and tips from concerned citizens, coalition forces detained 24 terrorists and killed at least 12 others in a series of raids near Ramadi on Oct. 14, officials said.

WASHINGTON - With Iraqi election officials and Iraqi security forces leading the way, millions of Iraqis streamed to the polls today to vote on their country's constitution.

WASHINGTON - The millions of Iraqis who voted in their country's landmark Oct. 15, 2005, constitutional referendum have dealt a catastrophic blow to the worldwide al Qaeda terrorist network, which would like to subjugate them and the entire Middle East to a jihadist, terrorist tyranny, President Bush said today in his weekly radio address.

WASHINGTON - Passion for his country, pride in his soldiers and acceptance of his own personal sacrifice are traits exuded by Col. Abbas Fadhil, the Iraqi military commander in Taji, Iraq, a senior Defense Department official recalled here after meeting him in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Years from now, the Iraqi people may look on Oct. 15, 2005, as the beginning of their new lives under freedom.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad unit patrolling in southern Baghdad immediately responded to a terrorist mortar attack on a polling site Oct. 13 by returning fire to drive the terrorists away, military officials reported today.

MANAMA, Bahrain - The USS Pearl Harbor made a brief port stop here today, where sailors loaded 13 pieces of heavy equipment bound for Pakistan.

WASHINGTON - If the political system in Iraq holds together, the military development will be successful, a senior U.S. military officer said Oct. 13.

SAN ANTONIO - The National Football League's New Orleans Saints -- displaced by Hurricane Katrina -- invited Brooke Army Medical Center's amputee-care patients to attend a recent practice at the Alamodome here.

WASHINGTON - American and Iraqi troops in Taji, Iraq, are working together to ensure a safe environment for Iraqis to vote in the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum.

WASHINGTON - A group of high-achieving high school students interested in future careers in defense, intelligence or diplomacy got a peek behind the scenes at Pentagon operations here Oct. 12.

WASHINGTON - A new Army Reserve command that streamlines the way medical forces are trained and managed is slated to stand up this weekend in Pinellas Park, Fla.

WASHINGTON - With Iraq's constitutional referendum set to take place Oct. 15, military officials noted the successes of Operation River Gate in setting conditions for secure voting in the country's Anbar province.

WASHINGTON - Representatives of the nation's top organizations in supporting their Reserve and National Guard employees are here today to meet President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and to receive the 2005 Secretary of Defense Freedom Award.

WASHINGTON - This holiday season, military members serving overseas will have a chance to send their love to their families in a very special way, thanks to a Denver-based nonprofit organization.

WASHINGTON - The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman will spend more time listening than talking, he said during a Pentagon interview Oct. 11.

WASHINGTON - A new Defense Department report sent to Congress today cites strong forward momentum in developing Iraq's security forces, noting a 50 percent increase in the number of troops capable of taking the lead in combat operations.

WASHINGTON - U.S., coalition and Iraqi forces are disrupting terrorist operations in Iraq, including al Qaeda efforts in that country, a senior U.S. military officer said today.

WASHINGTON - For young men and women fighting the war on terrorism, coming home in good health is a major goal, but coming home to a good job also is a primary concern, Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson said during a news conference today announcing a VA jobs program for transitioning servicemembers.

WASHINGTON - U.S. military units continue to support relief operations in Pakistan following the devastating earthquake that struck South Asia Oct. 8.

ARLINGTON, Va. - The sailors who died on board the USS Cole in a terrorist attack were remembered Oct. 12 at Arlington National Cemetery on the fifth anniversary of the attack.

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today he is convinced the Nicaraguan military has done all it can to secure roughly 1,000 Soviet-era missiles remaining in Nicaragua.

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. - Central American defense and security ministers meeting here this week with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld are planning to take several agreed-upon recommendations back to their home countries for further discussion.

WASHINGTON - President Bush said today he's looking forward to coming back to Iraq to visit with U.S. troops and to thank "those brave Iraqis who are standing strong in the face of these foreign fighters and radicals that are trying to stop the march of freedom."

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Liberty soldier died of injuries suffered when a combat patrol struck an improvised explosive device near Dujayl, Iraq, at about 1 p.m. today, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised Afghanistan for "inspiring the world with its march toward democracy," then assured the people of Pakistan that the United States will support it not just in its immediate hour of need, but for the long term.

WASHINGTON - With the Iraq constitutional referendum just days away, Iraqi security and coalition forces are taking steps to establish safe and secure conditions so all citizens can participate in the democratic process, a senior military official told reporters in Baghdad Oct. 12.

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. - Challenges facing Central America and other Western Hemisphere countries "cannot be successfully dealt with by any one country alone," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told a gathering of defense and security ministers here Oct. 12.

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. - Iraqi leaders have reached an agreement that could lead to stronger Sunni support for a proposed constitution Iraqis will vote on Oct. 18, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters here today.

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. - Security threats in Central American countries "impede development, discourage investment and sabotage economic opportunities," the general in charge of U.S. efforts in Latin America said here today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today accused the Syrian government of looking the other way as suicide-bent insurgents flow across its border into Iraq to commit mayhem.

WASHINGTON - When five unmanned vehicles crossed the finish line last weekend after a 132-mile race through the Mojave Desert, they signaled more than just a technological breakthrough.

WASHINGTON - The Army was about 6,600 recruits shy of meeting its active duty enlisted recruiting goal for fiscal 2005, but a revamped recruiting system is causing the numbers to go back up, an Army Staff officer said here Oct. 11.

WASHINGTON - Two 1st Corps Support Command soldiers were killed and another was injured today when their vehicle rolled over while conducting a combat logistics patrol near Balad, Iraq, military officials reported.

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld suggested to military men and women at a town hall meeting here Oct. 11 how they might answer questions stemming from "growing confusion and some misunderstanding" about the global war on terror.

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - Eight U.S. military helicopters are in Pakistan providing heavy-lift capabilities in disaster-relief operations after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake devastated large swaths of the country Oct. 8, the chief of U.S. Central Command said today.

MOUNT VERNON, Va. - It's the oldest military decoration in America and no one wants to receive it. The U.S. military awards the Purple Heart to men and women wounded or killed in action. Eight soldiers undergoing treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center received the award here today at the home of the man who instituted it in 1782 - George Washington.

WASHINGTON - When former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein goes to trial Oct. 19 to face charges of crimes against humanity, he'll be tried by Iraqi judges in "a completely Iraqi-led process," State Department officials told reporters here today.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - A top Defense Department official was pleased DoD components returned home from the four-day Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference here that ended Oct. 8 with stacks of resumes from college students and recent college graduates interested in DoD civilian careers.

WASHINGTON - Sections of New Orleans that had been under water after levee-system failures following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are now dry, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman said here today.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - A Defense Department civilian personnel recruiter explained DoD employment options to college students and recent graduates during the 17th annual Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation conference, which ended here Oct. 8.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today thanked military members for their work during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and expressed pride in their service.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice thanked U.S., French and Spanish troops in Kyrgyzstan today for their role in helping to safeguard fledgling democracies and supporting the war on terror.

TAMPA, Fla. - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has dispatched a senior U.S. general to assess relief efforts in hurricane-stricken Guatemala, officials said today as Rumsfeld prepared to travel to Miami for a meeting of Central American defense and security ministers.

WASHINGTON - The deputy secretary-general of the Arab League was among a group of delegates who came under attack Oct. 10 from small-arms fire in northwestern Baghdad, , military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and coalition forces netted 98 terror suspects and several weapons caches in separate operations Oct. 9, 10 and today in Baghdad, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces are continuing to provide earthquake rescue, recovery and relief in Pakistan, and the Defense Department is establishing a Humanitarian Coordination Center in Islamabad to coordinate military support for the effort, U.S. Central Command and Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier was killed and another was wounded during a firefight with enemy forces near Shinkay, Afghanistan, Oct. 9, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - A Task Force Baghdad soldier was killed today when a suicide car bomb detonated outside a checkpoint near the International Zone in Baghdad, military officials reported.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The first relief supplies from the United States arrived here on a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport jet less that 48 hours after the devastating earthquake that left thousands dead and thousands more injured.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today expressed his condolences to those affected by the Oct. 8 earthquake that killed at least 20,000 people in South Asia and pledged the Defense Department's help "to ease the suffering and assist in search and rescue operations."

WASHINGTON - Combined Forces Command Afghanistan, at the request of Pakistan's government, will send U.S. Army helicopters and support personnel to Pakistan to help with emergency recovery operations in the wake of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck south Asia Oct. 8, coalition military officials here announced today.

WASHINGTON - Country music fans phoned WMZQ radio throughout the day Oct. 8 asking one question: would the heavy rains stop the Tribute to the Troops?

WASHINGTON - A Marine assigned to the 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), was killed in action when the vehicle he was in was attacked with an improvised explosive device in Ramadi, Iraq, Oct. 8, military officials reported.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The commander of the Naval Safety Center was recognized here Oct. 7 as one of the nation's best and brightest engineers and scientists during the 17th Annual Hispanic Engineers National Achievement Awards Conference.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - An officer assigned to Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., was named this year's most promising military engineer at the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference here Oct. 7.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier was killed Oct. 7 by an explosion near Geresk in Afghanistan's Helmand province, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Two soldiers assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), died of wounds suffered from small-arms fire while participating in Operation River Gate near Haqlaniyah, Iraq, Oct. 7, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The United States wants its NATO allies to change the rules of engagement for its troops in Afghanistan as the alliance prepares to take over a more dangerous area, defense officials said this week.

WASHINGTON - The experiences of hurricanes Katrina and Rita hammered home the need for people all over the United States to aid one another. But how does that work in an area where people not only are not used to working together, but also have a long history of hate?

WASHINGTON - Information from Iraq collected by the U.S. military and passed through the chain of command to other U.S. federal agencies was part of New York City's decision to announce a security alert on its mass transit system, defense officials confirmed today.

WASHINGTON - Sixteen-year-old Travon A. Turner always dreamed of working for the Defense Department as an engineer, creating nonlethal weapons for the military. But he thought that dream would never become reality because he didn't want to serve in the armed forces.

WASHINGTON - As Defense Department officials predicted, insurgents in Iraq have stepped up their attacks as important Iraqi elections approach, senior DoD officials told reporters here Oct. 6.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials know they'll save taxpayers money with the new "radio frequency identification" tracking system. But, because of a lack of experience with RFID technology, experts don't yet know exactly how much money will be saved, a top logistics official said.

WASHINGTON - Alan F. Estevez never dreamed the low-level civil-service job in Bayonne, N.J., that he accepted shortly after college would lead to the high-level, important position he holds today.

WASHINGTON - Multinational Force West, in Iraq's Anbar province, has sufficient strength to complete all its missions, including providing security for the country's Oct. 15 constitutional referendum and the December elections, the unit's commander said today.

WASHINGTON - A young boy will keep his leg, thanks to limb-saving surgery conducted in late September at the American hospital at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - Three major offensive operations are ongoing in Iraq, as Iraqi security forces and coalition troops continue weeding out terrorists and eliminating weapons that threaten ongoing progress in the country, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Six Marines were killed in action by improvised explosive devices Oct. 6 in Iraq, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Iraq's security forces are better organized and more combat-ready than they were a year ago, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters here Oct. 6.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - In an effort "to take the Pentagon to the people," the Defense Department hosted a luncheon here Oct. 6 in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and coalition officials are doing their best to halt shipments of bomb-making materials, expertise and individuals into Iraq, DoD officials said in a Pentagon news conference today.

WASHINGTON - Health officials estimate the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 killed 50 million people worldwide -- more than died in World War I. Now President Bush is concerned that a strain of avian flu that has killed millions of birds in Asia could mutate and cross over to humans.

WASHINGTON - Four years ago, America launched its counterattack against terrorism, hammering terrorist targets in Afghanistan and ushering in Operation Enduring Freedom and the global war on terror.

WASHINGTON - The "dewatering" of New Orleans should be complete today, the Army's top engineer said during a news conference here today.

WASHINGTON - Army Sgt. Iris Smith won a gold medal Sept. 30 in the women's 158.5-pound freestyle division of the 2005 World Wrestling Championships at Budapest, Hungary.

WASHINGTON - The war on terror is focused on Islamic radicalism, not Islam, President Bush emphasized today as he called on Muslim leaders around the world to denounce what he called the terrorists' "murderous ideology."

ARLINGTON, Va. - Naval Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Ty Redmon starts each day at the Military Severely Injured Center with a new life-changing challenge.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today outlined the comprehensive strategy he said is showing progress in the global war on terror and will ultimately lead to victory over extremism.

WASHINGTON - Coalition and Iraqi security forces are committed to providing a secure environment for Iraqis to participate in the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum, and they have the abilities to do so, a military spokesman in Baghdad said today.

WASHINGTON - An American soldier was killed today by an improvised explosive device during a patrol in northern Baghdad. Elsewhere, Operation River Gate, in western Iraq, and other anti-insurgent operations across the country continue.

WASHINGTON - Just as terrorists "regard Iraq as the central front in the war on humanity," the United States must recognize it as "the central front in our war on terror," President Bush said in a speech here today to the National Endowment for Democracy.

WASHINGTON - Servicemembers who bought their own protective gear will get reimbursed for the purchase under a new policy approved Oct. 4.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi and coalition troops operating in and around Baghdad seized 31 weapons caches in September, constituting the largest monthly haul of ordnance in that area since May, when 54 caches were uncovered, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon Memorial Fund is expected to get a boost in donations through a series of online auctions offered through eBay that began Oct. 5.

WASHINGTON - After circling the globe more times than she can count, taking musical headliners around the world to entertain U.S. servicemembers in remote locations, the driving force behind the "Stars for Stripes" program said it's easy to stay pumped up about the effort.

WASHINGTON - The 2nd Marine Division launched Operation River Gate in the cities of Haditha, Haqlaniyah and Barwana in Iraq Oct. 4, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The Army's new noncommissioned officer of the year credits a strong commitment to training and the warrior ethos with developing him as an effective leader.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi security forces have made enormous progress over the past 16 months, the U.S. Army general who oversaw their training for more than a year said during a Pentagon news conference today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. servicemembers fighting in the global war against terrorism are "directly engaging the enemies of the United States" who have considered themselves to be at war with America since long before Sept. 11, Vice President Richard B. Cheney said here today.

WASHINGTON - The devil may have gone down to Georgia, but the Charlie Daniels Band went to the Association of the U.S. Army convention here Oct. 4 to pay a musical tribute to the troops and thank them for their service.

WASHINGTON - Representatives from the Afghan National Police will travel to the United States later this week to become familiar with how civilian and military police operate in America.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Long layovers between flights can be challenging, but servicemembers passing through Ted Stevens International Airport here can seek refuge in the Atwood Military Lounge.

WASHINGTON - President Bush said today he's pleased with the progress Iraqis are making in developing a military capable of handling the security challenges of the future.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and Iraqi police and military personnel stopped a car bomb from reaching its intended target Oct. 4 in Baghdad's fortified International Zone, U.S. military officials in Iraq said.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld will host a Central American defense ministers conference at Key Biscayne, Fla., Oct. 12 and 13, Defense Department officials said today.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military's weapons-development and acquisition programs are broken and need big fixes, a senior Defense Department official said here Oct 3.

WASHINGTON - President Bush vowed today to work with Congress to ensure U.S. troops "have what they need to win the war on terror." Bush called success in Iraq "really important for our future," because Iraq is a key battlefield in a larger, global struggle against terrorism.

WASHINGTON - In an effort to boost Hispanic representation within its civilian workforce, the Defense Department is sponsoring career fairs in Puerto Rico specifically designed to recruit Hispanic professionals.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The chief of the Afghan National Army's General Staff will represent his nation as he travels to the United States later this week to visit three U.S. Army posts.

WASHINGTON - After 15 months in Iraq and a deployment to Afghanistan that landed him in the hospital recovering from gunshot wounds, Army Sgt. Erik Aass is anxious to join his fellow soldiers in supporting what he considers an important cause.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi troops assigned to a public-order brigade and U.S. Army soldiers fought off more than 40 insurgents in southern Baghdad this morning.

WASHINGTON - The American Security Council Foundation recently launched "Project Freedom" to highlight the accomplishments being made by American servicemembers in the war on terror.

WASHINGTON - The war on terror underlies every word in the Chairman's Guidance to the Joint Staff.

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - America is not a country that takes its military for granted, and its citizens do realize the tremendous sacrifices servicemembers have made and continue to make, Vice President Richard B. Cheney said here today.

WASHINGTON - Multinational Force Iraq officials today called claims "patently false" by al Qaeda in Iraq that two U.S. Marines were kidnapped in western Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces health-care professionals provided medical assistance to Afghan people in the Qalat area Oct. 2, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials said.

WASHINGTON - The second day of Operation Kabda Bil Hadid, or "Iron Fist," resulted in successful engagements against terrorists in and around Sadah, about 12 kilometers east of the Syrian border, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported Oct. 2.

WASHINGTON - A physics professor, allegedly working as a terror cell leader in west Baghdad, was one of seven suspected terrorists detained during an early-morning raid Oct. 2, military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON - A full accountability check is under way today following what is believed to be a false al Qaeda claim of having kidnapped two U.S. Marines in western Iraq, Multinational Force Iraq officials said today.

WASHINGTON - The first day of Operation Kabda Bil Hadid, or "Iron Fist" in English, saw several successful engagements against al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists operating in and around Sadah, approximately 12 kilometers east of the Syrian border, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported Oct. 1.

WASHINGTON - American soldiers today discovered and seized a cache of munitions buried in a field near Balad, Iraq, Multinational Force Iraq officials said today.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi soldiers and police are increasingly becoming more capable of taking over security duties from U.S. and coalition troops, the U.S. military's top ground commander in Iraq said on two talk shows today.

WASHINGTON - Enemy forces killed an American soldier and an Afghan National Army soldier during fighting north of Kandahar, Afghanistan, Sept. 30, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials said today.

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. John Abizaid noted on NBC's "Meet the Press" today that events are moving forward in establishing a free and democratic Iraq since Saddam Hussein was deposed by U.S. and coalition military force.

WASHINGTON - The government of Afghanistan has announced a dramatic increase in its reconciliation program applicants in the wake of successful parliamentary elections, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - A force of about 1,000 Marines, soldiers and sailors from Regimental Combat Team 2 today mounted an operation against a known terrorist sanctuary in the western Anbar province town of Sadah, in the al Qaim region approximately 12 kilometers from the Syrian border, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Two U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq died today from explosions, while recent U.S. raids in and around Baghdad yielded 18 suspected terrorists and contraband ordnance.

BAGHDAD - In the dead of night Sept. 24, Iraqi police with the 2nd Public Order Brigade conducted their first raid without oversight by coalition forces.

WASHINGTON - The United States has a plan for victory in Iraq that's starting to pay dividends, President Bush said today during his weekly radio address to the nation.