WASHINGTON - Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sends his annual Independence Day message to the men and women of the armed forces.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld sends his annual Independence Day message to the men and women of the armed forces.

WASHINGTON - Iraq's soldiers and police are steadily gaining in capability so they can one day take charge of their country's security, a senior U.S. military officer said from Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - Three soldiers and a Marine were killed in action over the past two days in Iraq, military officials reported, and the Defense Department has identified three earlier Iraq casualties.

WASHINGTON - The Army's Criminal Investigation Command is looking into allegations that coalition soldiers killed an Iraqi family of four in their home near Mahmudiyah, Iraq, military officials here announced today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Afghanistan today killed 14 enemy fighters at a Taliban safe house and killed one enemy fighter and captured eight others in a separate raid, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - More than 1,000 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard were involved in water rescues, evacuations and other emergency operations during the past days as widespread flooding caused a disaster emergency to be declared in 46 of the state's 67 counties.

WASHINGTON - The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City is celebrating the Fourth of July with its third annual Red, White and Blue Festival.

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa - More than 1,000 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard were involved in water rescues, evacuations and other emergency operations during the past days as flooding caused a disaster emergency to be declared in 46 of the state's 67 counties.

WASHINGTON, DC - More than 1,000 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard were involved in water rescues, evacuations and other emergency operations during the past days as widespread flooding caused a disaster emergency to be declared in 46 of the state's 67 counties.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City is celebrating the Fourth of July with its third annual Red, White and Blue Festival.

WASHINGTON, DC - Today marks our 230th year as a Nation. Our founders envisioned this great Nation as a democracy, a concept that has come to define America. To echo the words of President Ronald Reagan, "Independence Day is more than just the birthday of a Nation. It serves as the commemoration of a revolution that changed the very concept of government."

WASHINGTON, DC - More than two centuries ago, groups of patriots gathered in halls and in farm houses to debate the course of a young nation's destiny. Their journey was a difficult one. Early in their pursuit of freedom, a man named James Allen wrote in his diary, "Many thinking people believe America has seen its best days." But, many other Americans thought better, and the result of their determination was a government dedicated to the inherent equality of all people and their unalienable right to liberty.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraq's soldiers and police are steadily gaining in capability so they can one day take charge of their country's security, a senior U.S. military officer said from Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Three soldiers and a Marine were killed in action over the past two days in Iraq, military officials reported, and the Defense Department has identified three earlier Iraq casualties.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Army's Criminal Investigation Command is looking into allegations that coalition soldiers killed an Iraqi family of four in their home near Mahmudiyah, Iraq, military officials here announced today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Coalition forces in Afghanistan today killed 14 enemy fighters at a Taliban safe house and killed one enemy fighter and captured eight others in a separate raid, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The stolen Department of Veterans Affairs laptop computer and hard drive containing the personal information of more than 26 million veterans were turned in to the FBI yesterday, the Veterans Affairs secretary said before Congress today.

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court decision today halting the military commissions of detainees held here will not affect the day-to-day detention operations at the base, defense officials said yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Today's Supreme Court decision specifically invites the administration to work with Congress to change the law so it can try some detainees through military tribunals, senior officials from the Departments of Justice and Defense said today.

WASHINGTON - The 500 munitions discovered throughout Iraq since 2003 and discussed in a National Ground Intelligence Center report meet the criteria of weapons of mass destruction, the center's commander said here today.

WASHINGTON - Frequent moves make it difficult for military spouses to maintain relationships with friends they make at each new assignment. But thanks to Meredith Leyva and her CinCHouse.com Web site, military spouses can now stay in touch with one another through Web-based communities.

WASHINGTON - A key al Qaeda operative implicated in the February bombing of a prominent Iraqi mosque was captured last month, a senior U.S. military officer said in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - Thanks to the work of Japanese defense forces in Iraq, Iraqi security forces are now ready to take control of the province where Japanese troops worked, President Bush said here today.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government is evaluating today's Supreme Court ruling against military tribunals for detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to find the best avenue forward, President Bush said today.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier and a Marine were killed June 27 while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, U.S. military officials reported, and the Defense Department has identified two servicemembers killed in action earlier.

WASHINGTON - Incorporating the lessons learned from last year's devastating hurricane season, the Army held a hurricane response exercise here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - President Bush conferred yesterday with troops recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, telling them the nation appreciates their service as they and their comrades protect the freedoms all Americans enjoy.

WASHINGTON - With frequent moves preventing them from moving up the career ladder in a single workplace, military spouses face unique career challenges, a military spouse career counselor told more than 150 spouses attending a recent Military Spouse Career Expo at Fort Belvoir, Va.

WASHINGTON, DC - Frequent moves make it difficult for military spouses to maintain relationships with friends they make at each new assignment. But thanks to Meredith Leyva and her CinCHouse.com Web site, military spouses can now stay in touch with one another through Web-based communities.

WASHINGTON, DC - The 500 munitions discovered throughout Iraq since 2003 and discussed in a National Ground Intelligence Center report meet the criteria of weapons of mass destruction, the center's commander said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Supreme Court decision today halting the military commissions of detainees held here will not affect the day-to-day detention operations at the base, defense officials said yesterday.

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush conferred yesterday with troops recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, telling them the nation appreciates their service as they and their comrades protect the freedoms all Americans enjoy.

WASHINGTON, DC - With frequent moves preventing them from moving up the career ladder in a single workplace, military spouses face unique career challenges, a military spouse career counselor told more than 150 spouses attending a recent Military Spouse Career Expo on Fort Belvoir, Va.

WASHINGTON, DC - The stolen Department of Veterans Affairs laptop computer and hard drive containing the personal information of more than 26 million veterans were turned in to the FBI yesterday, the Veterans Affairs secretary said before Congress today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Thanks to the work of Japanese defense forces in Iraq, Iraqi security forces are now ready to take control of the province where Japanese troops worked, President Bush said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. government is evaluating today's Supreme Court ruling against military tribunals for detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to find the best avenue forward, President Bush said today.

WASHINGTON - Operation First Response, an organization dedicated to supporting the nation's wounded servicemembers and their families, got a little support of its own recently.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. and Australian defense leaders today reaffirmed their governments' commitment to work together to counter terrorism and other threats, with Australian Minister of Defense Brendan Nelson vowing that his country will remain a solid partner in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Labor and Defense Department officials celebrated the federal government's support of National Guardsmen and reservists and the government's role as a "Model Employer" at a ceremony here today.

WASHINGTON - Italian Navy Rear Adm. Salvatore Ruzittu relieved U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ray Spicer as commander of Combined Task Force 152 today, marking the first time that all three of the major maritime task forces in the region have been commanded by officers from nations other than the U.S. or United Kingdom.

WASHINGTON - Life has improved for Afghanistan's people since the days of Taliban rule, a senior U.S. military commander told U.S. legislators here today.

WASHINGTON - A coalition soldier was killed and three others were injured today when their vehicle struck a land mine in Afghanistan's Helmand province, and Afghan and coalition forces today killed 12 terrorists at a Taliban compound, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces today captured an al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist in a raid at his home, one day after the Iraqi government and the coalition released 450 detainees from internment facilities, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - A soldier assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died June 26 from wounds suffered due to enemy action in Iraq's Anbar province, military officials reported yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Scores of defense officials from throughout Europe and Central Asia convened here yesterday to make it easier to build future partnerships by defining a common vocabulary of methods and concepts.

WASHINGTON - To successfully prosecute the war against terrorism, the U.S. military needs additional funds to maintain its equipment, the Army chief of staff told Congress yesterday.

WASHINGTON - President Bush kept his promise to a wounded soldier yesterday, jogging around the White House running track alongside Army Staff Sgt. Christian Bagge, who ran with his new prosthetic running legs.

WASHINGTON - Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines can now register for a shot at becoming the second Military Idol. The Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation program is based on the premises of Fox's "American Idol."

WASHINGTON - The U.S. general in charge of training Iraqi security forces told reporters here yesterday that effort has made significant progress and remains on track.

WASHINGTON - Special Operations Command Europe welcomed its first Navy leader during a change of command ceremony here June 26.

WASHINGTON - The highest priority in funding the global war on terror is to ensure that the military members fighting it have all they need to win, a senior defense official told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON - The national reconciliation and dialogue plan announced June 25 by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is the beginning of a healing process for the country of Iraq and its people, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said today.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military is conducting an aggressive investigation to find those responsible for the deaths this month of three U.S. soldiers - one of whom died in an initial attack on the checkpoint the soldiers were manning, and two of whom were found dead four days later not far from the checkpoint, a top general in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces detained 14 terrorists yesterday during raids north of Yusifiyah, Iraq, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces killed 10 extremists yesterday in a raid on a Taliban compound belonging to a known weapons and bomb distributor, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Two U.S. soldiers and a Marine died during military operations in Iraq yesterday and today, U.S. military officials reported, and the Defense Department has identified five earlier casualties.

WASHINGTON - America Supports You member organization "Our Military Kids," a nonprofit group based here that's dedicated to funding essential extracurricular activities for children of deployed Reserve and National Guard military people, organized an outing for 30 children and 20 adults to attend T-Ball on the South Lawn of the White House on June 23.

WASHINGTON - President Bush met with representatives from 14 grassroots troop support groups at the White House today to talk about how they can best support America's servicemembers.

WASHINGTON - If the Defense Department's training transformation effort was summed up into a simple bumper-sticker-type slogan, it would read, "Train as you operate," a senior Defense Department told the Pentagon Channel.

WASHINGTON - A new display commemorating the service of military chaplains was dedicated June 23 in a ceremony at the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON - A coalition soldier died of wounds suffered during combat operations yesterday in the Pech district of Afghanistan's Kunar province, military officials reported, and the Defense Department has identified several recent casualties.

WASHINGTON - As the nature of the war on terror in Iraq has changed, so have the targets sought by coalition and Iraqi forces. Coalition forces are not targeting military hardware, but ideas.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Joint Forces Command yesterday concluded a week-long mission rehearsal exercise here, designed to help prepare the 21,000 U.S. servicemembers scheduled for rotational deployment to Iraq later this year meet their upcoming mission.

WASHINGTON, DC - A new display commemorating the service of military chaplains was dedicated June 23 in a ceremony at the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON, DC - A coalition soldier died of wounds suffered during combat operations yesterday in the Pech district of Afghanistan's Kunar province, military officials reported, and the Defense Department has identified several recent casualties.

WASHINGTON, DC - As the nature of the war on terror in Iraq has changed, so have the targets sought by coalition and Iraqi forces.

WASHINGTON - Three American soldiers were killed by improvised explosive devices while on patrol in Iraq in recent days, officials in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - Two terrorists were killed and six were detained during two separate coalition operations conducted in Tikrit and Yusifiyan yesterday, military officials announced.

WASHINGTON - Two Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers have been charged in connection with the death of an Iraqi citizen, U.S. officials announced today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained 16 others as the result of two separate raids conducted across Iraq today.

WASHINGTON - An extremist-engineered explosion in eastern Afghanistan destroyed a mosque while killing three people and wounding eight, including three children, officials here announced today. The attack occurred on June 6 near the southeastern provincial capital city of Ghazni.

WASHINGTON - The Taliban made another false claim of shooting down a U.S. helicopter yesterday, while two coalition troops were killed, officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Fourteen Saudi nationals have been released from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Defense Department announced yesterday.

WASHINGTON - President Bush honored military children June 23 as he kicked off the 2006 "T-Ball on the South Lawn" series at the White House with two teams of military Little Leaguers.

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush honored military children June 23 as he kicked off the 2006 "T-Ball on the South Lawn" series at the White House with two teams of military Little Leaguers.

WASHINGTON - Charged with providing security at the Multinational Force Iraq Temporary Interview and Protection Facility here that houses nearly 200 protected people and refugees, the First Guard Company from Kazanluk, Bulgaria, received the personal congratulations of its nation's ambassador to Iraq at a formal ceremony here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The Army National Guard was a double winner at the 2004-2005 DoD Visual Information Production Awards ceremony at the Pentagon yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has no plans to discontinue its smallpox vaccination program, despite yesterday's announcement that vaccinations may have caused a soldier's death.

WASHINGTON - The clock will begin ticking July 7 at 8 p.m. Floodlights will illuminate the area surrounding the Perrine Memorial Bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho, giving spectators the chance to see one man's mission to support a cause he believes in.

WASHINGTON - The new training and deployment cycle being introduced Armywide will bring more predictable deployment schedules for Army Reservists, their employers and their families.

WASHINGTON - The Missile Defense Agency and the Navy conducted a successful "hit to kill" missile defense test yesterday off the island of Kauai, Hawaii.

WASHINGTON - A roadside bomb killed two U.S. soldiers southeast of Baghdad today, officials announced the deaths of five other servicemembers in Iraq in recent days, and the Defense Department has identified six servicemembers who died recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Civil servant Ronald A. Rosenfeld demonstrated his heartfelt commitment to helping wounded troops in dramatic fashion -- he donated $150,000, the equivalent of his annual salary, to the Walter Reed Society.

WASHINGTON - The Army Reserve may fall 3 percent or 4 percent short of its recruiting goal for the year, but its new chief said that's not necessarily "a bad-news story."

WASHINGTON - Military officials have positively identified two bodies discovered June 18 as those of two 101st Airborne Division soldiers kidnapped at gunpoint two days earlier by masked gunmen in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The commander of coalition forces in Iraq gave two thumbs down today to the idea of setting a specific timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Iranian support for insurgents in Iraq has become a major factor in a "quite complex" security environment, the commander of ground forces in Iraq told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON - "The pen is mightier than the sword, and sometimes in the war of words we unwittingly give the advantage to the enemy. In dealing with Islamic extremists, the West may be giving them the advantage due to cultural ignorance, said two men who work at the National Defense University at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON - All coalition troops will leave Iraq's Muthanna province by the end of July, making it the country's first province to be responsible for its own security since the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi officials said here today.

WASHINGTON - While standing atop Gellert Hill in Budapest today, President Bush thanked the Hungarian people for their contributions to the cause of freedom and for the country's efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - In a setting featuring fine food, formal military uniforms and a giant ice sculpture of a soldier's boot, America's air carriers were honored here yesterday for their role supporting wounded troops and their families.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces today raided a known enemy compound northwest of Tarin Kowt in the Shahidi Hass district of Afghanistan's Uruzgan province, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is strengthening its ability to combat human trafficking, a DoD official told Congress yesterday.

WASHINGTON - U.S. servicemembers in Korea are trained and ready to perform their missions in the global war on terrorism, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today at the end of a trip around the country.

WASHINGTON - Four U.S. soldiers were killed and one was wounded yesterday during combat and combat rescue operations in the Kamdesh district of Afghanistan's Nuristan province, and the Defense Department has identified two earlier casualties from the war in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Seven Marines and a sailor were charged today with kidnapping, murder and conspiracy in connection with the death of an Iraqi civilian in Hamdania, Iraq, in late April.

WASHINGTON - More than 150 military spouses from around the Washington Metropolitan area attended the first daylong Military Spouse Career Expo at Fort Belvoir, Va., on June 17.

WASHINGTON - President Bush today condemned North Korea's planned missile test launch and said North Korea needs to live up to its commitments to be accepted in the world community.

WASHINGTON - The pending repositioning of thousands of overseas U.S. troops and stateside base closings or adjustments mandated by the 2005 round of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission are integral to the Defense Department's transformation agenda, DoD officials said here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - President Bush urged European leaders today to put past differences regarding Iraq aside and to look at how they can help its new democratically elected government succeed.

WASHINGTON - Yesterday's announcement of deployment orders for Iraq issued to four more combat brigades should not be viewed as an indicator of future force levels there, a top Defense Department spokesman said here today.

WASHINGTON - It won't be the traditional "Air Force-Navy" game most people might think of, but Little Leaguers from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., and Naval Submarine Base New London, Conn., are gearing up for one heck of a T-ball game later this week at the White House.

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials are heralding several measures adopted this week by the commonwealth of Virginia in support of the military, including one that will extend in-state college tuition rates to the children of servicemembers stationed there.

WASHINGTON - The 400 sailors, family members and civilians who call Chinhae home received a welcome visitor in Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gainey stopped here during his week-long tour of military installations in Korea.

WASHINGTON - Police in Afghanistan's Paktika province successfully defended a district center early today, and Afghan and coalition forces continued their assault yesterday on insurgents in Helmand province, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The coalition continues to hammer at the al Qaeda network in Iraq, a senior coalition official said here today, warning that the network didn't die when the coalition killed its former leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

WASHINGTON - As you enter the infirmary at the austere base here, there's a sign that reads, "No diamond stops shining at this station." It's a motto that Army Dr. (Capt.) John Rumbaugh and his six medics live by.

WASHINGTON - National Guard troops have been called to duty in Louisiana and Texas in response to an outbreak of violence in New Orleans and flooding in the Houston area.

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops serving in Korea have a tough, intense mission and are as much a part of the war as the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.

WASHINGTON - While many high school students have trouble balancing schoolwork with sports and other activities, 17-year-old Brittany Bohannon does this and still sets aside time to give back to deployed servicemembers.

WASHINGTON - On behalf of America's armed services, some of the nation's top leaders gathered at the National Archives here last night to accept this year's Gerald R. Ford Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

WASHINGTON - Chiefly because the United States and its allies are confronting terrorism wherever it exists, terrorists are losing the global war on terror, Vice President Richard B. Cheney said yesterday at a media awards event here.

WASHINGTON - A roadside explosion in Afghanistan's Kandahar province today killed a coalition soldier and wounded four others, and the Defense Department has identified recent casualties in the global war on terror.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Iraq killed 15 terrorists and detained six other suspects and a senior terrorist leader during raids yesterday and today near Baqubah, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Military officials have charged three soldiers in connection with the deaths of three detainees during a May 9 operation near Thar Thar Canal in Iraq's Salah ad Din province.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces recovered the bodies of two U.S. soldiers missing since an engagement with insurgents at a traffic checkpoint June 16, a senior Multinational Force Iraq official said here today.

WASHINGTON - The alliance between the United States and South Korea is one of the strongest in the world and is vital as the U.S. military and all militaries move toward a joint future, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.

WASHINGTON - Nestled between two giant railway buildings sits one of the most important buildings on this Marine base in western Iraq: the forward resuscitation surgical suite.

WASHINGTON - The United States and its allies have fostered a historic transformation in Afghanistan and Iraq, President Bush said today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Central Command is responsible for more than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and CENTCOM officials emphasize they are not ignoring the challenges in the rest of their area of operations.

WASHINGTON - Recent operations in Iraq have netted more terrorism suspects and weapons, and the Iraqi military has assumed responsibility for an area in southwest Baghdad, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The Marine Corps is using fat cats to combat enemy-emplaced roadside bombs in Iraq. These are heavily armored wheeled trucks that are robust enough to ward off much of the deadly energy generated by improvised explosive devices favored by insurgents.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed two enemy fighters and captured five others in Afghanistan's Zabul province yesterday as Operation Mountain Thrust continued, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Corporate and grassroots supporters came together here yesterday both to honor military and civil service dads and to teach them something new about raising young children.

WASHINGTON - Getting really close to an area you suspect may contain an improvised explosive device may seem counterintuitive, but that is exactly what engineers assigned here do each night.

WASHINGTON - Military officials here today identified two U.S. soldiers missing since a June 16 attack on a checkpoint south of the Iraqi capital, as well as the soldier killed in the attack.

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials have rebuffed a Taliban claims to the media that a U.S. helicopter was shot down yesterday in the Paktika province of Afghanistan, killing the U.S. Soldiers on board.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi army forces captured a man linked to kidnapping activities June 12 during an early morning raid in western Baghdad, officials in Iraq said yesterday.

WASHINGTON - President Bush said it was an "incredible feeling" to visit the capital of a free and democratic Iraq and personally thank U.S. troops for their sacrifice, including those who brought al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, to justice last week.

WASHINGTON - Coalition and Iraqi officials have launched a massive search operation for two coalition soldiers missing following an incident in Yusufiyah, Iraq, yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department released a report yesterday detailing the findings of a 2004 investigation into allegations of detainee abuse in Iraq.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces defeated a large group of extremists in western Uruzgan province today in conjunction with Operation Mountain Thrust in southern Afghanistan, officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Two coalition soldiers were killed conducting combat operations in Afghanistan's Asadabad district in Kunar province today, officials in Afghanistan said.

WASHINGTON - One coalition force soldier was killed and two others are currently listed as duty status and whereabouts unknown, after their team came under attack at a traffic-control point southwest of Yusufiyah, Iraq, at about 7:55 p.m. local time today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. military medical professionals are some of the best in the world and contribute greatly to American operations around the world, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told more than 300 graduates at the 2006 National Capital Area Joint Service Graduation Ceremony here today.

WASHINGTON - Dads of the Offutt Air Force Base community in Nebraska are in for a special Father's Day treat, the Spirit of America Tour founder and president said.

WASHINGTON - Ongoing efforts to provide better protective gear for soldiers also benefits other servicemembers, a senior Army officer said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Most military members end their careers by the time they are half his age, but one Army doctor says he would rather come out of retirement to help the troops than watch from the sidelines.

WASHINGTON - A coalition soldier died yesterday of apparent natural causes, possibly a heart attack, officials here reported today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition soldiers in Baghdad are committed to helping Iraqi forces take control of their own security and curb violence in the city, the U.S. commander in the region said today.

WASHINGTON - About three-quarters of the $94 billion emergency funding bill President Bush signed yesterday is allocated for fighting the war on global terrorism, including more than $40 billion for ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

WASHINGTON - The next seven months are absolutely crucial to how Iraq will turn out, said a senior coalition official this week.

WASHINGTON - Abu Ayyub al-Masri is a founding member of al Qaeda in Iraq and had a close relationship with the now-killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, coalition officials said.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi forces captured a high-ranking terrorist network commander during an early morning ground assault raid in Karbala, Iraq, today and coalition forces in eastern Baghdad stopped an alleged kidnapping June 13, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Covered in blood and only able to stagger a few feet before collapsing in a heap, Army Sgt. Nicholas Beintema was one of the lucky ones. Many of his fellow soldiers did not survive the blast that ripped through his convoy near Tal Afar, Iraq, last year.

WASHINGTON - In a solemn ceremony under sunny skies, the ground that nearly five years ago was the scene of a catastrophic attack was today dedicated to the memory of those who were killed.

WASHINGTON - About 800 National Guard troops have arrived for duty in four U.S. border states as "Operation Jump Start" gets under way.

WASHINGTON - The attack that killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi demonstrates the flexibility that air assets give commanders, officials here said today.

WASHINGTON - Al Qaeda in Iraq is in disarray and confusion following the death of its terrorist boss, and the Iraqi government is moving forward quickly to provide security for its capital city, coalition officials said today at a news conference.

WASHINGTON - A bus bombing in Afghanistan killed several passengers this morning, and Operation Mountain Thrust continues in the southern portion of the country, military officials said.

WASHINGTON - Checkers/Rally's, the nation's largest double drive-through restaurant, has teamed up with a grassroots troop support group called Operation Gratitude in a drive to collect packages for America's servicemembers overseas.

WASHINGTON - A ceremony here today marking the start of construction for the Pentagon Memorial will provide "a reminder of why we all do what we do," the Joint Staff's deputy director for regional operations told Pentagon reporters yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The Iraqi deputy prime minister called on about 450 Iraqis being freed from the Abu Ghraib detention facility today to work for peace in Iraq, the Middle East and the world.

WASHINGTON - Two coalition soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan yesterday, and the Taliban falsely claimed to have killed nine U.S. soldiers today, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, are dangerous men, and the best place to deal with them is in military courts, President Bush said here today.

WASHINGTON - Josh Gracin, the former Marine who won fame on the TV show "American Idol," performed at the Pentagon for the Army's 231st birthday celebration today.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. is safer because men and women have stepped forward and joined the Army to defend freedom and to liberate people all over the world, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said in marking the Army's birthday here today.

WASHINGTON - Nine seemingly coordinated attacks yesterday in Kirkuk, Iraq, demonstrate that enemy forces haven't given up their efforts to derail the new Iraqi government, a top military official said here today.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department was among seven recipients of a prestigious U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission-sponsored award at a ceremony held here today.

WASHINGTON - Intelligence reforms under way, both within the Defense Department and at the national level, are critical to protecting the U.S. and other free nations in a security environment "that's full of surprises," DoD's top intelligence adviser told reporters yesterday.

WASHINGTON - President Bush said today he was inspired to "visit the capital of a free and democratic Iraq" and spoke of his regard for new Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

WASHINGTON - Proposed legislation that would elevate the National Guard Bureau's status within the Defense Department needs extensive review and discussion, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - President Bush's surprise visit to Baghdad yesterday caught the troops here unawares. But most were thrilled their commander in chief made the perilous trip.

WASHINGTON - President Bush's visit to Iraq and the historic joint meeting of the U.S. and Iraqi Cabinets yesterday represent an important sign of solid U.S. support for Iraq's new government, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said.

WASHINGTON - A Marine Corps police transition team is working here to equip and train Iraqi police. While there are many obstacles to surmount, there are signs of progress, U.S. officials here said.

WASHINGTON - American troops in Iraq are bringing freedom to the oppressed and helping to secure the U.S. homeland, President Bush told U.S. troops in Baghdad during a surprise visit there today.

WASHINGTON - A system initially adopted to help the Army Corps of Engineers detect invasive vegetation growing in coastal waterways is giving warfighters an edge in the global war on terror.

WASHINGTON - Flag Day, June 14, pays tribute to an emblem millions of Americans fight for every day.

WASHINGTON - While military servicemembers await deployment, some will find inspiration in their mailbox, courtesy of "Project Prayer Flag," a grassroots group that sends servicemembers pocket flags and letters of prayer and encouragement.

WASHINGTON - Defeating an ideology is much more difficult than defeating a physical threat, but that is at the heart of U.S. Central Command's strategy in this region, the command's chief, Army Gen. John Abizaid, said in an interview today.

WASHINGTON - Two separate terrorist attacks yesterday left three Afghan civilians dead and six others wounded, U.S. military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - On a surprise visit to Baghdad today, President Bush told Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki he is impressed with Maliki's choices for top Iraqi Cabinet officials.

WASHINGTON - She's a "grand ole flag," and she'll be waving at nearly 500 shopping malls across America on Flag Day, June 14, thanks to a celebration hosted by the International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc.

WASHINGTON - In a joint initiative, the Iraqi government and Multinational Force Iraq released more than 220 security detainees June 11 from coalition-run internment facilities, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - President Bush arrived in Baghdad today on a surprise visit to new Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed seven terrorists and wounded three during a raid in the vicinity of Baqubah, Iraq, today. One terrorist was captured during a cordon-and-search operation in Kirkuk yesterday.

WASHINGTON - A U.S. soldier was killed June 9, and the Defense Department has released the identities of servicemembers who died recently while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon Memorial will be an important way to remember the victims of Sept. 11, 2001, and will be a place for their family members and others to gain solace and inspiration, a top Defense Department official said here today.

WASHINGTON - President Bush brought together his interagency team on Iraq today at Camp David to discuss plans to help Iraq's new government succeed now that its Cabinet is fully formed and terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is dead.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department will inform servicemembers who could be affected by the May theft of personal data from the Department of Veterans Affairs through their monthly pay statements, a DoD spokesman said here today.

WASHINGTON - The commander of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan spoke to the cadets of the National Military Academy of Afghanistan here today about leadership, vision and character development.

WASHINGTON - Two empty houses in a neighborhood for engineers at a local power plant are proving to be a perfect training ground for Iraqi soldiers.

WASHINGTON - The French military started its second phase of air operations in Afghanistan on May 26.

WASHINGTON - Afghan citizens turned in a sizable weapons cache in Bak, Khost province, on June 10, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - All the military services achieved or exceeded their active-duty recruiting goals in the month of May, which marks the 12th consecutive month they've done so, according to information released by DoD June 9.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department released the names of the three detainees yesterday who committed suicide June 10 at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

WASHINGTON - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi died of blast injuries sustained by the coalition bombing of his safe house June 7, coalition officials said today.

WASHINGTON - A coalition recovery team retrieved the remains of seven international aid workers yesterday who were killed when their helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan last January, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - A coalition soldier died today during offensive operations against Taliban extremists in Afghanistan and another was killed in Iraq while on patrol June 9, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Taliban extremists burned a school in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, and coalition forces killed numerous terrorists in several operations there over the past week, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces destroyed a truck used by terrorists to attack a patrol base southwest of Baghdad and uncovered multiple weapons caches last week, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The killing of Abu Musab al Zarqawi is a major blow to al Qaeda in Iraq but will not end terrorism there, the top U.S. general in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - Last week's death of terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and the filling of critical Iraqi cabinet positions were triumphs for the cause of freedom, President Bush said yesterday.

WASHINGTON - Three detainees at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, died of apparent suicides early this morning, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - The death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is great news for Americans and Iraqis alike, but ultimate victory in Iraq depends on the success of the country's new government, President Bush said today.

WASHINGTON - The security situation in Iraq is like a relay race. Coalition forces have the baton for the first leg. They pass it to the Iraqi army, who in turn pass the baton to the Iraqi police.

WASHINGTON - Wounded veterans cruised the Potomac River in style yesterday aboard the presidential yacht USS Sequoia, while area businesses and Defense Department officials honored their sacrifice.

WASHINGTON - Thirty-nine years to the day after his U.S. Naval Academy commissioning in 1967, Gen. Peter Pace, the first Marine to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, still isn't ready to call himself a good leader.

WASHINGTON - Thirty-three joint active duty military, civilian and reserve medical personnel returned home from the Sahara desert after taking part in African Lion 06, a medical humanitarian exercise in Morocco in late May.

WASHINGTON - Terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi initially survived the June 7 air strike but died from his wounds while laying on a stretcher shortly thereafter, a senior U.S. military officer in Baghdad said today.

WASHINGTON - Afghan National Police thwarted an insurgent attack in Afghanistan Paktika province, while coalition forces collected and destroyed weapons across the country this week, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - As another sign of progress toward establishing a lasting tribute to the 184 people killed at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, the start of on-site construction for the Pentagon Memorial will be marked with a June 15 ceremony here.

WASHINGTON - It's ironic that terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed yesterday just as the Iraqi government he tried to derail scored some significant successes, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs is revamping its data security procedures following last month's theft of a VA laptop computer that contained personal information of veterans and military personnel still in uniform, the secretary of the VA told a congressional committee today.

WASHINGTON - To be sure, the Defense Department's transformation initiative is about improving military technology, mobility, lethality and speed to meet the 21st century's asymmetrical threats. But it is a cultural transformation as well.

WASHINGTON - NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer today pledged the alliance's support to security and stability in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Arming submarines with nonnuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles will give America a necessary quick-strike weapon in the war on terror, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The death of al Qaeda's top operative in Iraq will hit the terrorist organization hard, a senior U.S. military officer said in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON - Discussions on the expansion of NATO's mission in Afghanistan and the continued development of the NATO Response Force topped the agenda at a defense ministers meeting here today.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld this morning informed NATO defense ministers meeting here of the demise of Jordanian terrorist leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi.

WASHINGTON - The death of terrorist leader Abu Musab al Zarqawi is a victory in the war on terror and is an opportunity for the Iraqi government to turn the tide of the struggle with insurgents, President Bush said here today.

WASHINGTON - Jordanian terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi died in an air strike north of Baghdad yesterday evening, U.S. officials have confirmed.

WASHINGTON - It is not enough to win tactical engagements in the war against terror -- the United States and its allies must win the peace, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the National Defense University's 2006 graduating class here today.

WASHINGTON - The Marine Corps will get to the bottom of allegations that some of its members wrongly killed a number of civilians during two separate operations in Iraq, the organization's commandant told reporters here today.

WASHINGTON - Calling freedom of religion a principal right in "a nation of people from all races and creeds who believe in liberty and freedom," Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England helped the Marine Corps dedicated its first Islamic prayer center here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is working to determine exactly how many active duty and Reserve servicemembers could be affected by the recent theft of personal information from a Department of Veterans Affairs employee's home, a DoD official said here today.

WASHINGTON - Five recipients of the 2005 Very Important Patriot Award from the military community will be "appearing" on commissary cereal shelves worldwide this summer.

WASHINGTON - AFPS reporter Jim Garamone offers glimpses of life in Iraq in a series of vignettes.

WASHINGTON - A 49th Military Police Brigade soldier was killed when insurgents attacked his convoy with an improvised explosive device June 5 in Baghdad, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Growing up "green" with a pair of Army parents and moving around the world influenced a West Point cadet's decision to give military life a whirl.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department yesterday issued an instruction detailing the standards of medical care in detainee operations.

WASHINGTON - NATO's International Security Assistance Force participated for the first time as a full member of today's meeting of the Tripartite Commission here.

WASHINGTON - As part of Operation Jump Start, the National Guard will place about 2,500 troops along the U.S.-Mexico border by the end of the month to support efforts to curb illegal immigrants from entering the country, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said yesterday

WASHINGTON - Active-duty servicemembers and members of the National Guard and Reserves may be affected by the recent personal data loss by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA announced today.

WASHINGTON - "Sweet Freedom," a 2-year-old racehorse, has started off his racing career with a bang, doing his part to support America's war wounded.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met with Indonesia's leaders here today to discuss how the relationship between the United States and this South Pacific archipelago might shape up in the immediate future.

WASHINGTON - The commander of American and coalition forces in Iraq reminded U.S. servicemembers in a letter published yesterday that their conduct must reflect the law as well as professional military values.

WASHINGTON - No country is too big and powerful to need alliances or too small to have a stake in molding a secure future, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during his visit here today.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived here this afternoon for a series of meetings with Indonesian leaders, and offered condolences to earthquake victims and relatives of those killed.

WASHINGTON - Three coalition soldiers were killed and four were wounded in three separate incidents in Afghanistan during the past two days, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Aging witnesses and more urban areas are making it harder to find remains or evidence of missing American servicemembers in Vietnam, but a select group of experts here works year-round to fulfill the U.S. military's pledge to leave no man behind.

WASHINGTON - Talks at a weekend security summit in Singapore moved beyond questioning if terrorism is a threat to discussing how to counter it - a sign that nations are ready to work together, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.

WASHINGTON - Recovering remains of missing American servicemembers and de-mining operations were among the host of issues Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and his Vietnamese counterpart discussed here today.

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. general spent today meeting with India's defense and military leaders to consider ways for the United States and India to further expand their military partnership.

WASHINGTON - An Army Reserve soldier who received care packages from Americans while serving for a year in Iraq is taking that effort to another level through a program he started in Fairfax, Va.

WASHINGTON - Military families are being encouraged to "load up their pantries" as the Defense Commissary Agency launches an awareness campaign encouraging military families to keep nonperishable foods, water and other necessities on hand for emergencies.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces killed a wanted terrorist and detained another during a raid June 2, and Iraqi forces killed an insurgent financier and captured two cell leaders in a series of raids June 1, military officials in Iraq reported today.

WASHINGTON - A soldier assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, died due to enemy action in Iraq's Anbar province June 3, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - While Americans are supporting troops serving overseas in a variety of ways, Cameron Schilling has found a way to memorialize the sacrifices of Illinois servicemembers who don't return home safely.

WASHINGTON - A suicide car bomber attacked a coalition convoy this morning in downtown Kandahar City in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, killing four Afghan civilians and wounding 12 others, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - In what was described as an accident during training, a U.S. unit fired an artillery shell June 2 that killed three Iraqi civilians, military officials in Iraq reported today. Officials also announced the capture yesterday of 19 terror suspects in eastern Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived here this evening to meet with Vietnamese leaders on a host of issues and to visit a U.S. team painstakingly investigating the whereabouts of the nearly 2,000 American servicemembers still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told U.S. Marines stationed here today the ongoing investigations of events in Haditha, Iraq, present an opportunity for all servicemembers "to revisit ourselves and see where we are on our moral compass."

WASHINGTON - On the 64th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today met with sailors in another South Pacific port and lauded them for recent service in the Persian Gulf.

WASHINGTON - The highest-ranking U.S. military officer arrived here today to discuss regional security issues in this strategic nation that, with its 1.1 billion population, represents the world's largest democracy.

WASHINGTON - Bringing the Iraqi army to the lead in the country's beleaguered Anbar province is a tough assignment. But Marines assigned to the military transition team at Firm Base 4 here have taken it on.

WASHINGTON - Iraqi soldiers raided a housing compound in Baghdad on May 31 and captured three insurgents who were members of a vehicle-bomb cell, military officials here reported today.

WASHINGTON - Coalition forces in Afghanistan captured an insurgent suspected of building roadside bombs yesterday and engaged a group of enemy fighters on June 2, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - A soldier from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team died June 1 in a noncombat-related incident, military officials in Iraq reported, and the Defense Department has identified earlier casualties.

WASHINGTON - While training of Iraqi army units in Iraq's Anbar province has lagged behind other regions, progress is being made. A case in point was a June 2 patrol.

WASHINGTON - The infantry isn't going to move far without help from a bunch of oil-stained soldiers. Just 11 soldiers are responsible for keeping the vehicles of Task Force 1-36 here running.

WASHINGTON - An investigation has concluded that coalition forces "operated in accordance with the rules of engagement governing our combat forces in Iraq" during a March 15 raid in which Iraqi civilians died, a coalition spokesman said early today in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - More nations are freer than ever before, yet freedom is increasingly under assault from violent extremists and rogue nations, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today told defense ministers of Asian and Pacific nations meeting here this weekend.

WASHINGTON - The events of Sept. 11, 2001, created major doubts and new difficulties for many in America, but for midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, those events have become a reason to serve.

WASHINGTON - Staff Sgt. Aeyne Anne M. Dizicksa's cats are her family, so their welfare was her top priority when she faced deployment.

WASHINGTON - Alleged incidents of misconduct, such as those surrounding the Nov. 19 deaths of 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq, do not reflect the honorable service of the overwhelming majority of coalition forces in Iraq, a U.S. general in Iraq said today.

WASHINGTON - U.S. soldiers here not only perform combat operations, but also are working to train the Iraqi army -- and they know what success would mean.

WASHINGTON - The world should not be surprised at the pace in which democracy is progressing in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived here this evening to meet with regional allies and participate in the fifth annual Asia Security Summit arranged by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff got a firsthand look today at growth under way here that's about to move into high gear as Guam prepares to welcome 8,000 Marines from Okinawa by 2014.

WASHINGTON - America and its allies have laid the groundwork for "an effective international response" if Iran chooses not to suspend its uranium enrichment program, President Bush said today.

WASHINGTON - Today marks the first day of the hurricane season, and National Guard units along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts are prepared to respond.

WASHINGTON - Noticeable changes have taken place in Iraq since the country's national unity government was inaugurated, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman told reporters today in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON - In separate incidents in Iraq, U.S. soldiers discovered a large weapons cache May 30 and captured 10 suspected terrorists May 23, military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON - Two suspected terrorists were captured yesterday in Afghanistan's Paktika province, and a makeshift bomb exploded in a bazaar in Khost province yesterday, injuring three civilians, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON - The progress U.S. Northern Command has made since its inception Oct. 1, 2002, to defend the homeland from natural or manmade disasters is "truly impressive," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here yesterday.

WASHINGTON - The top coalition operational commander in Iraq has directed his subordinate commanders to conduct training in "core warrior values" for all coalition forces, highlighting the importance of adhering to legal, moral and ethical standards on the battlefield, military officials here announced today.