WASHINGTON, DC - With almost 15,000 U.S. citizens now departed from Beirut, Lebanon, the U.S. military focus there has shifted to providing humanitarian relief supplies to the population there, said Army Lt. Col Mark Ballesteros, a Pentagon spokesman.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Defense Department announced today it will hold the second annual America Supports You Freedom Walk on Sept. 10, the night before the five-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush praised the Coast Guard’s efforts to protect the country’s ports in a speech today at the U.S. Coast Guard Integrated Support Command in Miami.

WASHINGTON, DC - In taking over responsibility for southern Afghanistan, the NATO International Security Assistance Force is bringing thousands more troops and greater capability to the area and investing in the country's future.

WASHINGTON, DC - Taliban extremists attacked the governor of Nagarhar, Afghanistan, today, killing eight civilians, and Afghan National Army soldiers killed at least four terrorists and detained six during a morning operation yesterday, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - The current Middle East crisis between Israel and Hezbollah is part of a larger struggle between the forces of freedom and terror, President Bush said today in Miami.

WASHINGTON, DC - In separate operations over the last three days, Iraqi forces captured gang members suspected of involvement in kidnappings, freed an Iraqi man being held by terrorists, and detained a police colonel believed to be involved with terrorism.

WASHINGTON, DC - A tradition that lasted a half century is being renewed on the shores of Lake Michigan. Purple Heart recipients will have the opportunity to spend a day on a lake cruise and partake in a luncheon and reception in their honor.

WASHINGTON, DC - Some military and civilian personnel will be moving from Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center, near Colorado Springs, Colo., to nearby Peterson Air Force Base.

WASHINGTON, DC - NATO's International Security Assistance Force assumed command from coalition forces in southern Afghanistan today, continuing a process that began with the establishment of ISAF in Kabul in August 2003.

WASHINGTON, DC - Four Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died yesterday due to enemy action in Iraq’s Anbar province.

WASHINGTON, DC - A suspected terrorist brandishing an AK-47 rifle died July 28 in Hillah, Iraq, during a confrontation in front of the Imam Ali Mosque.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Afghan National Army and coalition forces killed 20 Taliban extremists yesterday after the enemy fighters attempted an ambush from a compound in the Shahidi Hass district of Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province.

WASHINGTON, DC - The international community is committed to putting a swift end to the violence and suffering in Lebanon and Israel and moving the region toward a “lasting peace,” President Bush said yesterday in his weekly radio address to the nation.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, honored work being done by U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in Afghanistan when he visited troops here July 28. Pace carried a simple message: “thank you.”

KABUL, Afghanistan - The top U.S. general yesterday told the Afghan people they have made huge strides and that Afghan forces are now helping protect the country.

WASHINGTON, DC - A Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 died yesterday due to enemy action while operating in Iraq’s Anbar province, and Defense Department officials have identified earlier casualties.

WASHINGTON, DC - Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England kicked off the Defense Department’s “Check It” campaign today to raise awareness about its internal management controls program.

WASHINGTON, DC - As members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team begin to accept news that their deployment in Iraq will be extended for up to four months, the Army is working to ensure their families at home in Alaska are taken care of.

WASHINGTON, DC - The international community must intervene to end the fighting between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah guerillas, President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair told reporters today during a joint White House press briefing.

WASHINGTON, DC - A mother-daughter trio has compiled a book of children’s letters to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. troops serving in the provinces around Baghdad believe in the mission they’re performing and know they’re making a difference in the lives of Iraqis, a U.S. commander in the area said today.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Almost five years into the mission, American troops are still highly motivated about their duty in Afghanistan, the top enlisted man for Combined Forces Command Afghanistan said.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The world cannot give up on Afghanistan or “we’ll be right back where we were on Sept. 10, 2001,” a spokesman for Combined Forces Command Afghanistan said here.

WASHINGTON, DC - The United States and its ally South Korea will welcome the day when the light of freedom and progress covers all of Korea and the peninsula is peacefully reconciled, Vice President Dick Cheney said here today.

Houston - Experts with the Military Child Education Coalition are working to help military children deal with the death of a parent through a new initiative: "Living in the New Normal; Supporting Children through Trauma and Loss."

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush thanked Romanian President Traian Basescu today for his country's strong support for the young democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON, DC - Today's Army is the best the U.S. has ever sent into combat, and initiatives under way will ensure it remains that way, the Army chief of staff said in a statement released last night.

WASHINGTON, DC - Tips from Iraqi citizens led coalition and Iraqi soldiers to foil a terrorist attack and find weapons caches in Baghdad yesterday, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - More than 100 servicemembers and families watched Grammy award-winning rock band "Train" perform at their sold-out concert July 24, compliments of Northrop Grumman and the United Service Organizations of Metropolitan Washington.

WASHINGTON, DC - Coalition forces killed 10 insurgents in separate operations in Afghanistan July 25 and today, U.S. military officials in Afghanistan reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - Coalition forces captured 13 suspected terrorists and found several weapons caches throughout Iraq this week, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Coalition forces from Combined Joint Task Force 76 responded to a helicopter crash that killed at least a dozen people yesterday in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan's Paktia province, military officials here reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - Tips from Iraqi citizens led coalition and Iraqi soldiers to foil a terrorist attack and find weapons caches in Baghdad yesterday, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The Taliban is a tactical problem for the coalition in Afghanistan, but the coalition is a strategic problem for the Taliban, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The instant feedback of information supplied by unmanned aerial vehicles is bringing immediate "value added" to U.S. military operations, the Joint Staff's director for strategic plans and policy explained yesterday.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Defense Department and the American Legion today pledged to mutually support a nationwide program that assists severely injured military veterans.

WASHINGTON, DC - Increasing violence in Baghdad is due to sectarian tensions, and the solution to the problem will involve more than increased security forces, a Defense Department spokesman said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Two servicemembers have died in Iraq since yesterday, and officials have identified earlier casualties.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. soldiers with Multinational Division Baghdad captured five members of a "death squad" in Iraq today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Man's best friend is about to become every military amputee's best friend, thanks to the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind and a new pilot program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU - Support battalions are the backbone of the Army's brigade combat teams, aiding and sustaining them in a variety of ways. But continuing its mission while preparing for and conducting a unit move to another base would be a challenge for any unit.

WASHINGTON, DC - Additional U.S. military police will deploy to Baghdad to serve alongside Iraqi law enforcement officers, President Bush said here today following a White House meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, - Scores of representatives from almost two dozen nations left the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies here with what could be new directions in the fight against terror after a week-long seminar.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Federal Voting Assistance Program office is pulling out the stops to ensure all servicemembers and their families who wish to can vote.

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. military today performed its final scheduled evacuation of U.S. citizens from Lebanon, a U.S. military spokesman in Cyprus said.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraq is the front line in the war on terror and ultimately will serve as a "graveyard for terrorism," Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told a joint session of Congress here today

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush introduced Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to "some of the finest citizens in the United States of America" at Fort Belvoir, Va., today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The United States backs Israel's right to defend itself against terrorist groups like Hezbollah, but it also wants to aid thousands of suffering Lebanese who've fled the fighting, President Bush said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The National Guard will meet its goal of having up to 6,000 soldiers -- based on the requirements of U.S. Customs and Border Protection -- along the Southwest border by Aug. 1 to assist the U.S. Border Patrol in stemming the flow of illegal immigrants, the head of the National Guard Bureau told reporters here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - "Operation: S.A.M.," or Supporting All Military, is working to ease servicemembers' minds about how much support they have back home.

WASHINGTON, DC - Seeing his artistry on the big screen was a bit of a rush, but former Hollywood sculptor Chuck O'Brien said it's nothing compared to the satisfaction he gets using his art to help transform military amputees.

WASHINGTON, DC - While the enemy will continue to resist the will of the government and more violence is expected, the Afghan National Army and National Police are gaining capability by the day, a Combined Forces Command Afghanistan spokesman said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Additional U.S. military police will deploy to Baghdad to serve alongside Iraqi law enforcement officers, President Bush said here today following a White House meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Defense Department evacuated 957 U.S. citizens from Lebanon to Cyprus yesterday aboard the contracted cruise ship Orient Queen, bringing the total to 12,870 since the crisis in Lebanon began July 16, DoD officials said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The leader of U.S. Central Command said he believes sectarian violence in and around Baghdad is the "gravest threat" facing Iraq today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Two soldiers assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, died in separate incidents in Iraq's Anbar province yesterday, military officials.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi security forces conducted early-morning raids in two areas today, netting eight insurgent fighters.

FORT SAM HOUSTON - John Smith's* house wasn't ransacked, his wallet was never snatched, nor was his life threatened in exchange for a handful of cash on a dimly lit city street.

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush participated in the naturalization ceremony for three soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Everyone within the Defense Department makes an important contribution to the overall mission, so it's critical that every member -- military, civilian and contractor alike -- ensure they do their jobs right. That's the message behind "Check It," a new Defense Department campaign that Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England will launch later this week.

WASHINGTON, DC - Commanders will shift U.S. forces in Iraq to deal with insurgent threats, but this does not mean more American troops will go into the country, nor that the announced rotation will change.

WASHINGTON, DC - A group of golf enthusiasts plans to donate golf clubs, balls, tees, mats and other golf equipment to servicemembers at Camp Taji, a military base in Iraq.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. and Iraqi soldiers detained four suspected terrorists and found several weapons caches and an improvised explosive device in weekend operations.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi security forces are increasingly taking the lead in operations as Baghdad becomes the focal point in the fight for Iraq, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Three reserve-component members related their insights and experiences from service in the war on terror to a congressionally chartered committee in San Antonio on July 19.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Air National Guard is an integral part of the National Guard force and is transforming to better meet its dual roles of assisting in homeland defense and contributing to the global war on terror, the component's new director said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - As demand for evacuation drops, Defense Department units will deliver more humanitarian assistance to beleaguered Lebanon, a senior defense official said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Enemy fighters in Afghanistan continue to use homemade bombs to terrorize the civilian population, a U.S. spokesman there said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Better-trained and more confident Iraqi troops increasingly are taking the fight to the terrorists, and U.S. troops are securing better and more actionable intelligence, thanks to their daily, long-standing efforts on behalf of the Iraqi people, U.S. military officials reported this week.

WASHINGTON, DC - Three severely wounded soldiers recovering in the Washington area got "a dream come true," as Washington's Major League Baseball team honored them and military members everywhere July 21.

WASHINGTON, DC - Three U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq yesterday, and the Defense Department identified four servicemen who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since July 16.

WASHINGTON, DC - Coalition forces continue to aid and develop Afghanistan, even as they fight back terrorist extremists who are determined to stop progress, U.S. military officials reported today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Over the past two days, the U.S. military has transported more than 5,000 American citizens out of Lebanon, bringing the total number evacuated to more than 10,000, a Defense official speaking on background said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Vice President Richard B. Cheney reiterated America's commitment to winning the war on terror in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere during a rally at Fort Stewart, Georgia, yesterday.

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey - The scene inside the processing center here at 3:15 a.m. yesterday looked like a deployment processing line, except these weren't military members waiting to go downrange. They were the first American citizens who arrived here after departing Lebanon.

WASHINGTON, DC - The NAACP honored Defense Department military and civilian personnel who made outstanding contributions to equal opportunity in the armed forces during the civil rights organizations 31st Annual Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Awards dinner here July 18.

WASHINGTON, DC - Air Force C-17 Globemaster III crews assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron operating in Southwest Asia have added another mission to their resume, providing humanitarian civil assistance to the effort to evacuate Americans from Lebanon.

WASHINGTON, DC - National Guard troops are fanning out across the United States, confronting wildfires in the West and Midwest, conducting storm-recovery efforts in Missouri, providing security support in New Orleans, and boosting U.S. Border Patrol capabilities along the southwest border.

WASHINGTON, DC - With a name that sounds like a Madagascar Penguins' plan, Operation Christmas Stocking has commenced.

WASHINGTON, DC - Large-scale sectarian violence as displayed by Sunnis and Shiites in Baghdad has seemingly bypassed Nineveh province in northern Iraq, a U.S. military commander told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush met today in Aurora, Colo., with a group of servicemembers who recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, thanking them for their service and expressing America's support for all troops.

WASHINGTON, DC - Military disc jockeys based in Afghanistan today inaugurated radio-broadcast news and other programming to an estimated in-country audience of 18,000 U.S. servicemembers, an American Forces Radio and Television Service official said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - If a deployed servicemember misses a milestone in a family member's life, it's gone forever, unless someone at home keeps a good record.

WASHINGTON, DC - Watching TV coverage of Marines from their former unit helping Americans leave Beirut churns up a host of emotions for former Marines who served there when a barracks was bombed in October 1983.

WASHINGTON, DC - A Marine assigned to 1st Marine Expeditionary Force died due to enemy action in Iraq's Anbar province today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Military aircraft and sea vessels will evacuate more than 4,000 Americans from Lebanon today, DoD officials said.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi security forces captured 25 suspected terrorists and killed one in multiple operations throughout Iraq July 19 and yesterday, military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - In separate operations throughout Iraq this week, coalition forces killed seven terrorists and captured 10 suspected terrorists, military officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - Two-thirds of U.S. troops serving in Iraq say they believe the cause they're fighting for is worthwhile, according to a new Stars and Stripes survey.

WASHINGTON, DC - A total of 341 Americans successfully convoyed out of southern Lebanon and are shipping out of Beirut harbor for Cyprus, State Department officials said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Brazilian military today assumed leadership of the Inter-American Defense Board, the military advisory board to the Organization of American States.

WASHINGTON, DC - The reserve components have greatly contributed to the global war on terrorism, while also providing personnel for homeland security and disaster relief missions, senior officials told a congressionally chartered committee yesterday.

TIKRIT, Iraq - The Denver Broncos Cheerleaders came halfway around the globe to show that the troops mean the world to them. The cheerleaders performed for hundreds of soldiers July 16 at Contingency Operating Base Speicher here.

HOUSTON, TX - A new program aims to help military students develop leadership skills, patriotism, commitment to selfless service, and intellectual and problem-solving capacity.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi and coalition security forces will redouble efforts to stem a recent spate of bombings, murders and kidnappings conducted in and around Baghdad, a senior U.S. military officer said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The USS Nashville has joined the fleet of ships evacuating U.S. citizens from Lebanon, defense officials said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - A Marine assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, died due to enemy action in Iraq's Anbar province today, according to U.S. officials in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi and coalition soldiers launched a new operation near Kirkuk, Iraq, this morning, and Iraqi army soldiers have captured more than a dozen terrorists near Baghdad over the past two days.

HOUSTON - A new program aims to help military students develop leadership skills, patriotism, commitment to selfless service, and intellectual and problem-solving capacity.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi and coalition security forces will redouble efforts to stem a recent spate of bombings, murders and kidnappings conducted in and around Baghdad, a senior U.S. military officer said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The USS Nashville has joined the fleet of ships evacuating U.S. citizens from Lebanon, defense officials said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi and coalition soldiers launched a new operation near Kirkuk, Iraq, this morning, and Iraqi army soldiers have captured more than a dozen terrorists near Baghdad over the past two days.

WASHINGTON, DC - A Georgia teenager is spearheading a troop-support rally to be held later this week in Atlanta. Kierstyn Paulino, 15, said Operation Completion's fourth pro-military rally will take place on the Capitol West Steps on July 22.

WASHINGTON, DC - Defense Department policies and programs allow all its military and civilian members to work and serve in an environment of fairness, equity, dignity and respect, a top defense official said during remarks at the NAACP's 31st annual Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Awards Dinner last night.

WASHINGTON, DC - Evacuating thousands of Americans from Lebanon is an extremely complicated undertaking, but one that servicemembers train to accomplish, Defense Department officials said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - No job is too lowly or inconsequential if it contributes to the overall mission, and it's up to leaders to ensure their people know the importance of their contribution, a senior Army leader said yesterday.

WASHINGTON, DC - Sixty-five years after the Defense Department launched a program to train the first black military pilots and aircrews, veterans of the Tuskegee Airmen say they're proud of the barriers they helped break down and the example they set for today's servicemembers.

WASHINGTON, DC - An organization devoted to the unique education challenges that face the children of military families is using the World Wide Web to help transitioning parents and students get information about schools across the nation.

WASHINGTON, DC - In several incidents July 16 and 17 and yesterday, Iraqi soldiers, police, and coalition forces killed two terrorists and detained 19, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - Extremists in Afghanistan attacked coalition forces from a religious site yesterday, and targeted several civilian areas this week, including a bridge, a school and a wedding party, military officials in Afghanistan reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - A Marine died in Iraq and a soldier was killed in Afghanistan yesterday, and the Defense Department has released the identities of four soldiers killed recently while supporting the war on terror.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces reasserted authority in two villages reported to be under Taliban control in the Helmand province of southern Afghanistan, military officials reported.

SOUTHWEST ASIA - A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter, providing nontraditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support to coalition ground forces, killed a member of an improvised explosive device cell and identified an IED emplacement yesterday near Baqubah, Iraq, U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials reported today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The chief of the National Guard Bureau thanked the NAACP here last night for its help in recruiting minorities and for making the National Guard better.

WASHINGTON, DC - The idea of the services operating jointly with fewer aircraft platforms that share common features is the key to the modernization effort taking place throughout the military aviation community, the Army Aviation director said here yesterday.

WASHINGTON, DC - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld hosted China's senior military officer here today to build on the growing U.S.-China military relationship and discuss issues of mutual interest, including North Korea.

WASHINGTON, DC - While U.S. authorities in Cyprus are expecting to evacuate at least 5,000 Americans from Lebanon, they are preparing for any contingency, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - One coalition soldier was killed and 11 others were wounded yesterday during a battle with Taliban extremists in the Tarin Kowt district of Afghanistan's Oruzgan province, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - Vice President Richard B. Cheney yesterday told members of the Iowa National Guard that he appreciates and admires their service around the world as he highlighted Guard contributions to the war on terror.

WASHINGTON, DC - Two American soldiers died in Iraq yesterday, military officials reported, and the Defense Department has identified two earlier casualties.

WASHINGTON, DC - A contracted ship has docked in Lebanon to evacuate U.S. citizens caught in the fighting there, and U.S. officials have ordered the expeditionary strike group based around the USS Iwo Jima to assist in the effort, DoD officials said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi security forces captured an insurgent-run kidnapping ring and an assassination squad during two separate operations in Baghdad yesterday.

WASHINGTON, DC - An open letter from Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to the people of Afghanistan praises the strides their new government has made and assures them of the United States' continued commitment to its success.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi forces captured an insurgent cell leader in Baghdad July 13 and killed another insurgent leader in northern Iraq July 14, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - Initial reports indicate 40 Iraqi citizens were killed and 90 wounded today when terrorists stormed a market area near the Mohammed Al Amin Mosque in Mahmudiya, Iraq, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - The United States has contracted a commercial ship to assist in a possible mass evacuation of Americans from Lebanon. The cruise ship Orient Queen is expected to arrive in the area of operations sometime tomorrow.

LAREDO, Texas - National Guard troops flowing to the Southwest border are highly visible to drivers at an Interstate 35 inspection station north of this Texas border town as soldiers assist U.S. Border Patrol agents scrutinizing every northbound vehicle.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Defense Department released the identities of three servicemembers killed recently supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition, a soldier died today in Baghdad after being hit by small-arms fire .

WASHINGTON, DC - A Marine assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, died due to enemy action in Iraq's Anbar province today, according to U.S. officials in Baghdad. In addition Defense officials have released the identities of several soldiers killed in Iraq.

WASHINGTON, DC - A suicide bomb attack in the Gardez district Afghanistan's of Paktia province killed five people and wounded up to 22 others, mostly innocent civilians, yesterday, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - More than 1,000 villagers in the Panjwayi and Zharey districts of Afghanistan received medical treatment and humanitarian assistance from Afghan and coalition personnel at clinics during the past weekend, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - Committed to the motto, "May no soldier go unloved," the organization called "Soldiers' Angels" provides services to cater to the needs of active troops as well as those wounded in combat. One such service provides wounded troops with laptops to use from their homes and hospital beds.

FORT DETRICK, Md. - U.S. Army Capt. Amy Jackson, a physician assistant in Camp Striker, near Baghdad, designed a four-week program that used every possible tactic to help deployed soldiers quit smoking.

WASHINGTON, DC - A U.S. military team is now in Lebanon evaluating the possibility of evacuating thousands of American citizens there, a Defense Department spokesman said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. and Iraqi soldiers killed two terrorists and captured seven others during a joint operation conducted in a rural area northwest of Baghdad late last week, officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. soldiers freed a kidnapped Voice of America journalist and captured four suspected terrorists in two separate operations in Baghdad July 14, officials in Iraq reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. and Iraqi soldiers killed several terrorists and found an enemy weapons cache during separate operations in Baghdad yesterday, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported.

BALAD, Iraq - Civil affairs soldiers are here working to ensure local Iraqis have the strong foundation needed to rebuild and sustain their government long after the coalition leaves Iraq.

WASHINGTON, DC - Assessments from Helmand Province, Afghanistan, do not conclude that non-combatants were killed as a result of operations against extremists on July 12, according to coalition officials.

WASHINGTON, DC - Two Afghan civilians were killed and one was injured in a drive-by shooting in Zambar in Khowst Province. Three people disguised as women who were wearing burkas and driving in a Toyota Corolla conducted the attack.

WASHINGTON, DC - Salute Our Services supports servicemembers in every branch of service and their families with financial grants. The goal of the grants is to keep children of deployed servicemembers engaged in the activities they enjoy.

WASHINGTON, DC - Marine Lt. Gen. Frances C. Wilson took the reins today as the 12th president of the National Defense University at Fort McNair here.

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. - Sharon Serio said her son, Matt, was a lot like her. Both middle children, they liked to go out and have a good time. "We got along great together, him and I," the Rhode Island woman said. "(I'll miss) his phone calls." Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Kenneth Serio's last contact with his mother was April 4, 2004. He was killed the next day while on patrol in Fallujah.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi security forces must take the lead in security operations to defeat terrorists in that country, a senior U.S. Army officer said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Army National Guard is experiencing its biggest and longest-running recruiting success since the end of the draft, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON, DC - With about 3,600 troops reporting on or ahead of schedule so far for border security duty in the Southwest, the National Guard is solidly on track to meet the requirement of up to 6,000 troops by Aug. 1.

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. - The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff visited U.S. Transportation Command here earlier this week to meet with enlisted members and learn about the command.

WASHINGTON, DC - Anti-insurgent efforts in the Iraqi city of Ramadi are beginning to bear fruit, a senior U.S. military officer said today.

HOUSTON, TX - It's important that teachers and other school officials understand factors affecting children of military families, a senior Army general said here yesterday.

WASHINGTON, DC - Coalition and Iraqi forces have killed or captured numerous terrorism suspects yesterday and today, and military officials praised the teamwork involved among responding forces after a coalition helicopter crashed yesterday.

HOUSTON, TX - A top Army general and his daughter praised the Military Child Education Coalition for the organization's work helping military parents and their children cope with challenges during transitions from one school to another.

WASHINGTON, DC - United Service Organizations of Metropolitan Washington will get a sizeable boost from Northrop Grumman Corporation tomorrow to help establish its newest military airport lounge, at Washington Dulles International Airport here.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi police freed a kidnap victim in Baghdad, and coalition forces uncovered a large cache of bomb-making material near Mahmudiyah, Iraq, July 10, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - The military has been able to fill its ranks without sacrificing quality, DoD's top personnel official told reporters yesterday. David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said all active-duty components met their recruiting goals in June for the 13th month in a row.

WASHINGTON, DC - Military tribunals -- not courts-martial or civilian court procedures -- are the best way to try enemy combatants for war crimes, a senior defense official told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday.

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi government will announce tomorrow that for the first time, Iraqi police forces will take over security control of a province, the U.S. general in charge of coalition troops here said today.

BAGHDAD - The solution to ending violence in Iraq will be the development of the national ministries and a reconciliation plan that includes all ethnic groups, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.

BALAD, Iraq - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived here today on an unannounced visit to meet with U.S. troops. He was then to travel to Baghdad to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and senior U.S. military leaders.

HOLMDEL, N.J. - U.S. military men and women have given the Iraqi people hope, Iraq's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations said during a July 9 ceremony here at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial.

QALAT, Afghanistan - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today called the provincial reconstruction team here a shining example of how the teams develop relationships with the local Afghan government.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. officials are condemning a terrorist video reported to show the mutilated corpses of American soldiers. The terrorists say the video is of two American soldiers captured near Yusifiyah, Iraq, June 16 and killed sometime later.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Great progress has been made in Afghanistan in the last five years, and the U.S. will continue its commitment to that success, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - A memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England underscores the department's standing policy of treating detainees humanely and orders commanders responsible for detainee affairs to review their practices to ensure they are in compliance.

WASHINGTON, DC - Three bombs detonated just north of Baghdad's international zone today, killing a reported 15 Iraqi civilians and an Iraqi policeman, U.S. military officials said.

WASHINGTON, DC - Global terrorists started their war against the United States long before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Vice President Richard B. Cheney told a gathering of Michigan National Guardsmen yesterday.

KABUL, Afghanistan - Violence in southern Afghanistan is caused not just by militant extremists, but also by regional issues such as a lack of governance, the U.S. general in charge of coalition troops in Afghanistan said today.

PITTSBURGH, PA - Oakland A's All-Star pitcher Barry Zito, founder of "Strikeouts for Troops," will donate $500 for each strikeout thrown during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game here this evening.

KABUL, Afghanistan - The transition of security responsibilities in southern Afghanistan to NATO will be positive for Afghanistan and enable U.S. forces to expand their focus on the counterinsurgency movement there, the top U.S. general here said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - American know-how and dollars are revitalizing a decrepit Iraqi infrastructure that had withered under Saddam Hussein's rule, a senior U.S. military officer said in Baghdad today.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. and Iraqi security forces will go after any rogue band or group that preys on innocent Iraqi citizens, a senior U.S. officer said in Baghdad today.

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met here today with the Tajikistani president and defense officials in an effort to foster an ongoing military-to-military relationship between Tajikistan and the United States.

WASHINGTON, DC - More than 40 American Gold Star Mothers and their guests from around the country came together here yesterday to honor the children they've lost in the country's conflicts.

WASHINGTON, DC - Vice President Richard B. Cheney thanked sailors and Marines during a July 7 rally aboard the USS Wasp for serving in uniform during a period of national challenge, military transformation and unprecedented threats.

WASHINGTON, DC - Defense officials are attributing the 13th consecutive month in which every military service met or exceeded its active-duty recruiting goal to more than just good luck.

WASHINGTON, DC - Several Iraqi civilians were killed and injured during two July 7 terrorist attacks, and multiple weapons caches were found last week, military officials in Iraq said.

WASHINGTON, DC - A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died in a non-combat-related incident today, and three soldiers assigned to 1st Marine Expeditionary Force died due to enemy action while operating in Iraq's Anbar province yesterday, military officials said.

WASHINGTON, DC - Charges have been preferred against four U.S. soldiers accused of rape and murder in connection with the deaths of four Iraqi civilians in March. A fifth soldier has been accused of dereliction of duty for failing to report the offenses, U.S. officials announced today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Five members of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros bullpen will collectively contribute to 'Strikeouts for Troops' this season. Strikeouts for Troops a national project created by Oakland Athletics pitcher Barry Zito, benefiting servicemembers injured in battle and rehabilitating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, D.C; the National Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md.; and other military hospitals.

WASHINGTON, DC - A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died in a non-combat-related incident today, and three soldiers assigned to 1st Marine Expeditionary Force died due to enemy action.

WASHINGTON, DC - Several Iraqi civilians were killed and injured during two July 7 terrorist attacks, and multiple weapons caches were found last week, military officials in Iraq said.

WASHINGTON, DC - Soldiers who undergo the most intense, realistic training before deploying to combat tend to experience the fewest associated mental health problems, the Army's surgeon general told Pentagon reporters during a roundtable session today.

WASHINGTON, DC - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has the power to set his country on a more productive course by giving up its nuclear and ballistic missile ambitions, President Bush said today during a news conference at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.

WASHINGTON, DC - The first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which will be known as the Lightning II, was unveiled at Lockheed-Martin's facility at Fort Worth, Texas, today. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley announced the fighter's name, which pays homage to two predecessors.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Tournament Players Club of Boston and the Defense Department's America Supports You program teamed up over the Fourth of July weekend to play golf and raise funds to benefit groups who support the nation's servicemembers.

WASHINGTON, DC - The coalition corps commander in Iraq has completed his review of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 24 Iraqis around Haditha on Nov. 19, 2005, and has passed his findings and recommendations to the coalition commander in the country.

WASHINGTON, DC - The first shovels have cut into the land that eventually will hold Marine Sgt. Jared Luce's new home -- one specially adapted to accommodate his disabilities.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraq is the central front in the war against terrorism, so it is imperative that the United States and its allies achieve full victory there, President Bush said in Chicago today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi forces with coalition aviation support captured a "significant criminal" in East Baghdad yesterday, coalition spokesman Army Maj. Gen. Bill Caldwell said today.

BAGHDAD - The NATO mission in Iraq is little known, but it's an important one for the long-term future of the country, NATO officials said here recently.

WASHINGTON, DC - Coalition troops operating in Iraq's Muthanna province will soon transfer security responsibilities to Iraqi police, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said today in Baghdad.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi army forces conducted an early morning raid today in eastern Baghdad, Iraqi police repelled a terrorist attack in Baghdad today, and coalition forces killed two terrorists and detained five during a raid yesterday, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - A coalition soldier was killed yesterday in the Baghran Valley of Afghanistan's Helmand province when a convoy was attacked by enemy extremists, and the Defense Department has identified earlier casualties in the war on terror.

WASHINGTON, DC - Villagers captured an extremist who threw a grenade into a mosque in the village of Showbi in the Tere Zayi district of Afghanistan's Khost province today during prayer, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - The top U.S. general in Iraq and the U.S. ambassador to Iraq issued a statement today expressing "heartfelt condolences" to the families of four Iraqi civilians killed March 12 in Iraq.

WASHINGTON, DC - With hurricane season in full-swing, military officials are encouraging servicemembers who don't own their own homes to purchase renters insurance to protect their personal property.

WASHINGTON, DC - Inspired by the book "A Treasure Trove," by Michael Stadther, and the Disney movie "National Treasure," 10-year-old Rachel and 8-year-old Kelsi Okun created their own scavenger hunt to raise scholarship money for military children and spouses.

WUERZBURG, Germany - The U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division, known as the "Big Red One," bid farewell to its host country of Germany at Victory Park on Leighton Barracks here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - As the international community unites and sends a clear message to North Korea demanding disarmament, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il will become less of a threat, President Bush said here today.

WASHINGTON, DC - Coalition and Iraqi forces have detained nine suspected terrorists and discovered numerous weapons caches over the past several days, U.S. military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - Coalition forces killed 35 Taliban extremists at a compound in the village of Ghach Zar, Afghanistan, July 4 as part of Operation Mountain Thrust.

WASHINGTON, DC - A coalition soldier was killed yesterday while on patrol in Afghanistan, and the Defense Department has identified a soldier who recently died in Iraq.

WASHINGTON, DC - Napoleon Bonaparte once opined that an army marches on its stomach, meaning that to be effective, a military relies on good and plentiful food. In accordance with Napoleon's general theme of the importance of properly feeding ones forces and their families, the Defense Department appointed Patrick B. Nixon as the director of the Defense Commissary Agency on June 27.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - The U.S. Agency for International Development has started a $16 million road project that extends from the center of Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley and will eventually connect the valley to southern markets in Charikar and Kabul.

WASHINGTON, DC - The new al Qaeda in Iraq leader is an explosives expert who could opt to increase insurgent attacks using car and truck bombs, a senior U.S. military officer said in Baghdad today.

SAN ANTONIO, TX - As the city celebrated July 4 with colorful parades and family barbecues, a small group of cyclists rode into Fort Sam Houston marking an independence day of their own.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Northern Command detected "each and every" North Korean missile launch and had interceptors operational and ready to respond if needed, a senior defense official told Pentagon reporters today.

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. military is stepping up operations in the Gulf of Guinea to enhance security in this strategic and resource-rich region, the commander of U.S. European Command's naval surface combatant warships told the Pentagon Channel.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi soldiers rescued three kidnap victims, foiled a kidnap attempt, captured 28 suspected terrorists, and killed eight terrorists in separate operations July 2 and 3, military officials reported.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - Twenty-seven U.S. soldiers serving on the front lines of the war on terror in Afghanistan became the newest American citizens here yesterday during a special Independence Day overseas military naturalization ceremony here.

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush today called on the American public to do their part in supporting the nation's men and women in uniform. "Across our country, Americans are coming together to help our deployed forces and their families -- and we can do more," Bush said during an Independence Day speech at Fort Bragg, N.C.

WASHINGTON, DC - Marking the 230th anniversary of American independence, President Bush today gave thanks for the nation's freedom and for the men and women who make that freedom possible.

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq - For soldiers like Army Spc. Guillermo Paniagua, a nuclear, chemical and biological specialist with Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, enlisting into the Army meant more than just joining the military - it meant joining the United States.

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush today promised the nation's men and women in uniform he would not allow "the sacrifice of 2,527 troops who have died in Iraq to be in vain by pulling out before the job is done."

WASHINGTON, DC - Allegations of wrongdoing by some U.S. servicemembers serving in Iraq reinforce the values of those who serve with honor, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.

WASHINGTON, DC - As the nation observes its 230th birthday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff took to the airwaves today to thank the men and women of the armed forces and their families for their service.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Defense Department's "America Supports You" program is a good thing for the nation's men and women in uniform, breakout country music star Rockie Lynne said today on ABC's "Good Morning America."

WASHINGTON, DC - A former illegal alien from Iran who now is an American citizen is showing his love and appreciation for what his adopted country has done for him by building a memorial to honor servicemembers who have died in the global war on terrorism.

WASHINGTON, DC - Eileen Schwartz founded Flags Across the Nation, hoping to make a difference and display the American spirit for all citizens to see.

WASHINGTON, DC - Attending his first NASCAR event July 1, Vice President Dick Cheney thanked the car racing community for its continuted support of America's servicemembers. "I know you guys have spent a lot of time with the troops, ... especially those who are in Afghanistan and Iraq and a lot of other places around the world." Cheney said.

WASHINGTON, DC - Military members serving in the global war against terrorism, as well as their families, are true American patriots, the Pentagon's top officer told the Daughters of the American Revolution here June 30.

WASHINGTON, DC - Two teens' ongoing effort to help deployed servicemembers communicate with their loved ones back home inspired the Orlando-Conway, Fla., chapter of International Moms Club to donate $4,000 to "Cell Phones for Soldiers" June 28.

WASHINGTON, DC - Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals honored members of the U.S. armed forces yesterday during pre-game festivities that highlighted the organization's annual military appreciation day.

WASHINGTON, DC - Attending his first NASCAR event July 1, Vice President Dick Cheney thanked the car racing community for its continued support of America's servicemembers.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - Two U.S. Navy ships - USS Patriot and USS Salvor -- completed a five-hour, navigationally complex transit down the Saigon River to arrive here July 1 for a scheduled port visit aimed at enhancing U.S.-Vietnam relations and allowing the sailors of both ships to experience the culture-rich city and outlying area.

WASHINGTON, DC - A Marine was killed in action today in Iraq's Anbar province, a soldier died in a roadside bomb explosion yesterday north of Baghdad, and the Defense Department has identified an airman who died in Iraq over the weekend.

WASHINGTON, DC - Iraqi and coalition forces captured or killed three insurgents and detained 17 others throughout Iraq in operations yesterday and July 1, while Iraqi Police acted on a tip to secure a large homemade bomb June 30.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - U.S. Northern Command has a new partner in defending North America from future terrorist and natural disasters. During his first official visit to NORTHCOM headquarters here as the commander of Canada Command, Canadian Forces Lt. Gen. Marc Dumais promised the two nations would take their already strong military cooperation to new heights.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Daughters of the American Revolution honored two soldiers and the founder of an organization that builds adaptive homes for wounded servicemembers at their 115th annual meeting here June 30.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - One crewman was killed and another was injured today when a coalition AH-64 Apache attack helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan, military officials reported.

WASHINGTON, DC - Two coalition servicemembers were killed in Afghanistan today, two U.S. servicemembers died yesterday in what officials described as noncombat incidents, and the Defense Department has identified previously announced casualties in the global war on terror.

WASHINGTON, DC - An investigation continues today into a June 30 rocket attack on Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan that injured 10 people, military officials reported, while extremists continue to target Afghan civilians.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - News reports published June 30 that claimed coalition forces fired rockets in Afghanistan's Kunar province, allegedly killing a school headmaster and injuring two others, are false, military officials here said today.

MANASSAS - Under the cover of darkness, more than 100 people lit candles June 28 during a vigil at the Silent Thunder Memorial for Freedom here, which is being built to honor the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush yesterday urged Americans to find ways to support the nation's servicemembers through the Defense Department's "America Supports You" program.