Supreme Court case pits free speech against military property rights

Veteran peace activist Dennis Apel says he was exercising his 1st Amendment rights when he was arrested after marking the start of the 2003 Iraq war by throwing some of his blood at a Vandenberg Air Force Base sign north of Santa Barbara.

Military Update

Promotion rate disparities impact total career pay

Air Force enlisted members advance to pay grades E-5 through E-7 faster than they did before recent wars, but still slower than peers in every other branch of service. That dampens total earnings over a 20-year career.

Pearl Harbor survivor thrives meeting visitors

Herb Weatherwax cruises the open-air grounds of the visitors center at Pearl Harbor on a motorized scooter dubbed "Herb's Hot Rod." When a woman notices his blue and white cap embroidered with the words "Pearl Harbor Survivor," he coaxes her over.

Full benefits extended to DOD same-sex couples living in S. Korea

U.S. Forces Korea last week decided to grant full marriage benefits to same-sex couples, meaning the spouses of gay and lesbian servicemembers and U.S. civilians living in South Korea can now shop at the commissary and post exchanges.

Hagel announces cuts to his own office; hopes to save $1B over 5 years

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced new funding and personnel cuts to the Office of the Secretary of Defense on Wednesday, including a 20 percent reduction in OSD’s operating budget over the fiscal 2015-2019 time frame, as well as an 8 percent reduction in the total OSD workforce.

Hagel announces acting deputy; Fox to become highest-ranking female in DOD history

FEATURE STORY

Is JPAC ignoring clues, technology that could bring unknowns home?

Families of the missing and JPAC whistleblowers believe modern technology and the analysis of war and post-war documents can easily identify a great number of these World War II unknowns but say JPAC has chosen to ignore them.

Veteran jobs

See more at the Stars and Stripes Veteran Job Center.

Ombudsman

Ernie Gates, Stars and Stripes' ombudsman

Find your 2013 Basic Allowance for Housing rate

Official 2013 military pay tables

Proposal would leave combined division north of Seoul

The U.S. and South Korea are considering creation of a combined division that would be stationed near the Demilitarized Zone after most U.S. forces move to installations south of Seoul.
NATO chief: OK if someone other than Karzai signs
Group from Fort Drum's 10th Combat Aviation Brigade back from Afghanistan
Mayport-bound, and risen 'from the ashes'
Concerns raised on possible diminishing nuclear capabilities
Amputees help advance thought-controlled prosthetic technology
Amphibious transport dock New York departs Norfolk for good
State, DOD officials defend warming relations with Myanmar
Army sees use for $36M Afghan building despite Marines' objections
Top general to teens: Watch what you post online!

Military
Veterans
Afghanistan
Mideast
Asia

Amphibious transport dock New York departs Norfolk for good

Pulling away from an oddly quiet naval station pier under a gentle sheet of rain, the amphibious transport dock New York made its departure from Norfolk on Wednesday – the first of three Navy vessels relocating to Jacksonville, Fla.
08:12 December 5, 2013
Michelle Obama unveils decorations to military families

First lady Michelle Obama opened the holiday season at the White House on Wednesday, importing Chicago talent to style the world’s most famous home into an elegant, fir-draped and fragrant wonderland.
07:06 December 5, 2013
Pearl Harbor survivor thrives meeting visitors
US repatriates 2 Guantanamo prisoners who feared going to Algeria
Former Guardsman settles lawsuit against Target
Schools open but Colo. bases closed because of weather? Here's why
Libyan officials say US teacher killed in Benghazi
Mayport-bound, and risen 'from the ashes'

UN OKs military action in Central African Republic

The U.N. Security Council has authorized increased military action by France and African troops to try to end near-anarchy in the Central African Republic.
Gales hit Scotland, north Europe braces for storm

Gale-force winds hit Scotland on Thursday, leaving thousands of homes without electricity and halting trains, as much of northwestern Europe braced for a storm that was expected to bring flooding to coastal areas and disrupt transport.
OSCE meeting opens in Kiev, gripped by protests
Accused killer of UK soldier describes attack

US envoy: Afghan president unchanged on troop deal

The U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan said Thursday that Afghan President Hamid Karzai still refuses to sign a security deal with the United States until after next April's elections.
08:46 December 5, 2013
Iraq police storm mall, kill gunmen after standoff

Iraqi police stormed a mall in a northern city that gunmen used to launch an attack on a nearby police station, killing three militants and ending an hourslong standoff as attacks elsewhere left seven dead Thursday, authorities said.
04:18 December 5, 2013
Car bomb hits Yemen's Defense Ministry, killing 18
Rocket attack kills Illinois man at air base in Afghanistan

China gives no ground to Biden in air zone dispute

Giving no ground, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden traded strong arguments Wednesday over China's contentious new air defense zone, with little indication of progress toward defusing a situation that is raising anxieties across Asia and beyond.
23:34 December 4, 2013
Amid political violence, Thai king urges stability

Thailand put politics aside Thursday to celebrate the 86th birthday of the country's revered monarch, who used his annual birthday speech to call for stability but made no direct reference to the crisis that has deeply divided the nation.
01:21 December 5, 2013
China air zone risks miscalculation, distracts diplomacy, experts say
China urges US to respect air zone

George Washington back in port after typhoon relief work

Hagel announces cuts to his own office; hopes to save $1B over 5 years

NATO chief: OK if someone other than Karzai signs

Loss of VA grant imperils skiers’ paralympic hopes

If Karzai stonewalls on agreement, is US military planning harmed?

The vast blood supply network that keeps life pumping in Afghanistan

The GOP stays on message, but it’s toxic

Say hello to your voice-activated living room: The Xbox One review

DODDS Pacific wrestling

Kubasaki looks to be loaded again on the mats

Live now on the Tablet Edition

Military support group says it's not getting proceeds from items left in Va. bins

Learn more about the Tablet Edition >

Across from an office park in a convenient Virginia roadside pull-off sits a pair of bins adorned with the Military Family Support Center’s logo, allowing locals to drop off clothes, housewares and other valuables. But none of the donations go to charity.
GALLERY

Photos of the week: Air Force

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Our staff-selected photos of the week of the Air Force in action.
Stripes iPad app now offers 7-day preview

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The Stars and Stripes Tablet Edition iPad app now offers a free 7-day preview.
Top shots: The best in news, sports and military photos

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Stars and Stripes Tablet Edition subscribers get exclusive access to galleries of the most provocative photography around. From unparalleled war photography, to touching memorial coverage, or the most exciting sporting events, every gallery is hand-picked by Stars and Stripes staffers around the world. This gallery is a preview of some of the photography in the Tablet Edition.

Latest Blogs

Archive Photo of the Day

Bill Mauldin and Andy Rooney, 1992
Archive Photo of the Day

Hungarian refugees in Germany, 1956
Ernie Gates, ombudsman

Sequestration shouldn't be cover to shut down (or shut up) Stars and Stripes' independent voice

Top-to-bottom review at DOD is prudent management, but Stripes' free press mission shouldn't be on any elimination list.
Stripes Central

In Pentagon farewell, Carter lists his wishes for troops

Carter leaves the Pentagon after spending some of his final days on the job in Afghanistan celebrating Thanksgiving with troops.

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Ramstein airman killed in on-base car wreck December 4, 2013
Fort Hood soldier convicted in prostitution ring case December 4, 2013
Hagel announces cuts to his own office; hopes to save $1B over 5 years December 4, 2013
Army sees use for $36M Afghan building despite Marines' objections December 4, 2013
Top general to teens: Watch what you post online! December 4, 2013
Proposal would leave combined division north of Seoul December 5, 2013
Ex-investigator, critics say JPAC ignoring clues, technology that could bring unknowns home December 4, 2013
NORAD Santa Tracker is military marketing, says child psychologist December 4, 2013
'For some reason, I’m alive and he’s not' December 1, 2013
Supreme Court case pits free speech against military property rights December 5, 2013

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Dear Santa

Read our selection of Stripes Letters to Santa penned by our youngest readers – some will enchant while others may leave you misty eyed, but they’ll certainly fill you with holiday spirit.