There were significant setbacks as soldiers in Afghanistan transitioned from
fighting to mentoring. A mass murder of Afghan civilians and some cultural
missteps hindered NATO’s efforts to win hearts and minds in the 11th year of
America’s longest war, while incidents of Afghan police and soldiers murdering
their American mentors spiked. Some nagging problems persisted more broadly in
the military, as well: Navy commanders were relieved at an alarming pace while
bad behavior among troops in Japan resulted in curfews and liberty restrictions.
Not among the problems, however, was the acceptance of gays serving openly,
which despite dire forecasts by opponents happened without major incidents. As a
new year begins, the military’s toughest foe might well be dwindling budgets.
2012's best Stars and Stripes photos from Afghanistan
The year began with the U.S. military’s rank and file under scrutiny for urinating on enemy corpses and burning Qurans, but it ended with the behavior of top officers in the spotlight.
Coalition deaths fell in 2012, as more responsibility for security went to the Afghans. After peaking in 2010 at 711 friendly forces killed, that figure dropped to 566 last year, and through Dec. 15, was just under 400.
Trust between Afghan and international forces reached a low point this year as instances of Afghan soldiers turning their weapons on their coalition counterparts became a nearly weekly occurrence.
Col. James H. Johnson III went to trial on more than 20 counts of fraud, bigamy, adultery and conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman. Air Force Lt. Col. James Wilkerson was tried on charges of aggravated sexual assault.
When the one-year anniversary of the repeal passed in September, the president released a short statement marking the date. Military officials, however, barely recognized it.
In what would be the worst U.S. military atrocity since the Vietnam War, a U.S. soldier wandered off a small combat outpost in Kandahar province’s volatile Panjwai district on March 11 and allegedly killed 16 civilians, including nine children in two villages.
When it was discovered that U.S. soldiers were burning Qurans at Bagram Air Field, it not only triggered deadly riots but exposed a profound lack of cultural understanding.
The Army psychiatrist accused of the 2009 Fort Hood massacre was set to face court-martial in 2012, but one issue delayed his trial repeatedly: his beard.
The commander of U.S. Forces Japan issued the first-ever countrywide curfew for servicemembers shortly before Halloween after two U.S. sailors were charged with raping an Okinawan woman.
The deployment of Marine Corps Osprey aircraft to Okinawa this year proved to be one of the biggest stumbling blocks in the U.S.-Japan alliance of late.
It was the year Baumholder said goodbye to thousands of soldiers, and other small garrison towns in Germany prepared to do the same as the Pentagon pressed forward with a plan to shrink its presence in a post-Cold War Europe.
Most news stories come with endings. In the case of the cuts made to DODDS Pacific’s Far East tournament program announced this month, Stars and Stripes’ No. 1 Pacific high school sports story of the year might only be beginning.
Know what an 'empathy belly' is? Remember the colonel convicted of fraud and bigamy, or the 'America's Got Talent' singer questioned for false claims of being a war hero? If they sound familiar, it's possibly because these are among the most read online stories from Stars and Stripes in 2012.
There’s live video of a Coast Guard rescue at sea during Hurricane Sandy, a public service announcement on homeless veterans, and of course, a ‘Gangnam Style’ spoof music video in contention, but what were the top 10 most watched U.S. military videos of 2012?
What beats an outdoor music concert? A free one! As summer kicks in, enjoy loads of musical performances at no cost during several weeks. Here's a hearty sampling.
Don’t miss your chance to send your favorite grad a note of congratulations, printed in the pages of Stars and Stripes’ keepsake publication. The deadline for submissions is May 23rd.
