Quantcast

Hundreds of soldiers thought they had holiday leave. Now the Army’s trying to help them cancel their tickets.
Col. W. Scott Gallaway, front, commander, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, leads the formation July 2, 2018, during a ceremony at Ansbach's Storck Barracks Airfield. <br>U.S. Army
Col. W. Scott Gallaway, front, commander, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, leads the formation July 2, 2018, during a ceremony at Ansbach's Storck Barracks Airfield. <br>U.S. Army

Scores of soldiers deployed to Europe could be on the hook after purchasing airline tickets home for the holidays, only to learn that their leave was never fully approved.

Army Pfc. Joshua Mikeasky, 19, from Pennsylvania, was killed Thursday in a non-combat incident on Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan. Mikeasky was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum in New York.<br>U.S. Army photo
Army Pfc. Joshua Mikeasky, 19, from Pennsylvania, was killed Thursday in a non-combat incident on Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan. Mikeasky was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum in New York.<br>U.S. Army photo

Fort Drum soldier, 19, died in noncombat incident in Afghanistan

Army Pfc. Joshua Mikeasky died in the incident Thursday on the major U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan, the Pentagon said in a statement. Mikeasky was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum in New York.

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Vincent Griffith, third from left, commander of Naval Supply Systems Command, Global Logistics Support, views Doraleh Container Terminal from the Port of Djibouti, during a tour of the port and nearby Camp Lemonnier. <br>Eric Dietrich/U.S. Navy
U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Vincent Griffith, third from left, commander of Naval Supply Systems Command, Global Logistics Support, views Doraleh Container Terminal from the Port of Djibouti, during a tour of the port and nearby Camp Lemonnier. <br>Eric Dietrich/U.S. Navy

Could China squeeze the US out of its only permanent military base in Africa?

While there have been other concerns with China in Djibouti, such as accusations that China used lasers against American pilots in Djibouti, American officials have recently expressed concern over a port that was once operated by an external company but has been taken over by the Djibouti government.

<br>U.S. Air Force
<br>U.S. Air Force

Basic Allowance for Housing rates for 2019 are released; will increase an average of 2.55 percent

Basic Allowance for Housing rates will increase an average of 2.55 percent beginning on January 1, 2019, the Department of Defense announced late Friday afternoon.

more top headlines

"Remaining in spite of you," referencing an Islamic State slogan, is freshly spray-painted on a wall in Raqqa, Syria, on Oct. 21, 2018.<br>Alice Martins/For The Washington Post
"Remaining in spite of you," referencing an Islamic State slogan, is freshly spray-painted on a wall in Raqqa, Syria, on Oct. 21, 2018.<br>Alice Martins/For The Washington Post

ANALYSIS

In America's hidden war in Syria, troops face peril on many fronts

The ruined, fearful city of Raqqa was once the Islamic State's capital, the showcase of its caliphate and a magnet for foreign fighters from around the globe. Now it lies at the heart of the United States' newest commitment to a Middle East war.

The castle ruins at Parkstein, Germany.<br>Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes
The castle ruins at Parkstein, Germany.<br>Martin Egnash/Stars and Stripes

europe quick trips

Sip coffee on a long-dormant volcano in quaint Parkstein, Germany

Less than 10 minutes away from the Grafenwoehr Training Area is a quaint little village located on a hill — smack in the middle of a dormant volcano.

FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2016 file photo, The HealthCare.gov 2017 web site home page as seen in Washington. More than 12.2 million people have signed up for coverage nationwide this year under the Obama-era health care law as the new Trump administration and the GOP-led Congress remain committed to its repeal.<br>Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2016 file photo, The HealthCare.gov 2017 web site home page as seen in Washington. More than 12.2 million people have signed up for coverage nationwide this year under the Obama-era health care law as the new Trump administration and the GOP-led Congress remain committed to its repeal.<br>Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Federal judge in Texas rules Obama health-care law unconstitutional

A federal judge in Texas threw a dagger into the Affordable Care Act on Friday night, ruling that the entire health-care law is unconstitutional because of a recent change in federal tax law.

featured

in case you missed it...

u.s.
pacific
europe
middle east
africa
see all
<br>

Veterans assist in honoring 7-year-old girl

On Wednesday, Dec. 12, veterans at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg decided to make the day of a 7-year-old Marshal girl named Payton Jones.

See more U.S. news
A KC-130J Hercules with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, conducts aerial refueling training in 2017.<br>Stephen Campbell/U.S. Marine Corps

Iwakuni Marines honor lost KC-130J aircrew with memorial service, flyover

A single KC-130J flew slowly past MCAS Iwakuni Friday in remembrance of five Marines who lost their lives after their aerial refueler collided in midair with an F/A-18 Hornet Dec. 6 off southern Japan.

See more Pacific news
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis arrives to give House members a classified security briefing with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, not shown, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018.<br>J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Russia claims US ignoring outreach on nuclear disagreement

Russia wants to sit down with Pentagon officials for "open and specific" talks on alleged violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

See more Europe news
"Remaining in spite of you," referencing an Islamic State slogan, is freshly spray-painted on a wall in Raqqa, Syria, on Oct. 21, 2018.<br>Alice Martins/For The Washington Post

ANALYSIS

In America's hidden war in Syria, troops face peril on many fronts

The ruined, fearful city of Raqqa was once the Islamic State's capital, the showcase of its caliphate and a magnet for foreign fighters from around the globe. Now it lies at the heart of the United States' newest commitment to a Middle East war.

See more Middle East news
U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Vincent Griffith, third from left, commander of Naval Supply Systems Command, Global Logistics Support, views Doraleh Container Terminal from the Port of Djibouti, during a tour of the port and nearby Camp Lemonnier. <br>Eric Dietrich/U.S. Navy

Could China squeeze the US out of its only permanent military base in Africa?

While there have been other concerns with China in Djibouti, such as accusations that China used lasers against American pilots in Djibouti, American officials have recently expressed concern over a port that was once operated by an external company but has been taken over by the Djibouti government.

See more Africa news

theaters
<br>

Veterans assist in honoring 7-year-old girl

On Wednesday, Dec. 12, veterans at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg decided to make the day of a 7-year-old Marshal girl named Payton Jones.

See more U.S. news
A KC-130J Hercules with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, conducts aerial refueling training in 2017.<br>Stephen Campbell/U.S. Marine Corps

Iwakuni Marines honor lost KC-130J aircrew with memorial service, flyover

A single KC-130J flew slowly past MCAS Iwakuni Friday in remembrance of five Marines who lost their lives after their aerial refueler collided in midair with an F/A-18 Hornet Dec. 6 off southern Japan.

See more Pacific news
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis arrives to give House members a classified security briefing with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, not shown, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018.<br>J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Russia claims US ignoring outreach on nuclear disagreement

Russia wants to sit down with Pentagon officials for "open and specific" talks on alleged violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

See more Europe news
"Remaining in spite of you," referencing an Islamic State slogan, is freshly spray-painted on a wall in Raqqa, Syria, on Oct. 21, 2018.<br>Alice Martins/For The Washington Post

ANALYSIS

In America's hidden war in Syria, troops face peril on many fronts

The ruined, fearful city of Raqqa was once the Islamic State's capital, the showcase of its caliphate and a magnet for foreign fighters from around the globe. Now it lies at the heart of the United States' newest commitment to a Middle East war.

See more Middle East news
U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Vincent Griffith, third from left, commander of Naval Supply Systems Command, Global Logistics Support, views Doraleh Container Terminal from the Port of Djibouti, during a tour of the port and nearby Camp Lemonnier. <br>Eric Dietrich/U.S. Navy

Could China squeeze the US out of its only permanent military base in Africa?

While there have been other concerns with China in Djibouti, such as accusations that China used lasers against American pilots in Djibouti, American officials have recently expressed concern over a port that was once operated by an external company but has been taken over by the Djibouti government.

See more Africa news
see more

veterans

World War II veteran Charles C. Gomez, Jr.<br>Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
World War II veteran Charles C. Gomez, Jr.<br>Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Remains of sailor killed at Pearl Harbor identified

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said Friday that the remains of Navy Seaman 2nd Class Charles C. Gomez Jr., of Slidell, have been accounted for.

Recent Videos

marine corps
navy
coast guard
air force
army
see all
From left: Maj. James Brophy, Lt. Col. Kevin Herrmann, Staff Sgt. Maximo Flores, Cpl. Daniel Baker and Cpl. William Carter Ross were the five Marines who were declared dead after their KC-130J Hercules collided with an F/A-18 Hornet on Dec. 6, 2018.<br>AP/U.S. Marine Corps
From left: Maj. James Brophy, Lt. Col. Kevin Herrmann, Staff Sgt. Maximo Flores, Cpl. Daniel Baker and Cpl. William Carter Ross were the five Marines who were declared dead after their KC-130J Hercules collided with an F/A-18 Hornet on Dec. 6, 2018.<br>AP/U.S. Marine Corps

NY flags to be lowered to honor Marines killed in crash

Flags on all New York state government buildings will be lowered to half-staff in honor of a Hudson Valley Marine and five other Marines killed when two U.S. military planes collided off the coast of Japan last week.

See more Marine Corps news
World War II veteran Charles C. Gomez, Jr.<br>Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
World War II veteran Charles C. Gomez, Jr.<br>Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Remains of sailor killed at Pearl Harbor identified

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said Friday that the remains of Navy Seaman 2nd Class Charles C. Gomez Jr., of Slidell, have been accounted for.

See more Navy news
A Coast Guard Academy hat is seen July 2, 2018, during Swab Summer at the Academy in New London, Conn.<br>Diana Sherbs/U.S. Coast Guard
A Coast Guard Academy hat is seen July 2, 2018, during Swab Summer at the Academy in New London, Conn.<br>Diana Sherbs/U.S. Coast Guard

Lawmakers meet Coast Guard over academy harassment concerns

Members of Connecticut's congressional delegation have met with Coast Guard officials to express their concerns over alleged discrimination and harassment at the service's academy.

See more Coast Guard news
Nathan Pine is the Air Force Academy's new athletic director. <br>U.S. Air Force photo
Nathan Pine is the Air Force Academy's new athletic director. <br>U.S. Air Force photo

Air Force Academy names new athletic director

Air Force's new athletic director has one thing in common with the old one: ties to West Point.

See more Air Force news
Salute to Service banner on a stadium wall during the first half of an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, in Jacksonville, Fla.<br>AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
Salute to Service banner on a stadium wall during the first half of an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, in Jacksonville, Fla.<br>AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Army sergeant lost leg in Afghanistan, now works with Jaguars

Sean Karpf remembers everything about the moments after his left Army boot stepped on the pressure plate of a buried bomb in rural Afghanistan: the smoke, the taste of chemicals in his mouth and the sound of fellow soldiers calling his name, barely heard through the ringing in his ears.

See more Army news

military branches
From left: Maj. James Brophy, Lt. Col. Kevin Herrmann, Staff Sgt. Maximo Flores, Cpl. Daniel Baker and Cpl. William Carter Ross were the five Marines who were declared dead after their KC-130J Hercules collided with an F/A-18 Hornet on Dec. 6, 2018.<br>AP/U.S. Marine Corps
From left: Maj. James Brophy, Lt. Col. Kevin Herrmann, Staff Sgt. Maximo Flores, Cpl. Daniel Baker and Cpl. William Carter Ross were the five Marines who were declared dead after their KC-130J Hercules collided with an F/A-18 Hornet on Dec. 6, 2018.<br>AP/U.S. Marine Corps

NY flags to be lowered to honor Marines killed in crash

Flags on all New York state government buildings will be lowered to half-staff in honor of a Hudson Valley Marine and five other Marines killed when two U.S. military planes collided off the coast of Japan last week.

See more Marine Corps news
World War II veteran Charles C. Gomez, Jr.<br>Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
World War II veteran Charles C. Gomez, Jr.<br>Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Remains of sailor killed at Pearl Harbor identified

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said Friday that the remains of Navy Seaman 2nd Class Charles C. Gomez Jr., of Slidell, have been accounted for.

See more Navy news
A Coast Guard Academy hat is seen July 2, 2018, during Swab Summer at the Academy in New London, Conn.<br>Diana Sherbs/U.S. Coast Guard
A Coast Guard Academy hat is seen July 2, 2018, during Swab Summer at the Academy in New London, Conn.<br>Diana Sherbs/U.S. Coast Guard

Lawmakers meet Coast Guard over academy harassment concerns

Members of Connecticut's congressional delegation have met with Coast Guard officials to express their concerns over alleged discrimination and harassment at the service's academy.

See more Coast Guard news
Nathan Pine is the Air Force Academy's new athletic director. <br>U.S. Air Force photo
Nathan Pine is the Air Force Academy's new athletic director. <br>U.S. Air Force photo

Air Force Academy names new athletic director

Air Force's new athletic director has one thing in common with the old one: ties to West Point.

See more Air Force news
Salute to Service banner on a stadium wall during the first half of an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, in Jacksonville, Fla.<br>AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
Salute to Service banner on a stadium wall during the first half of an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, in Jacksonville, Fla.<br>AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Army sergeant lost leg in Afghanistan, now works with Jaguars

Sean Karpf remembers everything about the moments after his left Army boot stepped on the pressure plate of a buried bomb in rural Afghanistan: the smoke, the taste of chemicals in his mouth and the sound of fellow soldiers calling his name, barely heard through the ringing in his ears.

See more Army news
sports
see all
Nathan Pine is the Air Force Academy's new athletic director. <br>U.S. Air Force photo

Air Force Academy names new athletic director

Air Force's new athletic director has one thing in common with the old one: ties to West Point.

Sports
Nathan Pine is the Air Force Academy's new athletic director. <br>U.S. Air Force photo

Air Force Academy names new athletic director

Air Force's new athletic director has one thing in common with the old one: ties to West Point.