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

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.

Bags of fentanyl seized.<br>TNS
Bags of fentanyl seized.<br>TNS

Weapon of mass destruction? Just 100 pounds of fentanyl could kill millions of people

Rolling up the trailer door revealed an empty hold. But just below a refrigeration unit, behind a plastic panel secured with mismatched bolts, Nebraska State Trooper Sam Mortensen found 42 brick-shaped packages full of fentanyl. The drug is so potent that the equivalent of a few grains of salt can be lethal.

Rear Adm. Mark C. Montgomery retired from the military in October 2017. <br>U.S. Navy
Rear Adm. Mark C. Montgomery retired from the military in October 2017. <br>U.S. Navy

Retired admiral was a ‘top shelf’ friend to ‘Fat Leonard,’ Navy says

A retired two-star admiral and former Trump administration nominee repeatedly solicited and accepted gifts from military contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis and used his position to benefit Francis’ company, according to a letter of censure released Friday.

A U.S. Marine carries two wreaths to be placed on graves at rainy Antietam National Cemetery in Sharpsburg, Md., during Wreaths Across America on Dec. 15, 2018.<br>Ken-Yon Hardy/Stars and Stripes
A U.S. Marine carries two wreaths to be placed on graves at rainy Antietam National Cemetery in Sharpsburg, Md., during Wreaths Across America on Dec. 15, 2018.<br>Ken-Yon Hardy/Stars and Stripes

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Wreaths Across America volunteers honor the nation's fallen

In a steady rain, President Donald Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday during one of hundreds of Wreaths Across America events nationwide in which holiday wreaths were laid to honor the sacrifices made by veterans and their families.

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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
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

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.

<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.

Kuwaiti firefighters spray foam on a fire March 24, 2015 during a firefighting drill. A researcher at the University of Colorado has proposed a study of southern El Paso County residents to measure their exposure to toxic chemicals from years of similar drills at Peterson Air Force Base.<br>Leon Cook/U.S. Army photo
Kuwaiti firefighters spray foam on a fire March 24, 2015 during a firefighting drill. A researcher at the University of Colorado has proposed a study of southern El Paso County residents to measure their exposure to toxic chemicals from years of similar drills at Peterson Air Force Base.<br>Leon Cook/U.S. Army photo

Blood tests show residents near Colo. base have high levels of toxic chemicals from contaminated water

Many Security, Widefield and Fountain residents have extremely high levels of toxic chemicals in their bodies compared with other Americans, apparently from drinking water contaminated by firefighting foam used for decades at Peterson Air Force Base, according to a first-of-its-kind study released Thursday.

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President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order establishing the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council on Dec. 12, 2018, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. <br>Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Kushner-linked firm targets richer areas in program for poor

New York-based Cadre, in which Jared Kushner still holds at least a $25 million passive stake, made it clear to potential investors in recent marketing materials that it doesn’t plan to look for development deals in most Opportunity Zones because of their “unfavorable growth prospects.”

See more U.S. news
North Korean girls play with the snow on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, where the winter season has started, on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018. <br>Dita Alangkara/Associated Press

North Korea marks seventh anniversary of Kim Jong Il's death

The death of Kim Jong Il on Dec. 17, 2011, thrust Kim Jong Un into power when he was still in his late 20s and a virtual unknown figure outside of the North.

See more Pacific news
Residents react during a gathering in a central square of the eastern French city of Strasbourg, Sunday Dec.16, 2018 to pay homage to the victims of a gunman who killed four people and wounded a dozen more. <br>Jean-Francois Badias/Associated

Strasbourg remembers victims of the Christmas market attack

According to the local newspaper DNA, more than 1,000 people attended the memorial, which ended with a minute of applause and a rendition of France's national anthem, "La Marseillaise."

See more Europe news
Turkish soldiers carry the national flag-draped coffin of 24-year old Muhammed Ali Kalo during his funeral procession in Istanbul, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, after he was killed Thursday in the northwestern Syrian town of Afrin. <br>Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

Bomb kills eight in Syrian town held by Turkey-backed forces

The explosion on Sunday in Afrin is the latest in a series of attacks in areas held by Turkish troops and their Syrian allies.

See more Middle East news
A statue of Mohandas K. Gandhi, erected at the University of Ghana in 2016, has been removed in response to public outcry over the Indian leader's racist writings.<br>Wikimedia Commons

After a petition called Gandhi 'racist,' his statue was removed from the University of Ghana

Although remembered by most of the world for his peaceful protests in favor of Indian sovereignty, critics pointed to intensely racist writings about Africans and successfully petitioned for the removal of a statue honoring Mohandas Gandhi at the University of Ghana.

See more Africa news

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President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order establishing the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council on Dec. 12, 2018, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. <br>Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Kushner-linked firm targets richer areas in program for poor

New York-based Cadre, in which Jared Kushner still holds at least a $25 million passive stake, made it clear to potential investors in recent marketing materials that it doesn’t plan to look for development deals in most Opportunity Zones because of their “unfavorable growth prospects.”

See more U.S. news
North Korean girls play with the snow on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, where the winter season has started, on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018. <br>Dita Alangkara/Associated Press

North Korea marks seventh anniversary of Kim Jong Il's death

The death of Kim Jong Il on Dec. 17, 2011, thrust Kim Jong Un into power when he was still in his late 20s and a virtual unknown figure outside of the North.

See more Pacific news
Residents react during a gathering in a central square of the eastern French city of Strasbourg, Sunday Dec.16, 2018 to pay homage to the victims of a gunman who killed four people and wounded a dozen more. <br>Jean-Francois Badias/Associated

Strasbourg remembers victims of the Christmas market attack

According to the local newspaper DNA, more than 1,000 people attended the memorial, which ended with a minute of applause and a rendition of France's national anthem, "La Marseillaise."

See more Europe news
Turkish soldiers carry the national flag-draped coffin of 24-year old Muhammed Ali Kalo during his funeral procession in Istanbul, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, after he was killed Thursday in the northwestern Syrian town of Afrin. <br>Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

Bomb kills eight in Syrian town held by Turkey-backed forces

The explosion on Sunday in Afrin is the latest in a series of attacks in areas held by Turkish troops and their Syrian allies.

See more Middle East news
A statue of Mohandas K. Gandhi, erected at the University of Ghana in 2016, has been removed in response to public outcry over the Indian leader's racist writings.<br>Wikimedia Commons

After a petition called Gandhi 'racist,' his statue was removed from the University of Ghana

Although remembered by most of the world for his peaceful protests in favor of Indian sovereignty, critics pointed to intensely racist writings about Africans and successfully petitioned for the removal of a statue honoring Mohandas Gandhi at the University of Ghana.

See more Africa news
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In his Broadway show, Bruce Springsteen, right, lavishes praise on Motifs frontman Walter Cichon, who was killed in Vietnam in 1968.<br>Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
In his Broadway show, Bruce Springsteen, right, lavishes praise on Motifs frontman Walter Cichon, who was killed in Vietnam in 1968.<br>Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

Bruce Springsteen idolized these Jersey brothers – then one was killed in Vietnam

Halfway through Bruce Springsteen's solo act on Broadway, the Boss reminisces about two bar-band rockers he idolized in New Jersey in the 1960s. But the memories about a pair of little-known musicians takes a sorrowful turn: Walter was killed in 1968 in the Vietnam War, a disclosure that, following such loving tributes, prompted slight gasps in the audience.

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Marine’s car stolen in Blue Springs with uniforms inside

Uniforms that saw Evan Wheeler through some pivotal times in his life - and some of the best, like when he married his wife in his dress blues - stolen along with vehicle.

See more Marine Corps news
Rear Adm. Mark C. Montgomery retired from the military in October 2017. <br>U.S. Navy
Rear Adm. Mark C. Montgomery retired from the military in October 2017. <br>U.S. Navy

Retired admiral was a ‘top shelf’ friend to ‘Fat Leonard,’ Navy says

A retired two-star admiral and former Trump administration nominee repeatedly solicited and accepted gifts from military contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis and used his position to benefit Francis’ company, according to a letter of censure released Friday.

See more Navy news
The Coast Guard was searching for a passenger on Carnival Victory cruise who was reported overboard on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018.<br>WSVN 7News
The Coast Guard was searching for a passenger on Carnival Victory cruise who was reported overboard on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018.<br>WSVN 7News

Coast Guard searches for man who reportedly went overboard from Carnival cruise ship

The Coast Guard is on the search for a man who reportedly went overboard from the Carnival Victory cruise ship off the Florida Keys. A call from the cruise ship said a 26-year-old passenger went overboard 35 miles south of Islamorada.

See more Coast Guard news
A KC-135 Stratotanker lands at Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., Nov. 5, 2017. <br>Victoria Nelson/N.H. Air National Guard
A KC-135 Stratotanker lands at Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., Nov. 5, 2017. <br>Victoria Nelson/N.H. Air National Guard

Retired officers: Air Force aware of Pease water issues

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Perry Forgione started conducting research and determined that one "out of 500 children here at the time in 1980 were born with birth defects and we couldn't figure it out."

See more Air Force news
Sen. Charles Schumer, center, and CEO of Byrne Dairy Carl Byrne, right, attend a news conference Friday at Byrne Dairy in East Syracuse.<br>SYDNEY SCHAEFER/WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES
Sen. Charles Schumer, center, and CEO of Byrne Dairy Carl Byrne, right, attend a news conference Friday at Byrne Dairy in East Syracuse.<br>SYDNEY SCHAEFER/WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES

New military procurement threatening local dairies' direct sales to base is 'dumb,' senator says

A new proposal from the Defense Commissary Agency to use centralized warehouses in Virginia or Maryland for goods instead of selling direct from dairies to military facilities is less efficient and threatens local, mid-sized dairies, according to Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "I think when I present to the top staff of the military they'll see how dumb it is."

See more Army news

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Marine’s car stolen in Blue Springs with uniforms inside

Uniforms that saw Evan Wheeler through some pivotal times in his life - and some of the best, like when he married his wife in his dress blues - stolen along with vehicle.

See more Marine Corps news
Rear Adm. Mark C. Montgomery retired from the military in October 2017. <br>U.S. Navy
Rear Adm. Mark C. Montgomery retired from the military in October 2017. <br>U.S. Navy

Retired admiral was a ‘top shelf’ friend to ‘Fat Leonard,’ Navy says

A retired two-star admiral and former Trump administration nominee repeatedly solicited and accepted gifts from military contractor Leonard Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis and used his position to benefit Francis’ company, according to a letter of censure released Friday.

See more Navy news
The Coast Guard was searching for a passenger on Carnival Victory cruise who was reported overboard on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018.<br>WSVN 7News
The Coast Guard was searching for a passenger on Carnival Victory cruise who was reported overboard on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018.<br>WSVN 7News

Coast Guard searches for man who reportedly went overboard from Carnival cruise ship

The Coast Guard is on the search for a man who reportedly went overboard from the Carnival Victory cruise ship off the Florida Keys. A call from the cruise ship said a 26-year-old passenger went overboard 35 miles south of Islamorada.

See more Coast Guard news
A KC-135 Stratotanker lands at Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., Nov. 5, 2017. <br>Victoria Nelson/N.H. Air National Guard
A KC-135 Stratotanker lands at Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., Nov. 5, 2017. <br>Victoria Nelson/N.H. Air National Guard

Retired officers: Air Force aware of Pease water issues

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Perry Forgione started conducting research and determined that one "out of 500 children here at the time in 1980 were born with birth defects and we couldn't figure it out."

See more Air Force news
Sen. Charles Schumer, center, and CEO of Byrne Dairy Carl Byrne, right, attend a news conference Friday at Byrne Dairy in East Syracuse.<br>SYDNEY SCHAEFER/WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES
Sen. Charles Schumer, center, and CEO of Byrne Dairy Carl Byrne, right, attend a news conference Friday at Byrne Dairy in East Syracuse.<br>SYDNEY SCHAEFER/WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES

New military procurement threatening local dairies' direct sales to base is 'dumb,' senator says

A new proposal from the Defense Commissary Agency to use centralized warehouses in Virginia or Maryland for goods instead of selling direct from dairies to military facilities is less efficient and threatens local, mid-sized dairies, according to Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "I think when I present to the top staff of the military they'll see how dumb it is."

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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.