Chad Garland

This photo provided by the Justice Department seized from an iCloud account belonging to Army Pvt. Ethan Melzer, displays personal effects, including paraphernalia associated with the extremist group Order of the Nine Angles. Melzer pleaded not guilty on Monday, July 6, 2020, to charges he conspired with the satanic neo-Nazi group to plot an ambush on his unit during a planned deployment to Turkey.<br>Justice Department

Paratrooper pleads not guilty to charges he plotted with satanic Neo-Nazis to ambush his unit

Ethan Melzer faces charges including onspiracy to kill U.S. nationals and conspiring and attempting to murder U.S. service members, which each carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Kassebaum, 159th Fighter Squadron F-15 Eagle pilot, watches his wingmen park their planes, Aug. 30, 2019, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio<br>R.J. Oriez/U.S. Air Force

Air Force pilot to resume flying after being electrocuted

Lt. Col. Jonathan Kassebaum is set to return to the skies for the first time Monday since an accidental electrocution in his backyard pool just over eight months ago caused his heart to stop for 12 minutes.

Chief Petty Officer Justin Calderone observes flight operations on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt while participating in Exercise Northern Edge in May 2019. Calderone died July 2, 2020, following a medical emergency aboard the ship.<br>USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)

Navy chief who died aboard Theodore Roosevelt leaves behind wife and three children

Chief Petty Officer Justin Calderone died after a medical emergency aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Howard Berry sits among rows of American flags. The ''Flags for Forgotten Soldiers'' initiative was a brainchild of Berry, a Cincinnati, Ohio, man who lost his son, Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Berry, to suicide. Berry died last month after a battle with cancer.<br>GoFundMe

Father who pushed for son’s Purple Heart and championed veteran suicide awareness has died

Howard Berry, 64, had sought unsuccessfully for the medal to recognize his son for wounds he received during the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, that left 13 dead and 33 wounded.

A screenshot from a U.S. Space Force recruiting ad, released in May. Space Force announced Tuesday, June 30, 2020, details of its structure, with three echelons of command.<br>U.S. Space Force

‘Deltas’ are in as Space Force develops command structure

The new Space Force has streamlined its structure by going without wings. Instead, the intermediate echelons above squadrons in the country’s newest military branch will be known as “deltas,” and they will be led by whatever the service decides to call its equivalent of a colonel.

Airman Jose Vasquez-Vera goes through the Leadership Reaction Course June 9, 2020, at Joint Base San Antonio-Chapman Annex, Texas. Vasquez-Vera was taking part in the Air Force's Echo Flight program, which provides English language and cultural immersion before basic training.<br>Sarayuth Pinthong/U.S. Air Force

First Air Force ‘Echo Flight’ class graduates basic training after English-language immersion

A group of mostly native Spanish speakers from Puerto Rico recently completed a first-ever Air Force program to provide them English-language training and cultural immersion before basic training.

An airman assigned to 407th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Flight adjusts the straps of his N95 mask to begin a fit test at Ahmed al-Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, March 13, 2020. A ''cluster'' of COVID-19 cases has developed at the base, officials said.<br>Alexandre Montes/U.S. Air Force

CENTCOM battling a series of coronavirus cases that developed at Kuwaiti air base

A cluster of coronavirus cases has developed at a Kuwaiti air base that houses U.S. Central Command personnel, officials said.

A U.S. Marine pumps a 12-gauge shotgun on a familiarization range in Baghdad, Iraq, May 16, 2020. The Corps is looking to develop an electroshock round, fired from a shotgun, that could hit targets a football field away.<br>Brendan Custer/U.S. Marines

Taser-like shotgun round could let Marines stun people a football field away

A company recently demonstrated the ability of a "less lethal" electroshock round to incapacitate a target around 330 feet away.

U.S. Air Force military working dog Cvoky was recently transported to Kuwait to receive treatment for a heat injury on June 9, 2020. Cvoky has made a full recovery and is waiting to return to the United States.<br>Task Force Spartan

Navy working dog donates blood to save Air Force canine colleague

When an Air Force working dog suffering a heat injury in Saudi Arabia needed a blood transfusion, he got it from a Navy dog named Army, in what officials are calling a joint service lifesaving effort.

Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad, commander, Naval Education and Training Command, left, congratulates the 12 service members and federal employees who were recognized during an awards ceremony June 19, 2020, honoring actions taken during the Dec. 6 shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.<br>Dustin Gautney/U.S. Navy

Service members, civilians honored for response to Pensacola terror attack

More than two dozen Marines, sailors and civilians have been recognized for their response to a terrorist shooting that left three sailors dead at Florida’s Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Airstrikes destroy ISIS mountain training camp, cave hideout in Iraq, coalition says

Coalition strikes took out three Islamic State camp sites in Iraq’s Kirkuk province on Friday, while a jet “blasted” an ISIS cave in Nineveh province.

Sgt. Wolfgang K. Weninger, 28, a critical skills operator assigned to the Marine Raider Training Center, suffered fatal injuries while participating in the U.S. Army's Basic Airborne Course 24-20, June 16, 2020.<br>U.S. Marine Corps photo illustration

Marine who died during airborne training is remembered for his 'unconquerable spirit'

Sgt. Wolfgang K. “Wolf” Weninger, 28, a critical skills operator assigned to the Marine Raider Training Center, was fatally wounded during one of the final qualification jumps of the Army’s Basic Airborne Course class 24-20 at Fort Benning, Ga.

Special operations Marine dies during airborne training at Fort Benning

A special operations Marine died this week from injuries suffered during airborne training at Fort Benning, Ga., days shy of completing jump school.

Two F-35C Lightning II aircraft from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif., fly in formation over the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range after completing a training mission in February 2019. Two pilots recently were the first to graduate from the Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor course, popularly known as TOPGUN, while flying F-35C jets.<br>U.S. Navy

First F-35 pilots graduate from TOPGUN, return as instructors

The coronavirus pandemic may have set back the sequel to the movie “Top Gun,” but it hasn’t kept the real-life Navy training course from graduating pilots in its newest fighter aircraft for the first time.

Air Force 1st Lt. Kenneth Allen died in an F-15C fighter jet crash in the North Sea off the coast of England on Monday, June 15, 2020.<br>Facebook

'He was the love of my life': Air Force pilot who died in F-15 crash remembered for his kindness and faith

Air Force 1st Lt. Kenneth Allen, who died Monday, was a man of strong faith who showed love and respect for others, even in the face of danger, friends and family recalled.

Capt. Vincent Segars, left, and Cmdr. Joshua Fuller were killed in a plane crash Wednesday, June 10, 2020, near Selma, Ala.

<br>U.S. Navy

Head of Navy aviation school command, one other Navy pilot killed in plane crash

Two seasoned Naval aviators were killed in a civilian plane crash in Alabama this week while heading back to Pensacola, Fla., where they were both based.

U.S. Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, right, commander of U.S. Africa Command, presides over the socially distanced change-of-command ceremony for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, June 8, 2020, at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. Maj. Gen. Lapthe C. Flora, center, took command from Maj. Gen. Michael D. Turello.<br>Ashley Nicole Taylor/U.S. Air Force

‘You will not be bored’: AFRICOM’s Townsend welcomes new Horn of Africa commander

Believed to be the first Vietnamese “boat person” to rise to the rank of general in the U.S. military, Maj. Gen. Lapthe C. Flora took command of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti on Monday.

Staff Sgt. Johnathan Randall, Special Operations Surgical Team member assigned to the 720th Operational Support Squadron, smiles during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Florida, May 20, 2020, where he received the Bronze Star Medal for his actions while deployed in 2019.<br>Rose Gudex/U.S. Air Force

‘Humbling’: Airman receives Bronze Star after providing surgical care for over 600 casualties in ISIS fight

A special operations airman has been awarded a Bronze Star for his work on a battlefield surgical team during the fight against the Islamic State group, as the terrorists lost the last of their territory.

Demonstrators are pictured here during a rally in downtown Kaiserslautern to oppose racism on Thursday, June 4, 2020, as a sign of solidarity with American protests in several cities spurred by police brutality.<br>Chad Garland/Stars and Stripes

Hundreds gather in Kaiserslautern for racism protest; service members were told to stay away

U.S. military personnel in Germany were warned to avoid an anti-racism demonstration that drew about 300 people by early Thursday evening in Kaiserslautern.

Patrick Tadina, Vietnam War's longest continuously serving Ranger, dies at 77

A 30-year Army veteran who was the longest continuously serving Ranger in Vietnam and one of the war’s most decorated enlisted soldiers has died.

Second Lt. Richard W. Collins III, a Bowie State University ROTC student who was murdered two days after his Army commissioning in 2017. The Army has approved a posthumous promotion for Collins, Maryland lawmakers said Thursday, May 28, 2020.<br>U.S. Army

Army approves honorary promotion of ROTC student murdered days after commissioning

The Army’s move to promote 2nd Lt. Richard W. Collins III to first lieutenant recognizes his bravery “in the face of evil,” according to a statement from lawmakers.

A joint coalition airstrike supported by intelligence from Syrian partner forces killed a senior Islamic State leader on whom the U.S. had put a $5 million bounty, officials said Thursday, May 28, 2020.<br>Rewards For Justice

Coalition strike kills senior ISIS leader wanted by the US

A senior Islamic State leader the U.S. had put a $5 million bounty on was killed this week in a coalition airstrike aided by Syrian partner forces, officials said.

A screenshot shows Cecile Jimenez speaking during a Facebook Live stream of the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg's Memorial Day service at the Luxembourg American Cemetery on Saturday, May 23, 2020. Jimenez, a nurse practitioner, is a medical officer at the embassy and spoke about the sacrifice health care workers make on the front lines of both war and the fight against viruses like COVID-19, the pandemic that forced officials to stream the ceremony online rather than have a large gathering.<br>U.S. Embassy Luxembourg/Facebook

In online Memorial Day ceremonies, Americans in Europe honor service above self

Few people gathered at the Luxembourg American Cemetery for this year’s Memorial Day service due to coronavirus precautions. But the livestreamed event highlighted the difference just one person can make — the only woman buried among the more than 5,000 service members at the World War II cemetery.

Green Berets in southern Syria prepare to fire an 81 mm mortar weapon system during a live-fire exercise in March. Members of the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition and their Syrian partner forces carried out a series of raids against in the country's northeast, killing two regional leaders, in recent weeks the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve said Friday, May 22, 2020. <br>William Howard/U.S. Army

Two ISIS regional leaders killed during joint raid in Syria, coalition says

The terrorist group’s governor of North Baghdad, known as Abu Ali al-Baghdadi, was killed in Deir al-Zour province, along with a senior logistics and supply official known as Abu Ammar.

Police in Maine are seeking assistance regarding suspected vandalism to Delta Force Master Sgt. Gary Gordon's gravestone. Gordon was a sniper team leader on the lead Black Hawk helicopter during the 1993 Mogadishu raid at the center of the book and movie ''Black Hawk Down.''<br>Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department/Facebook

Police investigate suspected vandalism to Medal of Honor recipient’s headstone

Maine Gravesite Maintenance, a company hired to clean the grave marker of Delta Force Master Sgt. Gary Gordon, was able to remove the paint Thursday, at no charge, after having a special solution delivered overnight.

A bottle of Red River Brewing Company's Fear the Dark sits on the brewery bar in Shreveport, La., March 16, 2019. Open source researchers with the group Bellingcat used a beer app called Untappd to find details about users from the military and intelligence communities, said a report released Monday, May 18, 2020.<br>Garrett L. Dipuma/Army National Guard

HOPSEC: Beer rating app could pose a military security threat

Tapping into a beer rating app allowed researchers to track military and intelligence personnel, including some who checked in at a military base that hosts a CIA training facility known as “the farm.”

A memorial service held for Tech. Sgt. Marshal Roberts, 138th Fighter Wing, in Claremore, Okla., on May 16, 2020. While deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve with the 219th Engineering Installation Squadron, Roberts was killed when his base was struck by multiple rockets on March 11, 2020.<br>Rebecca Imwalle/Oklahoma Air National Guard

Airmen describe Oklahoma guardsman who died in Iraq as selfless, devoted

An Oklahoma community honored an airman killed in a rocket strike in Iraq more than two months ago, after coronavirus restrictions postponed memorial services.

Air Force Maj. Jeffrey Anderson, 99th Reconnaissance Squadron pilot, receives U-2 suit preparations at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., May 5, 2020. Pilots go through preflight checks to make sure their pressure suits are able to respond during extreme conditions and high-altitude flights.

<br>Colville McFee/U.S. Air Force

Airline pilot is the first Air Force reservist to qualify to fly the U-2 spy plane

An Air Force reservist has qualified for the first time to fly the U-2 Dragon Lady, becoming one of fewer than 1,500 people to pilot the iconic spy plane.

An Air Force Office of Special Investigations wanted poster shared on Facebook on Friday, May 8, 2020, shows Airman 1st Class Erland Injerd had been captured. Injerd evaded police for about two weeks after an altercation at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas on April 22.<br>Air Force OSI/Facebook

Dyess Air Force Base airman captured in Texas after 16-day manhunt

Jail records indicate that Airman 1st Class Erland Injerd was arrested at a Dallas apartment, about a 205-mile drive from the base.

Iraqi forces exit an objective in April, as recorded by a Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve drone.<br>U.S. Special Operations Command

US special operations troops turn to drones to remotely advise Iraqis

U.S. special operations troops with the anti-Islamic State coalition have been using drones to train security forces in Iraq while physically distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

A warrant was issued for the arrest of Erland Injerd, a 37-year-old senior airman based at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, on April 24, 2020, two days after he allegedly scuffled with base officials before arming himself and fleeing over the perimeter fence. Injerd, who is still at large, is accused of sending a threatening email to his chain of command and was refusing to hand over his firearms when the fight broke out, a criminal complaint says.<br>Abilene Police Department

Airman who fled Texas base had threatened his command and refused to surrender firearms, FBI alleges

An airman who police say scuffled with officials at a Texas air base before arming himself and fleeing over the perimeter fence had threatened his chain of command and refused to hand over his firearms, a criminal complaint said.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephen Williams, assigned to Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 58, prepares cargo spaces before loading mail bound for Europe aboard a C-40A aircraft at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, April 22, 2020.<br>Marquis Whitehead/U.S. Navy

Navy pushes ‘mountain of mail to Europe’ via Middle East and Africa following commercial route cancellations

Many of the commercial flights typically used to transport military mail from the U.S. to Europe, Africa and the Middle East were canceled, Navy officials said.

Coalition forces conducted airstrikes on Daesh fighters hiding in 10 caves across the Hamrin Mountains, Iraq, April 29, 2020.<br>Screenshot from video

Coalition strikes pound ISIS caves in Iraq

The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq destroyed caves sheltering Islamic State militants in a series of airstrikes this week, as Iraqi security forces ended April with nearly 100 operations against the group.

This slide from an April 2018 conference presentation at the Naval Postgraduate School illustrates how researchers were inspired to look into using live relay nodes for mesh networks, by combining concepts from research into grenade-launched network devices and the use of trained falcons against drones.<br>

Web-enabled birds and dogs could extend battlefield networks, military researchers say

The concept involves “networks with living nodes and links,” such as animals and people, alongside aerial and terrestrial drones, said Alex Bordetsky, director of the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Network Innovation and Experimentation.

Military officials were preparing Tuesday, April 28, 2020, to lock down Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, home to Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, after a second contractor was diagnosed with the coronavirus. Camp Lemonnier is the largest U.S. base on the continent.<br>Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes

US base in Djibouti to lock down after second contractor tests positive for coronavirus

U.S. military officials in Djibouti were preparing Tuesday to lock down Camp Lemonnier indefinitely after a second contractor tested positive for the coronavirus and was evacuated from the East African country.

From front left, U.S. Army Col. Andrew O. Saslav, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, and Command Sgt. Maj. Thinh T. Huynh, the departing senior enlisted adviser of 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, participate with with soldiers during a change-of-responsibility ceremony in the Central Command area of responsibility on Jan 16, 2020.<br>Kenneth Stroud/U.S. Armyl

Thousands of 82nd Airborne paratroopers to return home after rapid deployment to the Middle East

Some 2,500 members of the 82nd Airborne Division will return home soon after being deployed rapidly to the Middle East just after Christmas amid growing tensions with Iran.

A manhunt is underway for Erland Injerd, a 37-year-old airman based at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, the Abilene Police Department said. Injerd is accused of assaulting airmen on base on Thursday, April 23, 2020, and is considered armed and dangerous.

<br>Abilene Police Department

Police identify ‘armed and dangerous’ Dyess airman accused of assault

The manhunt for 37-year-old airman Erland Injerd was ongoing late Thursday and “he continues to be a possible threat to Dyess personnel.”

Marine Corps Capt. Vincente Huerta talks about the appreciation of USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors for what the Marines are doing for them on Guam, in a screen shot from a video.<br>Facebook/CTF 75

USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors show gratitude for Marines supporting them in quarantine on Guam

USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors on Guam went to their balconies and cheered the Marines supporting them while they are in 14-day medical isolation.

Army Col. Myles B. Caggins III, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson, left, and Maj. Charlie Dietz, CJTF-OIR public affairs officer, walk through the impact site of a ballistic missile attack at al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Jan. 13, 2020. A report released by the Air Force on Tuesday, April 21, 2020, describes the life-or-death decisions commanders had to make during the harrowing few hours of the attack.<br>Derek Mustard/U.S. Army

Airmen recount tough decisions, fear leading up to Iranian missile strike in January

With little advanced warning of an Iranian ballistic missile attack in early January, commanders at al Asad Air Base in Iraq had to decide who would stay — possibly to die — and who would be evacuated to carry on operations, a new Air Force report shows.

Navy Lt. Gail Evangelista, a nurse assigned to Naval Hospital Rota, Spain, takes a patient's temperature at the Michaud Expeditionary Medical Facility at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, April 16, 2020.<br>Dylan Murakami/U.S. Air Force

Camp Lemonnier hospital gets help as coronavirus spreads in East Africa

The U.S. military has bolstered a critical hospital in Djibouti as it guards against a potential coronavirus outbreak among troops in East Africa.

Desse, a physical distancing fairy, reacts after reminding soldiers coming onto Katterbach Kaserne, Germany, about the social distancing regulations, April 16, 2020.<br>Dani Johnson/U.S. Army

‘It just took off’: Physical Distancing Fairy visits Army bases in Germany to raise awareness, lift spirits

An unusual sprite flitted across U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach recently with her sidekick, a hand sanitizer bottle with butterfly wings, to remind troops to remain socially connected while physically distancing.

Staff Sgt. Amanda Finch stands watch to ensure social distancing and galley regulations are adhered to in the Dorie Miller Galley, at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, April 4, 2020.
<br>Marquis Whitehead/U.S. Navy

Camp Lemonnier calls on US contractors to leave homes, bunk up on base in Djibouti

Military officials have flown out scores of personnel from Djibouti’s Camp Lemonnier as a precaution and are urging contractors to immediately move into temporary berthing on base, due to mounting numbers of coronavirus cases in the country.

Anti-terrorism commandos of the Syrian Democratic Forces are shown here in an undated photo the SDF Coordination and Military Operations Center posted to Twitter on Monday, April 13, 2020.<br>Twitter/Syrian Defense Forces

US-backed forces capture ISIS fighters in Syria and Iraq

U.S.-backed forces in Syria arrested members of four Islamic State cells in recent raids, while an Iraqi operation destroyed an ISIS hideout and killed nearly two dozen militants, officials said.

Tina, a character in the old version of the Cyber Awareness Challenge, is back in a new role.<br>DOD screenshot

She’s back: Cyber Awareness Challenge star Tina returns in coronavirus security video

Tina has returned in a new public service announcement video, in which she pops by a coworker’s cubicle with a few suggestions that could pose a threat to military operational security as units combat the COVID-19 disease outbreak.

USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors who tested negative for COVID-19 are moved to lodging and quarantine on Guam, April 3, 2020. A sailor assigned to the Roosevelt is in intensive care following complications from a coronavirus infection, the Navy said.

<br>Matthew R. White/U.S. Navy

USS Theodore Roosevelt sailor is in intensive care after testing positive for coronavirus

A sailor assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt was in intensive care Thursday after suffering complications from a coronavirus infection, the Navy said.

Marine Lance Cpl. Michael Ottinger wears a homemade face covering while posing for a photo on Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan, April 7, 2020.<br>David Esparza/U.S. Marine Corps

‘No skull and crossbones’: Here’s how the six services are implementing military face mask guidance

The Army, Air Force and Navy all indicated they will provide official uniform masks. Until then, they and the other services have outlined options that meet some basic requirements.

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly testifies at a House Armed Services Committee hearing in February 2020.<br>Stars and Stripes

In speech to USS Roosevelt crew, Modly calls fired captain either 'stupid' or knowingly negligent

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly justified his firing last week of the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s skipper in a speech broadcast Monday over the ship’s public address system, calling Capt. Brett Crozier “stupid” if he thought a letter calling for his crew to be evacuated because of coronavirus concerns wasn’t going to leak.

A Marine demonstrates how sentries at Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., entry control points limit contact with ID cards. The Marine Corps and Navy are limiting common access card renewals during the coronavirus pandemic, while the Defense Department seeks a technology solution for online security certificates.<br>Taylor Smith/U.S. Marine Corps

Sailors and Marines prioritize who can update ID cards during pandemic

SUGHED: Sailors and Marines prioritize who can update ID cards during pandemic

U.S. Marines assigned to the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Central Command 19.2, begin their transfer of Taqaddum Air Base, Iraq, Mar. 25, 2020.<br>Robert G. Gavaldon/U.S. Marine Corps

Marines, coalition forces pull out of Iraq’s Taqaddam Air Base

The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq transferred its compound at Taqaddam Air Base to government security forces on Saturday, as international forces battling the Islamic State group continue to shrink their presence in the country.

Capt. Brett Crozier, then-commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt addresses the crew during an all-hands call in the ship’s hangar bay March 3, 2020. Crozier was relieved of command after his letter that warned sailors could die from the coronavirus outbreak aboard the carrier was leaked to the media.

<br>Kaylianna Genier/U.S. Navy

'Captain Crozier! Captain Crozier!': Videos show sailors sending off ousted USS Roosevelt commander with cheers

Capt. Brett Crozier was dismissed for not using his chain of command to make service leaders aware of his concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said at the Pentagon.

A set of three U.S. Army Patriot missile launchers stand ready to defend against airborne threats at an undisclosed location in southwest Asia in 2014. The U.S. has been deploying Patriot missile batteries in Iraq as a war of words between Washington and Tehran appears to be escalating tensions.<br>Eric Peterson/U.S. Air Force

US deploys Patriot missiles in Iraq as tensions with Iran continue to rise

Ground-based air defenses in Iraq were being set up “to protect Iraqi, coalition, and U.S. service members from a variety of air threats,” a Pentagon official confirmed Wednesday, declining to say where or whether they were operational.

Sgt. 1st Class John David Randolph Hilty, from Bowie, Md., died March 20, 2020, in Irbil, the Pentagon said in a statement. <br>Facebook

Fort Hood-based soldier’s death is seventh for coalition in Iraq this year

Sgt. 1st Class John David Randolph Hilty was due to retire in June and looking forward to returning to civilian life, according to friends.

Fireball shoot out as Green Berets with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), complete their first lap of the Mint 400, March 06, 2020, in Primm, Nevada.<br>Justin Moeller/U.S. Army

Green Berets in ‘fully kitted out’ combat vehicles took part in Nevada off-road race

Despite only completing half the race, the Green Berets earned an “honorary finish” award, since they spent much of their time assisting other racers.

US-backed Syria forces say ISIS detainees caught at prison perimeter following uprising

A Syrian militia said no alleged Islamic State prisoners had escaped, contrary to initial reports, after the group quelled a prison uprising with the help of aircraft from U.S.-led coalition forces.

A soldier relaxes in his room on the Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, while restricted to the installation during the coronavirus outbreak. Under new hardship duty pay, service members who are required to self-isolate but can't do so at home or in government-provided quarters, could receive $100 a day for up to 15 days each month.<br>Jordan Humphries/U.S. Army

Special pay authorized for some service members isolated in temporary lodging

Service members could receive extra money for hardships caused by coronavirus quarantines, self-isolation or restricted movement, under new Defense Department pay guidance.

A soldier assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division waits to board an aircraft bound for the Middle East, from Fort Bragg, N.C. on January 5, 2020. Some 2,500 soldiers rapidly deployed days after Christmas and are now separated from their families indefinitely as the military works to fight the spread of the coronavirus.<br>Hubert Delany III/U.S. Army

‘In limbo’ in Kuwait: Rapidly deployed paratroopers don’t know when they’re coming home

Some 2,500 Army paratroopers who were rushed to the Middle East just days after Christmas remain separated from their friends and families indefinitely as the rapidly spreading coronavirus prevents them from returning home.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. The U.S. State Department has ordered some U.S. government employees to leave Iraq, citing security concerns and the impact of the coronavirus on travel options.<br>State Department

State Department orders some US personnel out of Iraq

The State Department has ordered some U.S. government employees at diplomatic facilities in Iraq to leave the country, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said Thursday, hours after two rockets hit the Green Zone.

Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Barker, sustainment director for the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve, shakes hands with an Iraqi officer during the transfer of Qayara Airfield West in Iraq on Thursday, March 26, 2020. Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins III shared the photo on Twitter.<br>Myles B. Caggins III/Twitter

Americans hand over Q-West base as ISIS fight winds down

The long-planned transfer of the base, located 40 miles south of Mosul, and about $1.7 million in equipment, took place amid a pause in the U.S.-led coalition’s training of Iraqi forces and a temporary withdrawal of some foreign forces.

SOSi provides emergency fire and medical support to teams deployed to Camp Taji in Iraq.<br>SOS International LLC/Facebook

DOD overpaid $116M for Camp Taji contract and troops got moldy sandwiches, raw chicken, burn pit smoke

While Katyusha rockets have been the deadliest thing flying over Camp Taji in recent weeks, officials have long been concerned about the threat of potentially toxic burn pit smoke, a government watchdog has found.

Korean War veteran Milton Eatchel.<br>Provo City Utah/Facebook

Coronavirus almost ruins veteran's 90th birthday party. But neighbors pull off big surprise

Milton Eatchel, a 90-year-old Korean War veteran, couldn’t celebrate his birthday with a party because of coronavirus social distancing, so neighbors threw him a kind of reverse parade.

U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, assigned to the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command, fire M240B medium machine guns at a live-fire range in Kuwait, Feb. 19, 2020. Troops headed to the CENTCOM area will be quarantined prior to deployment because of coronavirus concerns.<br>Rhita Daniel/U.S. Marine Corps

Troops deploying to CENTCOM area of responsibility will be quarantined first

U.S. and coalition troops deploying to the Middle East will be put under a 14-day predeployment quarantine at their home stations to prevent potential strain on medical facilities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Sailors in SEAL underwater training in Coronado, Calif., on Nov. 5, 2019. A SEAL training at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, where the service has long conducted underwater insertion drills using submersibles, tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday.<br>Sean Furey/U.S. Navy

Naval Special Warfare sailor tests positive for coronavirus in Washington

The unnamed petty officer second class was training at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Washington, the state with the second-highest number of cases of the COVID-19 disease in the U.S.

Freelance journalist Austin Tice went missing in Syria in 2012.<br>Courtesy of the Tice family

Trump calls on Syria to release journalist, Marine vet Austin Tice 'immediately'

President Donald Trump called on the Syrian government to release U.S. Marine veteran Austin Tice, buoying the family’s hopes for the return of the Texan, who was abducted while working as a freelance photojournalist near Damascus in 2012.

Iraqi and U.S. soldiers pose along the perimeter of Al Asad Airbase in Anbar province, Feb. 14, 2020. The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq is suspending training and moving some personnel to the United Kingdom due to the coronavirus outbreak.<br>Sean Harding/U.S. Army

US-led coalition in Iraq suspends training mission, sends some personnel to UK

The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq has paused training activities and begun pulling some international troops from the country because of concerns about the rapidly spreading coronavirus, military officials said Thursday.

U.S. Army Maj. Luc Taylor, al-Qaim base commander, explains daily operations to Brig. Gen. Vincent Barker, Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve director of sustainment, at al-Qaim Base, Iraq, March 17, 2020. The base was turned over to the 8th Iraqi Army on Tuesday.<br>Andrew Garcia/U.S. Army

US reduces footprint in Iraq with transfer of base used to fight ISIS

The U.S. transfer of an outpost near Iraq’s western border with Syria to Iraqi security forces Tuesday marked the official start of a long-planned consolidation of coalition troops in the waning battle against the Islamic State group.

An AC-130W Stinger II gunship as shown on the Air Force's website. The same type of special operations aircraft joined the Navy in maritime operations in the Persian Gulf for the first time recently.<br>U.S. Air Force

Special operations gunship joins Navy drill in Persian Gulf amid Iranian threats

A special operations gunship directly supported maritime operations in the Persian Gulf for the first time during a joint exercise with Navy ships and a patrol aircraft last week, the U.S. military said.

Paratroopers assigned to C Troop, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division in in Southeastern Afghanistan on Dec. 29, 2019. <br>Master Sgt. Alejandro Licea/U.S. Army

82nd Airborne soldiers quarantined at Fort Bragg after return from Afghanistan

More than 300 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers returning from Afghanistan began a 14-day quarantine Saturday to prevent potential spread of the coronavirus, the division said in a statement.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Marshal D. Robert and Army Spc. Juan Miguel Mendez Covarrubia<br>Left: Courtesy of Roberts Family; Right: U.S. Army

1st Cavalry Division soldier, Oklahoma Air National Guard airman killed in rocket attack at Camp Taji

Air Force Staff Sgt. Marshal D. Roberts and Army Spc. Juan Miguel Mendez Covarrubias were killed in Wednesday's attack on the training base north of Baghdad.

Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr., commander of the United States Central Command, testifies at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, March 12, 2020.<br>Joe Gromelski/Stars and Stripes

CENTCOM general: US strikes on Iran-backed militia send 'clear, unambiguous' message

An American air raid early Friday morning on an Iranian-backed militia group in Iraq was precise, proportionate and defensive — designed to deter the group from launching more rockets at American and anti-ISIS coalition forces, the top general for U.S. Central Command said.

This photo released by the government-affiliated Media Security Cell on Thursday, March 12, 2020, shows a rocket-rigged truck launcher after a rocket attack on Camp Taji, a few miles north of Baghdad, in Rashidiya, Iraq.<br>Media Security Cell

Officials: US strikes Iran-backed militias in response to Iraq base attack

Multiple strikes in a joint U.S.-British operation targeted Kataeb Hezbollah weapons facilities inside Iraq, one unnamed U.S. official told The Associated Press in Washington.

U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers meet at the beginning of a Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund (CTEF) divestment event at Camp Taji, Iraq, June 22, 2019. <br>Roger Jackson/U.S. Army

‘Cowardly and retrograde’: Rocket strike on Iraq base kills American and British troops, injures others

Three coalition troops — two Americans and a Briton — were killed Wednesday when nearly 20 107mm Katyusha rockets struck Camp Taji north of Baghdad, where U.S. and other coalition troops are based, U.S. Central Command’s top officer said.

Capt. Moises A. Navas, left, and Gunnery Sgt. Diego D. Pongo were killed in Iraq on March 8, 2020.<br>U.S. Marine Corps

'Family men, adoring husbands and fathers': Two NC-based Marines killed in Iraq

Gunnery Sgt. Diego D. Pongo, of Simi Valley, Calif., and Capt. Moises A. Navas, of Germantown, Md., both 34 and both with 2nd Marine Raider Battalion out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., were identified as the service members killed Sunday during a joint U.S.-Iraq raid.

Army officials in Italy say soldiers should report to work as normal Tuesday amid nationwide virus lockdown

U.S. Army troops and other personnel in Italy should report to work as normal Tuesday, officials said on Facebook, as the military awaited a signed copy of an Italian decree imposing restrictions on travel throughout the country.

Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service forces are shown during an air assault operation in the area of Qarah Dagh Mountain, in Makhmour district, in a picture posted on Twitter on Monday, March 9, 2020. Two American service members were reported to have been killed in an assault on an Islamic State hide-out in Iraq the previous day.<br>Iraqi counterterrorism agency

Two US service members killed in assault on ISIS stronghold in Iraq

The two American deaths are the first combat fatalities in the country in 2020 and bring to three the number of Americans who have died while deployed as part of the U.S. anti-ISIS coalition in Iraq and Syria.

Early versions of the military working dog handler, dog and nurse figures, to be released with a line of crowd-funded plastic army women from BMC Toys are pictured here.<br>BMC Toys

New plastic Army women include dog handler and Rosie the Riveter — and pink as a color option

The first collection of female versions of the classic green toy soldiers are also available for pre-order in bagged sets of 36. Color options include tan and, somewhat controversially, pink.

A graphic announcing that Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland will rename Medina Training Annex for Medal of Honor recipient and Air Force combat controller Master Sgt. John A. Chapman, who was killed in action during the Battle of Takur Ghar, Afghanistan in 2002.

<br> Danielle Knight/U.S. Air Force

Air Force elite training site to be renamed for Afghanistan Medal of Honor recipient

Master Sgt. John A. Chapman as posthumously awarded the military’s highest decoration for combat bravery for his actions during the March 2002 Battle of Takur Ghar in Afghanistan. He was the first airman to earn the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.