US MILITARY FORCES, THE PENTAGON, & INTELLIGENCE :

Washington Post, 02 Jul 09, by Ann Scott Tyson
No Limit in Place for Pending Request on Troops in Afghanistan
'The nation's top military officer said yesterday that no limits have been placed on the number or types of troops the new U.S. commander in Afghanistan can request as he seeks to carry out a counterinsurgency strategy there.'

New York Times, 29 Jun 09, by Thom Shanker
For a Post in Europe, a Renaissance Admiral
'As the new American and NATO commander in Europe, Admiral Stavridis, 54, becomes the first naval officer appointed to a position previously held by famed ground-warfare generals.'

Human Events, 01 Jul 09, by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
Military Milestones from Pickett's Charge to Roosevelt's Rough Riders
'In what has been described as the "first decisive victory of American forces over the British Navy"� during the American Revolution, the garrison at Fort Sullivan, S.C. (today Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island in Charleston harbor) under the command of militia Col. William Moultrie repulse Royal Navy forces under the command of Admiral Sir Peter Parker.'

Agence France-Presse, 01 Jul 09, by Ben Sheppard
Fight club toughens up US Marines in Afghan desert
'Part of the preparation for war is the Marine Corps Martial Arts Programme (MCMAP), a form of combat that combines disciplines including karate, kick-boxing and taekwondo.'

The Chicago Tribune, 01 Jul 09
Oshkosh awarded Army contract for all-terrain vehicles
'The military has said it needs a hybrid armored vehicle to provide the same type of protection as vehicles that have been used in Iraq. But it must be more agile, lighter and provide increased maneuverability.'

Christian Science Monitor, 18 Jun 09, by Gordon Lubold
US needs more F-22 fighters than Gates wants, says an Air Force commander
'A top Air Force general, crossing swords with Pentagon leadership, says a proposed cap on the number of F-22 stealth fighters puts America at "high risk" of compromising military strategy.'

BBC News, 18 Jun 09
US 'to improve' Afghan training
'A US military report on airstrikes in Afghanistan calls for better training for air and ground forces to reduce civilian casualties, officials say.'

Washington Post, 16 Jun 09, by Greg Jaffe
New Afghanistan Commander Will Review Troop Placements
'Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who took over Monday as the top commander in Afghanistan, said he will launch a broad assessment of how U.S. and NATO troops are arrayed in the country to ensure his forces are focused on safeguarding key population centers and not hunting down Taliban fighters.'

Reuters, 12 Jun 09
New U.S. general looks to shift tack in Afghanistan
'[Lieutenant General Stanley] McChrystal, a former commander of special forces in Iraq, is due to take command of the 56,000 U.S. troops and 33,000 others from NATO countries shortly, replacing General David McKiernan, who was effectively dismissed last month.'

New York Times, 16 Jun 09, by Benjamin Weiser
Lawyers In Military May Assist In Bomb Trial
'A federal judge in Manhattan said on Tuesday that he would probably allow two military lawyers to help defend a former Guantánamo detainee who was ordered by President Obama to face trial in a civilian court.'

New York Times, 10 Jun 09, by Thom Shanker and Eric Schmitt
More Leeway for New U.S. Commander in Afghanistan
'The new American commander in Afghanistan has been given carte blanche to handpick a dream team of subordinates, including many Special Operations veterans, as he moves to carry out an ambitious new strategy that envisions stepped-up attacks on Taliban fighters and narcotics networks.'

New York Times, 09 Jun 09, by Elisabeth Bumiller
In Congress, Gates Sounds Positive Note on Afghanistan
'Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Tuesday that he was more hopeful than he had been in a long time about progress in the war in Afghanistan, but that there would have to be significant improvement a year from now for the American public to support the effort.'

Politico, 10 Jun 09, by Andrew Glass
Marines seize Guantanamo, June 10, 1898
'On this day in 1898, U.S. Marines landed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. For the next month, American troops fought a land war in Cuba that quickly led to the end of Spanish colonial rule in the Western Hemisphere.'

CBS News/AP, 02 Jun 09
Gates: More Missile Defense Spending Possible
'Defense Secretary Robert Gates isn't ruling out spending more on missile defense than what he's asked for in next year's budget if North Korea or other nations increase threats against the United States. Gates said the missile tests by North Korea over the past week appear to have attracted more support on Capitol Hill for missile interceptors.'

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Jun 09, by Gordon Lubold
In Afghanistan, time is running out, Pentagon worries
'The next year will be crucial, several top defense officials say. The US must begin to show progress or risk losing public support.'

AP, 03 Jun 09
US military tweets news from Afghanistan
'The U.S. military is putting Twitter, along with Facebook and YouTube, into its arsenal of weapons for getting out its side of the Afghan story, reaching the online generation and countering the Taliban's own fast-growing Web-site and text-messaging skills.'

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• NewsHour : Base Realignments and Closures
• Knight Ridder : Veterans Issues

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