Latest U.S. Department of Defense News

Pentagon warns that a government shutdown will cost troops their pay over the holidays

Dec. 20, 2024 12:23 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans’ decision to abandon a congressional spending plan will cost about 2.1 million troops their paychecks over the holidays unless some agreement is reached before Friday's deadline to prevent a government shutdown, the Pentagon warned. Even if they...

Pentagon says it doubled the number of US troops in Syria before Assad's fall

Dec. 19, 2024 17:57 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has more than doubled the number of its forces in Syria to fight the Islamic State group — a dramatic increase that the Pentagon revealed Thursday, acknowledging that the added troops have been there for months or even more than a year. The...

Pentagon says it more than doubled the number of US troops in Syria to counter the Islamic State group before Assad fell

Dec. 19, 2024 15:00 PM EST
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pentagon says it more than doubled the number of US troops in Syria to counter the Islamic State group before Assad fell.

Senate passes defense bill that will raise troop pay and aims to counter China's power

Dec. 19, 2024 00:54 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a defense bill Wednesday that authorizes significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members, aims to counter China's growing power and boosts overall military spending to $895 billion while also stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for...

US repatriates 3 Guantanamo Bay detainees, including one held 17 years without charge

Dec. 19, 2024 00:29 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has transferred two Malaysian detainees at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. military prison to their home country, after they pleaded guilty to charges related to deadly 2002 bombings in Bali and agreed to testify against the alleged ringleader of that and other attacks, the...

China has expanded its nuclear force and strengthened ties to Russia, the Pentagon says

Dec. 18, 2024 17:40 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — China is expanding its nuclear force, has increased military pressure against Taiwan and has strengthened its ties with Russia over the past year, according to a Pentagon report Wednesday that details actions accelerating key areas of conflict with the United States. ...

Ukraine and US say some North Korean troops have been killed fighting alongside Russian forces

Dec. 16, 2024 17:07 PM EST

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military intelligence agency and the Pentagon said Monday that some North Korean troops have been killed during combat against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk border region. These are the first reported casualties since the U.S. and Ukraine...

Trump gets warm welcome as he watches Army-Navy game alongside key allies, nominees and Daniel Penny

Dec. 14, 2024 19:10 PM EST

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump huddled with allies and a Republican cause célèbre at Saturday's Army-Navy football game, taking in one of the most storied rivalries in college sports while spotlighting his emerging national security team. Trump was joined by...

US senator says mysterious drones spotted in New Jersey should be 'shot down, if necessary'

Dec. 12, 2024 19:13 PM EST

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — A U.S. senator has called for mysterious drones spotted flying at night over sensitive areas in New Jersey and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region to be “shot down, if necessary,” even as it remains unclear who owns the unmanned aircraft. “We should...

What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?

Dec. 12, 2024 15:11 PM EST

TOMS River, N.J. (AP) — A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over parts of New Jersey in recent weeks, sparking speculation and concern over who sent them and why. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones...