Latest U.S. Department of Defense News
What to know about Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick to serve as defense secretary
In picking Fox News Channel host Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense, President-elect Donald Trump has selected a military veteran and popular conservative media personality with a large following of his own. Hegseth, 44, has developed a close rapport with Trump, who also...
Trump's defense choice stuns the Pentagon and raises questions about the Fox News host's experience
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary, tapping someone largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage to take over the world's largest and most powerful...
Trump builds out national security team with picks of Hegseth for Pentagon, Noem for DHS
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump moved to build out his national security team Tuesday, announcing he is nominating Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary and former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the...
Yemen's Houthi rebels launch drones and missiles at US warships near the Red Sea but do no damage
WASHINGTON (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted two U.S. Navy warships with multiple drones and missiles as they were traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but the attacks were not successful, the Defense Department said Tuesday. Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press...
Trump is likely to name a loyalist as Pentagon chief after tumultuous first term
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump's choice for defense secretary is still up in the air, but it is a sure bet he will look to reshape the Pentagon and pick a loyalist. During his tumultuous first term, five men held the job as Pentagon chief only to resign, be fired or serve briefly...
The Pentagon is letting a small number of U.S. defense contractors fix weapons in Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is easing restrictions to allow a small number of private American defense contactors to work inside Ukraine, helping repair and maintain equipment, U.S. officials said Friday. The contractors will be far away from the front lines during Russia's...
Pentagon chief presses military to carry out a smooth transition and obey all lawful orders
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed the military on Thursday to carry out a smooth transition to President-elect Donald Trump, with a reminder to the force of its obligation to follow the lawful orders of the next commander in chief. While such memos are...
Mexico's National Guard kills 2 Colombians and wounds 4 on a migrant smuggling route near the US
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s National Guard fatally shot two Colombians and wounded four others in what the Defense Department claimed was a confrontation near the U.S. border. Colombia's foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday that all of the victims were migrants who had...
Pentagon bolsters the US presence in the Middle East with bombers, fighter aircraft and warships
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is sending bomber aircraft, fighter jets and more Navy warships to the Middle East to bolster the U.S. presence in the region, the Pentagon announced Friday, as an aircraft carrier and its ships are preparing to leave. Austin ordered...
Pentagon audit says Boeing cleaned up on Air Force parts, including soap dispensers marked up 8,000%
WASHINGTON (AP) — Boeing overcharged the Air Force nearly $1 million for spare parts on C-17 cargo planes, including an 8,000% markup for simple lavatory soap dispensers, according to the Pentagon’s inspector general. The Defense Department's auditor reviewed prices paid for 46...
