Latest U.S. Department of Defense News

Trump Pentagon pick had been flagged by fellow service member as possible 'Insider Threat'

Nov. 15, 2024 19:44 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” by a fellow service member due to a tattoo on his bicep that's associated with white supremacist groups. ...

Trump's pick to lead Defense Department was accused of sexual assault in 2017

Nov. 15, 2024 11:45 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, a popular Fox News host who is Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Defense, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women's event in Monterey, California, according to a statement released by the city. No...

The last actions the Biden administration will take before Trump takes over the White House

Nov. 15, 2024 05:24 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Biden administration officials are working against the clock doling out billions in grants and taking other steps to try to preserve at least some of the outgoing president's legacy before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. “Let’s make every...

Navy didn't understand well-documented risks posed by Hawaii fuel tanks, watchdog says

Nov. 14, 2024 22:49 PM EST

HONOLULU (AP) — Navy officials “lacked sufficient understanding” of the risks of maintaining massive fuel storage tanks on top of a drinking water well at Pearl Harbor where spilled jet fuel poisoned more than 6,000 people in 2021, a U.S. military watchdog said Thursday. That...

As he fills his new administration, Trump values loyalty above all else

Nov. 14, 2024 20:06 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump spent much of his first term feeling stung and betrayed by those he’d placed in power. This time, he’s not taking chances. As he works to fill his administration a second time, Trump has turned to a head-spinning mix of candidates. Many of those...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a long record of promoting anti-vaccine views

Nov. 14, 2024 18:10 PM EST

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was building up a following with his anti-vaccine nonprofit group, Children’s Health Defense, and becoming one of the world’s most influential spreaders of fear and distrust around vaccines. Now, President-elect Donald...

New Pentagon report on UFOs includes hundreds of new incidents but no evidence of aliens

Nov. 14, 2024 16:08 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon's latest report on UFOs has revealed hundreds of new reports of unidentified and unexplained aerial phenomena but no indications suggesting an extraterrestrial origin. The review includes hundreds of cases of misidentified balloons, birds and...

Suicides in the US military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend

Nov. 14, 2024 12:39 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Suicides in the U.S. military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend that the Pentagon has struggled to abate, according to a Defense Department report released on Thursday. The increase is a bit of a setback after the deaths dipped slightly the previous year. ...

What to know about Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick to serve as defense secretary

Nov. 13, 2024 18:45 PM EST

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

Nov. 13, 2024 15:20 PM EST

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...