Latest U.S. Department of Defense News

Pentagon chief declares 'ironclad' US commitment to Israel
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday declared an “enduring and ironclad” American commitment to Israel, reinforcing support at a tense time in Israeli politics and amid questions about the Biden administration's efforts to revive nuclear negotiations...
Officer charged in deadly shooting also linked to assault
TAKOMA PARK, Md. (AP) — An off-duty Pentagon police officer charged with murder in the shootings of two men outside a Maryland condominium building is facing separate assault charges stemming from an earlier incident at the same complex. Takoma Park Police Department...

US-Philippines officials discuss concerns over China's ships
ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday discussed with his Philippine counterpart China’s recent positioning of “militia vessels” near the Philippines in the South China Sea. Austin spoke by phone with Philippine Secretary...

‘Clear the Capitol,’ Pence pleaded, timeline of riot shows
WASHINGTON (AP) — From a secure room in the Capitol on Jan. 6, as rioters pummeled police and vandalized the building, Vice President Mike Pence tried to assert control. In an urgent phone call to the acting defense secretary, he issued a startling demand. “Clear the...

Pentagon to better screen recruits for extremist behavior
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is developing ways to better screen military recruits for extremist behavior, while improving training for troops leaving the service so they can be more prepared if violent hate groups lure them to join. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin...
Police: Off-duty Pentagon officer charged in fatal shooting
TAKOMA PARK, Md. (AP) — Authorities in Maryland say they have charged an off-duty Pentagon police officer with second-degree murder in the shootings of two men outside a condominium building in Takoma Park. The Washington Post reported Friday that the officer has been...

J&J vaccine problems hamper US military vaccines overseas
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. military leaders said Thursday that recent problems with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have made it more difficult to provide shots for forces overseas, and that vaccines have been offered to service members' families or other tier two beneficiaries in only 40% of...

Biden seems ready to extend US troop presence in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) — Without coming right out and saying it, President Joe Biden seems ready to let lapse a May 1 deadline for completing a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Orderly withdrawals take time, and Biden is running out of it. Biden has inched so close...
Police: Off-duty Pentagon officer fires gun at suspects
TAKOMA PARK, Md. (AP) — Authorities say that two people are dead in Maryland after an off-duty Pentagon Force Protection Agency officer fired his gun at the scene of an attempted car break-in. The Washington Post reports that the incident occurred Wednesday morning in...

Jill Biden shines fresh spotlight on military family program
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden on Wednesday delivered on her promise to prioritize the struggles of military families by reviving a decade-old initiative that challenged Americans to do something as simple as mow the lawn or drop off a meal for a family with a loved one in the armed forces. ...
