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7 things to know about the U.S.'s future in Afghanistan.

Let the military run drone warfare.

The Pentagon is sending more Marines and warplanes to join its emergency response group in Spain. The additions show the growing importance of smaller task forces in an era of shrinking defense budgets.

Secretive Pentagon think tank knows no bounds.

The Marine Corps plans to establish an experimental force consisting of at least 25 percent women in the most far-reaching effort yet to determine how females will perform in ground combat jobs that remain closed to them.

If the Marine Corps is forced to draw down to 175,000 Marines, the "moderate risk" force that's left will be built around fewer infantry battalions with impaired readiness.

Two Gaza-launched rockets evaded Israel's Iron Dome defenses in a stormy evening that rained at least 60 rockets on Israel, five of which hit populated areas.

DARPA hopes to build plug-in satellites in space.

The Air Force has temporarily stopped processing applications for early retirement and voluntary separation to re-assess the costs and gauge the impact on crucial job categories.

Military researchers put dozens of soldiers, both women and men, through a series of drills Wednesday aimed at helping the Army develop a unisex test to decide which troops are fit for combat, regardless of gender.

An independent commission led by a former U.S. surgeon general has concluded there "is no compelling medical reason" for the U.S. armed forces to prohibit transgender Americans from serving.

The F-35 should be known as the fighter that ate the defense budget.

If potential adversaries are to challenge the United States, they must do so in the space domain.

Obama's recent diplomacy in Syria and Russia could be described as "speak loudly and carry a little stick, or no stick at all."

Soldiers should not expect the Army to follow the Marine Corps' recent decision to allow personnel to roll up their sleeves when it gets hot.

List: So many lies, so little time.

Awesome NASA video captures what looks like an alien spaceship.

Yikes: Is this bloody mutant monster a real spider?

Check it out: This is a real island.

Maybe this helps your day...

This just in from the 2-2 SBCT Public Affairs Office:

The 2-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division and the 62nd Airlift Wing will partner to train on rapid deployment of the 2-2 SBCT platform vehicle, the Stryker.

This is the first time since 2006 that Air Force and Army on JBLM will conduct joint training on the deployment of the armored vehicle.

The 62nd Airlift Wing will deploy approximately 25 Stryker vehicles from the McChord Airfield to an area near the Yakima Training Center, March 17-18.

The crews manning the vehicles will conduct ongoing movement to YTC for scheduled training to support an upcoming deployment to the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif. later this summer.

The training will help prepare Soldiers and Airmen for rapid deployment in support of the Pentagon's shift to the Pacific Theater of Operations. JBLM plays a pivotal role in the Pacific as the largest military installation on the western seaboard.

Airman 1st Class Sam Fogleman of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs office has the latest on the SkyFest airshow at Fairchild Air Force Base, May 31 and June 1.

Returning to Fairchild for the first time since 2010, the event will be headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team.

Static aircraft volunteered to be on display include a B-1 out of Ellsworth Air Force Base, a T-38 and T-6 from Sheppard AFB, a F-15E from Mountain Home AFB, Fairchild's own UH-1 and KC-135, a C-17 from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a firefighter version of C-130 out of Wyoming Air National Guard Base at F.E. Warren AFB, and a KC-10 from Travis AFB.

More performances and public figure appearances are still being coordinated at this time.

"We do not have a complete list of performers and static displays since we are still in the planning phase," said Maj. Robert Aikman, SkyFest 2014 director. "We are finalizing the list now. We have a tentative list of performers. We have several in the works."

SkyFest's tentative schedule is planned for the airfield opening to visitors at 9 a.m. both days, with performances beginning at 12 p.m.

For more information about SkyFest 2014, visit http://bit.ly/SkyFest.

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Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top commander in Afghanistan, will testify on Capitol Hill today about the situation on the ground amid a continuing standoff with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., incoming chairman of the Senate subcommittee that oversees the Pentagon's troubled F-35 program says there's one thing Congress can do to avoid more problems: fully fund it.

Drones will cause an upheaval of society like we haven't seen in 700 years

Elite special forces in danger of cracking as demand is outpacing capacity.

House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said today that if Sen. Dianne Feinstein's claim that the CIA spied on a Senate computer network is true, it would "destroy" Congress's relationship with the agency. 

The trial of an Army general accused of sexual assault moved into uncharted legal territory Tuesday when the judge dismissed the jury to allow the defense time to hammer out a new plea deal with the military.

Outrage on Capitol Hill as Navy changes ship-counting rules.

The U.S. Air Force nominated the next leaders of its Space and Mobility commands.

A top defense official said he thought it was time to reconsider the legal authority used by the military to target terrorists around the world. 

Why the Garrison State is here to stay.

National Guard commanders rise in revolt against active Army; Maj. Gen. Rossi questions Guard combat role.

The Air Force's decision to favor new designs over upgrades to legacy aircraft forced the cancellation of a program that could muddy an international market for radar and avionics upgrades.

President Barack Obama's nominee to be director of the National Security Agency and commander of U.S. Cyber Command said yesterday that legislation and transparency are critical to the nation's security in cyberspace.

Feedback on "Transition GPS," which prepares service members to enter the civilian workforce, indicates it improves on the program it replaced.

Please!: A '70s-set rock 'n' roll drama from Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger.

Here's a cover story about how the Muppets "got their mojo back."

Here are 7 facts about your favorite superheroes - Spiderman, The Avengers, Superman, Wolverine, etc. - that you probably didn't know.

Psst: Here's what The Flash's suit looks like on the new CW series.

Wha-What!: Keith Richards has a children's book on the way.

Finally: A Star Wars-themed parody of Pharrell's Happy.

Put your face close to your screen and hit play...

Senior Airman Madelyn McCullough of the 446th Airlift Wing grabbed three awards in the 2013 Air Force Reserve Command Media Contest. The top entries were announced today by Lt. Gen. James F. Jackson, AFRC commander. The public affairs competition featured 317 Web, print, graphic, still photo and broadcasting entries from 30 organizations.

McCullough grabbed a first place award for Commentary, second place for Outstanding New Writer and third place for News Article.

McCullough's first place entitles her to advance to the Air Force Media Contest at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

To read a list of all the winners, click here.

See Also

When award winners write about award winners

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2014 Quadrennial Defense Review includes more risk, less money.

Israeli military officers are crediting a shadowy C4I unit as the unsung heroes of Operation Full Disclosure, a months-long mission that led to the high-seas capture of an Iranian arms cache some 1,500 kilometers from the Israeli coast.

The Senate's VA Backlog Working Group present the 21st Century Veterans Benefits Delivery Act, which would provide better customer service for veterans with pending claims, offer more money to veterans who file "fully developed" claims and mandate stricter oversight of claims officials.

A flurry of defense-related Capitol Hill hearings begin today with President Obama's nominee to head the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.

The Senate on Monday unanimously approved legislation that boosts protections for victims of military sexual assault.

Turns out, there is some money next year for a program to develop a replacement for the HH-60G Pave Hawk.

Interview: Outgoing Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale

Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., could be called the U.S. House's dean of Navy shipbuilding, and he is attempting to become its top Asia-Pacific strategist.

The Pentagon Channel's pilot episode of Armed with Science delves into Army Research Laboratory and Naval Research Laboratory science that shapes the future of defense.

After searching hundreds of millions of objects across our sky, NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has turned up no evidence of the hypothesized celestial body in our solar system commonly dubbed "Planet X."

There is a growing fad at Machu Picchu that officials hope to nip in the bud: tourists who pose for nude snapshots with the iconic Inca Citadel looming in the background. Warning: Video features naked tourists.

President Barack Obama sits down with Zach Galifianakis for his most memorable interview yet.

Read New York magazine's profile of Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss (but watch out for the cleavage).

Neil Young is launching a Kickstarter campaign for his high-resolution music project.

What? Hear a new track in which The Clash's Paul Simonon and Mick Jones team up with Frank Ocean and Diplo.

Serious? Love these maps of the most popular TV shows set in each state.

Finally: A list of artists whose best-known songs are covers.

Well, this is awkward...

The Department of Defense budget request for fiscal 2015 includes a number of proposed changes for the Air Force Reserve including converting eight C-17s from the primary inventory to the back-up inventory. A Department of Defense news release below spells out the proposed changes.

The Department of Defense budget request for fiscal 2015 includes a number of proposed changes for the Air Force Reserve.

If enacted into law, the DOD budget request would increase the number of Reserve fighter wings equipped with F-16 fighters, create a classic associate B-1 bomber group, increase the number of Reserve KC-135 tankers, inactivate the Reserve airlift wing at Pope Field, N.C., retire the A-10 fighters, and inactivate the Reserve's E-3 AWACS classic associate group.

"These force structure changes are significant, but they ensure the Air Force Reserve remains an integrated, flexible and combat-ready force," said Brig. Gen. William "Buck" Waldrop, director of plans, programs, requirements and assessments for Air Force Reserve Command.

"Maintaining the appropriate active-Reserve force mix is critical to sustaining Air Force forward presence, rapid response, and high-rate rotational demands within a smaller force, and analysis of force mix must consider the three components as a complete system," he said.

Major changes in Air Force Reserve structure include:

Read more...

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DoD issues new threat report on North Korea.

The passage of the U.S. destroyer Truxtun into the Black Sea was seen by official Russian news outlets as a challenge to the Russian fleet and evidence that the U.S. was "ramping up its military presence in the region."

The Afghan Taliban said today next month's presidential election was being manipulated by the United States, which had already chosen the winner, and threatened to use "full force" in attacking anyone taking part.

DoD budget: Expect big changes in five-year spending priorities.

How big will the U.S. Army be in 2019? Not even the Army knows.

U.S. Air Force left with little flexibility in budget.

A Fort Hood sergeant who was a coordinator of the post's sexual assault and harassment prevention program faces multiple charges after he was accused of setting up a prostitution ring involving cash-strapped female soldiers.

Defense lawyers for an Army general facing sexual assault charges say they plan to press his primary accuser on inconsistencies in her story.

Turkey's state-owned missile specialist Roketsan has successfully tested a long-range anti-tank missile it has been developing.

The U.S. military services - including the Air Force, which flies the Global Hawk UAV - are increasing their dependence on commercial firms to supply satellite bandwidth for ISR requirements.

The unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans jumped in February, nearly erasing the gains of a few months ago, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show.

Some scientists are speculating that "dark matter" may have played a role in the great dinosaur die-off.

Popcorn 411: Here's a nerdy look at one of our favorite movie snacks.

True Detective Season 1 finale recap: "Form and Void."

True Detective Season 2 pairings inspired by pop culture detectives.

Look for Morrissey's new album in June or July.

Stanley Kubrick's daughter is on Twitter, and she's sharing photos from the sets of his films.

Finally: someone tracks down the actors who played the kid version of Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah in Splash.

Seventeen of the oldest man-made structures on earth still in use.

Twenty-two incredible images show what the future looked like 100 years ago.

Guess again, dawg

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Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of a Malaysia Airlines jet that disappeared with 239 people on board.

China declared a "red line" on North Korea, saying that China will not permit chaos or war on the Korean peninsula, and that peace can only come through denuclearization.

Polish Minister: U.S. must show Russia it will protect Europe.

At what point does the Army become a hollow and ineffective fighting force if the drawdown and budget cuts continue?

DoD has spent $300,000 per year since 2009 to study the body language of world leaders.

Air Force One Back In Budget; Airbus Unlikely To Bid.

The Department of Defense has removed 20 areas from its list of locations that qualify for imminent danger pay starting June 1, in a move that is expected to affect approximately 50,000 service members.?

Nine soldiers who served in the Korean War will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor during a March 18 ceremony at the White House.

Part of Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine, which powers the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, was damaged during a ground test in December and will need a redesign.

Despite being the reigning Olympic four-man bobsled champion, former U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program driver Steven Holcomb and his "Night Train 2" crew face an uphill climb to reach the medal podium this weekend.

Army Emergency Relief has launched its annual campaign which runs from March 1 through May 15.

In preparation for the Army's Network Integration Evaluation 14.2 this spring, the 86th Expeditionary Signal Battalion is training with new tactical communications equipment that is smaller in size for easy transport, yet significantly increases capability.

Preschoolers can be smarter than college students at figuring out how unusual toys and gadgets work.

No U2 album until 2015.

John C. Reilly will never have a role better than Steve Brule.

If you're gonna make a lyric video, at least be creative with it. Japanther pass with flying colors.

Finally: It's not the massive Sandcrawler Ultimate Collector Edition every Star Wars and Lego nerd in the world were claiming for, but it's pretty damn good.

Water War!

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The Pentagon unveiled a detailed proposal for fundamental, far-reaching changes to the current military pension system.

The Senate defeated Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's bid to take military sexual assault cases outside the chain of command.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Walter "Lee" Miller Jr. and British Brigadier Paul A.E. Nanson indicated that although the Afghans lost control of some southwestern checkpoints they've been successful in taking them back.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned that "tough, tough choices are coming" if the Pentagon implements deep future spending cuts required by law. 

Cutting the army by about 19 percent seems severe; until one considers that the Army has actually grown by about 14 percent in the last ten years.

House Armed Services Committee ranking member Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., wondered aloud how any lawmaker could criticize the 2015 portion of the Obama administration's Pentagon budget for adhering to spending caps set in a 2011 law and extended via a recent budget resolution that passed both chambers.

DoD plans no cuts to spouse tuition program.

Lawmakers criticized the Pentagon's plan to strip the National Guard of the AH-64 Apache and the A-10 Warthog.

PACAF Gen. Carlisle: Pacific needs better allied, U.S. air-missile integration.

A diplomatic crisis between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar could pose problems for U.S. foreign policy in the Arabian Gulf.

Space, once called the ‘final frontier,' is no longer a sanctuary; it's a much more developed terrain, much more congested and contested than ever before.

NASA plans on sending an unmanned vehicle to search for life in the oceans of Europa, Jupiter's sixth-closest moon.

Scientists unlock mystery of out-of-body experiences.

Getty Images has made 35 million photos available to use for free online.

AMC released the first teaser for the final season of Mad Men.

Take a look at Andre Benjamin as Jimi Hendrix in the new biopic.

Kawehi is an awesome singer and musician, capable of creating pieces like this cover of Nirvana's Heart-Shaped Box.

Finally: Chocolate chip cookie shots.

Oh la la