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Crimea's parliament voted to join Russia and its Moscow-backed government set a referendum within 10 days. 

The response at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the defense budget was expectedly frosty, from both sides of the aisle. 

CIA Director John Brennan fired back at reports that the CIA spied on Senate staffers' computers while accusing lawmakers of making "spurious allegations."

Under the Army's fiscal year 2015 budget request, soldiers will receive a 1 percent pay increase as well as a basic allowance for housing increase of 1.5 percent and a 3.4 percent increase in basic allowance for subsistence.

Top U.S. defense officials told Congress that if the Pentagon were allowed to bust its budget caps, it would save one aircraft carrier and tens of thousands of troop billets slated for elimination.

The U.S. Defense Department's proposed budget for fiscal 2015 would significantly boost funding for certain types of drones, helicopters and ships.

The Pentagon's fiscal 2015 budget request funds new projects aimed at making U.S. ballistic missile defenses more accurate and reliable, a senior official said.

The U.S. Air Force's top military acquisition officer expects the cost of the new long-range strike bomber to exceed an expected per-unit cost limit.

Progress remains steady in the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter's operational testing, reprogramming, fueling, and stand-up training.

If U.S. and NATO forces are required to leave Afghanistan at the end of the year in the absence of a security agreement, the Afghan government's long-term viability "is likely to be at high risk," the commander of U.S. Central Command told Congress yesterday.

William Kyle Carpenter, a Marine Corps veteran who was severely wounded during a November 2010 grenade attack in Afghanistan, will receive the nation's highest combat valor award.

Digital Training Management System is the Army's future for training.

The Army is fielding a major software upgrade to its electronic medical record system.

Twenty percent of U.S. soldiers had mental illness before enlisting.

Frozen World War I soldiers appear in the Alps.

You're a 16th century German prince plotting to crush a peasant rebellion, or perhaps you're leading an army against the Ottoman Empire or looking to settle the score with a rival nobleman. What's a guy looking for a tactical edge to do? Bring on the rocket cats!

It's legal in Massachusetts to secretly photograph a person's undergarments - without them knowing.

Pee-wee Herman's bike is on eBay.

The comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates is coming to IFC this summer.

Finally: a True Detective/Twin Peaks mashup.

A Game of Thrones mixtape is on the way.

Speaking of Games of Thrones ...

Game of thrones Opening Titles from Mathilde Loubes on Vimeo.

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The Kremlin is threatening to hit back if Western nations impose sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine.

Defense leaders are telling Congress it has to tackle sequestration again.

The Pentagon started off the 2015 budget season Tuesday with a $496 billion budget that's sure to face a chorus of critics on Capitol Hill. Republican hawks say President Barack Obama's latest military spending request will embolden America's foes to take aggressive acts, while his Democratic mates offered only tepid support.

U.S. Army Plans to Cut 3 of 13 Aviation Brigades by 2019.

Army's budget plan also cuts readiness, kills the Ground Combat Vehicle and places a new priority on replacing obsolete vehicles such as the Humvee and the M113 armored personnel carrier.

Promises kept: Few surprises in U.S. Air Force budget.

How the 2015 budget cuts affect pay, BAH, per diem and Tricare.

The $22.8 billion Marine Corps budget request included funding for a major buildup of embassy security and quick reaction forces.

The Pentagon's latest Quadrennial Defense Review (has emphasized the need to protect science, technology, research and development, specifically cyber capabilities.

A senior Pentagon official said on Tuesday that, due to cuts to the defense budget, the Pentagon's plans to pivot to Asia "can't happen."

Russia has shocked the world by sendingtroops into Ukraine, and a new Defense Department long-term threat assessment proves that the U.S. military was no exception.

Fighting Afghan terrorism, without troops.

Less than a month before an Army general's trial on sexual assault charges was set to begin, the lead prosecutor broke down in tears as he told a superior he believed the primary accuser in the case had lied under oath.

The Air Force Academy to cut 99 jobs and 10 majors, including a third of the sergeants who oversee military training and cadet discipline, and 29 positions in academics.

A U.S. Navy ocean tug on Tuesday was towing a Canadian navy ship with nearly 300 crew members on board to Hawaii's Pearl Harbor after an engine fire left 20 sailors with minor injuries.

Longtime music journalist Michael Azerrad talks to Pitchfork about his influences.

See a cool model of Jerry Seinfeld's apartment.

Read Norm Macdonald's great story about Harold Ramis, which he shared on Twitter.

This is cool

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Russia does not want to take over Ukraine's Crimea region, President Vladimir Putin said today, but he showed no signs of backing down on Russia's presence in the region despite Western pressure.    

South Korea said North Korea fired seven suspected artillery shells into the ocean today.

The Defense Department has "put on hold" military-to-military activities with Russia.

Study: Nearby blasts may cause lasting damage without symptoms.

The U.S. military has failed to upgrade the discharges of Vietnam veterans who developed post-traumatic stress disorder, resulting in stigma and loss of benefits, according to a federal lawsuit filed Monday.

When it comes to a new round of base closures in 2017, lawmakers are split between lukewarm support, vehement opposition and general uncertainty.

The U.S. Defense Department will likely continue asking Congress for war funding separate from the Pentagon's base budget accounts and not subject to federal spending caps even if all American troops leave Afghanistan by the end of the year.

As the defense community waits to see whether the U.S. Air Force's Combat Rescue Helicopter program will be funded in the FY 2015 budget, producer Sikorsky's price proposal is set to expire by the end of March.

The Japanese military plans to create a force of about 3,000 troops modeled after the U.S. Marine Corps and capable of rapidly launching amphibious missions.

Boeing Co. won the U.S. Defense Department's biggest contract last month, a $2 billion award for more P-8 Poseidon surveillance planes.

Fred Smith served two tours in Vietnam with the Marine Corps, earning the Silver Star, Bronze Star and two Purple Heart medals.

Seriously? The Air Force Academy is investigating 40 freshmen for allegedly cheating on a Chemistry 101 lab report assignment.

He shoots - he scores! Say that a few dozen times. That will give you a sense of how many points LeBron James scored in leading the Miami Heat past the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday night.

The Daily Show has named a new correspondent.

Preview the season finale of True Detective.

VH1 is launching a Rico Suave docu-series.

List: best Chinese takeout in America.

Use this widget to Travoltify your own name.

Finally: Star Trek Captain's Chair pet bed.

Miniature maestro

For the next five weeks, the Air Force Assistance Fund will give the men and women serving on McChord Field a chance to contribute to the greater good of their branch.

"The most important thing to know is that the AFAF contributes to four foundations and organizations and they all do things for the entire Air Force family as a whole," stated Senior Master Sgt. Erik Johnson, a program leader for 2014.

The AFAF exists to provide assistance to members of the Air Force, regardless of rank and whether they are still serving or retired. Active duty airmen, Air Guard partners, reservists are eligible to make contributions, though anyone can contribute by making direct contact with an Air Force representative or one of the four foundations/organizations.

Each individual who donates must select which organization they donate to; AFAF representatives do not endorse one over another.

The first option is the Air Force Village (AFV), a retirement community dedicated to caring for retired Air Force officers' widowed spouses who need financial assistance. The AFV, founded 50 years ago, provides a secure, comfortable environment where widow(er)s are surrounded by friends in a home they cannot provide for themselves.

Similarly, the Air Force Enlisted Village (AFEV) was established in 1975 to ensure that surviving spouses of retired enlisted airmen are not living in less than desirable conditions or homeless. AFEV also serves the mothers of active duty and retired airmen and provides temporary housing to surviving spouses of enlisted members who die while on active duty.

Next, there is the LeMay Foundation, founded by General and Mrs. Curtis LeMay, which awards grants to the surviving spouses of both enlisted and officer retirees. In 2012, LeMay Foundation gave over $464,838 in assistance that benefitted widows with monthly grants to augment incomes that fall below the poverty line and it also provided one-time grants to assist with needs like hearing aids, dental care, and minor home repairs.

Finally, the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) has provided worldwide emergency assistance to airmen and their families since 1942 and sponsored educational and proactive community programs to help improve their quality of life. Whether the emergency is a death in the family, a car repair, or basic living expenses, AFAS can step in. There are also $6 million in needs-based education grants available to eligible spouses and dependent children.

In 2013, AFAS direct assistance totaled over $17.4 million across the Air Force, which equaled approximately 75,000 assists to airmen and families in need.

According to Johnson, 2013 donations earmarked for the AFAS from McChord Field were tallied at a little over $5,000; in turn, McChord Field airmen and families received close to $160,000 in assistance that ranged from community programs to dental care.

"Our goal this year is to reach and contact 100 percent of the eligible contributors," said Johnson, who is part of a team of more than 30 airmen working on the fund. "We are all working together to make this a successful year."

The Air Force Assistance Fund campaign will run from now until April 11. To donate or get further information, contact Johnson at erik.johnson.2@us.af.mil or Master Sgt. Leda Weslow at leda.weslow@us.af.mil. Each unit also has unit project officers who can help.

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American military commanders have a sizable amount of firepower at their disposal in Europe as the crisis deepens over Russia's incursion into Ukraine - but Washington has no plans to use it.

When the Russian parliament authorized the deployment of military forces in Ukraine, sending black-clad gunmen into the former Soviet Republic, it might have been expected to touch off yet another battle between the White House and congressional Republicans. Instead, there has been a conspicuous absence of saber-rattling on both sides.

Some 13,729 Afghan troops killed, 16,511 wounded during war in Afghanistan - higher than previously reported.

The Pentagon will unveil its 2015 budget proposal this week, beginning a contentious fight with Capitol Hill over the military's spending priorities.

Hagel defended administration plans to downsize the military in its new budget proposal.

Chuck Hagel, with his first budget plan as U.S. defense secretary, has managed to do the unthinkable: He has united Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill.

Air Force secretary has placed a $41 billion bet that Congress will ease off on the mandatory spending cuts in the sequester process.

Booming sales of aircraft are squeezing suppliers, spurring brutal competition between Airbus and Boeing, which are demanding better deals from the companies that make billions of parts the factories need. 

Sweden - three years after selling its national submarine-maker Kockums to Germany's ThyssenKrupp - is now fighting to wrest control of its indigenous sub-building capability from the German giant.

Here's a recap of the 2014 Academy Awards in 38 words: Beautiful people were beautifully dressed. Jennifer Lawrence fell - again. Ellen DeGeneres took a selfie that ricocheted around the Twitterverse. That crack-smoking mayor from Toronto even showed up. Also, some people in the entertainment industry won some awards.

Cool: Bill Murray's spontaneous Harold Ramis tribute.

Here's an interesting list that ranks all 85 best picture Oscar winners.

Apple has announced its new in-car iPhone integration system: CarPlay.

Apparently B-flat is the alligator equivalent of Barry White. Who knew?

"Gulliver is now officially paying for my vacation to Europe this summer. SUCK IT."

Prince is taking over The Arsenio Hall Show this week.

Patton Oswalt shows us "The Indie-izer."

What if John Lennon and the cast of Stand by Me were covered in tattoos?

Here's the Godzilla trailer, in case you haven't seen it already.

This is scary! This is awesome!

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Russian President Vladimir Putin asked parliament today for permission to use the country's military in Ukraine.

Al Qaeda's leader in Afghanistan is plotting a comeback once U.S. and NATO troops leave the country.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash. of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee says sequestration isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

President Barack Obama's recent statement of willingness to let Afghanistan's next president sign a critical bilateral security agreement may give hope to Afghans who feared NATO-mission troops would withdraw from the nation by Dec. 31.

Barring a last-second roadblock from Congress, the six women already assigned to Coastal Riverine Squadron 2 will become the first official female riverines in March.

The U.S. Navy is preparing to house its first squadron of MQ-4C Triton drones in Guam by the end of 2017.

Senators slammed the National Security Agency after reports that its surveillance program capture images from users' webcams.

The Army wants you to build them a laser truck.

The Air Force announced adjustments to the promotion opportunity and selective continuation process for the lieutenant colonel Line of the Air Force and colonel, lieutenant colonel, and major Line of the Air Force-JAG Central Selection Boards convening in March.

Assuming it's not an elaborate hoax, would you eat a salami made from lab-grown meat grown from tissue from the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Kanye West, James Franco and Ellen DeGeneres?

The author of "American Psycho" writing a Manson Murders TV series directed by Rob Zombie? You can't make this stuff up.

An insanely detailed infographic of every character in True Detective.

The perfect microwave listens to popcorn so it never burns.

Finally: Lightsaber barbecue tongs.

Rumor: New Matrix Trilogy potentially in the works.

Stupid, stupid kitty

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Armed men seized the regional government headquarters and parliament in Ukraine's Crimea and raised the Russian flag.

A Democratic bill enhancing health care, education and job-training benefits for veterans faces an uphill climb as the Senate approaches a showdown vote on the $21 billion legislation.

The Pentagon has named acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michael Lumpkin as the point person for efforts to bring home prisoner of war Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

People in the United States remain divided on how to handle military spending, according to a new poll. 

The U.S. Air Force intends to issue a request for proposal on its new long-range strike bomber this fall.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed cloture on legislation that would expand veterans healthcare programs and provide them with tuition assistance, a move that signals he will not allow any GOP amendments to be considered.

The Marine Corps' senior enlisted adviser told lawmakers he believes focusing on the commissary benefit as a potential source of defense budget savings is a mistake.

The U.S. Army will request money to buy 100 new UH-72 Lakota Light Utility Helicopters in the fiscal 2015 budget.

The proposed drone replacement for the U-2 spy plane is still years away from being as effective despite retirement proposal.

The Pentagon has a detailed five-year spending plan that adheres to federal defense spending caps should sequestration return in 2016. Just don't expect to see it anytime soon.

U.S. Sen. John McCain says he wants to block two nominees for high-level Pentagon jobs - but the Senate's "maverick" is about to find out a hold isn't what it used to be.

The Army has disqualified 588 soldiers as sexual assault counselors, recruiters and drill sergeants for infractions ranging from sexual assault to child abuse to drunken driving.

Despite "daunting fiscal challenges and strategic uncertainty," the Army will continue to be the best in the world, says Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III.

The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, or JIEDDO, is still relevant and is needed for future conflicts, but its size is expected to shrink significantly.

President Barack Obama announced that retired Army Master Sgt. Jose Rodela will receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for military valor, during a March 18 ceremony at the White House.

Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts are the key for Airmen involved with the multilateral exercise Cope North.

Army introduces four new mountaineering, climbing kits.

Lobbying isn't decreasing at all, and instead it's simply going underground.

How wolves change rivers.

A new app will prevent your distracted ass for getting hit by a car.

Every state's favorite music.

Oscars primer so that you don't have to spend every day until the ceremony airs at the movie theater.

Oscar snubs get particularly brutal when you start tallying how many phenomenal directors never won a Best Director prize.

Let's watch a prank.

Congratulations to the following members of Team McChord who were named the "Best of the Best" at the 2014 Annual Awards Banquet Feb. 20.

Key Spouse
Jennifer Longoria

Civilian Category I
John Draper, 62nd Aerial Port Squadron

Civilian Category IIA
David Devine, 5th Air Support Operations Squadron

Civilian Category IIB
Eileen Rodriguez 62nd Operations Support Squadron

Airman
Senior Airman Janaya Mosley, 627th Force Support Squadron

Read more...

Last week we announced a new club store format was to open at McChord Field. As reporter Melissa Renahan wrote, "The new format will feature a huge, new section of the store entirely dedicated to club packs and other oversized packaged products commonly found in commercial warehouse club stores, such as Costco or Sam's Club. DeCA called the new store format a "Commissary Club."  

The Joint Base Lewis-McChord Public Affair Office forwarded a statement today confirming the official opening date of the Commissary Club at the McChord Field Commissary will be Friday, March 7.

Read our full story on the new Commissary Club here.

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After more than four decades, Vietnam War hero to receive Medal of Honor.

Congress and others in the defense community pushed back on Pentagon plans to cut 120,000 personnel from the active and reserve Army ranks, retire entire fleets of Air Force aircraft and sideline Navy ships.

The Pentagon's proposed 2015 budget includes a surprise proposal to raise health care fees for active-duty family members which, if approved, would mark the first increases in health care costs for those beneficiaries since Tricare was established nearly 20 years ago.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the Pentagon cuts send the wrong signal to the world.

Calling the Air Force's decision to retire the A-10 combat jet a "serious mistake," Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., is pledging to fight the retirement in Congress.

The U.S. Defense Department is proposing limiting troop pay raises, reducing housing allowances and cutting funding for commissary stores because of automatic budget cuts.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey wants feedback from servicemembers on the fiscal year 2015 defense budget request that he and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel outlined to reporters at the Pentagon yesterday.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel made a clear statement that the Air Force plans to invest heavily in new engine technology.

After her second month in office, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James laid out her top three priorities as part of a "state of the Air Force" address.

Lump-sum payouts set for Korea tour extensions.

Army researchers, scientists and engineers are collaborating and sharing to leverage limited resources and discover leap-ahead technologies.?

Navy vet invents the BakBone, a better way to hold an iPad.

What military food ration packs look like around the world.

In memory of Harold Ramis, New Yorkers are leaving Twinkies and flowers in front of the Ghostbusters firehouse.

Good News: Taco Bell is about to start serving breakfast.

Here's a recap of what happened on Seth Meyers' first Late Night.

Fred Armisen's Late Night playlist (on Spotify) is pretty fantastic.

List: Board games that could make great movies.

List: Tech figures portrayed on film versus how they look in real life.

Toy Story: The true identity of Andy's mom makes the movie more epic.

Silicon Valley is gonna be BOSS. Watch