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Congressional appropriators on Monday evening unveiled a massive federal spending bill that includes a full 2014 Pentagon appropriations measure that would provide nearly $93 billion to buy new weapons.

The $571 billion Defense appropriations bill would reverse cuts to retirement pay for medically retired veterans and survivor benefits that passed in last month's budget deal.

The House Armed Services Committee on Monday released hundreds of pages of transcripts of previously classified testimony about the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.

The Enlisted Voluntary Early Separation Program and Enlisted Involuntary Early Separation Program have some important changes that took effect Jan. 1.

A physician who was a former Army Special Forces combat medic designed a fellowship program, which he hopes will improve the survival chances of battlefield casualties.

Decisive action training environment preps Army lieutenants for future operations.

The US capital's politics are a mess, the Pentagon is muddled and observers might be excused for thinking that naval development is stalled, but think again.

Arrowhead Brigade sweeps over National Training Center.

A full-fledged OutKast reunion is on tap for this year, not just at Coachella.

The Newsroom was renewed for a final season.

What does this mean?: Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander were spotted in front of Tom's Restaurant.

Today's list: A roundup of lesser-known vintage video games, like The Goonies II and The Blues Brothers.

No, here's today's list: 10 famous album covers recreated in Lego.

We apologize, here's really today's list: Seven strange but awesome gadgets from CES 2014.

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Iran has agreed to start eliminating its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium beginning Jan. 20 under an interim deal announced in November.

US Army wants to transform all nine of its Stryker brigades into the heavily armored "double V-hull" (DVH) configuration.

Two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip today, just hours ahead of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's funeral. The projectiles did not appear to have landed in Israel.

Department of Veterans Affairs says more female veterans will suffer from the kinds of injuries that go with being a ground-pounder.

Disabled military retirees will be protected from the reduced COLA.

The Appropriations committees are set to unveil this week how they will cut roughly $25 billion from the Pentagon's budget.

Weapon sales to Iraq have become entangled in sharply escalated political debate after al-Qaida affiliated forces regained partial control of the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi.

The Arctic Passage opens challenges for the mil because it means it has a new ocean to patrol - for the first time since 1846.

The College of William & Mary and U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command reaffirmed their partnership to develop internships, research and training opportunities for both William & Mary students and TRADOC Soldiers in the field of national security.

Six15 Technologies is announcing the release of their direct view monitor for military applications called the Standard Mobile Monitor (SMM).

Watch Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's flawless, hilarious Golden Globes monologue.

Fifteen new comics. Fifteen talented creative teams. Fifteen new reasons to open a new line of credit for Image's 2014 barrage of awesome.

Mad Men returns to the tube April 13.

HBO says the upcoming fifth season of Boardwalk Empire will be the series' last.

Christine McVie retired from Fleetwood Mac more than 15 years ago, and now, she's coming back to the band.

Are you ready for some Thrones?

Military sitcoms shouldn't work. There's really nothing funny about war.  But the funniest thing is that they have worked, time and again. Since the mid-1950s, when television was just beginning its reign over America's living rooms, we've been treated to a combat comedy cavalcade filled with classic shows like F Troop, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Hogan's Heroes, C.P.O. Sharkey and, of course, M*A*S*H.  All of these shows live on in our memories and in reruns, but when M*A*S*H ended in 1983, military sitcoms went with it.  Major Dad tried to revive the genre in 1989, but that proved to just be the death rattle, lasting only a handful of seasons.

FOX wants to bring the military sitcom back to the forefront with Enlisted.  It's a new century, a new America and a new generation of television viewers. Could Enlisted be the show that reintroduces the military sitcom to the public consciousness?

I really hope not.

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THIS JUST IN >>>

Governor Inslee is deeply saddened with the death of USMC Sgt. Jacob M. Hess, 22, of Spokane, and directs that Washington state and United States flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff in his memory Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. Hess died Jan. 1 in Afghanistan of injuries sustained while supporting combat operations.

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The lead American negotiator in talks over a long-term security agreement with Afghanistan has privately warned the Obama administration that its efforts to persuade President Hamid Karzai to sign the document on the U.S. timetable are likely to fail.

There has been a sharp increase in the suicide rate among the youngest male veterans, and a smaller but still significant jump among women who served in the military.

The Senate Armed Services Committee approved and sent to the Senate floor four civilian nominations yesterday: Jessica Wright to be undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness; Jo Ann Rooney to be undersecretary of the Navy; Jamie Morin to be director of cost assessment and program evaluation; and Frank Klotz to be undersecretary of energy for nuclear security.

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It's been a question on everyone's mind since the very first NFL playoff game when the Chicago Bears faced off with the Portsmouth Spartans in 1932. Who's tougher? An Army soldier or an NFL football player? One is paid millions of dollars to play a game with tons of rules and safety equipment built into the sport. The other is trained to close, engage, and destroy all enemies under any circumstances without rest, food, relief ... and for substantially less money.

When former NFL players Damon Huard, George Wrighster, Samie Parker and Ricardo McDonald walk into Nelson Recreation Center Sunday, you bet a few soldiers, airmen and their families will ponder such a question.

The thought process will only last a few seconds because IT'S NFL PLAYOFF TIME AND THE NFL IS IN THE HOUSE!

The leadership at Joint Base Lewis-McChord has arranged for the Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE) Real Warriors Campaign and the four former NFL players mentioned above to hang out at Nelsen Rec during Sunday's Denver Bronco vs San Diego Chargers NFL playoff game. Beginning at 12:30 p.m. JBLM leadership and the former players will discuss common reintegration challenges facing service members as well as the resources available to help ease the transition from deployment to homecoming ... before everyone huddles around the television to watch the Broncos and Charges battle it out.

According to an official JBLM release ...

The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) has partnered with the DCoE Real Warriors Campaign to show service members and veterans that its members appreciate warriors' service to our country and care about their psychological health and wellness.

The Real Warriors Campaign and the NFL Players Association encourage all warriors who are experiencing psychological health concerns to reach out for care and support and to access available resources.

There's more information about the awesome Real Warrior Campaign after the jump.

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Dear Brawny Man,

We just want you to know that we have switched to your brand. We were Bounty fans for the longest time. Being in the media business, we are all about speed. The faster we can deliver the news, the better (thanks for the stress stupid Internet). Sometimes when we race to across the room to post a story, we accidently knock over the Walkie Talkie Weather Guy's sippy cup. Because Bounty is the quicker picker-upper, we rode its roll of towels. ...

That is, until we saw the Wounded Warrior Project emblem below your plaid-wearing, paper towel-hocking face on your packaging. You and your parent company, Georgia Pacific, have supported WWP since 2012. Your concept of donating a $1 for every Like on your Facebook page was both generous and brilliant. In 2012, you raise more than $500,000 for WWP. Last year, you exceeded your $6000,000 goal, raising $613,566 for WWP, which included $250,000 from GP above and beyond the Likes.

Brawny has given more than $1.4 million to WWP over the last two years to help our nation's heroes and their families through their difficult transitions.

You're awesome Brawny Man.

A quick call to Georgia Pacific revealed the program has been put on hold for 2014, according to Rich in GP's call center, although he did say it could come back in the future.

Georgia Pacific says the Wounded Warrior Project support will continue in 2014.

Thanks again Brawny Man. We will come calling when spilled juice is running off our computer desks an onto our linoleum floor.

Love,

Northwest Military News Team

WATCH IT LIVE >>>

The Air Force's newest and most senior leader will hold a service-wide, online town hall meeting today at 3:30 p.m. EST, addressing issues relevant to today's airmen.

Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James will answer questions from airmen at the Pentagon, and also speak to her goals and priorities as the service's 23rd secretary.

You can live stream the town hall at www.af.mil/live.aspx, and a recording will be posted on www.af.mil for those who are not able to watch live.

James was formally sworn in Dec. 20 in the Pentagon, making her the second female in Air Force history to serve in the role.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8 2014 >>>

1. At the grocery store and in a park Regan Lane comes across as the most normal of guys - which doesn't mean he is.  After all, when you've been a key member of several popular and notorious Tacoma bands that spent the last three decades receiving rave reviews and an ever-growing following - not to mention soaking in the rock 'n' roll lifestyle - how, exactly, could anyone remain "normal"?  Which raises the question of what, exactly, is normal, anyway?  So let's just say Lane keeps things low-key ... except when he's on stage. When he's behind the mic, guitar in hand, he's a rock star. The way he carries himself, interacts with the crowd and most importantly his talent, Lane is a professional musician who brings it every time. Lane's pop band Strangely Alright joins Vividal and Charles Mack at the Maurice The Fish Records 1st Wednesday Sessions at Jazzbones, which kicks off at 8 p.m. True pop-heads won't find anything normal, or strange, about Lane and his band.

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June 26, 2013 the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that denies legally married same-sex couples more than 1,100 protections and responsibilities of marriage. The Supreme Court basically said all loving and committed couples that marry deserve equal legal respect and treatment.

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