All Security

The Air Force has grappled with sexual assault, illegal drug possession, and a boozy general in a Moscow bar, but charges of cheating on the nuclear launch tests hit especially hard.

Before Al Qaeda elements seized the city of Fallujah, Iraq, on Jan. 1, they had stayed mostly in the shadows. Coming into the open will make them easier to handle, some experts say.

A congressionally mandated Pentagon report, released Friday, gauges sexual harassment and assault at America’s service academies and catalogs comments made by students during focus groups.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he witnessed a president making the right decisions and following the right strategy in Afghanistan, but not really believing in them.

Anbar Province, where Iraq is battling insurgents, was once lauded for the decision of tribal elders to cast out Al Qaeda. The question is whether Afghan officials are receptive to the Iraqi lesson.

The Marine Corps reports that most women in recruit training are unable to do the minimum three pull-ups. As the US military moves toward allowing more women in combat roles, this raises questions about physical standards.

Unconfirmed news reports out of Israel signal that an offer of US troops to secure the borders of a new Palestinian state is in the mix in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. US defense analysts urge caution. 

The Pentagon quietly released this week a technological vision for the next 25 years – a vision including drones and robots that will be ‘critical to future success’ of the US military, according to its authors.

The Spain-based reaction force of 150 Marines poised to enter South Sudan to protect American 'interests' was created last spring in response to the September 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya.

UN officials describe new evidence of atrocities and mass graves as 150 US troops arrive in the Horn of Africa to protect Americans and the US embassy. 

Pentagon concern about 'toxic leaders' is not new, but some worry that revelations of bad behavior by senior military officials will rise as the US returns to peacetime footing. Latest case in point is a report about a top Air Force general's drunken cavorting during a trip to Moscow.

The National Defense Authorization Act is one of Congress's top priorities. This year's version will change elements of sexual-assault court-martials and put pressure on Afghanistan's president.

The USS Cowpens had to veer sharply to avoid colliding with a Chinese military vessel in international waters earlier this month, the US Navy has confirmed. In the USS Cowpens incident, what message was China sending?

The Army has spent the past month testing a 10-kilowatt laser weapon in the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The laser beam can cause targets to be destroyed in low-level midair explosions, instead of exploding on the ground.

Under the deal, the cost-of-living adjustment for working age military retirees would be inflation minus one percent, a big savings for the federal budget, but 'disastrous' for benefits, says veterans group.

The military has been working on cutting-edge stealth technology so drones can evade radar systems in a way that current UAVs cannot. Another development: an all-electric, fuel cell-powered UAV launched from a submerged submarine.

If the US offer to help destroy Syria's chemical weapons is accepted, a ship being retrofitted with portable decontamination units in Virginia will be sent to do the job. 'Nothing will be dumped at sea,' a Pentagon official said.

As the Pentagon forges ahead with its strategic shift toward Asia, the Philippines is likely to be important for US national security efforts in the region – particularly in light of China’s recent declaration of an 'air defense zone.'

Army officials got in trouble for suggesting that "average-looking women" be used in promotional photos, illustrating the social dynamics that continue to play a role as women assume combat jobs.