military

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Georgia Pushing to Rebuild Shattered Army Even Bigger

Nation hopes for US help in building modern military to face Russia threat

(Newser) - The dust has barely settled from the catastrophic clash with Russia but Georgia's leaders are already keen to start rebuilding the country's pulverized army, the New York Times reports. Ambitious plans are being made to remake the military bigger and better than before—with plenty of US help. But Western...

Mexican Drug Wars Spread to Touristy Yucatan

(Newser) - As drug violence soars in Mexico, casualties are spreading to the Yucatan peninsula, a major tourist destination and spring break hot spot. Twelve decapitated bodies were found near the popular ruins of Chichen Itza this week, the Los Angeles Times reports. That's because a government crackdown has heightened “a...

Scientists Closer to Invisibility Cloak

New material geared towards military, medical uses

(Newser) - Soon Harry Potter may not be the only one wearing an invisibility cloak. Researchers today announced a new material that bends light away from objects, causing "negative refraction" and "cloaking." The technology, which adds to earlier research veiling two-dimensional objects, will likely conceal military devices and improve...

US Surge Brigades Leave Iraq
 US Surge Brigades Leave Iraq 

US Surge Brigades Leave Iraq

147K troops now in country, down from about 170K at height of effort

(Newser) - The American troop surge in Iraq has ended, Reuters reports, with the departure of the last of five brigades deployed last year in an effort to curb sectarian violence. There are now just under 147,000 US troops left in the country, according to a military spokesman, down from a...

Army Pig-Shoot Angers Animal Rights Activists

Porkers shot and revived for medical training

(Newser) - The Army is butting heads with animal rights activists over a planned drill that involves shooting live pigs. As practice for battlefield medical care, soldiers will fire at the pigs, then rush to save them. "It's to teach Army personnel how to manage critically injured patients within the first...

Army Waivers Linked to Suspect Soldiers

Criminals allowed to fight in US wars likely to continue troubles

(Newser) - Dozens of US criminals who were granted Army waivers to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan have been linked to in-service problems, the Sacramento Bee reports. In a year-long study, the paper connected "suspect soldiers"—accused of beating prisoners, stealing weapons, and more—to troubles back home. Of 18...

Obama: I Must 'Earn the Trust' of US Military

Questions provisions for troops, use of civilian contractors

(Newser) - Because he hasn't served in the military, Barack Obama says, “I have to earn the trust of men and women in uniform.” In a wide-ranging interview with Military Times, the presumptive Democratic nominee vowed to raise pay and improve health care for service members, promised he would not...

Karzai Orders Inquiry Into Fatal US Airstrike

Military, Afghans spar over whether 15 victims were Taliban, civilians

(Newser) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai today ordered an investigation into a US-led airstrike on Friday that killed 15 people. At issue is whether the victims were armed Taliban, as the US military claims, or the innocent civilians that an Afghan governor believes died.

Top Engineers Shun Military
Top Engineers Shun Military

Top Engineers Shun Military

Costs soar as sought-after project managers head for private sector

(Newser) - Greater "geek cachet" and higher pay is diverting engineering managers from the military into places like Microsoft and Google, the New York Times reports. The result is a dearth of  managers overseeing military projects, which government investigators largely blame for long delays and $295 billion in cost overruns. The...

How to Transition Out of Iraq
 How to Transition Out of Iraq 
OPINION

How to Transition Out of Iraq

David Ignatius offers a strategy for scaling back in Iraq

(Newser) - It's time for the US to carve out a practical strategy in Iraq, David Ignatius argues in the Washington Post. At a cost of $400 million a day, the war is draining America's economy—precisely what Osama bin Laden hoped for. The solution will not be quick, simple, or easy,...

Robot Drones Have 'Changed War' in Iraq, Afghanistan

Unmanned vehicles help troops target trouble spots, keep casualties down

(Newser) - At the outset of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were little more than nifty, if sometimes helpful toys. They’ve since cemented a key role in US operations, Newsweek reports. Now hundreds of drones, some as small as model airplanes, keep an unblinking eye on militant...

May Iraq Death Toll Lowest in 4 Years

(Newser) - The death toll in Iraq plunged in May, with 21 US military dead the lowest monthly figure in more than 4 years. Iraqi civilians and troopers also saw a decline, with 532 deaths in May, compared with 1,080 the month before. But in the absence of lasting political agreements,...

Stress Disorder Surges Among US Troops

Number of diagnosed cases rises 46% to 14,000 last year

(Newser) - Post-traumatic stress disorder is surging among US troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. New cases rose by more than 46% to nearly 14,000 in 2007, reports Reuters. In the last five years, about 40,000 cases have been diagnosed, most of them in the Army.

'Miracle Marine' Dead After 3-Year Struggle

Struck by roadside bomb, he endured 100+ surgeries

(Newser) - A Marine who endured burns on 97% of his body with good humor and hope has died during routine surgery, USA Today reports. Hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq, Sgt. Merlin German walked, talked, and even danced during his 3-year recovery. Undergoing more than 100 surgeries, he became a...

Pentagon Emails Detail TV Propaganda Plans
Pentagon Emails Detail
TV Propaganda Plans
analysis

Pentagon Emails Detail TV Propaganda Plans

Defense officials sought military experts willing to "carry our water"

(Newser) - Need more proof that the Pentagon coached ostensibly impartial military analysts about what to say on TV? In Salon, Glenn Greenwald reveals emails from one top defense staffer who suggested developing a core group of insiders who are “most reliably friendly” and that “we can count on to...

Russia Parades Its Might, With Soviet Echoes

Red Square display, marking defeat of Nazis, puts revived military on display

(Newser) - Russia marked the 63rd anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany today with a parade of Soviet-era of tanks, missile launchers, and columns of foot soldiers, the New York Times reports. President-turned-prime-minister Vladimir Putin and his successor, Dmitry Medvedev, looked on, surrounded by the contrast of communist ritual with symbols...

Who Are You Calling 'Devil Dog'?
Who Are You Calling 'Devil Dog'?

Who Are You Calling 'Devil Dog'?

Marines now balk at WWI nickname once used with pride

(Newser) - Once used with pride, the Marines moniker "Devil Dog" now has a nasty bite to it, the Marine Corps Times reports. Young Marines recoil at the term that troops earned by fighting off Germans in a bloody World War I battle. They say it reminds them of angry COs:...

Military Families Sue VA Over Suicides

Agency doesn't do enough for veterans' mental health, suit says

(Newser) - Veterans Affairs hasn’t done enough to stem the “rising tide” of suicides and mental health problems, according to a class action lawsuit going to trial this week. Roughly 20% of deployed US troops are suffering from mental illness, a recent study shows, and an average of 18 kill...

Iraq's Secret $833M Arms Buy Raises Concern

Purchase from Serbia reveals Baghdad's military woes

(Newser) - A secret arms deal highlights Baghdad's trouble arming its troops and securing Iraq, the New York Times reports. Officials signed the $833 million deal with Serbia last month, without approval in Baghdad—and procured faulty or useless planes, tanks, and other arms. Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qadir defended the move,...

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Fly?
Don't Ask,
Don't Tell,
Don't Fly?

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Fly?

Pentagon-Congress flap spotlights tension over gay rights

(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi acted to have a gay Congresswoman's domestic partner included on a military flight to Europe, and the question of government acknowledgment of same-sex partners continues to reverberate, the Politico reports. Tammy Baldwin’s partner took the March fact-finding trip, but Pelosi and Robert Gates are at odds over...

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