US Army

Stories 341 - 360 | << Prev   Next >>

Afghanistan: the Next Vietnam?
 Afghanistan: the Next Vietnam?  
analysis
Feb 1, 2009 5:49 PM CST

Afghanistan: the Next Vietnam?

(Newser) - Afghanistan may not be Barack Obama's Vietnam—it may be worse, John Barry and Evan Thomas write in Newsweek. The president plans to double US troops there to 60,000, hoping Gen. David Patraeus can recreate "surge" success and train an Afghan army to stabilize the country. But...

Army Suicides Hit Record High
 Army Suicides Hit Record High 
Jan 29, 2009 2:07 AM CST

Army Suicides Hit Record High

Army expected to announce new study of post-combat stress

(Newser) - A record 128 US soldiers committed suicide last year, and an additional 15 are suspected of taking their own lives, CNN reports. The previous record was set in 2007. In response to the latest figures, the Army is expected to announce new studies of post-combat stress and why its suicide-prevention...

Army Recruiting Soars as Job Dry Up

Recruitment soars with unemployment

(Newser) - The recession has swelled military recruitment, bumping the forces past their goals for the first time since 2004, reports the New York Times. Many Americans are being enticed from a flagging job market by the promised stability and benefits. The Army—whose recruiting has struggled most under the shadow of...

Obama Will Ban Torture— But Considers a Loophole

(Newser) - Barack Obama is set to prohibit waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques by mandating the CIA follow the US Army Field Manual when questioning suspects, the AP reports. But as the president-elect debates whether to make the changes through legislation or presidential fiat, the incoming administration is also considering a...

Army Sends 'John Doe' Letter to Slain Soldiers' Kin

Gen. Casey writes apology to 7,000

(Newser) - The Army had good intentions in mind when it sent a letter to families of soldiers killed in Iraq to inform them of available services. Problem is, the letters to ease the most personal of sacrifices all began the same way: "Dear John Doe." Now Army chief of...

Psst, Fat Boy: Uncle Sam Wants You

Military tells recruits with high BMI that they can sign up now, lose weight later

(Newser) - To reel in more recruits, the US Army is relaxing weight restrictions on would-be soldiers. A waiver program gives outsize volunteers a year after signing up to get in shape, measured by body-mass index, or be booted, the Christian Science Monitor reports. With the youthful population consuming more and exercising...

Marines Improving Vests After Complaints

Troops complained 30 lbs. vest too heavy, restrictive

(Newser) - The Marine Corps is planning major improvements to its body armor after troops complained the $100 million vests were too heavy and restrictive, the AP reports. “I've worn the vest on my travels into Iraq and Afghanistan, and I can tell you those Marines have raised some valid points,...

US to Honor Nazis' Secret Soldier Slaves

350 survivors vowed to keep abuses secret

(Newser) - After 64 years, the US Army will finally honor 350 American soldiers who were tortured and enslaved during the Holocaust's final months, CNN reports. The Nazis beat, starved and forced the war prisoners to work in a section of the Buchenwald  concentration camp. Some 100 of them died, and survivors...

The Army Wants You. 30,000 More of You.

Pentagon says Army is overstretched

(Newser) - The US Army wants you, and about 30,000 of your friends, if it's going to fight effectively in Afghanistan and Iraq and complete other missions around the world, reports the Washington Post. Increased demands are being made on troops in places like Africa, Korea, and cyberspace, and while the...

Drug Abuse Rising Among US Soldiers

Military struggles to keep up with demand for substance-abuse counseling

(Newser) - US soldiers are testing positive for drugs in record numbers even as the number of Army counselors shrinks, USA Today reports. This year 2.38% of troops tested positive during routine urine screens, up from 1.74% in 2004, and more than 7,000 soldiers were sent to counseling for...

Army Names First Female 4-Star General

Ann Dunwoody is a 33-year veteran of the military

(Newser) - A 33-year Army veteran today became the first woman in US history to be named a four-star general, CNN reports. Ann Dunwoody, 55, will oversee Army Materiel Command, which outfits and equips soldiers. "The Army nurtured me and mentored me, and today the Army offers me the chance to...

As Tomb Cracks, Army Mulls New Monument to Unknowns

Repeated patching leaves Arlington marker 'shabby,' but replacement may dim symbolism

(Newser) - The US Army’s proposal to build a replica of the cracked marble monument atop the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery is reigniting controversy, USA Today reports. “It is important to have the authentic tomb that was there when the first remains were interred,” said...

Afghan Officials Helped Taliban Attack US Army

Nine Americans died when hundreds descended on camp

(Newser) - An Afghan police chief and a local government official aided Taliban militants who killed nine American soldiers, an internal military review has found. The July attack came as American and Afghan forces were constructing a base in the country's remote east, when around 200 fighters descended on the soldiers. The...

Paws C&eacute;l&egrave;bre Land in US
 Paws Célèbre Land in US 
Oct 21, 2008 3:10 AM CDT

Paws Célèbre Land in US

Baghdad pup en route to savior soldier's home

(Newser) - The friendly black mutt credited with helping a soldier survive her tour of duty in Iraq stepped out of a crate, tail wagging, as he arrived in the US yesterday following an international battle over his refugee status. Ratchet was rescued from burning trash in Iraq by soldier Gwen Beberg....

Soldier Fights to Bring Home Iraq Pup

Sergeant starts petition after Army blocks rescued pup's route home

(Newser) - A sergeant who saved a puppy from a pile of burning trash in Baghdad is fighting to be allowed to bring her beloved pet home, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. An Army officer took 6-month-old Ratchet off a convoy to Baghdad airport where the pooch was to be sent to...

Joint Chiefs Head Calls for Wider PTSD Screening

Post Traumatic Stress a 'bigger problem than we realize,' says chief

(Newser) - Every member of the US military should undergo screening for post-traumatic stress disorder upon returning from combat in Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has recommended. As many as 1 of every 5 returning combat vets suffers from mental health problems, USA Today reports. "I think...

Booby-Trapped Homes Pose Threat to Troops in Iraq

Insurgents load potential shelters with explosives

(Newser) - For US troops in Iraq’s still-volatile Diyala province, abandoned houses can be a refuge—or a serious threat, the Wall Street Journal reports. Soldiers depend on abandoned houses to provide shelter as combat bases, but insurgents have taken to wiring the buildings with “house-borne improvised explosive devices,”...

Army Unit to Handle Threats on US Soil

Deployment sparks concern that military is taking police role

(Newser) - A new US Army combat unit will focus on domestic threats like terrorist attacks and natural disasters, raising questions about the role of the military on American soil, CNN reports. The mission is a new assignment for a combat team that was the first to enter Baghdad in 2003. Based...

Army Sets Out to Stop Recruiter Suicides

(Newser) - The US Army is setting up a board to prevent suicides of Houston, Texas-based recruiters after the fourth suicide in 3 years, CNN reports. The board will examine the pressure they face at work and the post-traumatic effects of combat. "The suicides in the Houston battalion are a very...

3 Soldiers Charged in Iraqis' Murder

Killings were retribution for American casualties

(Newser) - Three soldiers have been charged with murder for their alleged role in the killing of four Iraqis last year, the US Army said today. The Iraqi men were blindfolded, shot in the head, and dumped in a Baghdad canal around April 2007 in retribution for casualties suffered by the 1st...

Stories 341 - 360 | << Prev   Next >>
Most Read on Newser