April 28, 2016 Military begins recruiting women for combat jobs The military services are already beginning to recruit women for combat jobs, including as Navy SEALs, and could see them serving in previously male-only Army and Marine Corps infantry units by this fall, according to new plans endorsed by Defense Secretary Ash Carter and obtained by The Associated Press.
April 14, 2016 US begins joint patrols with Philippines in South China Sea The United States on Thursday revealed for the first time that American ships have started conducting joint patrols with the Philippines in the South China Sea, a somewhat rare move not done with many other partners in the region.
March 2, 2016 Carter warns China over increasing militarization of South China Sea Defense Chief Ash Carter warned China Tuesday against increasingly aggressive moves in the disputed South China Sea region, including the placement of surface-to-air missiles on one of its claimed artificial reefs.
January 25, 2016 Rumsfeld debuts 'Churchill Solitaire' video game What happens when you cross a former defense secretary, a cigar-smoking former British prime minister and a much-loved card game? The answer is 'Churchill Solitaire.'
January 14, 2016 Carter says ‘navigation error’ – not mechanical problem – put US boats in Iranian waters The Pentagon has backed off claims that a mechanical failure contributed to U.S. sailors drifting into Iranian waters and touching off a diplomatic incident earlier this week, with Defense Secretary Ash Carter now saying a “navigation error” was to blame.
December 21, 2015 Veterans groups vow to fight cuts in military pensions The Pentagon's top civilian says it's time to tame burgeoning military personnel costs, but he's facing a test of wills with the nation's powerful veterans groups, which want no cut in their benefits.
December 21, 2015 Hagel disputes reports he pushed back deadline for Afghan security pact signing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Thursday disputed reports that he pushed back a deadline for Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign a vital security agreement with the United States.
December 21, 2015 Hagel plans to stop in Pakistan on Monday U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says he'll visit Pakistan on Monday -- a rare stop for a Pentagon chief in recent years.
December 21, 2015 Can Congress cope with sequester? Doomsday fears fade, as round 2 nears In the nine months since sequestration kicked in, none of the end-of-days predictions have come true.
December 21, 2015 CIA papers show Panetta spilled bin Laden secrets Newly declassified documents show that former CIA Director Leon Panetta revealed secret information to "Zero Dark Thirty" scriptwriter Mark Boal, who was allowed to attend Panetta's speech at CIA headquarters marking the raid that killed Usama bin Laden.