Sept. 18, 2018

155th ABCT Conducts CALFEX At Exercise Bright Star 18

MOHAMED NAGUIB MILITARY BASE, Egypt — Careening across the Egyptian desert at nearly 40 mph, inside a 70,000-pound armored vehicle, for hours on end can be an incredibly disorienting experience for the uninitiated. Exhaust fumes and dust pour into the dark cabin; your ears are assaulted by the clatter of the tracks beneath you as they churn up rocks. The constant, overwhelming vibration and jarring movements slam you into the Soldiers packed in around you quickly inducing the flashes of motion sickness.

Sept. 11, 2018

Vice President, DoD Leaders Honor Pentagon’s 9/11 Sacrifices

WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva joined Defense Department employees, family members and others to remember those who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

Sept. 10, 2018

CENTCOM hosts Joint Senior Enlisted Leaders Conference

Tampa, Fla. — Senior enlisted leaders from U.S. Central Command, five National Guard units, and eight regional partner nations gathered for the CENTCOM Joint Senior Enlisted Leaders Conference Sept. 4 – 7 in Tampa, Fla.

Sept. 8, 2018

Russian-Led Idlib Offensive Would Be Humanitarian Disaster, Dunford Says

NEW DELHI — The consequences of a Russian-Syrian regime offensive into Idlib, Syria, against terrorists hiding there would almost certainly be a humanitarian disaster, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Sept. 6, 2018

Jason Dunham Counts 2,521 AK-47s Seized

MANAMA, Bahrain -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) seized an illicit weapons shipment found aboard a stateless skiff in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden, Aug. 28 now at counted 2,521 AK-47 automatic rifles. The count follows an initial estimate of over 1,000 rifles. The skiff was determined to be stateless following a flag verification boarding, conducted in accordance with international law. The origin and intended destination of the skiff have not yet been determined.

Sept. 5, 2018

U.S., Pakistani Leaders Agree to Reset Relationship

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks with Pakistani leaders in Islamabad to reset the relationship between the two countries.

Sept. 2, 2018

Miller Takes Over NATO, U.S. Commands in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — Army Gen. Austin S. Miller assumed command of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission and U.S. Forces Afghanistan from Gen. John M. Nicholson during a ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Aug. 31, 2018

Mattis, State Department Officials Meet With Middle East Representatives at the Pentagon

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and State Department officials discussed shared strategic objectives and regional security challenges with representatives from the Gulf Cooperation Council states and other nations at the Pentagon.

Aug. 30, 2018

Jason Dunham Seizes Illicit Arms in Gulf of Aden

MANAMA, Bahrain -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet, seized an illicit shipment of arms from a stateless skiff in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden, on Aug. 28. The skiff was determined to be stateless following a flag verification boarding, conducted in accordance with international law. Illicit cargo discovered by the Dunham’s visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team included over 1,000 weapons.

Aug. 28, 2018

Mattis: U.S. Military Becoming ‘Stronger, More Lethal, More Agile’

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department is making significant progress along its three strategic lines of effort outlined in the National Defense Strategy issued in January, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon.