Kristina Wong

Air Force flies embassy staffers from Yemen amid terror threats

The Air Force early Tuesday flew some U.S. Embassy staff from Yemen's capital, Sanaa, because of al Qaeda threats against U.S. personnel and facilities there, the Pentagon announced.

August 6, 2013

TSA not collecting accurate threat assessment data on job applicants

The Transportation Security Administration is not collecting adequate data to determine whether a key screening center is producing timely and accurate threat assessments, according to a recent government report.

August 5, 2013

Tied up for years in U.S. red tape, Afghan aides are Taliban targets

Thousands of Afghan interpreters whose visa applications are stuck in bureaucratic backlogs at the State Department are terrified that they will be Taliban targets when most U.S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan next year.

August 4, 2013

Hagel: Smaller budget means smaller military

A smaller Army and Marine Corps, consolidated combatant commands and a "decade-long modernization holiday" will befall the U.S. military if defense cuts known as sequestration remain in place, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Wednesday.

July 31, 2013

Bradley Manning verdict signals a stern warning against leaks

A military court Tuesday convicted Army Pfc. Bradley Manning of violating the Espionage Act for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks, a verdict that legal analysts say likely will have a chilling effect on others considering revealing government secrets.

July 30, 2013

Afghan security force ineffective, expensive for U.S. projects, report says

A state-run security force in Afghanistan cannot perform even basic functions and is charging the Obama administration for some services it is not providing, a U.S. government watchdog reported Tuesday.

July 30, 2013

Today’s youth not ready for today’s Army: Gen. Odierno

Fewer than one-quarter of today's youth can qualify for Army service, making the recruitment of women even more important, the Army's chief of staff said Monday.

July 29, 2013

Army chief warns against U.S. intervention in Middle East

Gen. Raymond Odierno, Army chief of staff, warned Monday against U.S. military involvement in Syria and Egypt before better understanding the crises in the Middle East nations.

July 29, 2013

Air Force general confident about interceptors, despite failures

The Air Force general in charge of U.S. missile defense expressed confidence Wednesday in the ground-based interceptor missile defense system, despite its three successive test failures.

July 24, 2013

Pentagon delays delivery of F-16s to Egypt

The United States has decided to delay the delivery of four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt's military following its July 3 overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi, a Pentagon official said.

July 24, 2013

Congress split on push to arm rebels in Syria

House debate on the fiscal 2014 defense spending bill Tuesday exposed lawmakers' unease over arming Syrian rebels, even as congressional intelligence committees approved CIA plans to supply weapons to opposition forces.

July 23, 2013

Navy cracking down on alcohol sales on bases

The Navy is cracking down on alcohol sales at its bases and mini-marts in order to tackle sexual assaults, the chief of naval operations said Friday.

July 19, 2013

Navy chief on surge capability: ‘We’re not where we need to be’

Defense budget cuts have reduced the number of Navy forces that would respond to an emergency in the Persian Gulf and the Western Pacific, the chief of naval operations said.

July 19, 2013

Autism program rollout changed; Pentagon hears complaints from service families

The Pentagon on Thursday eased some concerns among military families worried that a new pilot program would interrupt treatment for their autistic children.

July 18, 2013

U.S. shells out millions for bum construction in Afghanistan: Report

A $3 million U.S.-contracted schools project in Afghanistan remains grossly unfinished more than four years after the start of construction because the Army Corps of Engineers did not hold the contractor accountable for the work it has been paid to do, a new report by a U.S. government watchdog says.

July 17, 2013