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Kristina Wong

kwong@washingtontimes.com

Kristina Wong was a national security reporter for The Washington Times.

Articles by Kristina Wong

**FILE** Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel listens during a news conference at the Pentagon on March 28, 2013. (Associated Press)

Hagel nixes medal for drone pilots, cyberwarriors

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is canceling the creation of a heroism medal for drone pilots and cyber warriors, prompted by uproar over its precedence over the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals.

April 15, 2013
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said fierce political resistance last year killed proposals such as base closures and increasing health care enrollment fees, which are included in the White House's $526.6 billion defense budget request. Mr. Hagel, however, noted times have changed, saying, "We are now in a different fiscal environment." (Associated Press)

Congress skeptical of Obama’s defense budget

Lawmakers greeted the White House's $526.6 billion defense budget request with skepticism Thursday, as top Pentagon officials defended proposals previously rejected by Congress, such as base closures and increasing health care enrollment fees.

April 11, 2013
**FILE** Lockheed Martin Corp. security guards stand in front of a new stealth fighter, known as the F-35 or Joint Strike Fighter, before a news conference after the plane's first flight in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 15, 2006. (Associated Press)

Pentagon budget ignores sequester, puts off cost-saving

The White House's defense budget request for fiscal 2014 calls for a new round of base closures, the termination of at least two weapons systems and continued funding of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project.

April 10, 2013
South Korean Army soldiers stand guard at the Unification Bridge near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, Thursday, March 21, 2013. North Korea has threatened revenge for the sanctions and for ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills, which the allies describe as routine but which Pyongyang says are rehearsals for invasion. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

PACOM chief says South Korea very likely to respond to North’s aggression

The top U.S. military officer in the Asia Pacific region said Tuesday there is a growing sense in South Korea that “it would almost impossible for the South Koreans not to respond in some fashion” if North Korea were to sink one of their ships or shell an island, as the communist state did in 2010.

April 9, 2013
**FILE** Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel listens during a news conference at the Pentagon on March 28, 2013. (Associated Press)

Hagel OK changes to military justice code

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Monday changes to a section of the Uniform Code of Military Justice to prevent commanders from dismissing court-martial convictions.

April 8, 2013
**FILE** Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel listens during a news conference at the Pentagon on March 28, 2013. (Associated Press)

Hagel warns of defense cuts, hints at major reforms

In his first major budget speech, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned against steep defense spending cuts but seemed to be preparing the Pentagon for a period of major reform that could be unpopular among the all-volunteer force.

April 3, 2013
A B-2 stealth bomber refuels. The U.S. Embassy in Seoul tweeted the photo on March 28, 2013, with the caption: "Two B-2 bombers flew over South Korea today, demonstrating the US’s ability to conduct precision strikes at will." (Image: U.S. Embassy, Seoul) ** FILE **

U.S. joins South Korea in show of force with B-2 bomber

Tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula rose even higher Thursday, after the U.S. military announced that nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers had taken part in joint exercises with South Korean forces — an unprecedented event following weeks of belligerent rhetoric and acts by the North.

March 28, 2013
**FILE** Maj. Gen. James McConville speaks to troops from the 101st Airborne Division on on Feb. 19, 2013, as they prepare to leave Fort Campbell, Ky., for a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan. (Associated Press)

U.S. Army in Europe to review, train amid budget cuts

The end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will allow U.S. ground forces in Europe to focus on training and reassess their mission amid spending cuts, the commander of U.S. Army-Europe said Monday.

March 25, 2013
** FILE ** Sgt. Eusebio Lopez instructs a woman during the Quantico Leadership Venture at OCS on Sept. 21. The venture is a bi-annual event that exposes students to the leadership development and evaluation process used by the United States Marine Corps. (Flickr, U.S. Marine Corps)

Marine shooter identified in Quantico killings

Marine Sgt. Eusebio Lopez, 25, shot and killed two fellow Marines before turning the gun on himself Thursday evening at the base at which they were stationed in Quantico, Va.

March 23, 2013
The Pentagon. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

Pentagon delays civilian furlough notices

The Pentagon has decided to delay issuance of its civilian furlough notices for about two weeks, after Congress passed a continuing resolution that will provide defense funding through the end of the fiscal.

March 21, 2013