U.S. Military

As of Friday, Dec. 11, 2009, at least 858 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The department last updated its figures Friday at 10 a.m. EST. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats hope to pack a must-pass U.S. defense spending bill with measures to help victims of the ailing economy, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin said on Friday. Full Story »

WARSAW (AFP) - Poland and the United States on Friday signed an agreement on the status of US troops in the eastern European country ahead of the deployment of US Patriot missiles. Full Story »

BELLEVUE, Wash. - Defense contractor Esterline Technologies Corp. on Thursday reported better than expected results for its fiscal fourth quarter, but issued a cautious earnings outlook for the new fiscal year. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation to increase the federal debt limit got a boost on Thursday when House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that it would be combined with a must-pass military spending bill. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Thursday ruled the Defense Department in contempt of court for failing to videotape the testimony of a Guantanamo Bay detainee so that the public and the news media could see it. Full Story »

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates met Iraqi leaders on Thursday as U.S. commanders said plans to reduce troop levels sharply by next summer were on track despite delayed elections and a major al Qaeda attack. President Barack Obama has pledged to end combat operations in Iraq by August 31, 2010, before a full pullout by the end of 2011. The U.S. force in Iraq is supposed to be reduced to 50,000 by end of August from around 115,000 now. Full Story »

Leaving the Army was a difficult decision. I had already invested eight years of my life in my military career, considering the time spent as an ROTC cadet at Wake Forest University and an active duty tour that took me everywhere from Kansas to Iraq. However, during my deployment I realized that my professional and personal goals weren't compatible with a lifetime spent in the armed forces. With this in mind, I began the bittersweet process of getting out -- and at the same time I had to ask myself the next logical question: Now what? Full Story »

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military is taking a serious look at resupplying combat troops in Afghanistan using unmanned aircraft, an Air Force general said Wednesday. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is reviewing a policy in which the president does not send letters of condolence to families of military personnel who commit suicide, the White House said on Wednesday. Full Story »

Among the sector activity stories for Wednesday, Dec. 9, from AP Financial News: Full Story »

NEW YORK - Shares of defense contractors fell Wednesday after Macquarie Securities downgraded some companies in the sector, including Lockheed Martin Corp., on concerns about tight military budgets. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - The White House says it is reviewing a long-standing policy that prevents President Barack Obama from sending a condolence letter to families of service members who have committed suicide. Full Story »

TOKYO - Japan's prime minister said Wednesday that he hopes to meet with President Barack Obama next week to offer his proposals on the relocation of a major American military base in Okinawa that has led to a rift between the allies. Full Story »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - FBI Director Robert Mueller ordered an independent review on Tuesday of how the agency handled information that the military psychiatrist charged in the Fort Hood shooting had communicated with an anti-American cleric in Yemen. Full Story »

MCLEAN, Va. - Defense contractor Science Applications International Corp. said Monday it received a contract extension from NASA that could be valued at more than $235 million if all options are exercised. Full Story »

Army Spc. Tony Carrasco Jr. Full Story »

Army Spc. Aaron S. Aamot Full Story »