Author: Lolita C. Baldor
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Defense leaders say Russia learning from mistakes in Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has learned a great deal about Russian military shortfalls and capabilities in the first two months of the war in Ukraine, top Pentagon leaders told Congress Tuesday. But they warned that Moscow is learning from its mistakes as the war shifts to a new phase, and that will shape the…
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Pentagon links leadership failures to violence at bases
WASHINGTON • Military bases with a high risk for sexual assault, harassment and other harmful behaviors often have leaders who don’t understand violence prevention, don’t make it a priority and focus more on their mission than on their people, a Pentagon review has concluded. The review studied 20 bases in the United States and Europe,…
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U.S.: Civilian toll in Syria raid may be higher than thought
WASHINGTON • U.S. military officials said Thursday there could have been more civilian casualties than initially thought in the raid that killed the top Islamic State leader in Syria last week, but they believe any such deaths were caused by the militant’s suicide bomb and were not at the hands of American forces. Laying out…
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Biden orders forces to Europe amid stalled Ukraine talks
WASHINGTON • President Joe Biden is ordering 2,000 U.S.-based troops to Poland and Germany and shifting 1,000 more from Germany to Romania, demonstrating to allies and foes America’s commitment to NATO’s eastern flank amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Russia fired back with a sharply worded objection, calling the…
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Army ups bonuses for recruits to $50K, as COVID takes toll
WASHINGTON • The Army, for the first time, is offering a maximum enlistment bonus of $50,000 to highly skilled recruits who join for six years, The Associated Press has learned, as the service struggles to lure soldiers into certain critical jobs amid the continuing pandemic. Maj. Gen. Kevin Vereen, head of Army Recruiting Command, said…
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U.S. warships stay in Mediterranean amid Ukraine, Russia fears
WASHINGTON • Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a Navy aircraft carrier strike group to stay in the Mediterranean Sea region rather than move on to the Middle East, amid worries about the buildup of thousands of Russian troops near the Ukraine border. A defense official said Tuesday that the change in the schedule of…
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Army: 98% of active duty got COVID-19 vaccine by deadline
WASHINGTON • Army officials said Thursday that 98% of their active duty force had gotten at least one dose of the mandatory coronavirus vaccine as of this week’s deadline for the shots but that more than 3,800 soldiers flatly refused and could start being removed from the military next month. The U.S. military’s largest service,…
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Military suicides rise 15% as senior leaders call for action
WASHINGTON • The number of U.S. military suicides jumped by 15% last year, fueled by significant increases in the Army and Marine Corps that leaders called troubling. They urged more effort to reverse the trend. According to data released Thursday, there were 580 suicides last year compared with 504 the prior year. Of those, the…
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Top U.S. general holds ‘productive’ talks with Russian officer
HELSINKI, Finland • The top American military officer held talks Wednesday with his Russian counterpart as the United States struggles to secure basing rights and other counterterrorism support in countries bordering Afghanistan — an effort Moscow has opposed. The six-hour meeting in Finland’s capital between Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of…
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Milley: U.S. coordination with Taliban on strikes ‘possible’
WASHINGTON • Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that it’s “possible” the United States will seek to coordinate with the Taliban on counterterrorism strikes in Afghanistan against Islamic State militants or others. Milley did not elaborate, and his comment did not appear to suggest immediate plans to work…