Author: Lolita C. Baldor
-
US soldier arrested after pledging loyalty to Islamic State
HONOLULU — An active duty U.S. soldier was arrested on terrorism charges after authorities say he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and said he wanted to “kill a bunch of people.” The FBI arrested Sgt. 1st Class Ikaika Kang, 34, in a suburb of Honolulu over the weekend after a yearlong investigation involving…
-
Pentagon OKs 6-month delay in transgender enlistments
WASHINGTON— Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is giving the military chiefs another six months to conduct a review to determine if allowing transgender individuals to enlist in the armed services will affect the “readiness or lethality” of the force. Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said Mattis made the decision Friday. The delay in allowing the enlistment of…
-
Military chiefs want hold on transgender enlistments
WASHINGTON — Military chiefs will seek a six-month delay before letting transgender people enlist in their services, officials said Friday. After meetings this week, the service leaders hammered out an agreement that rejected Army and Air Force requests for a two-year wait and reflected broader concerns that a longer delay would trigger criticism on Capitol…
-
APNewsBreak: About 4,000 more U.S. troops to go to Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will send almost 4,000 additional American forces to Afghanistan, a Trump administration official said Thursday, hoping to break a stalemate in a war that has now passed to a third U.S. commander in chief. The deployment will be the largest of American manpower under Donald Trump’s young presidency. The decision by…
-
Needing troops, Army offers up to $90K bonuses to re-enlist
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Struggling to expand its ranks, the Army will triple the amount of bonuses it’s paying this year to more than $380 million, including new incentives to woo reluctant soldiers to re-enlist, officials told The Associated Press. Some soldiers could get $90,000 up front by committing to another four or more years,…
-
Scouring for nude images in photo scandal at Marine base
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Virginia — In a cramped office at the Marines’ Quantico base outside Washington, about 20 investigators sit elbow to elbow, staring into their computers as images of naked men and women flash across the screens. On the walls are white boards with statistics, crime lists and a montage of social media…
-
Friendly fire may have killed 2 Army Rangers in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — Two Army Rangers killed during a raid on an Islamic State compound in eastern Afghanistan may have died as a result of friendly fire during the opening minutes of the fierce, three-hour firefight, the Pentagon said Friday. Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said the U.S. military is investigating to see if they were accidentally…
-
2 U.S. troops killed in eastern Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon says two U.S. service members were killed in Afghanistan overnight Wednesday. Navy Capt. Jeff Davis says they were killed during an operation against the Afghanistan-based Islamic State group in Nangahar Province in the eastern part of the country. He says the U.S. is gathering further details. The U.S. has been battling the…
-
Official: Russia knew Syrian chemical attack was coming
WASHINGTON — The United States has concluded Russia knew in advance of Syria’s chemical weapons attack last week, a senior U.S. official said Monday. The official said a drone operated by Russians was flying over a hospital as victims of the attack were rushing to get treatment. Hours after the drone left, a Russian-made fighter…
-
Mattis to decide soon on troop levels in Afghanistan
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he plans to make some decisions soon on whether to recommend an increase in the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and whether the totals should be based on military requirements rather than pre-set limits. Mattis told reporters traveling with him that he…