Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 30 Oct 2009 [PDF]
• DoD News: DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• MND-B Soldier death (Baghdad)
• U.S. Soldier dies from non-combat related injuries
• Oct. 29 airpower summary AFNS 30 Oct 2009 -- Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Oct. 29, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Forces Arrest Terrorism Suspects in Iraq AFPS 30 Oct 2009 -- Iraqi forces, aided by U.S. forces advisors, detained several terrorism suspects in Iraq in recent days, including one believed responsible for the Oct. 11 bombing in Ramadi, military officials reported.
• 28th CSH deploys to Iraq Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- The Soldiers of 28th Combat Support Hospital bid farewell to Family and friends during a deployment ceremony held at Pike Field Monday
• 'Wagonmasters' saving taxpayers millions in Iraq Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- The 15th Sustainment Brigade "Wagonmasters" began Operation Clean Sweep here in mid October by finding $2.9 million in excess equipment to place back into the military supply system for reuse.
• Obama Consults Military Leaders, Nears Afghan Troop Decision VOA 30 Oct 2009 -- U.S. President Barack Obama is consulting with top military officials Friday, as he considers whether to send additional forces to Afghanistan
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Contributions by the Republic of Korea to Afghanistan The White House 30 Oct 2009
• Combined Force Detains Suspected Militants AFPS 30 Oct 2009 -- Afghan and international security forces detained several suspected militants in Afghanistan’s Paktia and Helmland provinces today and yesterday, military officials reported.
• International Forces Train Afghans in Critical Care AFPS 30 Oct 2009 -- U.S. and other international troops in Afghanistan recently provided training in critical patient care and blood processing to Afghan doctors that they hope will spread throughout the country.
• South Korea to send troops to Afghanistan RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2009 -- South Korea plans to deploy troops to Afghanistan to protect its nationals working in humanitarian organizations, the Yonhap news agency said on Friday.
• Trade Could Be Key For Afghanistan And Entire Region RFE/RL 30 Oct 2009 -- Both U.S. General Stanley McChrystal and President Barack Obama have affirmed the need for "economic" and "governance" measures in Afghanistan
• UN Chief Says Boosting Security After Afghan Attack RFE/RL 30 Oct 2009 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on the Afghan government and the international community to do more to protect UN staff in Afghanistan following an attack by Taliban militants this week in Kabul that killed five UN staff members and three Afghans
• Clinton Scolds Pakistan Over Inaction On Al-Qaeda RFE/RL 30 Oct 2009 -- This trip was meant to turn a new page in the often uneasy relationship between Washington and Islamabad.
• Pakistani Troops Capture Town Used By Uzbek Militants RFE/RL 30 Oct 2009 -- Pakistani troops have surrounded Kaniguram, a key base for Uzbek Islamic militants in Pakistan's South Waziristan region, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reports
• Clinton Justifies US Policy to Pakistani Tribal Leaders VOA 30 Oct 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has again defended U.S. policy to Pakistanis who are growing frustrated with growing violence in the region.
• Pakistani Military Pushes Deeper in Militant Territory VOA 30 Oct 2009 -- Pakistani troops fighting militants along the Afghan border have seized passports that may be linked to suspects involved in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Minot bomb wing commander relieved of duty AFNS 30 Oct 2009 -- The commander of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., was relieved of command Oct. 30 due to loss of confidence in his ability to command.
• BRAC Construction in full swing Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- Military construction activity in San Antonio again reaches historic levels with more than $700 million in con-tracts in fiscal year 2009.
• 5th Signal Command says hello to new home in Wiesbaden Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- Military construction activity in San Antonio again reaches historic levels with more than $700 million in con-tracts in fiscal year 2009
• Youth sports complex getting $1.5 million upgrade Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- Renovations are under way on French, Green and Blue fields to create a youth sports and recreation complex outfitted with a concession stand, walking trail and dining pavilions
• Attention to detail Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- Sidewinder Missile Branch employees disassemble, examine, evaluate and determine the extent of repair, replacement or reconditioning required on Sidewinder Tactical Missile Guidance and Control Systems
• Army always seeking improvements to combat uniform Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- Nothing says pride like a Soldier in uniform. Today's Soldier has much to be proud of in the current Army Combat Uniform (ACU).
• XVIII Airborne Corps changes structure to be more adaptable for any mission Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- October 16 marked the quiet transition of the XVIII Airborne Corps from the Army of Excellence structure of the late 1980s to a modular corps, designed to fight and work alone or with units across the Army in a joint environment
• Fort Bragg, German paratroopers team up for joint airborne operation Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- Federal Eagle is a biannual event involving U.S. and German militaries in cooperative airborne operations held this year Oct. 20 through Saturday at Sicily Drop Zone
• Army testing ACU camouflage patterns in Afghanistan Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- Two new Army Combat Uniform camouflage patterns - MultiCam; and the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP-Delta) - are being tested by two battalions in Afghanistan
• USACE leaders work on partnerships for water solutions at California Water Conference Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- Leaders of key federal, state and regional water agencies discussed common strategies for addressing California's water issues at the 2009 California Water Conference here Oct. 27-28.
• Study on Isabella Dams near completion Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- Many dams throughout the world, even recently constructed ones, are located on active faults
• 1st Tanks rolls through largest Steel Knight USMC News 30 Oct 2009 -- First Tank Battalion, along with other units from 1st Marine Division, completed Steel Knight, a Marine Corps Air Ground Task Force level exercise, at the Combat Center Nov. 26
• TH-57 Helicopter Crashes in Florida Navy NewsStand 30 Oct 2009 -- At 1:45 p.m. Oct. 30, a TH-57 Bell Jet Helicopter operated by two naval aviators crashed near Indian Ford Road, northeast of Milton, Fla.
• Joint Chemical Biological Defense facility project kicks off at Aberdeen Proving Ground Army News 30 Oct 2009 -- It was standing room only at a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 28 for the Joint Program Executive Office (JPEO) for Chemical and Biological Defense at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Edgewood, Md
• US, Australian Boarding Teams Conduct Joint Training for Deep Sabre II Navy NewsStand 30 Oct 2009 -- U.S. and Australian forces conducted a joint training exercise in the South China Sea Oct. 29 to sharpen their ship-boarding skills and enhance the two countries' interoperability.
• USS John L. Hall Visits Klaipeda, Lithuania Navy NewsStand 30 Oct 2009 -- The guided-missile frigate USS John L. Hall (FFG 32) recently completed a theater security cooperation (TSC) port visit to Klaipeda, Lithuania.
• Nassau Amphibious Ready Group Begins COMPTUEX Navy NewsStand 30 Oct 2009 -- As part of its Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) 10-2 from Oct. 23-Nov. 17, the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group (NAS ARG), comprised of three ships and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, have been hard at work training Sailors and Marines for its upcoming deployment.
• Search Continues for T-34 Instructor Pilots Navy NewsStand 30 Oct 2009 -- The search for two instructor pilots of Training Squadron 28 continues Oct. 30 after losing contact with them approximately 3:20 p.m. Oct. 28.
• Navy Retains More Than 97 Percent from Senior Enlisted Continuation Board Navy NewsStand 30 Oct 2009 -- More than 97 percent of candidates reviewed by the Navy's Senior Enlisted Continuation Board were selected to continue naval service according to a Navy message released Oct. 30.
• NAS Key West Visit, Consider Renewable Energy System Navy NewsStand 30 Oct 2009 -- As part of the Energy Awareness Month, a group of Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West personnel took a tour of the solar photovoltaic (PV) system at Florida Keys Electric Cooperative (FKEC) in Marathon on Oct. 21.
• Enterprise Steers the Course to Readiness Navy NewsStand 30 Oct 2009 -- USS Enterprise (CVN 65) successfully completed manual rudder testing Oct. 29 in preparation to return to the fleet after more than 18 months in the shipyards.
• Future USS New York Sets Sail for the Big Apple Navy NewsStand 30 Oct 2009 -- Future USS New York (LPD 21) left Naval Station Norfolk, Va., Oct. 29 to begin her four-day transit to New York City where the ship's commissioning ceremony is scheduled to take place on Nov. 7.
• Recovery Act to Replace Boilers at San Diego Marine Air Station Navy NewsStand 30 Oct 2009 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest awarded Bestek Engineering Inc. of Los Angeles a $709,514 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) contract Sept. 16 to replace a boiler with new boilers and micro-turbines at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Brig in San Diego.
• Transit Center, Kyrgyz medical teams work together, share ideas AFNS 30 Oct 2009 -- A Kyrgyz medical team visited here Oct. 27 to learn the Air Force mission and share ideas with Airmen assigned to the 376th Expeditionary Medical Group.
• Ellsworth officials launch digital airport surveillance radar AFNS 30 Oct 2009 -- Ellsworth Air Force Base officials recently completed the installation of a digital airport surveillance radar system to be used with the Dakota Air Traffic Control Facility here.
• Colorado, Jordan lead the way as Guard builds worldwide partners AFNS 30 Oct 2009 -- The roar of jets and flash of live fire in the desert east of this thriving capital city are the loudest and brightest signs of a flourishing National Guard State Partnership Program.
• Survivors Unlikely in Midair Crash, Pentagon Official Says AFPS 30 Oct 2009 -- Search efforts continue after two military aircraft collided off the California coast yesterday, but a Defense Department official said it’s unlikely there are survivors among the nine people aboard.
• Task Force East Marines close chapter on successful deployment USMC News 30 Oct 2009 -- Since the earliest days of the Marine Corps, all Marines have been taught they are riflemen first
• Royal Navy cuts: ships as reflection of state might RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2009 -- Her Majesty's Navy has cancelled plans to build the aircraft carrier Prince of Wales, newswires announced in the middle of the week
• Iraqi Air Force Acquires Advanced Radar System MNF-I 30 Oct 2009 -- The Iraqi air force advanced its monitoring capabilities for air defense with its acceptance of a digital air surveillance radar, or DASR, Oct. 26 in a ceremony held here
• Russian tactical missile self-destructs during live-fire drills RIA Novosti 29 Oct 2009 -- A Tochka-U short-range ballistic missile self-destructed on Thursday shortly after a practice launch at training grounds in northwestern Russia, the Defense Ministry said.
• Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 10/30/09 The White House 30 Oct 2009
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 30 Oct 2009

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 30, 2009
• Boeing to Upgrade CV-22 Trainer With Virtual Reality EnhancementsBoeing 30 Oct 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], with partner Bell Helicopter, has received a contract from the U.S. Navy to upgrade the CV-22 Cabin Part Task Trainer (CPTT) with modifications including an Aircrew Flight Simulation (AFS) that deploys a fused reality system that fuses video images with virtual reality. The upgrade will be delivered to Air Force Special Operations Command, 58th Training Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, N.M. Financial terms were not disclosed.
• Northrop Grumman Contribution to Support Missile Defense Workforce in AlaskaNorthrop Grumman 30 Oct 2009 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has contributed $35,000 to Partners for Progress in Delta, Inc., to further the educational nonprofit group's goal of helping to build and sustain Alaska's skilled workforce in electronics and computer systems technology, particularly to support nearby missile defense operations.
• General Dynamics Awarded $13 Million by U.S. Army to Produce MK19 Grenade Machine GunsGeneral Dynamics 30 Oct 2009 -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products has been awarded a $13 million order by U.S. Army TACOM-ARDEC for the production of MK19 grenade machine guns. Deliveries are expected to begin in June 2010 and will be completed by late 2011. The order was made under a contract initially awarded in September 2008, and brings the total contract value to date to approximately $81 million. General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• Northrop Grumman Begins Producing First International F-35 Joint Strike FighterNorthrop Grumman 30 Oct 2009 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has begun producing the center fuselage for the first international F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, an F-35B short take off, vertical landing (STOVL) variant for the United Kingdom designated BK-1. The center fuselage is the core structure around which the F-35 aircraft is built.
• Sikorsky Delivers First Aircraft With Polish-Built Cabin to U.S. ArmySikorsky 30 Oct 2009 -- Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today announced it has delivered the first aircraft with a cabin produced at PZL Mielec, a Sikorsky company in Poland. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 30 Oct 2009
• General Assembly to consider UN probe into Gaza conflict next week UN News Centre 30 Oct 2009 -- The General Assembly will meet on 4 November to consider the report of the United Nations fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict, which found evidence that both Israel and the Palestinians committed serious war crimes during the hostilities earlier this year.
• US Envoy Meeting with Israeli PM VOA 30 Oct 2009 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held talks with a U.S. envoy on relaunching Mideast peace talks, ahead of a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
• UN agency shocked as displaced Yemenis come under attack UN News Centre 30 Oct 2009 -- The United Nations refugee agency said it is shocked and saddened at reports that an unknown number of displaced Yemeni civilians have been killed and wounded during an exchange of fire in the strife-torn northern part of the country yesterday.
• Lebanon: UN envoy and Hizbollah official meet to discuss recent rocket fire UN News Centre 30 Oct 2009 -- The United Nations Special Coordinator today met with a senior Hizbollah official to discuss the recent incident in which a rocket was fired from a southern Lebanese village into northern Israel, prompting Israel to return fire.
• Parties’ lack of commitment main obstacle in Darfur peace process – UN official UN News Centre 30 Oct 2009 -- The top United Nations peacekeeping official has stressed that ending the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region will require greater commitment and efforts by the parties involved, lamenting that the peace process has been moving very slowly.
• After 37 years, last of Burundian refugees return home under UN-backed scheme UN News Centre 30 Oct 2009 -- Ending one of the world’s longest-running refugee sagas, the United Nations announced that some 400 Burundians left Tanzania today returning to the Central African homeland they escaped in 1972.

News Reports

• Nuclear Expert Sees Standoff In UN-Drafted Fuel Deal With Iran RFE/RL 30 Oct 2009 -- The European Union is urging Tehran to accept a UN-drafted nuclear-fuel deal designed to alleviate Western concerns that Iran is secretly trying to build nuclear weapons
• U.S. Wants Clarity, EU Urges Iran To Accept Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 30 Oct 2009 -- The United States continues to seek clarification on Iran's response to a UN-drafted deal that envisages sending Tehran's low-enriched uranium abroad for refining into nuclear fuel, while EU leaders have urged Iran to accept the draft agreement.
• France demands official response from Iran on fuel supplies RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2009 -- France demands Iran immediately provide an official response to a package of proposals on nuclear fuel supplies for the Tehran research reactor, the French Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
• Iran Sends Mixed Signals on Nuclear Deal VOA 30 Oct 2009 -- Iran is reported to have rejected a United Nations-brokered uranium enrichment plan, while at the same time, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he welcomes nuclear cooperation with the West.
• Honduran leadership agree on reconciliation RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2009 -- Representatives of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and the country's de facto leader Roberto Micheletti agreed a deal that could pave the way for Zelaya's reinstatement, CNN reported on Friday.
• Honduras Reaches Deal on Political Crisis VOA 30 Oct 2009 -- The de facto Honduran government has agreed to a deal that may allow ousted President Manuel Zelaya to return to power ahead of elections next month. U.S. diplomats have been in the country to mediate an end to the four-month-old crisis.
• Military Will Have Enough H1N1 Vaccine, Officials Say AFPS 30 Oct 2009 -- As shipments of some 3.7 million doses of H1N1 vaccine ordered by the Defense Department continue to arrive from the manufacturer, more than enough will be available for all military personnel and their beneficiaries, military medical experts say.
• Ukraine Shuts Schools, Bans Public Events Over Flu RFE/RL 30 Oct 2009 -- Ukraine is closing schools, banning all public events, and restricting internal travel for three weeks following the country's first death from H1N1 swine flu.
• Ukraine reports 30 swine flu deaths RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2009 -- Swine flu has been confirmed as the cause of 30 deaths in western Ukraine since October 19, the country's health minister said on Friday.
• Ukraine imposes quarantines to curb swine flu spread RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2009 -- Ukraine will impose a quarantine in nine regions to curb the spread of the swine flu virus, the prime minister said on Friday.
• WHO reports over 5,700 swine flu deaths worldwide RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2009 -- More than 5,700 people have died from swine flu worldwide, with the total number of officially confirmed cases exceeding 440,000, as of October 25, the World Health Organization reported on Friday.
• UN health agency updates H1N1 flu vaccine recommendations UN News Centre 30 Oct 2009 -- Single doses of H1N1 flu vaccine for adults, adolescents starting at age 10, and pregnant women are among the latest recommendations issued today by the United Nations health agency to combat the pandemic.
• WHO Experts Say H1N1 Pandemic Flu Vaccine Safe VOA 30 Oct 2009 -- The World Health Organization says people do not have to worry about the safety of H1N1 Pandemic Flu vaccines. It says a just concluded meeting of worldwide independent experts finds people will suffer very few if any adverse affects from the so-called Swine Flu vaccine.
• Accused Al-Qaida Sleeper Agent Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison VOA 30 Oct 2009 -- Accused al-Qaida sleeper agent Ali al-Marri has been sentenced to more than eight years in a civilian prison. The Qatar native was labeled an "enemy combatant and held for years in isolation at a military prison in South Carolina. Al-Marri's sentence ends years of legal limbo and provides insight into how future cases of enemy combatants might be prosecuted by the U.S. government.
• India to Send Intelligence Officers to Chicago to Question Terror Suspect VOA 30 Oct 2009 -- India's government confirms it is cooperating with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning a foiled terror plot allegedly involving two Chicago residents. Meanwhile, India is denying that a famous Indian political figure was an intended target of the suspects.
• Jacques Chirac to Stand Trial on Embezzlement Charges VOA 30 Oct 2009 -- A French magistrate has ordered former President Jacques Chirac to stand trial on embezzlement charges dating back to the 1990s, when he was mayor of Paris. The order is unprecedented, and follows several other trials targeting former high-level politicians.
• Ban announces members of commission to look into bloody Guinean crackdown UN News Centre 30 Oct 2009 -- Three prominent jurists will form the international commission of inquiry to probe last month’s violent crackdown on unarmed demonstrators in Guinea that led to the deaths of at least 150 people and the rape of many others, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today.
• Secretary-General encouraged by deal resolving political crisis in Honduras UN News Centre 30 Oct 2009 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that he is encouraged by news that an agreement has been reached to resolve the political crisis in Honduras that began when President José Manuel Zelaya was ousted from power in June.
• Haiti: UN calls for speedy new government after premier’s ouster UN News Centre 30 Oct 2009 -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti today appealed to all sides to cooperate in ensuring stability and speedily install a new government team after the impoverished country’s Senate voted the Prime Minister out of office.
• Way Open For Creation Of EU President After Czech Deal RFE/RL 30 Oct 2009 -- Officials say the way has been cleared for the European Union to establish its first-ever bloc-wide president
• Kyrgyz President Appoints Son To Government Position RFE/RL 30 Oct 2009 -- Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev has appointed his son as the head of the central agency for development, investment, and innovations, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports
• Russia hails UN support of confidence-building in outer space RIA Novosti 30 Oct 2009 -- The unanimous support of a Russian draft proposal on confidence-building measures in outer space will pave the way for talks on an agreement on the demilitarization of space, a Russian diplomat said.
• Successful launch of Thor 6 telecommunication satellite built by Thales Alenia Space Thales 30 Oct 2009 -- The Thor 6 satellite, of Telenor Satellite Broadcasting AS, a subsidiary of Norway’s telecommunication provider Telenor, has been successfully launched from Kourou, in French Guyana, by Arianespace with an Ariane 5 rocket. Thales Alenia Space is the prime contractor of the spacecraft which will deliver service over Nordics and Central European regions from 1 degree West Longitude orbital location.