Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 29 Jun 2012 [PDF]
• Combined Force Captures Haqqani Leader AFPS 29 Jun 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force apprehended a Haqqani leader in the Sabari district of Afghanistan’s Khost province today, military officials reported.
• Combat Logistics Battalion 4 supports SOTF-W USMC News 29 Jun 2012 -- Marines and sailors with Alpha Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 4, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward), transported equipment and supplies to a village stability platform (VSP) during a combat logistics patrol in the Helmand River Valley, June 22-24.
• More Firefighting Aircraft Activated for Colorado Effort AFPS 29 Jun 2012 -- Beginning tomorrow, eight military C-130 aircraft, each equipped with the U.S. Forest Service’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, will be operating out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., to assist with firefighting efforts in the Rocky Mountain region.
• U.S. Paves Way for African Counter-Drug Cooperation, Success AFPS 29 Jun 2012 -- Last October, when U.S. Africa Command was garnering unprecedented international attention during its campaign to protect Libyan civilians from Moammar Ghadafi’s violent crackdown against a rebellion, the command achieved another, less headline-dominating victory.
• US Military Plans Operations in Africa VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- U.S. military leaders are promising a small-scale, but effective plan for dealing with terrorist threats throughout Africa. The head of the military's Africa Command says that U.S. forces are carrying out reconnaissance missions across the continent but Washington has no plans to expand its permanent presence in Africa.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Introduction of the MV-22 Aircraft into Japan DoD 29 Jun 2012 -- The Department of Defense, in close coordination with the Government of Japan, is moving forward with the introduction of the MV-22 aircraft to III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan.
• DOD, Japan Move Forward on Osprey Fleet Upgrade AFPS 29 Jun 2012 -- Working closely with the Japanese government, the Defense Department will replace CH-46 helicopters used by the III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa with MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for operations beginning in August.
• Hasan Trial Set for Aug. 20 as Judge Denies Continuance AFPS 29 Jun 2012 -- The trial of an Army psychiatrist accused of killing 12 soldiers and a civilian employee here in a Nov. 5, 2009, shooting rampage that left 30 others injured will start as scheduled Aug. 20, a military judge ruled today.
• Defense Leaders Provide Middle East Update AFPS 29 Jun 2012 -- Steady progress is being made in dealing with challenges in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pentagon reporters in a briefing here today.
• Panetta: Military Has 'No Tolerance' for Sexual Assault AFPS 29 Jun 2012 -- Sexual misconduct and sexual assault will not be tolerated in the military, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.
• DOD News Briefing with Secretary Panetta and Gen. Dempsey from the Pentagon DoD 29 Jun 2012 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey
• MSRON 4 Returns from Six-Month Deployment NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- Eighty-four Sailors from Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron (MSRON) 4, returned home June 27, from a six-month deployment to Rota, Spain.
• Seabees Dedicate New Headquarters Facility NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- The First Naval Construction Division (1NCD) officially dedicated its new headquarters building during a ribbon-cutting ceremony aboard Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, June 29.
• Seabees Build Friendships with Honduran Children NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- Seabees of Mobile Construction Battalion 23 conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony June 26, for a new school they constructed for Honduran children.
• Seabees Provide Critical Skills, Instruction to Thai Allies NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- Seabees from U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40 participated in the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise in conjunction with their Thai counterparts, May 20.
• Cape St. George, Daring Sailors Strengthen Coalition Partnership NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- Sailors from guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71) took part in a four-day training exercise with the royal navy destroyer HMS Daring (D32) that concluded June 7.
• USS Chicago Visits Yokosuka during Western Pacific Deployment NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Chicago (SSN 721) arrived at Fleet Activitites Yokosuka June 29 for its first port visit as part of its Western Pacific deployment.
• DOD Leaders: Sequestration Threatens Military's Successes AFPS 29 Jun 2012 -- The nation's military has logged historic achievements in the past 12 months, but faces a future clouded by financial threat, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.
• President Nominates Grass as Next National Guard Chief AFPS 29 Jun 2012 -- President Obama has nominated Army Lt. Gen. Frank J. Grass, deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command, to receive his fourth star and serve as the 27th chief of the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced here today.
• DOD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for Fiscal 2012, Through May DoD 29 Jun 2012 -- The Department of Defense announced today recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for fiscal 2012, through May.
• AETC commander addresses recruits' allegations of sexual misconduct AFNS 29 Jun 2012 -- The commander of the Air Force's Air Education and Training Command spoke to members of the media here June 28 about the on-going investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by military training instructors (MTIs) at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
• Panetta: Partnerships Bolster National Security AFPS 29 Jun 2012 -- Collaboration, as much as military might, should play a key role in national security, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here last night.
• Cambodia Medical Exercise 2012 concludes USMC News 29 Jun 2012 -- After spending 20 days in the hot, humid climate of Cambodia, sailors and Marines with 3rd Medical Battalion wrapped up Cambodia Medical Exercise 2012 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, June 21.
• FRUKUS 2012 Conducts Security Exercises, Strengthens Partnerships NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- The multinational training exercise FRUKUS 2012 featured at-sea force protection exercises, June 28.
• Navy MH-53 Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- An MH-53 Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) helicopter based in Pohang was forced to make an emergency landing, due to an in-flight fire indication, approximately five nautical miles northeast of Pohang airfield at approximately 12:38 p.m. June 29.
• Camp Pendleton Naval Replacement Hospital Construction Project Achieves Safety Milestone NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- Construction of the new Naval Hospital aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton reached a milestone on June 28 when more than one million man-hours of work was completed without a single Days Away, Restrictions, and Transfers (DART).
• USS Chicago Visits Yokosuka during Western Pacific Deployment NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Chicago (SSN 721) arrived at Fleet Activitites Yokosuka June 29 for its first port visit as part of its Western Pacific deployment.
• Naval Special Warfare Command Remembers Operation Red Wings NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- Naval Special Warfare Command (NSW) marked the seventh anniversary of Operation Red Wings with a memorial ceremony June 28, honoring the men who died during combat.
• Seabees Provide Critical Skills, Instruction to Thai Allies NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- Seabees from U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40 participated in the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise in conjunction with their Thai counterparts, May 20.
• Cape St. George, Daring Sailors Strengthen Coalition Partnership NNS 29 Jun 2012 -- Sailors from guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71) took part in a four-day training exercise with the royal navy destroyer HMS Daring (D32) that concluded June 7.
• Russia Approves Ulyanovsk NATO Hub RIA Novosti 29 Jun 2012 -- The Russian government has given approval for the United States and its NATO allies to use a Russian air base in the Volga city of Ulyanovsk as a hub for transits to and from Afghanistan.
• S. Korea Postpones Signing Military Pact with Japan VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- South Korea has requested a last-minute postponement of the signing of an unprecedented agreement with Japan allowing the sharing of classified military data. The delay was caused by political sensitivities in South Korea.
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney en route Colorado Springs, CO, 6/29/12 The White House 29 Jun 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 29, 2012
• Russia, France to Jointly Build Armored Vehicle RIA Novosti 29 Jun 2012 -- Russia and France will jointly build a new armored infantry vehicle in the next 18 months, the Rosoboronexport arms export monopoly said on Friday.
• Russia Nears Tank Ammo Deal With India RIA Novosti 29 Jun 2012 -- Russia is nearing a deal with India on manufacture and delivery of advanced tank ammunition, Rosoboronexport, a state-run arms exporter, said on Friday.

Other Conflicts

• 29 June 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 29 Jun 2012
• US, Russia Remain Divided Over Syria VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- Top U.S. and Russian diplomats have failed to reach an agreement on how to deal with the rising violence across Syria.
• Russia's Syria Policy Planners Look for 'Plan B' VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- On the eve of Saturday's international meeting in Geneva on the future of Syria, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed Syria with her Russian counterpart in a meeting Friday in St. Petersburg.
• Assad Rules Out 'Foreign' Solution In Syria RFE/RL 29 Jun 2012 -- Syrian President Bashar Assad has ruled out any foreign solution to his country's crisis.
• Clinton to Pressure Russia on Syrian Crisis VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds talks with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov Friday, ahead of an international conference on the Syrian crisis.
• Security Council endorses UN regional strategy to combat LRA threat UN News Centre 29 Jun 2012 -- The Security Council today endorsed the regional strategy developed by the United Nations to tackle the threat posed by the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and called for the necessary support to ensure that it is carried out successfully.
• AU Asks UN to Designate LRA a 'Terrorist Group' VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- The African Union's special envoy on the Lord's Resistance Army says despite some progress in weakening the roving rebel group's operations, it remains extremely dangerous. Speaking Friday, Francisco Madeira urged the U.N. Security Council to designate the LRA as a terrorist organization.
• Security Council extends terms of service of UN Rwanda genocide tribunal staff UN News Centre 29 Jun 2012 -- The Security Council today decided to permit four judges of the United Nations tribunal trying serious crimes committed during the 1994 Rwanda genocide to serve beyond the expiry of their terms of office so that the court can wrap up its work by the target date of December 2014.
• Nepal receives $8 million from UN peacebuilding fund UN News Centre 29 Jun 2012 -- The United Nations today released $8 million to help Nepal consolidate peace, improve policing, promote dialogue and reinforce national efforts to address the needs of those affected by conflict.
• Experts Warn Congress of Terrorist Influx into Mali VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- A U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs subcommittee held a hearing on the threat of Islamist terrorists in northern Mali.
• COTE D'IVOIRE: Will DDR work this time? IRIN 29 Jun 2012 -- Tens of thousands of combatants who fought in the 2010-2011 post-election conflict in Côte d'Ivoire remain armed and potentially dangerous, says the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), and is calling for a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme to be urgently set up.
• Protracted refugee situations in Liberia and Angola come to an end – UN UN News Centre 29 Jun 2012 -- The United Nations has announced that, as of Saturday, people who fled the civil wars in Liberia and Angola and remain abroad will no longer be regarded as refugees by the world body and host governments, bringing to an end two of the most protracted refugee situations in Africa.
• UN relief chief voices concern over worsening humanitarian situation in Sudan UN News Centre 29 Jun 2012 -- The United Nations emergency relief coordinator today voiced concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan, and called for unrestricted access for aid agencies so they can assist people in need.

News Reports

• Morsi Pledges to Represent All Egyptians VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- Egypt's President-elect Mohamed Morsi addressed a crowd of thousands of supporters gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square Friday, insisting that he intended to be the president of all Egyptians and that he intended to govern with all the traditional powers of the presidency.
• Ban congratulates Egypt's Morsi on presidential election win UN News Centre 29 Jun 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated Muhammad Morsi on his win in Egypt's presidential election, and offered the continued assistance of the United Nations as the country pursues the path of democracy.
• Egypt President-Elect Addresses Tahrir Square Crowd VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- Egyptian president-elect Mohamed Morsi says he cherishes the 'great honor' given to him by the Egyptian people.
• UN refugee agency redeploys staff to address humanitarian needs in Myanmar UN News Centre 29 Jun 2012 -- The United Nations refugee agency today said that it had begun redeploying staff members to Myanmar's northern Rakhine state, where violence has displaced thousands of people.
• Burmese Government Demands Opposition Use 'Myanmar' VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- The nominally civilian Burmese government is demanding that democracy icon and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi stop referring to the country as 'Burma,' the colonial name still used by dissidents and many foreign governments.
• Iran Arrests All Suspects in Nuclear Scientist Killings RIA Novosti 29 Jun 2012 -- All individuals allegedly involved in the assassination of Iran's nuclear scientists have been detained, the country's Intelligence Ministry said on Friday.
• US Ambassador to Kenya Announces Resignation VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- The U.S. ambassador to Kenya, Scott Gration, has announced his resignation, citing differences with Washington. The sudden decision leaves many questions unanswered.
• KENYA: Mombasa steels itself for attacks IRIN 29 Jun 2012 -- Following three grenade attacks in recent months and a US 'terror' alert, residents of the coastal Kenyan city of Mombasa are bracing themselves for the possibility of future attacks; local leaders are working towards better disaster preparedness and improvements in the emergency services.
• Member States renew commitment to strengthening UN counter-terrorism strategy UN News Centre 29 Jun 2012 -- The General Assembly today wrapped up its third review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy by renewing its unwavering commitment to boost cooperation to combat the scourge and emphasizing the need to support its victims.
• China Completes First Space Manned Docking Mission VOA 29 Jun 2012 -- China is celebrating the safe return of three astronauts, who successfully completed a mission that included the country's first manual docking in space and the first Chinese woman astronaut.