Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 14 Mar 2016 [PDF]
• Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 14 Mar 2016 -- U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• TAAC-Air work with Afghan AF to build sustainable force AFNS 14 Mar 2016 -- A small group of Train Advise Assist Command–Air advisors make up the 441st and 442nd air expeditionary advisory squadrons at Kandahar Airfield. Both squadrons are focused on working shoulder to shoulder with the Afghan Air Force to develop a professional, capable and sustainable air force.
• Louisiana Guardsmen Rescue Thousands in Floods AFPS 14 Mar 2016 -- Louisiana National Guardsmen have rescued more than 4,000 people in the floods that have inundated the state over the past week, a state Guard spokesman said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Total force team moves the mission in defending South Korea AFNS 14 Mar 2016 -- In an effort to deter aggression, fighter aircraft routinely fly while troops on the ground mobilize and train to defend South Korea. However, there still lies another piece to the puzzle.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's Meeting With Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon DoD 14 Mar 2016
• USS William P. Lawrence Wraps Up OMSI, Rejoins JCSSG NNS 14 Mar 2016 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) rejoined the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (JCSSG) upon completion of Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) tasking in the Western Pacific, March 11.
• Obama: U.S. Diplomats, Military Must Partner to Confront Threats AFPS 14 Mar 2016 -- All aspects of government have a responsibility to keep America safe and secure, and diplomacy -- like military power -- has a role to play in the fight against terror, President Barack Obama said at the State Department here today.
• Lessons learned from Operation Desert Storm AFNS 14 Mar 2016 -- Twenty five years ago, the world watched a display of military force in the Persian Gulf. America's adversaries have spent each year since pursuing capabilities both to counter U.S. strengths and to exploit perceived weaknesses.
• 2nd CEB, VMM-365 conducts CASEVAC exercise USMC News 14 Mar 2016 -- Marines with 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 conducted a casualty evacuation exercise at Landing Zone Penguin at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March 10.
• Great Green Fleet Visits Korea NNS 14 Mar 2016 -- John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG), the centerpiece of the U.S. Navy's Great Green Fleet (GGF) initiative, arrived in the Republic of Korea (ROK) for a scheduled port visit March 13.
• DESRON 7 Staff Play Key Role In Exercise Ssang Yong NNS 14 Mar 2016 -- On March 7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7 staff climbed aboard an MV-22 Osprey and flew to USS Boxer (LHD 4), off the coast of the Republic of Korea (ROK), in preparation for exercise Ssang Yong 2016.
• NBK is declared StormReady NNS 14 Mar 2016 -- Naval Base Kitsap (NBK) was designated StormReady by the National Weather Service (NWS) at the NBK Emergency Operations Center, March 10.
• Russian Army Designs New 'Invisible' Bridge to Fool Potential Foes Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- The Russian Armed Forces will get state-of-the-art road bridges that will be invisible to modern detection systems, according to the Russian Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov.
• Tanks A Lot: Russia's Advanced Armata T-14 'Already in Serial Production' Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- Russia's state-of-the-art T-14 tank, part of the Armata family of armored combat vehicles, is already being mass produced, according to the US magazine The National Interest.
• President Xi pushes PLA to innovate People's Daily 14 Mar 2016 -- The People's Liberation Army must build itself by innovating in every respect, President Xi Jinping said on Sunday.
• Zarif: Iran's missile tests no violation of nuclear deal IRNA 14 Mar 2016 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that Iran's missile tests is in no way a breach of its nuclear deal.
• Iran FM defends right to use missiles for defense Press TV 14 Mar 2016 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has defended the country's right to use ballistic missiles, saying Iran's missiles are a means of defense.
• S. Korean military rejects to confirm on missing DPRK submarine People's Daily 14 Mar 2016 -- South Korea's military on Monday refused confirmation on a Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) submarine, which United States media reported had gone missing for days.
• S.Korean military stages rear-area maneuvers against possible DPRK terror attacks People's Daily 14 Mar 2016 -- South Korea's military on Monday carried out maneuver training exercises in rear areas against possible terrorist attacks from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Yonhap news agency reported.
• Germany approves arms exports to Saudi Arabia Press TV 14 Mar 2016 -- According to disclosed data, the German government has approved several deals for the export of arms to countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia as the kingdom continues its deadly aggression against the impoverished nation of Yemen.
• March 14, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 14 Mar 2016
• Press Briefing by the Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 3/14/2016 The White House 14 Mar 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 14, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 14 March 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 14 Mar 2016
• Tens of pro-Saudi mercenaries captured in southern Yemen Press TV 14 Mar 2016 -- Yemen's military forces and their allies in the Houthi Ansarullah movement have captured 85 militants fighting for Saudi Arabia in its ongoing aggression of the impoverished country.
• Yemen Houthis say open to peace talks with Saudis Press TV 14 Mar 2016 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement says they are open to holding peace talks with Riyadh in a bid to bring an end to the Saudi aggression.
• Two UAE pilots killed in warplane crash in Yemen Press TV 14 Mar 2016 -- Two pilots of the United Arab Emirates have been killed after one of the country's fighter jets participating in the Saudi-led aggression against Yemen crashed in the impoverished country, a report says.
• Putin Orders Withdrawal of Russian Forces from Syria VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria, as new U.N.-mediated peace talks on Syria began in Geneva.
• UN envoy expects Syria talks to yield 'clear roadmap' Press TV 14 Mar 2016 -- The UN special envoy for Syria says he expects the talks on Syria to result in a clear roadmap, if not an agreement, to resolve the crisis in the war-ravaged country.
• UN-Mediated Syria Peace Talks Open In Geneva RFE/RL 14 Mar 2016 -- United Nations-mediated peace talks have started in Geneva between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and representatives of Syrian opposition factions.
• New Intra-Syrian Talks Doomed to Fail Without Kurds - Kurdish Delegate Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- Talks between Syrian government and opposition delegates are doomed to failure if the Kurds do not attain full representation at the negotiating table, the co-chair of the People's Council of Western Kurdistan told Sputnik on Monday.
• Putin Orders Start of Withdrawal From Syria Beginning Tuesday Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Moscow will begin withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria.
• Russian Air Campaign Helping Political Settlement Process in Syria – Lavrov Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow has consistently backed the promotion of intra-Syrian dialogue in accordance with the decisions that were made back in 2012.
• At Least 161 Cases of Chemical Weapons Use Registered in Syria Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- The Syrian-American Medical Society (SAMS) have recorded at least 161 cases of chemical weapon`s usage in Syria since the start of the five-year conflict.
• UN Envoy Warns of 'Worse War' in Syria If Peace Talks Fail VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura began a new round of peace talks Monday in Geneva, warning that the only alternative to the negotiations is returning to 'even worse war than we had so far.'
• Syria Peace Talks Resuming With Divide Over Assad's Future VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura is due to meet with Syria's warring parties for 'substantive' talks Monday in Geneva aimed at ending the country's five-year conflict.
• Daesh Attempts to Assassinate Iraqi Kurdish Leader Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- Daesh suicide bombers attempted to assassinate Iraqi Kurdistan parliament speaker and Peshmerga leader Kemal Kerküki, who survived and told Sputnik Turkiye about the attack.
• Iraqi Kurds Delegation May Ask for Russian Military Aid to Fight Daesh Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- Aso Talabani, a Moscow representative of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government said that Iraqi Kurdistan had already requested military aid from Russia, however, Moscow has only been cooperated through the Baghdad authorities to date.
• Disputes Between Anti-Daesh Forces Impede Liberation of Mosul, Iraq Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- Mosul (the second largest city in Iraq) is still controlled by Daesh terrorists, due to the lack of coordination among anti-Daesh forces, a representative of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government in Moscow said Monday.
• Kurdish Peshmerga Fighters Waiting for Mosul Battle Plan VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- Makhmour stands on the edge of the divide between the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Islamic State militants.
• Some 2,000 Turkish Soldiers Remain in Iraq Against Baghdad's Will Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- Up to 2,000 Turkish troops remain deployed in northern Iraq in terms of the protests of Baghdad, a representative of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government in Moscow said Monday.
• Turkey warplanes bomb Kurdish bases in Iraq after Ankara blast: Army Press TV 14 Mar 2016 -- Turkish warplanes have targeted Kurdish militant bases in northern Iraq a day after a deadly bomb attack in the capital killed 37 people, the army says.
• Libya: Security Council renews call for global support for national unity government UN News 14 Mar 2016 -- The Security Council today reiterated its support for the Libyan national unity government and renewed its call on United Nations Member States to end official contact with parallel institutions that claim legitimate authority but are outside of the 17 December political agreement.
• Libya military intervention needs UN approval, says Russian FM Press TV 14 Mar 2016 -- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says any military operation in Libya requires the approval of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

News Reports

• Russia opposes any sanctions on Iran over missile tests Press TV 14 Mar 2016 -- Russia opposes the imposition of any new sanctions on Iran over its recent ballistic missile tests, saying the missile launches did not violate UN resolutions.
• EU Considering Sanctions On Iran, Ties With Russia RFE/RL 14 Mar 2016 -- European Union foreign ministers are expected to discuss possible sanctions against Iran, as well as the bloc's relations with Russia, when they meet in Brussels on March 14.
• US to Continue Pushing for UNSC Response on Iran Missile Tests Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- US envoy to the United Nations Samantha Power said that Washington will continue to push the UN Security Council to assess Iran's recent ballistic tests.
• US Urges International Response on Iranian Missile Launch VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- The United States is urging U.N. Security Council members to respond to Iran for its recent ballistic missile launch.
• DPR Korea's 'totalitarian' governing structure 'absolutely denies rights,' UN expert warns UN News 14 Mar 2016 -- An independent United Nations human rights expert today warned that repression remains unabated in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the country's authorities continue to exercise the strictest control over all aspects of its citizens' lives.
• UN Investigator Urges Prosecution of North Korean Leaders VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- North Korea's leaders, including Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, must be held accountable for crimes against humanity committed against their people, a U.N. special investigator said in a report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
• Major Construction Projects Progress Apace in DPRK KCNA 14 Mar 2016 -- The units under the Capital City Construction Commission are speeding up ten-odd major construction projects to finish them before the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (slated for May).
• Al-Qaeda militants claim Ivory Coast attacks Press TV 14 Mar 2016 -- The al-Qaeda's North African affiliate has claimed responsibility for the recent deadly attacks in an Ivory Coast resort town that left a total of 22 people dead.
• Security Council condemns Côte d'Ivoire deadly terrorist attack UN News 14 Mar 2016 -- The United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned yesterday's terrorist attacks in Grand-Bassam, Côte d'Ivoire, that killed at least 16 people and left many more injured, and for which Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility.
• Death Toll in Ivory Coast Attack at 21 VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- Officials in Ivory Coast say a total of 21 people were killed in Sunday's attack by jihadist militants on a popular beach resort.
• US House Votes to Declare IS Genocide against Christians, Yazidis VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed, by a 383-to-0 vote, a bipartisan resolution declaring that systemic violence committed by Islamic State (IS) against Christians, Yazidis, Kurds and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria constitutes genocide.
• US Pressured to Reach Genocide Decision on IS VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- Pressure is growing for the Obama administration to formally determine whether the Islamic State group is committing "genocide" against Christians, Yazidi and other religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East.
• Turkey: One of Ankara Attackers was Female Kurdish Rebel VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- Turkey: One of Ankara Attackers was Female Kurdish Rebel VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- Turkey pointed Monday to two Kurdish rebels – a man and a woman – as the likely attackers in the deadly suicide car bombing Sunday in Ankara that killed 37 people and wounded more than 100.
• Ankara Bomb Attack Kills 34; Erdogan Vows to Fight Terrorism VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- Turkish officials expect to announce Monday the conclusions of their investigation into a bombing Sunday in the country's capital, Ankara, that killed at least 34 people and drew condemnations from across the world.
• Throngs of Brazilian Protesters Demand President's Ouster VOA 14 Mar 2016 -- Brazilian police say some 3 million people across the country took to the streets Sunday demanding the ouster of President Dilma Rousseff.
• Euro-Russian Mission to Mars Blasts Off From Baikonur Cosmodrome Sputnik 14 Mar 2016 -- ExoMars, the first joint ESA-Roscosmos mission to the red planet to search for the presence of life, will take off on Monday at 09:31 GMT from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
• In Vienna, UN urges focus on 'shared responsibility' to combat illicit drugs UN News 14 Mar 2016 -- Ahead of a special session on drugs at the United Nations General Assembly, senior United Nations officials today focused on the people affected by drugs and the shared international responsibility in stopping the suffering caused by these illicit substances.
• UN agencies warn of funding gaps as 450,000 Mauritanians suffer from food insecurity UN News 14 Mar 2016 -- Two United Nations agencies today reiterated calls for more financial contributions to fund their work in Mauritania, where more than 450,000 people are suffering from food insecurity.