Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 16 Mar 2016 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Warren via Teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq DoD 16 Mar 2016 -- Presenter: Colonel Steve Warren, Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman
• Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 16 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.
• Iraqi Forces Capture ISIL Fighters Blending In With Fleeing Villagers AFPS 16 Mar 2016 -- Iraqi security forces detained 149 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant fighters last week as the terrorists tried to blend in with 35,000 civilians fleeing numerous small villages along the Euphrates River Valley, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said today.
• NATO praises dedication of Afghan and Resolute Support Forces NATO 16 Mar 2016 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised the dedication and courage of Afghan forces and Resolute Support troops in Kabul on Wednesday (16 March 2016). He stressed that NATO stands with Afghanistan and will continue to support the country, including through its Resolute Support Mission and financial support.
• NATO predicts tough fight in Afghanistan Press TV 16 Mar 2016 -- NATO chief has predicted a tough year ahead for Afghanistan as the Kabul government continues battling the Taliban and other militant groups across the war-torn country.
• Clashes between Taliban, Afghan forces kill 25 in Uruzgan Press TV 16 Mar 2016 -- Afghan security officials say more than two dozen people have been killed and several others injured as government forces and members of the Taliban militant group engaged in fierce clashes in the country's central province of Uruzgan.
• Former Resolute Support Commander: Leaders Heeded Advice AFPS 16 Mar 2016 -- Congress and President Barack Obama listened to and acted on advice from the commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan over the last 18 months, said Army Gen. John F. Campbell, whose posting as commander of NATO's Resolute Support mission and U.S. forces in Afghanistan ended March 2 when Army Gen. John W. "Mick" Nicholson Jr. succeeded him.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Goldfein addresses readiness, budget AFNS 16 Mar 2016 -- Military vice chiefs testified about the current state of readiness of U.S. forces before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support on Capitol Hill March 15.
• Service Leaders Make Budget Request Case Before House Panel AFPS 16 Mar 2016 -- Service secretaries from the Army, Navy and Air Force discussed their budget requests for fiscal year 2017 before the House Armed Services Committee today, focusing mainly on readiness and emerging threats.
• Guard, Reserve Leaders Highlight Crucial Role in Defense Operations AFPS 16 Mar 2016 -- National Guard and Reserve leaders highlighted to Congress today the vital role their components play in defense operations around the world and the importance of equipping and modernizing these forces.
• Marine Corps demonstrates upgraded AAV USMC News 16 Mar 2016 -- The Program Executive Officer, Land Systems Marine Corps hosted a media demonstration of the Corps' upgraded amphibious assault vehicle at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, March 15, 2016.
• AFMC strategic plan to help carry Air Force to third offset AFNS 16 Mar 2016 -- Agility and innovation are cornerstones of a new Air Force Materiel Command strategic plan that will deliver war-winning capabilities. Those capabilities will propel the Air Force as a key element of the future national defense strategy known as the third offset.
• FCET Success: SSBN Launches Fleet Ballistic Missiles NNS 16 Mar 2016 -- Today, an Ohio class ballistic missile submarine assigned to Submarine Group 10, completed a Follow-on Commander's Evaluation Test (FCET) with the launch of three Trident II D5 missiles.
• U.S., Cambodian Forces Partner for Exercise Angkor Sentinel 2016 AFPS 16 Mar 2016 -- U.S. and Cambodian forces officially opened Angkor Sentinel 2016, an annual bilateral military exercise hosted by the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and sponsored by the U.S. Army Pacific during a March 14 ceremony at the Training School for Multinational Peacekeeping Forces here.
• Indo-Asian Partners Gather for Port Opening Exercise in Cambodia AFPS 16 Mar 2016 -- Joint, interagency and multinational sustainment experts gathered here March 14 for Angkor Opening 2016, a weeklong exchange and tabletop exercise that officials said is designed to build partnerships, interoperability and readiness in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief port opening operations.
• USS Porter Departs Rota For Second Patrol NNS 16 Mar 2016 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) departed Rota, Spain to begin her second forward-deployed patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations March 16, 2016 in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Operation Atlantic Resolve.
• MSC's USNS Stockham, USNS Montford Point perform 'skin-to-skin' maneuver NNS 16 Mar 2016 -- Military Sealift Command's maritime prepositioning force ship USNS GYSGT Fred W. Stockham (T-AK 3017) and expeditionary transfer dock USNS Montford Point (T-ESD 1) performed a 'skin-to-skin' (S2S) maneuver as part of exercise Ssang Yong 16, March 13.
• Aerographer's Mates Tackle Harsh Arctic Conditions NNS 16 Mar 2016 -- As part of the expanding mission of the Navy's Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016, Aerographer's Mates from Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Va. are attempting to forecast weather from the Arctic Circle for the first time.
• Sentinel of space found in Alaskan wilderness AFNS 16 Mar 2016 -- Among the bears, moose, wolves and wolverines of Alaska's interior is a silent sentinel of space -- Clear Air Force Station. Its personnel keep an eye on things above for the sake of tactical warning of ballistic missile attacks against the U.S. and Canada and space situational awareness.
• NATO-Ukraine Regional Airspace Security Program progress NATO 16 Mar 2016 -- Following a successful demonstration, the NATO-Ukraine Regional Airspace Security Programme (RASP) is progressing through its next phase, a feasibility study, with meetings of experts from NATO, EUROCONTROL, Ukraine, Turkey, the United States and Poland in Odessa, Ukraine on 16-17 March 2016.
• Kremlin Refutes Claim That Syrian Operations Cost $536Mln Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied media claims that Russia spent $536 million on military operation in Syria.
• Iraqi army plane crashes, 3 missing: Military source Press TV 16 Mar 2016 -- An Iraqi army aircraft has crashed during a reconnaissance flight near the country's northern city of Kirkuk with its three crew members reported missing, a source with the Iraqi military says.
• Russia Supplies Iraqi Kurds With Anti-Aircraft Weaponry Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- Russia has supplied Iraqi Kurds with five ZU-23-2 twin-barreled anti-aircraft autocannons and 20,000 rounds of ammunition for them, the attache of the Russian Consulate General in Iraq's Erbil said Wednesday.
• Military plane crashes in Ecuador, killing 22 People's Daily 16 Mar 2016 -- A military aircraft crashed in the Ecuadorian eastern province of Pastaza, killing all 22 people on board, military authorities said on Tuesday.
• Russia to Continue Arms Supplies to Algeria Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- Russian Ambassador to Algeria Alexander Zolotov said that Russia-Algeria ties in the military-technical sphere adhere to international treaties and are not intended to undermine the regional balance of power.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 3/16/2016 The White House 16 Mar 2016
• Press Call to Preview the President's Travel to Cuba and Argentina The White House 16 Mar 2016
• March 16, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 16 Mar 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 16, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 16 March 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 16 Mar 2016
• Deploring airstrikes in Yemen, Ban urges conflict parties to 'cease all military activities,' begin dialogue UN News 16 Mar 2016 -- Condemning the airstrikes that hit a market in northern Yemen yesterday, reportedly killing and wounding scores of civilians, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has underscored that "attacks directed against civilians and civilian objects, including populated markets, are strictly prohibited."
• UN agency launches food voucher scheme for families in Yemen UN News 16 Mar 2016 -- The United Nations food relief agency has begun distributing vouchers to assist nearly 120,000 people living in Yemen's capital, Sana'a, with plans to reach one million people across the country by the end of 2016.
• Putin's Syria Gambit: Russian Pundits Ponder What Moscow Achieved RFE/RL 16 Mar 2016 -- about 10 percent of Russia's military assets in the country, mostly warplanes that can be returned to Syria in just hours -- as a victorious end to a limited, focused military campaign.
• Russia: Turkey's actions undermine Syria peace efforts Press TV 16 Mar 2016 -- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday Turkey's actions in the region reduce the effectiveness of the cessation of hostilities in Syria.
• Another group of Russian jets leave Syria: Moscow Press TV 16 Mar 2016 -- Russia's Defense Ministry says another group of Russian jets have left Syria and flown back to their home bases in line with Moscow's partial withdrawal from the war-hit country.
• Damascus' Proposals Rule Out Possibility of Syria's Federalization Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- Head of the Syrian government's delegation on intra-Syrian talks Bashar Jaafari said that the respect of the sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria, no divisive approaches politely called federalization are the Basic Elements for a political settlement in Syria.
• US Will Not Recognize 'Self-Rule' Semi-Autonomous Kurdish Zone in Syria Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- US Department of State spokesperson Mark Toner stated that Washington remains committed to the unity and territorial integrity of Syria.
• Russia's 'Largely Achieved' Syrian Objectives in Facts and Figures Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- Amid Russia's partial pullout from Syria, Sputnik provides the facts and figures to illustrate what has been accomplished in the five months and fourteen days since the launch of Russia's air campaign.
• Russia to Continue Fight Against Terrorism in Syria Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- Deputy Secretary General of the Russian Security Council Evgeny Lukyanov said that Russian military presence would remain at Syria's Tartus Naval Base and at the Hmeymim Airbase to continue strikes against terrorists.
• Russia's Hmeymim, Tartus Facilities in Syria Not Military Bases Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- Russia's Hmeymim and Tartus facilities cannot be named as 'Russian military bases', Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.
• Smoke on the Euphrates: Syrian Army Decimates Daesh in Deir ez-Zor Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- The Syrian Army and the country's National Defense Force have reportedly managed to take full control two neighborhoods in Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria's largest city, as well as a strategic route connecting a nearby city with an oilfield.
• Damascus Unsurprised by Russia's Syria Pullout - Assad's Aide Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- Moscow's decision to withdraw its air group from Syria has not surprised official Damascus, a political and media adviser to the Syrian President Bashar Assad said Wednesday.
• Syrian Kurds Set to Declare Autonomous Federal Region in Syria VOA 16 Mar 2016 -- Representatives of Syria's largest Kurdish party say they plan to declare an autonomous federal region for the areas they control in the northern part of the country.
• Kerry to Meet with Putin on Moscow's Troop Withdrawal From Syria VOA 16 Mar 2016 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry plans to travel to Moscow next week to discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin's troop withdrawal from Syria and the new push for peace in the war-torn country.
• Kurds, Iranians, Shiite Troops Unite to Take Back Oil-Rich Kirkuk in Iraq Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- Kurdish Peshmerga forces, Shiite paramilitaries and the Iraqi Army will soon launch a joint operation to drive Daesh terrorists out of the oil-rich province of Kirkuk in northern Iraq.
• On visit to Central African Republic, UN rights expert urges support for new Government UN News 16 Mar 2016 -- The United Nations independent expert on the human rights situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) today called on the international community to support that country's newly elected President Faustin Archange Touadéra, and the government he will form, as he takes measures to meet the high expectations of the population.
• INTERVIEW: Days of 'silence' on sexual exploitation and abuse are over, says UN envoy in Central African Republic UN News 16 Mar 2016 -- The United Nations is sending a very strong signal that the days of silence and compromission with behaviour related to sexual exploitation and abuse by its troops are over, according to the UN envoy in the Central African Republic (CAR).
• South Sudan Rebels Sending 23 Generals to Juba VOA 16 Mar 2016 -- South Sudan rebels said 23 of their top generals are expected to arrive in Juba this coming Monday to prepare for the coming of their leader, Riek Machar, who is the designated first vice president in a soon-to-be formed national unity government.

News Reports

• Iran missile tests not in breach of JCPOA, UN resolution: Zarif Press TV 16 Mar 2016 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has once again reiterated that Tehran's ballistic missile tests do not violate the nuclear agreement it reached with the P5+1 group of countries and are not in breach of a United Nations Security Council resolution.
• Statement by the Press Secretary on the Executive Order Entitled 'Blocking Property of the Government of North Korea and the Workers' Party of Korea, and Prohibiting Certain Transactions With Respect to North Korea" The White House 16 Mar 2016
• DPRK Government, Political Parties and Organizations Issue Special Statement KCNA 16 Mar 2016 -- The DPRK government, political parties and organizations Wednesday issued a special statement denouncing the U.S. imperialists and the south Korean puppet group of traitors for pushing the situation to the point of explosion through hideous provocations.
• Rodong Sinmun Warns Warmongers Not to Go Reckless KCNA 16 Mar 2016 -- It is quite just that the revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK have taken a full posture for a preemptive attack in the face of the daily increasing nuclear war moves of the hostile forces.
• Kim Jong Un Guides Ballistic Rocket's Reentry Environmental Simulation KCNA 15 Mar 2016 -- Scientists and technicians in the defence industry of the DPRK succeeded in the development and local production of heat-resisting materials for rocket with their own efforts and technology after having made painstaking researches of years under the direct guidance of supreme leader Kim Jong Un.
• 1 Dead, 2 Detained in Belgian Raid Linked to Paris Attacks VOA 16 Mar 2016 -- Belgian authorities say an Algerian man was killed during a shootout near Brussels and a flag of the Islamic State group as well as jihadist literature were found at the scene. Two other suspects were detained as a manhunt continues in an operation linked to the November terrorist attacks in Paris.
• Kerry to Take More Time on IS Genocide Decision VOA 16 Mar 2016 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told the Congress he needs more time to determine whether atrocities committed by the Islamic State group constitute genocide, but a decision will be made "very soon," according to the State Department.
• US Investigating American Islamic State Member VOA 16 Mar 2016 -- U.S. law enforcement authorities said Wednesday they have started an investigation into how an American ended up joining Islamic State jihadists in Iraq before he was captured this week by Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
• Death Toll Rises in Ivory Coast Terror Attack, Government Reports VOA 16 Mar 2016 -- The death toll from Sunday's terror attack in the Ivory Coast is at 19, government officials say.
• China's Li: US Ties Will Progress No Matter Who Wins White House VOA 16 Mar 2016 -- China is a frequent focus of criticism on the U.S. presidential campaign trail, but Chinese Premier Li Keqiang believes relations will continue to move in a positive direction regardless of who wins the race.
• Myanmar: UN chief welcomes election of first civilian President in more than 50 years UN News 16 Mar 2016 -- Following the historic national polls last 8 November, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated Htin Kyaw, who was elected today by the Myanmar Parliament as the first civilian President in more than five decades.
• First commercial Chinese rocket company in the works People's Daily 16 Mar 2016 -- China is set to establish a company that will specialize in commercial rocket launches, Hu Shengyun, chief model designer with the China Sanjiang Space Group, said on Tuesday.
• MAC head hopes institutionalized negotiations with China will continue CNA 16 Mar 2016 -- The two sides of the Taiwan Strait should continue their efforts to hold institutionalized negotiations and deepen exchanges in all areas, Taiwan's top China policy planner said Wednesday, while receiving a delegation of U.S. scholars.
• China to Build Relations, Boost Cooperation With Taiwan - Prime Minister Sputnik 16 Mar 2016 -- Premier Li Keqiang said that China will seek to build relations with Taiwan in an effort to improve economic cooperation.
• Beirut Struggles Under Growing Saudi Pressure VOA 16 Mar 2016 -- As Saudi Arabia-led recriminations against Lebanon continue, the country's overseas workers and business leaders are holding their collective breath.