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• CU, Mines get Pentagon grants for equipment

  May 9, 2012 4:13 PM

  DENVER (AP) - The Defense Department has award grants for equipment to researchers at the University of Colorado and the Colorado School of Mines. The grants were among 190 announced by the Pentagon on Tuesday. Individual amounts weren't listed, but they total $54.7 million and average $288,000. The CU grants... more »

• Soldier collapses while Skyping with wife, she sees possible bullet hole

  May 6, 2012 1:15 PM

  DALLAS (AP) - The family of an Army officer serving in Afghanistan said Sunday his wife saw a bullet hole in the closet behind him after he collapsed during a Skype video chat. Capt. Bruce Kevin Clark's brother-in-law Bradley Taber-Thomas released a statement saying Clark's wife, Susan Orellana-Clark, was talking... more »

• Reported sexual assaults in military rose 1 pct

  April 13, 2012 4:43 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon says the number of sexual assaults reported in the U.S. military last year rose by 1 percent over 2010. In its annual report to Congress on sexual assaults, the Pentagon also said a growing proportion of military members who are disciplined for committing sexual offenses... more »

• US preparing to restart military aid to Yemen

  March 10, 2012 12:38 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon is developing plans to restart programs that would fund military training and equipment in Yemen, nearly a year after they were shut down due to escalating chaos in the embattled country. While no agreements have been cemented, U.S. defense officials say military assistance, which could... more »

• Supreme Court hears Stolen Valor arguments; local case hangs in the balance Play Video

  February 22, 2012 8:34 PM

  The U.S. Supreme Court is taking up the question of whether the Stolen Valor Act is constitutional. It's a law designed to punish people who lie about being war heroes. The case, hearing arguments on Wednesday, is against Xavier Alvarez; a man who falsely claimed at a public meeting... more »

• Expert says reported military cuts may not be too bad at Fort Carson Play Video

  January 26, 2012 12:42 AM

  Some big changes could be on the horizon for Fort Carson and Southern Colorado as a whole. The Pentagon is cutting its budget around $260,000,000,000 over the next five years. Military sources have leaked that as part of budget cuts, the Army plans to reduce the number of combat brigades... more »

• Army to slash combat brigades

  January 25, 2012 1:16 PM

  Washington (AP) U.S. officials say the Army plans to slash the number of combat brigades from 45 to as low as 32, broadly restructuring its fighting force to save money. This move would cut the service by about 80,000 soldiers. Officials say the sweeping changes will likely increase... more »

• Manning's status as gay soldier key to intel leak defense

  December 18, 2011 10:41 AM

  FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) - Lawyers for the Army private charged in the biggest leak of classified information in U.S. history say he was influenced by his struggles with being a gay soldier. The military hearing continued Sunday to determine whether Pfc. Bradley Manning will stand trial at a... more »

• Change of command at Fort Carson

  November 16, 2011 4:06 PM

  The role of Commanding General at Fort Carson has changed hands; Major General David Perkins turned over power to Major General Joseph Anderson in a ceremony Wednesday morning on the Mountain Post. Maj. Gen. Anderson will be in charge of the Army's 4th Infantry Division as well as Fort... more »

• Debt forcing defense cuts, but where?

  October 12, 2011 5:11 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - With a nation deep in debt and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan winding down, the military knows it's in for painful spending cuts. But where? One potential target is the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the next generation, supersonic aircraft for the Air Force, Marines... more »

• Feds: Mass. man planned to blow up Pentagon

  September 29, 2011 3:16 AM

  BOSTON (AP) - A 26-year-old Massachusetts man has been arrested and accused of plotting to destroy the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol with large remote-controlled aircraft filled with explosives. Rezwan Ferdaus of Ashland was arrested Wednesday in Framingham when undercover federal agents delivered materials he'd requested for his alleged... more »

• AFA dedicates new 9/11 memorial with a piece of the WTC Play Video

  September 10, 2011 12:26 AM

  Many of this year's incoming freshmen at the U.S. Air Force Academy were born in 1993; making them eight years old during the September 11th terrorist attack. One cadet pointed out that she didn't know exactly what was going on, but the panic and distress left an impact on her.... more »

• Local couple shares stories from 9/11 Play Video

  September 9, 2011 1:23 AM

  After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, all U.S. flights were grounded just after 9 a.m. However Marta Hannon was one of the few that left that morning; she flew from Washington D.C. to Newark, New Jersey. "I remember looking down at New York and I kept thinking,... more »

• Jury finds naval officer guilty in 9/11 fraud case

  August 29, 2011 4:36 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A retired naval officer honored for his valor during the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon has been found guilty of defrauding the victims' compensation fund by exaggerating his injuries. A jury found retired Cmdr. Charles Coughlin guilty Monday of fraud and stealing public money after... more »

• AFA instructor shares memories from the Pentagon on 9/11 Play Video

  August 27, 2011 12:37 AM

  Air Force Colonel Marty France saw his first images of the 9/11 terrorist attacks like many, on the television screen; but soon the chaos was at his door step -- working at the Joint Chiefs of Staff office in the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Col. France was in the... more »

• Guard group unhappy over choice of new NORAD chief

  August 3, 2011 3:51 PM

  DENVER (AP) - An association of National Guard officers is criticizing the Pentagon for passing over two National Guard generals in choosing a new commander for NORAD and Northern Command. The National Guard Association of the U.S. said Wednesday it has nothing against the officer who got the job,... more »

• Pentagon chief worries about partisanship's impact

  June 19, 2011 3:47 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - After 40 years of working for presidents from both parties, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he's learned that it takes bipartisan support to succeed in national security and foreign affairs. What worries Gates as he prepares to step down this month as Pentagon chief is how... more »

• Man found with gun and suspicious package near Pentagon

  June 14, 2011 6:39 AM

  ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - Virginia State Police say a motorist found with a gun and what appeared to be a suspicious package near the Pentagon has been taken into custody. Police say a trooper saw the vehicle backing up on a southbound Interstate 395 ramp around 8:30 p.m. Monday. Police... more »

• Gates: Defense spending about to decline

  May 24, 2011 6:10 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates says defense spending is about to enter a steep decline that may force the Pentagon to abandon some military missions, shrink the armed forces and perhaps limit America's role in the world. In one of his final policy speeches before retiring next... more »

• Initial bombing called successful; endgame unclear

  March 20, 2011 5:43 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A senior Pentagon official says U.S. and allied attacks in Libya have been very effective in degrading Moammar Gadhafi's ability to threaten planes enforcing a no-fly zone over the North African country. Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney told reporters Sunday that attacks were especially effective... more »

• No immediate impact from Pentagon cuts in Springs

  January 7, 2011 12:16 PM

  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - The Pentagon's plans to cut defense spending aren't expected to have a big immediate impact on Colorado Springs. The Defense Department on Thursday announced a proposal to freeze its growing budget to help the nation reduce its massive deficit. The plan is based on... more »

• Pentagon plans to shrink budget over next 5 years

  January 6, 2011 3:33 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates will cut $78 billion from the Pentagon budget in the next five years, money that will come from shrinking the military's ground force, increasing health care premiums for troops and other potentially unpopular cost-saving measures. The plan, announced Thursday, identifies a separate... more »

• New rules on gays in military expected today

  October 21, 2010 2:49 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - By day's end, the Pentagon could have some new guidelines on gays in the military. A judge last week told the military to stop enforcing "don't ask, don't tell" -- prompting the Pentagon to tell recruiters to accept applications from gays. But now, an appeals court... more »

• Pentagon locked down after 'possible shots fired'

  October 19, 2010 12:05 PM

  Pentagon entrances were locked down early Tuesday after a report of possible shots fired near the building. Major Chris Perrine, a Pentagon spokesman, says a civilian reported he may have heard shots at about 5 a.m. EDT on the south side of the massive Defense Department headquarters. Perrine... more »

• Colorado refused waiver on military ballots

  August 27, 2010 3:20 PM

  The Pentagon has told Colorado Secretary of State Bernie Buescher that it has denied a waiver to exempt the state from a federal requirement to mail ballots to military service members overseas 45 days before the November election. Spokesman Rich Coolidge confirmed that Colorado's waiver request has been denied.... more »

• Virginia politicians voice outrage over Pentagon cuts

  August 10, 2010 8:21 AM

  Lawmakers are reacting swiftly and fiercely to news that the Pentagon's belt-tightening could mean lost military jobs in their districts. Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants to shutter a major command that employs some 5,000 people around Norfolk, Va., and to eliminate other jobs throughout the military. Gates says the... more »

• Pentagon move imperils Colorado Springs jobs

  August 9, 2010 4:05 PM

  Thousands of Colorado Springs jobs depend upon the defense industry. No doubt, a shiver went through offices around the city Monday when Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced a ten percent cut in the use of Defense and Homeland Security contractors next year. Secretary Gates also announced the elimination of... more »

• Pentagon demands website stop posting classified military documents

  August 6, 2010 8:12 AM

  A website that solicits leaked government secrets hasn't replied to calls and e-mails seeking comment on the Pentagon's demand that it cancel any plan to publish more classified military documents. The Defense Department also told the website WikiLeaks to pull back tens of thousands of secret Afghan war longs already... more »

• Legal group: Gays shouldn't answer Pentagon survey

  July 8, 2010 9:29 AM

  An advocacy group for gays in the military is warning those services members not to answer a Pentagon survey seeking opinions on repeal of the policy that bans homosexuals from serving openly. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said Thursday that troops could be accidentally outed by answering the survey.... more »

• White House considers military gay rules again

  May 24, 2010 1:44 PM

  The White House is talking with gay rights activists, lawmakers and Pentagon officials about a push to hasten the repeal of a ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. The group was meeting Monday at the White House to discuss a faster pace to end the... more »

• Pentagon and Ft. Carson discussing Warrior Transition Unit

  April 26, 2010 1:04 PM

  Fort Carson is hosting U.S. Army Medical Command on Post to discuss Warrior Transition Unit initiatives and Soldier care on Monday, according to a press release. The Army created the Warrior Transition Units in 2007 to manage care of Soldiers requiring extensive treatment of wounds, injury and illness. ... more »

• Group wants Pentagon to limit ties with Colorado Springs group

  April 20, 2010 3:02 PM

  A watchdog group is demanding the Pentagon cancel plans for an evangelist to speak at a National Day of Prayer observance, citing his past description of Islam as "evil." The Military Religious Freedom Foundation said Tuesday that Muslims who work at the Pentagon objected to evangelist Franklin Graham's planned... more »

• Volcanic ash delays wounded troop flights

  April 19, 2010 1:32 PM

  The Pentagon says that medical evacuation flights out of Afghanistan are taking eight hours longer because of the cloud of volcanic ash hanging over Europe. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Monday that the military is using the Navy's Rota Air Base in Spain, instead of Ramstein Air Base in... more »

• Troops question impact if gay ban is lifted

  April 6, 2010 3:52 PM

  Troops are asking what changes are in store for them if Congress lifts a ban on openly gay service. A working group tasked by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to examine the impact on lifting the 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" policy convened its first survey meeting Tuesday with rank-and-file... more »

• Discharging gays to draw more scrutiny in military

  March 25, 2010 11:16 AM

  Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he has approved a series of changes in how the Pentagon implements the law banning gays from serving openly in the military. The changes would make it harder to discharge a gay person for violating the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy by putting... more »

• Changes coming on enforcement of military gay ban

  March 23, 2010 4:03 PM

  Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell says that the Defense Department is close to changing how it enforces its policy on "don't ask, don't tell," which bans gays from serving openly. In February, Defense Secretary Robert Gates directed his legal counsel to suggest ways to relax enforcement of the policy,... more »

• Gates orders study of Pentagon 'information ops'

  March 23, 2010 2:20 PM

  Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asked for a wide-ranging study of the Pentagon's information operations and given officials just 15 days to complete it. The review comes amid a separate Pentagon investigation into whether an official hired private contractors to run an off-the-books spy operation for tracking suspected insurgents... more »

• Officer credits God for protecting him at Pentagon shooting

  March 5, 2010 12:10 PM

  One of the two police officers shot by a gunman outside the Pentagon says he is doing fine and credits God for shielding him. Pentagon police Officer Jeffery Amos declined to answer questions about the shooting when reached by telephone by The Associated Press. Officials said Amos and Officer... more »

• UPDATE: Shooting near Pentagon

  March 4, 2010 7:34 PM

  Two Pentagon police officers were shot Thursday night at a Pentagon subway station. The officers returned fire, hitting the suspect. The injuries to the officers are said to be non-life threatening. The alleged shooter is said to be in critical condition. The suspect has been identified as 36-year-old John... more »

• Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania dies at 77

  February 8, 2010 3:04 PM

  A spokesman says Democratic Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a retired Marine Corps officer who became an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, has died. He was 77. He had been suffering complications from gallbladder surgery. In 1974, Murtha became the first combat veteran of the Vietnam War... more »

• Pentagon working to implement Obama's repeal of policy on gays

  January 28, 2010 12:59 PM

  The Pentagon says it's working on a plan for ending the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. In Wednesday night's State of the Union address, President Barack Obama urged Congress to repeal the ban, saying it's "the right... more »

• Review of missed signs will span entire Pentagon

  November 17, 2009 10:56 AM

  The Defense Department will launch a broad investigation in light of the Fort Hood shootings that looks at how all the military services keep a watch on potential problems in their ranks. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said the probe will hit all corners of the Pentagon. In an interview, he... more »

• Military: 8 U.S. troops die in Afghan blasts

  October 27, 2009 11:00 AM

  The U.S. military said on Tuesday that eight American troops have been killed in bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan, making October the deadliest month for U.S. forces in the eight-year Afghan war. NATO said in a statement that an Afghan civilian working with its forces was killed in the... more »

• Pentagon: recruiting last year best since 1973

  October 14, 2009 1:16 PM

  The Pentagon's personnel chief said Tuesday the military has completed its best recruiting year since 1973, meeting all its goals and bringing in a better educated group of young people. The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps met goals for active duty and reserve recruiting during the budget... more »

• Pentagon releases complete list of Fort Carson casualties

  October 7, 2009 1:55 PM

  The names of all eight Fort Carson soldiers who died in Afghanistan last weekend have now been released by the Department of Defense. The soldiers were killed in a fierce battle Oct. 3 in Kamdesh, Afghanistan. They were assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team,... more »