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• World leaders to discuss reality of getting out of Afghanistan

  May 20, 2012 8:41 AM

  CHICAGO (AP) - When leaders at the NATO summit eventually turn their discussion to Afghanistan and the alliance pullout in a little less than two years, they are likely to be confronted by a bleak reality. The insurgents remain active, corruption runs rife and the peace process is stuck in... more »

• Division within Occupy Colorado Springs

  March 8, 2012 9:51 PM

  An anti-war tone taken up by Occupy Colorado Springs has forced some members to split off, claiming they were ousted because they support the troops. Brittany Westmoreland, who is married to a soldier, was one of several members who received probation notices from organizers at OCS. The letter revoked... more »

• 2 U.S. troops killed

  March 1, 2012 6:50 AM

  A U.S. official says two more American troops have been killed in Afghanistan. It's the latest in a series of attacks following protests over the burning of the Quran. The official said details of the killings Thursday in Southern Afghanistan are still unclear but officials believe there were three... more »

• UPDATE: Obama: US troops leaving Iraq with heads held high

  December 12, 2011 1:35 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is declaring that U.S. troops are leaving Iraq this month "with honor and with their heads held high." Obama calls this a "historic moment" as the war in Iraq is ending after nearly nine years. Obama spoke at a news conference Monday with Iraqi... more »

• Thanksgiving for the troops Play Video

  November 24, 2011 4:26 PM

  On any other day Susie's Westside Café in Colorado Springs would be serving up the usual eggs and home fries for their loyal customers. But on Thanksgiving they're serving up a different kind of meal. Pies are delivered, turkey is roasted and all of the trimmings rare ready to go.... more »

• American NATO troops killed

  October 29, 2011 9:26 AM

  Thirteen NATO troops have been killed when a suicide bomber attacked a NATO convoy. We now know they were all American. It happened early today when a suicide bomber rammed a van packed with explosives into a NATO convoy. Afghan officials had said earlier that four Afghans, including... more »

• Troops coming home

  October 21, 2011 1:01 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says remaining U.S. troops in Iraq will be home by the end of the year. It would have taken a request from the Iraqi government to keep troops there beyond that point. Obama says he spoke today to Iraq's prime minister, who spoke of... more »

• New battles over lifting gay troop ban

  September 1, 2011 6:03 AM

  SAN DIEGO (AP) - The military's ban on openly gay troops will be lifted within weeks, but that's no guarantee the law cannot be re-enacted someday. That's why a Republican gay rights organization that sued the Obama administration to stop enforcement of the policy says it plans to ask... more »

• Troops will return to Fort Carson tomorrow

  August 23, 2011 8:26 AM

  Soldiers from a Fort Carson bomb-disposal unit are returning from Iraq tomorrow. A welcome-home ceremony is set Wednesday for the 242nd Explosive Ordnance Battalion. The troops spent about a year in Iraq. The soldiers performed and directed more than 1,500 missions, including about 850 emergency responses and 350... more »

• Obama thanks troops at July 4 party on South Lawn

  July 4, 2011 8:48 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama is marking the Fourth of July holiday by thanking service men and women for their sacrifices and service in protecting American freedoms. Obama and his wife and two daughters are hosting a barbecue and concert on the South Lawn of the White House... more »

• Obama to bring home 33,000 troops

  June 22, 2011 8:55 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says 10,000 troops will come home from Afghanistan by the end of this year as the U.S.mission shifts from combat to support after nearly 10 years of war. The president said a total of 33,000 troops would be withdrawn by next summer, as... more »

• Obama to speak at 6 p.m. our time

  June 22, 2011 6:50 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - By the summer of next year, the number of U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan could be reduced by more than 30,000. That's the timetable that President Barack Obama is expected to announce this evening, in a speech to the nation. The President's Speech can be... more »

• Libyan rebels say airstrike kills 13 of their own but blame selves

  April 2, 2011 6:05 PM

  BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) - Libyan rebels say 13 of their troops were killed when they tried to advance during a NATO airstrike against Moammar Gadhafi's forces near the oil city of Brega. Calling it an "unfortunate accident," an opposition spokesman says the incident does not diminish rebel support for... more »

• Libyan forces under attack

  March 23, 2011 2:00 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A top Navy official in the campaign in Libya says international forces are intercepting and attacking government troops that have been storming population centers in the North African nation. Rear Adm. Gerard Hueber says the coalition is targeting Moammar Gadhafi's mechanized forces, his artillery and mobile... more »

• Springs woman sending off "Beans for the Brave"

  January 17, 2011 7:55 PM

  A Colorado Springs woman says she's found "gold" for our soldiers overseas. MeLissa Rocco has been selling chocolate for about a year now. She was having a show for some of her products in December when a soldier at the show told her that the chocolate covered espresso beans... more »

• Care packages for troops during the holidays

  December 6, 2010 2:03 PM

  News First 5, Mitchell High School JROTC and the Rocky Mountain Honda Dealers are working together to send some holiday cheer to our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Honda dealers brought donations by the minivan load to the high school this morning to create care packages for... more »

• Army considers helicopter brigade at Fort Carson

  November 5, 2010 6:10 PM

  DENVER (AP) - A draft report from the Army says stationing new aviation units in Colorado and Washington state would have some significant environmental or social impacts. The report, made public Friday, says the Army's preferred alternative is to place one combat aviation brigade each at Colorado's Fort Carson... more »

• Afghan helicopter crash kills 9 Americans

  September 21, 2010 9:36 AM

  A helicopter crash killed nine American troops in Afghanistan on Tuesday, NBC News reported. The incident made 2010 the deadliest year for foreign troops of the war, according to monitoring website iCasualties.org. The deaths take the toll so far this year to at least 529. Last year, 521 foreign... more »

• 5 American soldiers die in Afghanistan

  August 31, 2010 2:32 PM

  Five more American troops were killed in action in Afghanistan on Tuesday, ending the month with a spike in bloodshed that has claimed the lives of 19 U.S. service members in only four days. The U.S. death toll for August stood at 55 - three-quarters of them in the... more »

• US troops in Iraq fall below 50,000 number

  August 24, 2010 8:21 AM

  The American military says the number of US troops in Iraq has fallen below the 50,000 figure that was mandated by President Barack Obama. This is the lowest troop level in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. American forces in Iraq will no longer conduct what are described... more »

• 3,800 Fort Carson soldiers remain in Iraq

  August 19, 2010 3:27 PM

  About 3,800 soldiers from Fort Carson are staying behind in Iraq in a training role, even though the last U.S. combat troops have pulled out. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division is assigned to help train Iraqi security forces. The soldiers deployed to southern Iraq... more »

• Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home

  August 19, 2010 8:15 AM

  Staff Sergeant Luke Dill was an 18-year-old specialist, when he rolled into Iraq as part of the U.S. invasion. Now, after two tours of duty, he's 25 and says he's proud to be leaving the country with the last of the U.S. combat units. Troops of the 4th Stryker... more »

• Not too early to start celebrating

  July 3, 2010 10:41 PM

  Fourth of July celebrations are going on all weekend long, not just the 4th. At Fort Carson, they're starting a little early. The Mountain Post celebrated the 4th on the 3rd, at Iron Horse Park. They expected 10,000 people to join in the celebration. "Just really getting a... more »

• Local woman asks for donations for soldiers

  June 23, 2010 7:42 PM

  A Ft. Carson Red Cross worker is heading to Afghanistan, and is looking for your help. She plans to distribute goodies to our soldiers. Here's what she'd like people to send: candy (no chocolate as it will melt) gum popcorn licorice beef jerky... more »

• Ft. Carson memorial service for fallen soldiers

  June 9, 2010 9:06 AM

  Fort Carson will hold a memorial service at 11:00 Wednesday morning for three fallen soldiers. The troops were killed in Afghanistan. Soldiers being memorialized are: Sgt. Grant A. Wichmann - 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Field Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Sgt. Nathan P. Kennedy -... more »

• Fort Carson plans memorial service for 2 soldiers

  May 12, 2010 9:18 AM

  Fort Carson is holding a memorial service for two soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Sgt. Sean M. Durkin and Sgt. Michael K Ingram Jr. will be honored Wednesday at Soldiers' Memorial Chapel at Fort Carson. Durkin was from Aurora, Colorado. He died April 9 from wounds he suffered when... more »

• Top general says US withdrawal from Iraq on track

  April 18, 2010 12:14 PM

  The top U.S. military commander in Iraq says the planned withdrawal of nearly 45,000 U.S. troops by the end of August is on track despite a recent increase in attacks by militant forces. Army Gen. Ray Odierno also says that al-Qaida's capabilities in Iraq is being degraded. He tells "Fox... more »

• U.S. troops land at Haiti presidential palace

  January 19, 2010 11:54 AM

  Scores of U.S. troops landed on the lawn of Haiti's shattered presidential palace Tuesday to the cheers by quake victims eager for reinforcements in the sluggish global effort to bring food, water and shelter to the devastated country. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department told NBC News that up to... more »

• A march of hope

  December 18, 2009 7:13 PM

  Last year they celebrated Christmas in Iraq and this year the soldiers of Fort Carson's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division are happy to be home and are happy to give back. Some 300 members of the Raiders brigade assembled on a special mission Friday morning to help... more »

• Hackers steal US military secrets

  December 18, 2009 8:55 AM

  South Korea's military says a suspected cyberattack that netted secret defense plans may have been carried out by North Korea. According to a Defense Ministry spokesman, the suspected hacking occurred late last month. He says a South Korean officer failed to remove a USB device when he switched a military... more »

• Stephen King pays for troops' holiday trip home

  December 14, 2009 8:09 AM

  Author Stephen King and his wife are donating money so 150 soldiers from the Maine Army National Guard can come home for the holidays. King and his wife, Tabitha, who live in Bangor, are paying $13,000 toward the cost of two bus trips so that members of the 3rd... more »

• NATO allies pledge up to 7,000 troops

  December 7, 2009 12:26 PM

  NATO says its 28 member nations and 15 partner countries have confirmed pledges for nearly 7,000 additional troops to serve alongside the 30,000 reinforcements committed to Afghanistan by President Barack Obama. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says in a statement that there are strong indications that some nations may pledge... more »

• Military moms weigh in on Obama's plan

  December 1, 2009 11:47 PM

  Five mothers come together in Colorado Springs Tuesday night to watch President Barack Obama's speech as he outlines his plan for the fight in Afghanistan. Each of them has a son or daughter in the military. Some have more than one child serving in the Armed Forces. They are... more »

• Afghan buildup involves 30,000 troops

  December 1, 2009 10:02 AM

  A senior administration official tells The Associated Press that President Barack Obama is sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan to be deployed over six months. In his speech to the nation Tuesday night, Obama also will lay out a rough timeframe, including some dates, for when the main U.S. military... more »

• New Afghan policy "within days"

  November 24, 2009 9:15 AM

  White House press secretary Robert Gibbs says President Barack Obama will announce his new Afghanistan strategy "within days." The president met for two hours Monday with top advisers for the last major discussion before the announcement. Gibbs says Obama "has the information he wants and needs" to make a... more »

• President Obama heads home from Asia trip

  November 19, 2009 9:06 AM

  President Barack Obama is on his way back to Washington after an Asian tour that included efforts to prod China on human rights and North Korea to return to nuclear talks. Obama today said the United States has begun talking with allies about fresh punishment against Iran for defying efforts... more »

• Obama wants path to ending war in Afghanistan

  November 18, 2009 12:43 PM

  According to President Barack Obama, the goal of his upcoming strategy in Afghanistan will be to "put us on a path towards ending the war." And he says he has no intention of passing the conflict on to the next president. In interviews before leaving China today, Obama declined to... more »

• Army says morale down among troops in Afghanistan

  November 13, 2009 10:04 AM

  The army says morale has fallen among its forces in Afghanistan, where troops are seeing record violence in the 8-year-old war. A new battlefield survey taken several months ago found instances of depression, anxiety and other psychological problems about the same as in 2007 - but there was a significant... more »

• MIA dog found in Afghanistan after 14 months

  November 12, 2009 10:00 AM

  A bomb-sniffing dog that disappeared during a fierce battle in Afghanistan between Australian troops and militant fighters has been found and returned to its unit after more than a year. And Sabi the black labrador is getting a celebrity welcome home. Sabi was with a joint Australian-Afghan army... more »

• President's choice: None of the above

  November 12, 2009 9:02 AM

  There's word that President Barack Obama won't accept any of the Afghanistan war options before him without changes. A senior administration official says Obama isn't satisfied with any of the options presented to him by his national security team. The president instead is pushing for revisions to clarify how and... more »

• Obama nearing decision on deploying more troops

  November 10, 2009 11:29 AM

  Officials say President Barack Obama to zeroing in on a decision to add tens of thousands more forces to Afghanistan. They say the deployment would most likely begin in January, and be aimed at boosting the defenses of 10 key Afghan cities and towns. The president meets again tomorrow... more »

• Fort Carson holds ceremony for deploying troops

  November 3, 2009 9:26 AM

  Dozens of Fort Carson soldiers are set to start deploying this week to Afghanistan and Iraq. The Army post held a flag casing ceremony for them Monday, signifying that the troops are ready for battle. Lt. Col. Thomas Rivard says 280 soldiers from the 43rd Sustainment Brigade's 60th Ordnance... more »

• Fort Carson units headed for Afghanistan, Iraq

  October 31, 2009 7:35 AM

  About 90 soldiers from two Fort Carson units are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq. Fort Carson officials said Friday the 43rd Sustainment Brigade's Headquarters Company will go to Afghanistan and the brigade's 60th Ordnance Company will go to Iraq. Each will be deployed for a year. ... 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 »

• Christmas shipping deadlines to troops less than 1 month away

  October 20, 2009 4:24 PM

  Even though we haven't carved jack-o-lanterns yet, it's almost time to get your overseas Christmas packages in the mail. The US Postal Service is reminding people that Nov. 13 is the deadline to mail packages parcel post to Iraq and Afghanistan to guarantee they'll get there before Christmas. You... more »

• American Legion raises $50,000 for Ft. Carson soldiers in Afghanistan

  October 20, 2009 2:36 PM

  The American Legion says one of its blog sites has raised more than $50,000 in less than a week for Fort Carson soldiers who lost their personal belongs during an Oct. 3 attack at a remote outpost in northeastern Afghanistan. The fund was started after a soldier wrote in an... more »

• Obama: Afghanistan decision in 'coming weeks'

  October 13, 2009 2:19 PM

  President Barack Obama says he will make his decision on new troops for Afghanistan in "the coming weeks." Obama told reporters Tuesday that decisions on the military front are important, but just one aspect of the improvements needed to the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. He said an important element is... more »

• Obama focusing on al-Qaida, not Taliban

  October 9, 2009 9:24 AM

  President Barack Obama will meet with his top aides again today as he tries to formulate a strategy for the Afghan war going forward. It's one of a series of meetings this week on the war. A senior administration official says Obama is prepared to accept some Taliban involvement in... more »

• Rentals filling up fast with troop arrivals

  October 7, 2009 1:19 PM

  More people are renting apartments in the Colorado Springs area, and the numbers suggest the recent surge in the ranks at Fort Carson is pushing the trend. Vacancies in the region fell by a half a percentage point to 8.7 percent in the third quarter of 2009 as compared... more »

• 3,300 Fort Carson soldiers to deploy to Afghanistan next summer

  October 7, 2009 1:08 PM

  The Department of Defense announced Wednesday that 3,300 soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, from Fort Carson will deploy to Afghanistan next summer. Their mission will be the ongoing training and mentoring of Afghan National Security Forces. The announcement comes one day after the bodies... more »

• Obama meets with Afghanistan commander

  October 2, 2009 11:11 AM

  President Barack Obama summoned his top commander in Afghanistan to a 25-minute meeting aboard Air Force One before returning to Washington. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs that Obama invited Gen. Stanley McChrystal to meet him Friday in the Dutch capital, where he was pitching the International Olympic Committee's on the... more »

• Some troops to come home

  September 30, 2009 7:53 AM

  When the top U.S. commander in Iraq goes before a House panel today, he'll tell lawmakers thousands of troops will come home by the end of next month. In prepared testimony obtained by the Associated Press, General Ray Odierno says the troop presence over the next month will be about... more »

• Report: More troops needed for Afghan success

  September 21, 2009 10:55 AM

  A confidential report from the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan says the situation is growing worse and the U.S. war is at risk of failure without more troops on the ground. In a five-page Commander's Summary, Gen. Stanley McChrystal writes that while the war won't be won exclusively... more »

• More U.S. troops headed for Afghanistan?

  September 15, 2009 3:50 PM

  More American troops likely will be needed to win the war in Afghanistan, the top U.S. military officer told skeptical Democrats on Tuesday as he cited a need to prove U.S. commitment in the battle-ravaged region. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate... more »

• Wounded troops mend as war coverage wanes

  September 14, 2009 11:37 AM

  A year after Capt. Sam Brown was set ablaze when a bomb blew up his Humvee in Afghanistan, the 25-year-old West Point graduate endures a steady schedule of painful surgery and stretching to break up knotty burn scars. He also has another routine: checking a Web site that counts... more »

• Thousands crowd downtown to thank our troops

  August 30, 2009 8:32 AM

  About 45,000 people crowded downtown Colorado Springs for the Red, White and Brave parade to thank troops for their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Service members from every base in the Pikes Peak region marched in the parade. Some of them are just home from Iraq and Afghanistan. ... more »

• Two US troops killed in Afghanistan

  August 26, 2009 5:03 PM

  The NATO-led force in Afghanistan says attacks have killed two U.S. troops, keeping August on track to be the deadliest month of the war for the U.S. military. NATO says one American died Wednesday after an improvised explosive device detonated in southern Afghanistan. A second service member was killed in... more »