Pentagon

This Jan. 4 photo shows Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers assembling during military training at Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, northwestern China's Xinjiang region.

Pentagon Pushes For Bigger Effort To Deter China's Growing Military Might

6:59pm March 16, 2021

by Tom Bowman

The Pacific Deterrence Initiative aims to beef up the military in the Pacific and work more closely with partners and allies. But some experts are cautious about inflating the Chinese threat.

Retired U.S. Army General Lloyd Austin speaks after being nominated to be secretary of defense by President-elect Joe Biden.

WATCH: Biden's Defense Pick, Lloyd Austin Confirmation Hearing Underway

3:09pm January 19, 2021

by Brakkton Booker

Austin, a retired four-star Army general, served in the military for 40 years including as the first Black general to lead U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East.

A U.S. Army soldier, seen at an unidentified location in Somalia earlier this year. The Trump administration announced Friday that most U.S. troops stationed in the country will be pulled out in early 2021.

National

Trump Orders The Withdrawal Of Most U.S. Forces From Somalia

12:53pm December 05, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

"While a change in force posture, this action is not a change in U.S. policy," the Pentagon said Friday. The Trump administration will reassign most of the personnel elsewhere in East Africa.

U.S. troops participated in a March handover to the Iraqi army in Kirkuk, Iraq. The U.S. plans to draw down its troop numbers in the country this month.

U.S. Says It Will Cut Number Of Troops In Iraq By Nearly Half This Month

11:49am September 09, 2020

by Merrit Kennedy

Gen. Frank McKenzie, who is responsible for U.S. forces in the Middle East, says the U.S. presence will drop from 5,200 to 3,000 troops in a move he says shows confidence in Iraqi army.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, pictured last month, spoke with his Chinese counterpart Thursday amid strained relations between the two countries.

Pentagon Chief Esper Talks With Chinese Counterpart As Tensions Soar

7:30pm August 06, 2020

by David Welna

Defense Secretary Mark Esper and his Chinese counterpart lectured one another in a 90-minute call as the highest level U.S. delegation in four decades plans a provocative visit to Taiwan.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, pictured earlier this month, announced a drawdown of U.S. troops in Germany on Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Esper Says U.S. Plans To Cut Troops In Germany By A Third

5:28pm July 29, 2020

by David Welna

The Pentagon is promising what President Trump declared in June would happen: Troops are to be moved out of Germany, which the president accuses of stiffing NATO.

Half Of States Where Pentagon Lifts Travel Ban Have Rising Coronavirus Infections

7:06pm June 19, 2020

by David Welna

The Defense Department appears to be ignoring its own guidance by lifting travel restrictions for military personnel in 23 states with cases of COVID-19 on upward trajectory.

A woman in a face mask walks on a deserted Ocean Drive last week in Miami Beach, Fla. War game simulation in the early 2000s foresaw an overwhelmed health care industry struggling to respond to unprecedented demand.

National

Years Before The Pandemic, War Games Predicted A 'Global Tempest'

6:16pm May 19, 2020

by Hannah Allam

In the early 2000s, war games about pandemics popped up. But participants say the outbreak threat couldn't compete with more visible national security concerns such as wars and terrorist attacks.

Queue Listen Now

Three U.S. aircraft carriers USS Theodore Roosevelt (top left) USS Ronald Reagan (top center) and USS Nimitz (top right) participate in exercises with South Korean forces in 2017.

With Warship Coronavirus Cases Rising, Concerns Over Military Readiness

6:16pm April 09, 2020

by David Welna

Three of the U.S. Navy's 11 aircraft carriers are reported to have sailors infected with the coronavirus. The Pentagon says readiness has not been affected, but more outbreaks are expected.

FEMA's request for cadaver pouches follows warnings at the White House of coronavirus death tolls surpassing 100,000.

Pentagon Says FEMA Wants It To Find 100,000 Body Bags For Pandemic Fatalities

11:41am April 02, 2020

by David Welna

The request from FEMA to the Pentagon's Defense Logistics Agency for cadaver pouches follows warnings at the White House of coronavirus death tolls surpassing 100,000.