Pentagon

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced his resignation on Thursday, following a decision by President Trump to withdraw American troops from Syria. He'll be replaced by Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan starting in January.

Trump Says Jim Mattis Will Leave By Jan. 1, Announces Acting Defense Secretary

4:26pm December 23, 2018

by Francesca Paris

Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will assume Mattis' duties starting in the new year. Trump had previously said Mattis would step down at the end of February.

U.S. troops patrolling in Manbij, Syria, in April. More than 2,000 U.S. troops are on the ground there.

National

Military To Get Greater Scrutiny With Democrats Controlling The House

10:42am November 09, 2018

by Tom Bowman

The Trump administration's military operations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq have been relatively free of congressional oversight. That will change in the House when Democrats take control next year.

A border protection officer stands next to a recently upgraded section of fencing at the U.S.-Mexico border in Calexico, Calif., on Friday. The Pentagon says it will send 5,000 U.S. troops to the border.

Pentagon: 5,000 Troops Will Be Deployed To U.S.-Mexico Border

7:14pm October 29, 2018

The troops are likely to be active-duty Army personnel. As U.S. troops are prohibited from performing law enforcement activities within the United States, they will be in support roles only.

The Pentagon only recently made cybersecurity a priority, the Government Accountability Office says in a new report, which found vulnerabilities in weapons that are under development.

National

Cyber Tests Showed 'Nearly All' New Pentagon Weapons Vulnerable To Attack, GAO Says

6:11pm October 09, 2018

by Bill Chappell

"One test report indicated that the test team was able to guess an administrator password in nine seconds," the Government Accountability Office says.

National

Defense Budget Shifts Military's Focus From Terrorism To China And Russia

7:42am August 05, 2018

by David Welna

The 2,500-page National Defense Authorization Act, which tells the Pentagon how to spend its budget, is headed to President Trump's desk for signature. A look at its key provisions.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis speaking to reporters aboard an armored version of a 747 which functions as an airborne command post.

In A Tumultuous Administration, Defense Secretary Endures

3:09pm July 24, 2018

by David Welna

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis prevailed on a number of policy decisions in the first year of the Trump administration, but his positions have been rejected many times in the second year.

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Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan at the Pentagon on Monday.

National

Pentagon's No. 2 Watches The Money — And The Future

6:29pm May 02, 2018

by Tom Bowman

Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan views a rising China and proliferating military high tech as key challenges to the long-term security of the United States.

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Defense Secretary Jim Mattis speaks at the Pentagon Monday. The military received a big boost in funding last week, raising the overall budget to $700 billion this year.

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How The Pentagon Plans To Spend That Extra $61 Billion

2:26pm March 27, 2018

by Greg Myre

With the increase, Congress boosted the overall military budget to $700 billion this year. The challenge: How to spend all that extra money before the fiscal year ends in September?

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The Bastille Day festivities in Paris last summer gave President Trump the inspiration to call for a military parade in Washington. But the Pentagon says there will be no tanks in its parade in November.

Trump's Military Parade Is Set For Veterans Day

9:15pm March 09, 2018

by Barbara Campbell

The Pentagon has released a memo detailing a planned November extravaganza — "No tanks," Washington, D.C., officials should be relieved to learn. City streets can't take the weight.

Fitness data collected by the Strava exercise tracking company shows movements of personnel at U.S. and allied bases in Afghanistan and elsewhere, analysts say.

National

Pentagon Reviews GPS Policies After Soldiers' Strava Tracks Are Seemingly Exposed

4:10pm January 29, 2018

by Bill Chappell

The Pentagon says it's looking at adding new training and policies to address security concerns, after researchers see potential security breaches in Strava's Heat Map of jogging and cycling routes.