U.S. military

Senegalese Army Gen. Amadou Kane (left) receives the 2016 Flintlock flag from U.S. Army Gen. Donald Bolduc during the inauguration of a military base in Thiès, Senegal, in February 2016, during a three-week joint military exercise between African, U.S. a

The U.S. Has No Clear Strategy For Africa. Here's Why It Really Needs One

8:47am April 27, 2018

by Donald C. Bolduc

The U.S. relies on a threat-focused approach, when the international community should also support economic and governance development in the region, argues the ex-special forces commander for Africa.

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A Navy fighter jet comes in for a landing on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in the South China Sea.

The U.S. Positions Warships In Tense Asia-Pacific Waters

10:43pm March 02, 2018

by Anthony Kuhn

The Navy assigned its 3rd and 7th fleets in the Western Pacific, as the United States shifts its focus to flashpoints in Asia.

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Sgt. Nick Cunningham speeds down the track during men's bobsled training on Friday. He is one of seven U.S. service members competing in Pyeongchang. "They told me, 'Go win medals for this country,'" Cunningham says. "And that's my job at this moment."

'More Than War Fighters': Active-Duty Athletes Compete In Olympics Bobsled And Luge

10:42am February 19, 2018

by Krista Almanzan

Sgt. Nick Cunningham, a bobsledder, is one of seven U.S. service members competing in Pyeongchang. "They told me, 'Go win medals for this country,'" he says. "And that's my job at this moment."

Some of the devastation caused by the fight to remove ISIS from Raqqa, Syria.

U.S. Military Mission In Syria Endures As ISIS Nears Defeat

6:26pm February 15, 2018

by Tom Bowman

Up to 2,000 U.S. troops are in Syria defending Kurdish allies. The threats come from regime forces, Iran, Turkey and even Russia.

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An Army team at Dover Air Force Base, Del., carries a transfer case containing the remains of Sgt. 1st Class Hughton O. Brown on Nov. 16.

The Delicate And Draining Task Of Tending To America's Fallen Troops

6:30pm December 22, 2017

by Greg Myre

Sgt. 1st Class A.G. Shaw has been a military mortician throughout America's long wars. Now he says it's time for him to move on. "It's not like the movies. We don't die pretty," he says.

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U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Paul Funk (left), and Iraqi Maj. Gen. Najm Abdullah al-Jibouri, walk through a busy market in Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 4. U.S. forces in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan have been increasing this year under President Trump, going from about 18,0

Under Trump, U.S. Troops In War Zones Are On The Rise

9:51am December 01, 2017

by Greg Myre

The U.S. military had around 18,000 troops in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan at the end of last year. The official numbers have gone up in all three countries and now total about 26,000.

Myeshia Johnson, widow of U.S. Army Sergeant La David Johnson, who was among four special forces soldiers killed in Niger, sits with her daughter, Ah'Leeysa Johnson at a graveside service in Hollywood, Fla., on Oct. 21.

Trump Call Controversy Renews Spotlight On Gold Star Families

3:02pm October 23, 2017

by Samantha Raphelson

President Trump's condolence calls to the families of the fallen has put new attention on Gold Star Families. But this isn't the first time Trump has offended families who lost loved ones in combat.

The U.S. Military In Africa: A Discreet Presence In Many Places

4:47pm October 20, 2017

by Greg Myre

The military has some 20 missions across the continent. Most are not combat operations. But the deaths of four soldiers in Niger illustrate the dangers as U.S. troops venture into the field.

American flags are placed at graves at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on May 25, in preparation for Memorial Day.

National

Veterans, Survivors' Groups Try To Shift The Conversation On Condolences

7:57pm October 18, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

"There is the feeling that all of this is diminishing our national character," one support group wrote, as a political debate unfolds over calls to the families of soldiers who died in combat.

U.S. Army Gen. John Nicholson told the Senate Armed Services Committee in February that the war in Afghanistan was at a "stalemate."

World News

'The Taliban Can't Win,' Says Commander Of U.S. Forces In Afghanistan

5:07am October 13, 2017

by Tom Bowman

In a wide-ranging interview, Gen. John W. Nicholson laid out some details of the new U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and explained how it will work. "We can move now in the right direction," he said.