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  • DOD officials announce missile defense siting study

    Pursuant to the fiscal 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, the Defense Department has initiated a study to evaluate five candidate sites in the continental United States for the potential future deployment of additional ground-based interceptors, Pentagon officials announced Sept. 12

  • DOD officials announce new relocation tool for families

    It's almost peak moving season again for military families, and Defense Department leaders want families to know new resources are available to help. "Plan My Move," soft-launched in late summer, is the next generation of DOD's MilitaryHomefront tools to provide an integrated "e-moving" solution,

  • DOD officials announce one-year open enrollment for SBP

    Department of Defense officials announced Aug. 19 that military retirees, who opted out of some or all their Survivor Benefit Plan coverage, will have another opportunity to elect coverage during a one-year open enrollment period beginning Oct. 1 and running through Sept. 30, 2006.Upon a retiree's

  • DOD officials announce requirement for new aerial tanker competition

    The needs of warfighters and value for taxpayers are at the heart of the new draft request for proposal for aerial refueling capability, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn said here Sept. 24. Mr. Lynn, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Ashton B. Carter, defense undersecretary for

  • DOD officials announce school year 2010/2011 child care fee policy

    Department of Defense officials announced July 30 the school year 2010/2011 child care fee policy. The policy will adjust fee ranges in child care programs across the services and will be implemented no later than Sept. 30. Changes will impact families who have children enrolled in DOD child

  • DOD officials ask service members to kiss the spit goodbye

    When the Department of Defense weighs in on kissing and spitting, it's with good reason - two good reasons, in fact: love and health. Using smokeless tobacco - spit, dip, chew, snus, etc. - can pose a stinky, unsavory obstacle to sharing a kiss with a loved one, parent, child or sweetheart. It also

  • DOD officials authorize Armed Forces Service Medal for Haiti relief efforts

    Department of Defense officials approved the Armed Forces Service Medal for personnel assigned to Operation Unified Response who participated in humanitarian relief assistance to the people of Haiti following a 7.0 earthquake Jan. 12, 2010.Members who supported Operation Unified Response between

  • DOD officials commit to disabled veterans' businesses

    Defense Department officials are committed to providing service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses with contracting opportunities, and are closer to its goal of awarding 3 percent of department contracts to such businesses, the acting director for the Pentagon's Small Business Programs Office

  • DOD officials defining roles for disaster response

    With hurricane season nearing, the Defense Department has tremendous assets to offer a civilian-led response to a major disaster, said a top DOD official involved in the process. "Those assets are ready for deployment, and ... we are better prepared than at any point in our nation's history to move

  • DOD officials designate Minot AFB as non-concurrent travel location

    Minot Air Force Base, N.D., is now a non-concurrent travel location because of a continuing off-base housing shortage, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced. Minot AFB is still under the stop movement order established when heavy flooding occurred in June, so this designation gives Airmen

  • DOD officials detail closure effects, plans

    While still hoping to be spared a shutdown, Defense Department officials are making plans should the government close over the fiscal 2011 budget impasse, a senior Pentagon official said here April 8."We are a country of laws, and if we go through a government shutdown, we will follow the laws," the

  • DOD officials establish wounded warrior task force

    Officials from the office of the undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness have announced the names of 14 members who will serve on the Department of Defense Task Force for Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured servicemembers.The four-year mission of

  • DOD officials expand eligibility for expeditionary medal

    Department of Defense officials recently expanded the areas of eligibility for the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. The approved additions are two countries - Morocco and Burkina Faso - and Operation Nomad Shadow, with an initial area of eligibility of Turkey and Northern Iraq. In March

  • DOD officials expand Pentagon Channel

    The Pentagon Channel, the Defense Department's news and information television source, officially expanded its service May 14 with a live broadcast from Andrews Air Force Base, Md. The Pentagon Channel, which previously existed as an information channel within the Pentagon, is now distributed 24

  • DOD officials honor top Guard, Reserve family programs

    Defense Department officials lauded the top National Guard and Reserve family programs here Feb. 18 calling family support a vital component of mission readiness."Whether it is the basics of building military communities or taking care of military children or supporting military spouses, all of

  • DOD officials host disability awards ceremony, forum

    Defense Department officials highlighted the Pentagon's programs for people with disabilities Dec. 8 and recognized accomplishments of employees with disabilities. Clarence Johnson, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for plans, served as host for the department's disability awards ceremony and

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualties

    Department of Defense officials announced April 29 the names of eight Airmen who were killed April 27 at the Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.They died of wounds suffered from gunfire. Killed were:Maj. Philip D. Ambard, 44, of Edmonds, Wash. He was

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualties from F-15E crash

    Department of Defense officials here July 19 announced the names of two Airmen who died supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in a nonhostile F-15E Strike Eagle crash July 18 near Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. Killed were: -- Capt. Thomas J. Gramith, 27, of Eagan, Minn. He was assigned to the 336th

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualty

    Department of Defense officials announced Sept. 16 the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation New Dawn. Senior Airman James A. Hansen, 25, of Athens, Mich., died Sept. 15 of wounds suffered during a controlled detonation at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 46th Operations

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualty

    Department of Defense officials here announced the name of of an Airman who died supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Staff Sgt. Timothy P. Davis, 28, of Aberdeen, Wash., died Feb. 20 near Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualty

    The Department of Defense announced April 4 the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Travis L. Griffin, 28, of Dover, Del., died April 3 near Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualty

    Department of Defense officials have announced the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.Tech. Sgt. Anthony C. Campbell Jr., 35, of Florence, Ky., died Dec. 15 of wounds suffered from the detonation of an improvised explosive device in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualty

    The Department of Defense announced March 5 the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost, 24, of Waukesha, Wis., died March 3 near Bayji, Iraq in a crash of an Iraqi Army Mi-17 helicopter. He was assigned to the 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland Air

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualty

    Department of Defense officials here announced July 18 the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Tech. Sgt. Jackie L. Larsen, 37, of Tacoma, Wash., died of natural causes July 17 at Balad Air Base, Iraq. She was assigned to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing from Beale Air Force

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualty

    Department of Defense officials announced March 17 the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation New Dawn. Senior Airmen Michael J. Hinkle II, 24, of Corona, Calif., died March 16 due to a non-combat related incident in Southwest Asia. He was assigned to the 28th Communications Squadron,

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualty

    Department of Defense officials announced Feb. 18 the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation New Dawn. Airman 1st Class Corey C. Owens, 26, of San Antonio, Texas, died Feb. 17 due to a non-combat related incident at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. He was assigned to the 47th Security Forces

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualty

    Department of Defense officials here announced Sept. 21 the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Senior Airman Matthew R. Courtois, 22, of Lucas, Texas, died Sept. 20 as a result of a nonhostile incident at an air base in Southwest Asia. He was deployed from the 366th

  • DOD officials identify Air Force casualty

    Department of Defense officials announced Sept. 22 the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Senior Airman Michael J. Buras, 23, of Fitzgerald, Ga., died Sept. 21 of wounds suffered as the result of an improvised explosive device detonation in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He

  • DOD officials identify error in shipment to Taiwan

    The Department of Defense announced today that four non-nuclear ballistic missile nose-cone assembly components were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan in August 2006. Taiwanese authorities notified the U.S. they had received four nose-cones instead of the four helicopter batteries they initially ordered

  • DOD officials identify more phases for Iraq medal

    Department of Defense officials announced March 10 that additional campaign stars are authorized for wear on the Iraq Campaign Medal.The campaign stars recognize a servicemember's participation in DOD-designated campaigns in Iraq. Airmen who have qualified for the ICM may display a bronze campaign

  • DOD officials identify two Air Force casualties

    Department of Defense officials announced the deaths of two Airmen May 27 who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.The Airmen died May 26 in the Shorabak district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive

  • DOD officials issue 'green' procurement policy

    Department of Defense officials issued a new procurement policy this week urging employees and the military to "buy green."The policy requires the department's civilian and military people to purchase products and services that benefit the environment, said Alex Beehler, DOD's chief of environmental

  • DOD officials launch science-related online radio show

    Defense Department officials have launched "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military," an online radio show. Armed with Science is a bi-monthly audio webcast, hosted on BlogTalkRadio.com that discusses cutting-edge scientific research and development sponsored by various

  • DOD officials move toward civilian expeditionary capability

    Defense Department officials are moving forward with setting up a global expeditionary force for civilian employees, a senior Pentagon personnel official said Sept. 30. Patricia Bradshaw, deputy undersecretary of defense for civilian personnel policy, said operations in Iraq and Afghanistan pointed

  • DOD officials name new senior tribal liason

    Department of Defense officials have announced that David Sanborn, an enrolled member of the Penobscot Nation, will be the department's new senior tribal liaison. The DOD senior tribal liaison has primary responsibility for providing guidance and oversight for the department's American Indian &

  • DOD officials navigate language roadmap

    Defense Department officials here completed more than 90 percent of the tasks they set out to accomplish in a language plan that launched four years ago. Known as the Defense Language Transformation Roadmap, this broad strategy aims to address national shortfalls in foreign language skills in the

  • DOD officials offer $1 million prize for wearable power innovations

    A typical dismounted troop going out for a four-day mission carries as much as 40 pounds of batteries and rechargers in his pack. Defense Department officials want to reduce that load significantly, and they're dangling a $1 million carrot to entice people to help them do it. They launched their

  • DOD officials order disability board results review

    Some Airmen who met a medical or physical disability evaluation board between Sept. 11, 2001 and April 30, 2012 prior to separating from the Air Force may be eligible for re-evaluation, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

  • DOD officials order enough H1N1 vaccine for National Guard

    Department of Defense officials here have acquired enough doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine to immunize all 460,000 members of the National Guard, officials announced Oct. 29 here. "The DOD supply will go out to the Guard based on their order through the ... U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency," said Army

  • DOD officials 'pause' anthrax vaccination program

    Department of Defense officials are "pausing" the anthrax vaccination program while they review a preliminary injunction issued Oct. 27 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.The injunction did not question the safety and effectiveness of the anthrax vaccine or the DOD immunization

  • DOD officials promote 'World No Tobacco Day'

    For the first time, the Department of Defense is endorsing the observance of World No Tobacco Day by encouraging servicemembers to participate. The effort is part of DOD's multiyear tobacco cessation campaign, Quit Tobacco--Make Everyone Proud. "On Memorial Day, when we reflect on the sacrifices our

  • DOD officials promote 'World No Tobacco Day'

    The last Monday in May is Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to their country. Living freedom to the fullest by reducing unnecessary health risks is one way to honor the memories of those who've died, DOD officials say. Just around the corner

  • DOD officials reach out to employers of Guard, Reserve members

    Defense Department officials are reaching out to employers of guardsmen and reservists with a survey to find out how the past decade of war and the heavy use of reserve-component forces has affected their civilian workplaces.The department is distributing the surveys to some 80,000 employers

  • DOD officials recognize Air Force for environmental accomplishments

    Each year, Department of Defense officials recognize military personnel, teams and installations for excellent stewardship of natural and cultural resources entrusted to their care. Conservation efforts across the Air Force over the past year were rewarded April 15, when the Air Force was announced

  • DOD officials recognize dedication to veterans

    No one has to tell Dawn Halfaker the value of hiring veterans, especially those disabled in combat. She is one. A U.S. Military Academy at West Point graduate and former Army military police officer, Ms. Halfaker was serving in Iraq in 2004 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck her convoy.

  • DOD officials release sexual assault statistics

    Defense Department officials here released March 17 a congressional report that examines sexual assault allegations in the military services and sets policies for reducing incidents. Key components of the annual analysis include a finding that indicates a rise in the number of incidents reported in

  • DOD officials release tri-service academy climate survey data

    Department of Defense officials released survey data from the three service academies March 18 on the climate of sexual harassment and assault among cadets and midshipmen.During the spring of 2004, the DOD inspector general conducted the survey at the military service academies in response to a

  • DOD officials select new government travel charge card

    Department of Defense officials announced the selection of Citibank to provide travel charge card services for its members under the General Services Administration's umbrella SmartPay® 2 master contract Jan. 16. The new official travel cards will activate on Nov. 30, 2008. DOD currently has 1.2

  • DOD officials strive to strengthen, empower military families

    From educational opportunities to spouse employment, Defense Department officials are expanding military family support programs to better meet families' current needs, as well as to empower them for the challenges that lie ahead, the DOD official who oversees military family programs said Feb.

  • DOD officials to expand community-based child care options

    Defense Department officials plan to launch an initiative early next year aimed at expanding the quality and quantity of community-based child care options for geographically dispersed reserve and active-duty families and for families facing long waits for on-base care.Through the initiative, DOD

  • DOD officials to study compensation, incentives

    Defense Department officials May 11 announced the start of the congressionally mandated 11th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation.The review's focus, officials said, will be on combat pay, compensation for reserve-component servicemembers, caregivers and survivors and pay incentives for

  • DOD officials unveil smart phone mental health application

    A free smart phone mobile application that will help servicemembers, veterans and family members track their emotional health is now available, Defense Department officials announced this week. The application was developed at the National Center for TeleHealth and Technology at Joint Base

  • DOD officials urge service members to stop using tobacco

    Each year, more than a million people successfully quit using tobacco, and Defense Department officials want more service members included in that number in 2011."In the tradition of New Year's, we are asking our active-duty and retired service members and their families to make a resolution to quit

  • DOD officials: Military will have enough H1N1 vaccine

    As shipments of some 3.7 million doses of H1N1 vaccine ordered by the Defense Department continue to arrive from the manufacturer, more than enough will be available for all military personnel and their beneficiaries, military medical experts said here Oct. 30. Navy Cmdr. Danny Shiau, in the

  • DOD personal property program actively seeks servicemembers' input

    Have you ever had your household goods moved and at the end of the process, thought, "That was the best move I've had. I hope my next move is that good." Or conversely, "That move was horrible. I hope no one else has to use movers like these."Well, you now have a say in which moving companies the

  • DOD plans for smooth transition to new administration

    Defense Department officials here have made extensive plans for a smooth transition from the present administration to that of the president-elect, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Nov. 4 here. Pentagon officials are ready to begin briefing a new president-elect's transition team as soon as

  • DOD plans to boost access to military child care

    The availability of child-care services for military families will receive a boost from a multifaceted approach by the Defense Department, a senior official here said Jan. 26. "We project the (child-care) needs as greater than what we're offering at this point," said Jan Witte, director of DOD's

  • DOD plans to boost access to military childcare

    The availability of child-care services for military families will receive a boost from a multi-faceted approach by the Defense Department, a senior official said recently. "We project the (child-care) needs as greater than what we're offering at this point," said Jan Witte, director of DOD's office

  • DOD praises service members' Civil Relief Act

    The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act has proven to be an effective tool to give troops and their families some financial peace of mind, Army Col. Paul E. Kantwill told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee yesterday.Kantwill, the director of legal policy for the undersecretary of defense for

  • DOD prepares biometric ID system for U.S. bases in Iraq

    The Defense Department is fine-tuning a $75 million biometric identification system designed to improve force protection at U.S. military bases in Iraq, said officials involved with the project.At a recent demonstration, DOD officials said the state-of-the-art system will use biographical data,

  • DOD prepares for potential sequestration

    The Office of Management and Budget has instructed the Department of Defense to pursue internal planning to meet required budget cuts if sequestration goes into effect Jan. 3."We are at the very start of this process," said Dr. George Little, acting assistant secretary of defense for public affairs,

  • DOD presents disability awards

    The undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness hosted the 27th Defense Department Disability Awards Ceremony and 20th DOD Disability Forum Dec. 4 in Bethesda, Md. Undersecretary David S. C. Chu, on behalf of the secretary of Defense, presented awards to 16 outstanding DOD employees with

  • DOD program aims to create new biodiesel fuel

    Ever imagine filling up the fuel tanks on a military aircraft with french fry grease?  That's exactly what Air Force officials could do someday if a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency research program proves successful. DARPA is the Defense Department's scientific agency that pushes the

  • DOD program keeps employers, reservists on track

    A Department of Defense program is easing the transition from business suit to battle dress uniform and back again for Reserve and Guard members serving throughout the world. The national committee for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, or ESGR, is a nationwide network of nearly 4,200

  • DOD program offers leadership development opportunities

    Department of Defense officials seek active-duty officers to participate in the 2012 Executive Leadership Development Program beginning in September.This DOD program is designed for officers who have demonstrated strong leadership, commitment to public service, integrity and who have an interest in

  • DOD program provides technology for disabled workers

    A Department of Defense program that provides the technology and services disabled workers need to use computers and other basic office equipment evens the employment playing field for the disabled. It also makes it easier for managers to hire them, said Dinah Cohen, the DOD official who has run

  • DOD programs ease force stress without hiking end strength

    Ongoing Defense Department transformation initiatives are designed to relieve force stress without increasing the number of military forces, a senior defense official told House Armed Services Committee members March 16.“By focusing attention on efforts to reduce stress on our forces, we believe we

  • DOD proposes Tricare hikes for younger military retirees

    The Defense Department is proposing that working-age military retirees and their families pay higher premiums to help address health care costs that have doubled during the past few years, senior DOD officials said here today. The proposed changes would apply only to eligible military retirees under

  • DOD provides continued support for military children

    Department of Defense Education Activity officials are keeping on the cutting-edge of sharing resources and training tools with public schools supporting military families, a Washington education official said."Our goal is to reach military children who attend public schools," said Kathy Facon, the

  • DOD raises awareness of human trafficking

    Defense Department officials have a zero-tolerance level for human trafficking and have stepped up awareness and education efforts to curb the crime overseas.

  • DOD reaches out to help families during wartime deployment

    The Defense Department is working to lessen the burden that deployments are having on family members left at home.Many are faced with tasks of juggling finances, doing car and home repairs, cooking, and raising children.John Molino, deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family

  • DOD ready to bolster medical, health support

    Defense Department officials are ready, willing and prepared to provide medical assistance as needed to aid tsunami victims and help stem widespread disease, the Pentagon's top doctor said Jan. 4. Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary defense for health affairs, said DOD officials are

  • DOD reaffirms commitment to POWs, MIAs

     No one has matched the United States' time, resources and commitment to accounting for its missing military members and honoring its prisoners of war, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said Sept. 16.During a Pentagon ceremony to honor National Prisoners of War and Missing in Action Recognition Day,

  • DOD recognizes Travis medical center

    David Grant Medical Center has been honored with the 2006 Team Performance Patient Safety Award in recognition of outstanding achievement in creating a safer patient environment. The award, presented at the 2007 Military Health System conference in Washington, D.C., is the highest honor within the

  • DOD recognizes two Air Force members with disabilities

    The Department of Defense presented awards to two Air Force members during a ceremony here at the Pentagon, Dec. 4.Capt. Ryan McGuire, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot with the 4th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., and Christopher Randall, a civilian test director with the Air Force

  • DoD releases 2020 CONUS COLA rates

    The Defense Department released Dec. 20 the 2020 Continental United States Cost of Living Allowance rates, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2020. In 2020, the total number of service members receiving CONUS COLA will decline by 2,600.

  • DOD releases annual sexual assault report

    The Department of Defense released the results of the second annual report on the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program. The report addresses data on alleged sexual assaults that were reported during 2005 in which members of the armed forces are victims or offenders. The Air Force received

  • DoD releases first departmentwide social media policy 

    The Defense Department released a policy that spells out how DoD military and civilian personnel should use official social media accounts to best advance the mission of the U.S. military and further instill trust in the credibility of the DoD. 

  • DOD releases FY 14 defense budget proposal

    President Barack Obama today sent to Congress a proposed defense budget of $526.6 billion in discretionary budget authority to fund defense programs in the base budget for fiscal year (FY) 2014. The budget continues the department's commitment to good stewardship of taxpayer dollars by seeking

  • DOD releases names of Airmen killed in Afghanistan helicopter crash

    Three Air Force Special Operations Command Airmen died Saturday morning when their aircraft, a coalition CH-47 Chinook, crashed in the Maiden Wardak Province in eastern Afghanistan. They were among 25 U.S. Special Operations Command operators who died in the crash, which also took the lives of five

  • DOD releases new religious accommodation instruction

    The Defense Department released a new instruction Jan. 22 that details its updated policy on making religious accommodations requested by service members, Pentagon spokesman Navy Lt. Cmdr. Nathan J. Christensen said.

  • DOD releases overseas stop movement order in response to COVID-19

    Building upon previously enacted movement restrictions governing foreign travel, permanent change of station moves, temporary duty and personal leave, this stop movement order will also impact exercises, deployments, redeployments and other global force management activities. Approximately 90,000

  • DOD releases report on infectious deployment diseases

    The latest in a series of congressionally mandated reports on the long-term health effects of troop deployments to Southwest Asia from the 1991 Gulf War to present was released Oct. 16.The new study, "Gulf War and Health: Volume 5, Infectious Diseases," the fifth in the series, focuses on infectious

  • DOD releases results of 2005 health-related behaviors survey

    The Department of Defense announced results Jan. 12 of its "2005 Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Active Duty Military Personnel." The findings show notable decreases in the use of cigarettes and illegal drugs since initiation of the surveys in 1980 and progress toward meeting selected

  • DOD releases sexual assault report, announces new policies

    Defense Department officials released the "Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies" on Dec. 27, covering the academic year from June 1, 2010, to May 31, 2011.The report shows an increase in reports of sexual assault, with 65 reports of sexual assault

  • DOD releases sexual harassment, assault reports

    The Department of Defense today released the results of two reports on sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military: the 2004 survey of the reserve components and the Academic Program Year 2005 assessment at the three military service academies. Reserve components: The survey of about 76,000

  • DoD releases Small Business Strategy

    The strategy promotes a strong, dynamic, and robust small business industrial base by focusing on reducing barriers to entry, increasing set-aside competitions, and leveraging programs to grow the industrial base.

  • DOD report urges increase in guard's civilian technicians

    Department of Defense officials recently submitted a report to Congress recommending an increase in the current legal limits on the number of civilian technicians who provide support to National Guard members and their units.About 52,000 technicians are spread across the across the U.S., while about