Department of Defense

The defense bill provision could move military one step closer to historic changes that will impact how its sexual assault cases are prosecuted. On Thursday, the House passed the bill, 350-80.

"To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo to employees. Already, about 62% of active-duty service members are fully vaccinated.

Every unit is holding a "stand down" to talk about extremism in the ranks. But the armed forces are still grappling with fundamental questions of how to define, identify and best deal with it.

Austin's near-unanimous confirmation came despite concerns raised on both sides of the aisle that he hadn't been out of uniform for the legally mandated minimum seven-year period.

Democrats are blasting a plan to combine a vote on $2,000 direct payments with other demands from President Trump. The measure is entwined with an effort to override Trump's veto of the defense bill.

Austin will bring to the Pentagon decades of military experience. He would be the first African American to lead the department.

President Trump threatened to veto the annual defense bill if it doesn't include a provision to end a liability shield for tech companies. Key lawmakers say it's too late for such a demand.

The ban supports a culture of intolerance in the military, damaging troops' morale and discouraging potential recruits from joining, according to a new study published by the Palm Center.

In a notice sent to Congress Thursday, the Pentagon said it is shifting billions from fighter jets and other weapons to help pay for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.

In a move that could have consequences for a counterinsurgency against Islamist extremists, President Rodrigo Duterte says Manila will unilaterally scrap the deal that lets U.S. forces train there.

An individual wearing an Afghan uniform opened fire on the combined U.S. and Afghan force with a machine gun on Saturday. It's unknown if the shooter was an Afghan soldier or had stolen the uniform.

In an interview with NPR on Monday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said if U.S. troops or interests are threatened, the U.S. will have the right to retaliate.