Department of Defense

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.

Secretary Esper has kept a letter of resignation on hand since the summer, when he and the president disagreed over the use of active duty troops to put down street protests.

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.

Following the December attack on a naval air station, the Pentagon has suspended training of all Saudi military students, as investigators conduct a review of the more than 800 students in the U.S.

The move comes after the parliament ordered U.S. forces out of Iraq, but military officials say the changes are not part of a withdrawal.