Chuck Hagel

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US Sends Warships to Japan as Tensions Rise

Chuck Hagel gives warning to China on 10-day Asia trip

(Newser) - Visiting Japan today, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the US is sending two more ballistic missile destroyers to Japan to counter a possible North Korean attack, the AP reports. But he saved his sharpest remarks for China, linking Russia's takeover of Crimea with China's aggressive behavior in a...

Army Ousts 588 From Key Jobs in Sex Assault Review

They're accused of everything from sexual assault to drunk driving

(Newser) - The Army has kicked 588 soldiers out of "positions of trust"—jobs that include sexual assault counselors , recruiters , and drill sergeants—following a review prompted by a spike in sexual assaults. The soldiers were accused of a range of misconduct that included not just assaults, but things like...

Pentagon's Plan: Cut Army to Pre-WWII Level

Hagel budget moves military off 'war footing'

(Newser) - The US Army may soon shrink to a level not seen since before it geared up to fight Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan simultaneously. In a spending proposal to be unveiled today, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel outlines plans to cut the Army to around 450,000 soldiers, its lowest level...

Top Gun Inspiration Makes History at Pentagon

Christine Fox is acting No. 2, highest defense post ever held by a woman

(Newser) - For someone who has spent a chunk of her career in the wonky position of budget strategist for the Pentagon, Christine Fox now has two decidedly unwonky gems on her resume:
  • President Obama today appointed her as the acting No. 2 at the Pentagon, an "unprecedented move" that gives
...

Defense Chief Apologizes to Medal of Honor Soldier

We lost your paperwork, says Chuck Hagel

(Newser) - Yesterday, Former Army Capt. William Swenson got the Medal of Honor for bravery from President Obama. Today, Swenson got a personal apology from the secretary of defense for taking so long to recognize his actions, reports the AP . Defense chief Chuck Hagel said Swenson's paperwork got lost in the...

Number of Furloughed Workers Just Got Cut in Half

Pentagon ordering about 400K back to work

(Newser) - About half of the 800,000 federal workers furloughed this week because of the government shutdown were civilians who worked for the Defense Department. And now the Pentagon is ordering most of them back to work on Monday, reports the AP . Defense chief Chuck Hagel says he can make the...

Ted Cruz Making Enemies on Both Sides of the Aisle

Frank Bruni thinks it will backfire; Dana Milbank blames GOP's own system

(Newser) - Ted Cruz is taking the "fast track" to Senate stardom, and that means capitalizing on conflict, writes Frank Bruni in the New York Times . He hasn't been around long, but he's already made "groundless and shameless" accusations against Chuck Hagel, offered Dianne Feinstein some constitutional pedantry,...

In Shooting's Wake, US Puts Security Under Microscope

Plus: Aaron Alexis was barred from buying assault rifle

(Newser) - As concerns grow over contractors' access to military bases, Washington is ordering at least three reviews of security practices. The White House is calling for a new look at "standards for contractors and employees across federal agencies," according to press secretary Jay Carney. Meanwhile, defense secretary Chuck Hagel...

Kerry: We Can't Be 'Spectators'

Hagel tells lawmakers of 'risks with inaction'

(Newser) - John Kerry and defense chief Chuck Hagel were on Capitol Hill today making the case for a military strike on Syria. "This debate is about the world's red line," said Kerry. It is "a red line that anyone with a conscience ought to draw." Some...

Syria Readies for US Strike
 Syria Readies for US Strike 
Sep 3, 2013 7:59 AM CDT

Syria Readies for US Strike

Which Congress won't vote on til next week

(Newser) - If you spent your Labor Day weekend in a news-free zone, here's the biggest detail you missed: President Obama on Saturday announced he would seek congressional approval before striking Syria, which means nothing will happen until Congress returns Monday. Except, of course, there's a flurry of activity already...

Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case
Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case 
UPDATED
Aug 30, 2013 7:58 AM CDT

Lawmakers Unswayed by White House Syria Case

When strike would occur remains unclear

(Newser) - The specifics of President Obama's plans for Syria don't seem much clearer after a conference call with Congressional leaders. The call didn't include information on when a strike would occur, Politico notes, nor did it appear to sway lawmakers who had doubts about military action. During the...

355 Dead, 3K Sick in Syria Chemical Attack: Aid Group

Doctors Without Borders says patients show 'neurotoxic symptoms'

(Newser) - While the Syrian government and rebels argue over who is using chemical weapons on whom , and the US government weighs what, if anything, it should do about it, Doctors Without Borders (AKA Medecins Sans Frontieres) has added weight to the allegations that chemical weapons were indeed used in the attack...

Military Chiefs: Sexual Assault &#39;Like a Cancer&#39;
Military Chiefs: Sexual Assault 'Like a Cancer'
senate hearing
Jun 4, 2013 1:08 PM CDT

Military Chiefs: Sexual Assault 'Like a Cancer'

But commanders must keep their authority, they say

(Newser) - Lawmakers are attempting to deal with the apparent epidemic of sexual assault in the military, and some of the proposals currently wending their way through Congress would see commanders stripped of some authority. But at a Senate hearing on the matter today, though military leaders agreed that sexual assault within...

After Hagel Slaps China, China Slaps Back

Defense chief calls out Beijing on cyber espionage

(Newser) - When defense chief Chuck Hagel blamed China yesterday for cyberattacks in the US, it didn't sit well with some Beijing officials in the audience at a Singapore summit. "The United States has expressed our concerns about the growing threat of cyber intrusions, some of which appear to be...

Military's Latest Sex Scandal: Recruiters

Defense Dept. has promised to address

(Newser) - The latest sex crime scandal for the military involves recruiters, the Washington Post reports in a detailed look at some of the cases of sexual assault and rape found in its ranks recently. One example: An Air Force recruiter is charged with raping or committing other crimes over three years...

Hagel: Syria Likely Used Chemical Weapons

Defense secretary says sarin gas probably used on 'small scale'

(Newser) - Have we crossed the red line? US intelligence has concluded with "some degree of varying confidence" that Bashar al-Assad's regime has used chemical weapons, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters in Abu Dhabi today, per the AP . The determination apparently came within the past day, and the White...

200 US Troops Headed to Jordan—and It's a Big Deal

LAT explains it's the first acknowledged step toward military involvement in Syria

(Newser) - Some 200 US troops are headed to Jordan, where some US troops are already stationed. So why is this deployment notable? How it's being played:
  • The Los Angeles Times pulls no punches in its explanation: "The move marks the first deployment that Pentagon officials explicitly described as a
...

Pentagon Drops Drone-Pilot Medal

Award angered veterans, drone opponents

(Newser) - The Pentagon has nixed a new medal for drone pilots before anyone was nominated for it. The Distinguished Warfare Medal, announced by Leon Panetta just before he left the Pentagon, angered veterans as well as those taking issue with drone tactics, the Washington Post reports. A veterans' petition hit the...

Obama to Return Portion of Salary

President says he's making 5% gesture to support federal workers

(Newser) - President Obama will return 5% of his salary every month as a gesture of support for federal workers soon to be hit with unpaid furloughs, reports the New York Times . Given his $400,000 salary, the move amounts to about $16,600 through the end of the year. A White...

North Korea Preps Rockets, Citing US 'Ultimatum'

Thousands rally against US in Pyongyang

(Newser) - The US B-2 bomber flights over the Korean peninsula amounted to an "ultimatum," the North says—so it has put its rockets on standby, aimed at US military bases. Leaders decided late last night that "the time has come to settle accounts with the US imperialists,"...

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