Tag: Pentagon

US military will no longer ban COVID-19 survivors from serving

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Pentagon on Thursday announced that the US military would no longer bar people who had been hospitalized with COVID-19 from serving in its ranks. Defense Department personnel head Matthew Donovan said he had “rescinded” rules on the matter, which the military had put in place in early May out of concern over long-term respiratory damage from the disease. “There was some interim and draft guidance… that I rescinded,” Donovan […]

PHL gov’t’s decision to end VFA to complicate counter-terrorism operations in region, says US Defense Dept

US Embassy “questioned AFP’s capacity to conduct sustained counterterrorism operations” amid pandemic, says Pentagon report   (Eagle News) — The United States’ Department of Defense said that the Philippine government’s decision to end the Visiting Forces Agreement will “likely present new challenges for US counterterrorism operations.” In the latest report by the US “Lead Inspector General (Lead IG)” to the US Congress, it said that the end of the VFA could complicate US operations in […]

Pentagon updates figures: 50 US military personnel injured in Iran missile strike, diagnosed with brain injuries

  (Eagle News) — At least 50 US military personnel have been injured in the last Iran missile strike on Jan. 8, and all of them have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, the latest statement from Pentagon said. The new figure showed an increase of 16 from the last number of 34 cases that Pentagon had released. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Thomas Campbell gave the details in a statement. “As of today, 50 U.S. […]

Pentagon chief: US has restored ‘level of deterrence’ on Iran

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that the United States has reestablished some deterrence toward Iran in the wake of the January 3 drone strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. “I think at this point with the strikes we took against KH in late December and then our actions with regard to Soleimani, I believe that we’ve restored a level of deterrence with them,” he told […]

Oil spikes after Iran attacks US forces

  by Richard CARTER Agence France Presse HONG KONG, China (AFP) — The price of oil spiked Wednesday after Iran launched revenge attacks on US forces in Iraq, making good on its pledge to hit back over the killing of its top general. The main US contract rocketed by more than 4.5 percent as fears over supplies in the tinderbox Middle East sent prices soaring. The Pentagon said it was still “working on initial battle […]

Pentagon suspends training of Saudis for security review

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Pentagon announced Tuesday it was temporarily suspending operational training for Saudi military students in the United States following a shooting rampage last week by a Saudi air force officer. Saudi Arabian military students in the United States will continue classroom instruction but operational training is halted pending a security review, senior Defense Department officials said. Mohammed Alshamrani, a 21-year-old lieutenant in the Saudi Royal Air Force, opened fire in […]

Pentagon says $10 billion cloud computing contract going to Microsoft

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Pentagon said Friday it was awarding a $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft, following a highly scrutinized bidding process which Amazon had been favored to win. The 10-year contract for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure program, better known as JEDI, ultimately will see all military branches sharing information in one system that can be scoured in real time with the help of artificial intelligence. The Pentagon earlier […]

Pentagon sending reinforcements to Gulf following attacks in Saudi

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Friday that the United States will send reinforcements to the Gulf region at the request of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, following attacks on Saudi oil facilities which it blames on Iran. The Pentagon chief said an Iranian attack on an American spy drone in June after Tehran seized a British oil tanker, combined with the attack on two Saudi oil installations […]

Pentagon to keep 5,500 troops at Mexico border

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Defense Department said Tuesday that it would keep up to 5,500 troops deployed at the Mexican border for the coming year to help combat illegal immigration. A week after announcing it would divert $3.6 billion in funds for the construction of an anti-migrant wall on the frontier, the Pentagon said it had also approved a request from the Department of Homeland Security to maintain a troop presence […]

US wants to quickly deploy new missiles in Asia, says US Defense Secretary

  by Sylvie LANTEAUME Agence France Presse SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Washington wants to quickly deploy new intermediate-range missiles in Asia, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Saturday in a move likely to anger China. The new Pentagon chief said the US was now free to deploy the weapons following its withdrawal Friday from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty with Russia. “Yes I would like to,” Esper said when asked if the US was […]

“We will conduct our own inquiry,” says Panelo on China missile test

  (Eagle News) – The Philippine government will conduct its own inquiry regarding the alleged missile test recently conducted by China near Spratly Islands. “We will investigate on our own. We will do it our way,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said on Thursday, July 4. The Department of National Defense (DND) earlier said that it would be conducting its own inquiry into the matter. Panelo said that Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had already talked about […]

Pentagon confirms push to hide USS John McCain from Trump during his Japan trip

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — The acting Pentagon chief confirmed Sunday that the White House had requested the hiding of a warship bearing the name of late Senator John McCain during a visit by Donald Trump to Japan. In Washington, White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said the request probably was made by somebody on the president’s advance team but no one would fired for it. US media reported that efforts were made […]