U.S. Department of Defense news and stories by mail.com

Please enable JavaScript to experience the full functionality of mail.com.

U.S. Department of Defense

Mark Esper

Senate confirms Army veteran Mark Esper secretary of defense

It took seven months, but President Donald Trump finally has a Senate-confirmed secretary of defense. Mark Esper, an Army ...

Nancy Pelosi

Lawmakers return to assess budget and debt agreement

House lawmakers are returning to Washington to assess a budget and debt deal between Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ...

Mitch McConnell

The Latest: McConnell promises budget vote before recess

The Latest on the debt and budget agreement between the White House and Congress (all times local): 6:35 p.m. Majority Leader ...

Nancy Pelosi

Deal sealed on federal budget ensures no shutdown, default

President Donald Trump and congressional leaders have announced a critical debt and budget agreement that's an ...

Correction: Military-Hyperfit Women story

In a story July 21 about a U.S. military study of "hyperfit" women, The Associated Press reported erroneously that a vo2 Max ...

The Latest: Gulf incidents rattle shipping industry

The Latest on developments related to tensions between the U.S and Iran (all times local): 4 a.m. Energy experts say recent ...

Drone targets base for Iran-backed militia in northern Iraq

An unmanned drone dropped explosives on a base belonging to Iran-backed paramilitary forces in northern Iraq early Friday, ...

Donald Trump

American warship destroys Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz

A U.S. warship on Thursday destroyed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz after it threatened the ship, President Donald ...

Trump: Administration to review Pentagon computer contract

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the administration will "take a very long look" at a massive multibillion-dollar ...

Suspected Islamic State member brought to US for prosecution

The Trump administration said Thursday that it has brought home for prosecution a U.S. national suspected of fighting ...

Mnuchin: Negotiators agree on core elements of budget deal

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that negotiators have reached an agreement on the core elements of a deal to ...

Nancy Pelosi

Washington talks could soon yield spending, debt deal

Washington negotiators are closing in on a budget and debt deal that would stave off the chance of a government shutdown this ...

Pentagon says 2,100 more troops going to US-Mexico border

The Pentagon says an additional 2,100 troops will be sent to the U.S.-Mexican border to help with security. Among them are ...

US kicking NATO ally Turkey out of fighter program

In a major break with a longtime ally, the Trump administration on Wednesday said Turkey is being kicked out of an ...

Mark Esper

Pentagon nominee regrets Turkey's 'drift' from West

Army Secretary Mark Esper, President Donald Trump's nominee to become secretary of defense, told his Senate confirmation ...

Steve Mnuchin

Mnuchin says budget deal with Pelosi is 'very close'

It's House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell vs. hardliners in the White House as lawmakers ...

Mark Esper

Trump nominates Esper to be defense chief, succeeding Mattis

President Donald Trump on Monday asked the Senate to confirm Mark Esper as the successor to former Defense Secretary Jim ...

Trump asks Supreme Court to unfreeze border wall money

The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to lift a freeze on Pentagon money it wants to use to build ...

Donald Trump, Tim Cook, Satya Nadella, Jeff Bezos

Judge sides with Pentagon and Amazon in cloud bidding case

A federal judge has dismissed allegations that bidding for a $10 billion cloud computing contract with the Pentagon was ...

Mark Esper

US deciding how to punish ally Turkey over Russian arms deal

The U.S. edged closer to crisis Friday with NATO ally Turkey, which began receiving components of a Russian-made air defense ...