President George W. Bush paid a call at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., to visit with wounded warriors, extend holiday greetings to them and their families and check up personally on the care and support they are receiving.

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Bush Visits Troops, Families at Walter Reed

President George W. Bush sent his best wishes for the holiday season and those of first lady Laura Bush to servicemembers around the world in a message broadcast on the Pentagon Channel.

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President Extends Holiday Greetings, Thanks

Afghan and coalition forces traded fire with insurgents in southern Afghanistan after responding to a roadside bomb explosion, military officials said.

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Afghans, Coalition Respond to Bombs, Drugs in Southern Afghanistan

The absence of new terrorist attacks on the United States since 9/11 reflects the success of the nation’s anti-terror programs and policies, Vice President Richard B. Cheney said.


More here: Cheney Calls Absence of Post-9/11 Attacks ‘Remarkable Achievement’

The number of daily attacks in Iraq has dropped nearly 95 percent since last year, a U.S. official said.

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Daily Attacks in Iraq Drop Nearly 95 Percent

A soldier, wounded in Iraq, wins the battle to stay in the Army so he can continue to serve his country by deploying to Iraq again. In May 2007, Army Spc. Jake Altman’s life changed. He was in the lead vehicle scouting for improvised explosive devices.

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Face of Defense: Wounded Warrior Ready to Return to Fight

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has approved the deployment of an Army aviation brigade to Afghanistan in the spring of 2009.


Continue here: Gates Approves Deployment of Aviation Brigade to Afghanistan

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff evoked the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Trenton in the annual holiday message he issued to U.S. servicemembers and their families.

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Chairman Issues Holiday Message to Servicemembers, Families

For soldiers preparing to deploy on a peacekeeping mission, nonlethal weapons instruction is an important part of their deployment training.


More here: Peacekeeping Training Focuses Less on Combat, More on Control, Compliance

The Defense Department’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Program is making progress with partner nations by supporting implementation of HIV prevention, care and treatment programs, educating their militaries and creating awareness of the global epidemic.

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Program Raises Awareness About Global AIDS Epidemic