LLOYD AUSTIN

The Joint Chiefs of Staff says Chairman Gen. Mark Milley has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing very minor symptoms.

These are believed to be the first religious exemptions granted to any service members, out of over 13,000 military requests.

President Joe Biden says the government plans to double to 1 billion the rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests to be distributed free to Americans.

The Army has not yet initiated separations for soldiers refusing the vaccine but expects further guidance later this month.

Top U.S. and Japanese officials are highlighting new defense agreements, including a five-year deal on sharing the cost of the American military presence in Japan.

A federal judge in Texas has granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Navy from acting against 35 sailors for refusing on religious grounds to comply with an order to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Texas officials indicated Tuesday that thousands of National Guard members are refusing COVID-19 vaccines in the latest challenge against a Biden administration order that requires all members of the military to get one.

Austin, 68, tested positive on Sunday. He said that his symptoms are mild, and he was fully vaccinated and boosted in October. He plans to continue with key meetings virtually during quarantine.

He last met with the president on Dec. 21, more than a week before he began to experience symptoms, and he had tested negative earlier that day.

Austin said that his last in-person meeting with President Biden was on December 21, and that he tested negative that morning.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms while quarantining at home.

The Pentagon says it's streamlined the approval process for urgent use of National Guard forces in the District of Columbia.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group to stay in the Mediterranean Sea region rather than move on to the Middle East, amid worries about the buildup of thousands of Russian troops near the Ukraine border.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group to stay in the Mediterranean Sea region rather than move on to the Middle East, amid worries about the buildup of thousands of Russian troops near the Ukraine border. A defense official said Tuesday that the change in the schedule of the USS Harry S. Truman, and the five American warships accompanying it, reflects the need for a persistent presence in Europe. The U.S. and Western allies have watched as the buildup of Russian troops near the border grew to a peak of an estimated 100,000, fueling fears that Moscow was preparing to invade Ukraine.

Warning that extremism in the ranks is increasing, Pentagon officials are issuing detailed new rules prohibiting service members from actively engaging in extremist activities.

U.S. officials say all of the military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service.

The Afghan survivors of an errant U.S. drone strike that killed 10 members of their family in August say they are frustrated and saddened that U.S. troops involved in the attack will not face disciplinary action.

The Air Force has discharged 27 service members.

The Pentagon earlier this year required the vaccine for all members of the military, including active duty, National Guard and the Reserves.

The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be removed for disobeying the mandate to get the shots.

The investigation, conducted by Lieutenant General Sami Said, the Air Force inspector general, found no violation of law, negligence, or dereliction of duty.

U.S. defense officials say no U.S. troops involved in the August drone strike that killed innocent Kabul civilians and children will face disciplinary action.

The Pentagon says there are “active discussions” within the department about making COVID-19 vaccine booster shots mandatory for service members, even as thousands refuse or seek exemptions from the initial shot mandate.

After years of debate, Congress is on track to change how the U.S. military handles sexual assault cases, by taking some authority out of the hands of commanders and instead using independent prosecutors.

The long-delayed resumption of nuclear talks with Iran has gotten off to a rough start.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the Pentagon intends to work better with private industry to develop high-tech systems and to strengthen relations with allies in the Indo-Pacific region in order to maintain a competitive edge over China,.

More than 6% of the Air National Guard and Reserve did not meet the deadline to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and could begin to face consequences if they don’t get the mandated shots or receive an exemption, the Air Force said Friday.

America’s defense chief has rebuked China, vowing to confront its potential military threats in Asia and warning that its pursuit of hypersonic weapons intended to evade U_S_ missile defenses “increases tensions in the region.”.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says no member of the National Guard will be allowed to participate in drills or other training required to maintain their status in the Guard unless they are vaccinated against COVID-19 or are given an exemption.

Austin said all members of the Defense Department's service branches must comply with the vaccine order or jeopardize their service.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a full review of a U.S. airstrike in Syria in 2019 that killed dozens, including women and children, and was not properly reported up the chain of command.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has rejected a request by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt that his state’s National Guard be exempt from a Pentagon requirement that all military members be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday rejected a request by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt that his state's National Guard be exempt from a Pentagon requirement that all military members be vaccinated against COVID-19. Stitt, a Republican, had asked Austin in early November to suspend the mandate for members of the Oklahoma Guard. In his response denying the request, Austin laid out the Pentagon's rationale for the mandate and noted potential consequences of Stitt's stated intention to defy the requirement.

Officials say that after months of study, the Pentagon has decided no immediate major changes are needed in the global positioning of U.S. forces.

Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper claims in a lawsuit against the Defense Department that material is being improperly withheld from his use as he seeks to publish an “unvarnished and candid memoir” of his time in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

The buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine has left U.S. officials perplexed.

America’s top defense official has vowed to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to counter its “dangerous use” of suicide drones in the wider Mideast.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the U.S. government is unsure why Russian President Vladimir Putin is building up military forces near the border with eastern Ukraine.

The Pentagon will increase housing payments for troops in key areas and look into ways to combat hunger across the force,.

A dispute between the Oklahoma governor and the Pentagon over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate is setting up the first critical test of the military’s authority to require National Guard troops to get the shot.

Increasing military activity in the Black Sea reflects the sea's strategic value to both NATO and Russia.

It’s a hidden crisis that's existed for years inside one of the most well-funded institutions on the planet and has only worsened during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Department of Defense will respond "appropriately" to a decision this week by the Oklahoma National Guard to rescind the Pentagon's requirement for service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.Driving the news: "We are aware of the memo issued by the Oklahoma Adjutant General regarding COVID vaccination for Guardsmen and the governor’s letter requesting exemption. We will respond to the governor appropriately," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Axios in a statement.Stay on top of the lat

Jill Biden has used her first solo White House event as first lady to highlight the challenges and contributions of “hidden heroes” — the children and caregivers of injured U.S. troops.

Colin L.

Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff in a statement said he is unconvinced the summary of the investigation "provides for real accountability."

An independent Pentagon review has concluded that the U.S. drone strike that killed innocent Kabul civilians and children in the final days of the Afghanistan war was not caused by misconduct or negligence, and it doesn’t recommend any disciplinary action.

As deadlines loom for military and defense civilians to get mandated COVID-19 vaccines, senior leaders are wrestling with the fate of tens of thousands who flatly refuse the shots or are seeking exemptions, and how to make sure they are treated fairly and equally.

U.S. officials say they believe Iran was behind the drone attack last week at the military outpost in southern Syria where American troops are based.

Former President Donald Trump struggled during his first year in office to get his nominees confirmed in a timely fashion in the Senate.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has underlined Washington’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity during a visit to the country.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was remembered Monday for helping shape American diplomacy.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was remembered Monday for helping shape American diplomacy.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has signed an agreement to continue American support for Georgia's military for six years.

The U.S. Defense Department says it is committed to offering condolence payments to relatives of the 10 people who were killed in an errant U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August.

Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost has became only the second woman to lead one of the Pentagon’s 11 so-called combatant commands that spearhead the military’s worldwide operations.

Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost on Friday became only the second woman to lead one of the Pentagon's 11 so-called combatant commands, the multi-service organizations that spearhead U.S. military operations around the world. At a change-of-command ceremony at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin applauded Van Ovost's historic rise to lead U.S. Transportation Command. “We need every Jackie Van Ovost we can get,” Austin, a retired Army general, said.

The family of Raymond T.

A new Pentagon climate plan calls for incorporating the realities of a hotter, harsher Earth at every level in the U.S. military.

Bagram Air Base was a key base of operations for the US and its coalition partners until the US military left it in early July.

Most people in the U.S. want to see Afghans who worked with Americans in the Afghanistan war offered refuge in the United States.

The generals acknowledged America’s “strategic failure” in its longest war, and their differences with Biden.

The number of military suicides jumped by 15% in 2020, fueled by significant increases in the Army and Marine Corps that senior leaders said were troubling and require more effort to prevent.

Senior Pentagon officials say the collapse of the Afghan government and its security forces in August could be traced to a 2020 U.S. agreement with the Taliban that promised a complete U.S. troop withdrawal.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley are scheduled to appear before the House Armed Services Committee to review the war in Afghanistan.

Pentagon leaders batted away criticism from lawmakers that the military's colossal 17-day humanitarian evacuation from Afghanistan was overall unsuccessful.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did acknowledge shortcomings in the final airlift from Hamid Karzai International Airport that began Aug. 14.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did acknowledge shortcomings in the final airlift from Hamid Karzai International Airport that began Aug. 14.

The U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan goes under the microscope on Tuesday as Pentagon leaders testify before the lawmakers.

Senators are expected to grill Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the chairman of the Joint chiefs and the head of Central Command about the Afghanistan pullout.

President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan is traveling to Saudi Arabia.

Gen. Mark Milley has been the target of more political intrigue in two years as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff than any of his recent predecessors were in four.

The U.S. has built many layers of protection against attack, and toughness doesn’t require perpetual military conflict.

Plans include establishing special-victim prosecutors, bringing on sexual assault prevention workers and hiring response coordinators and advocates.

The top U.S. military officer is holding talks with his Russian counterpart in Finland.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a senior-level review of the Central Command investigation that determined that 10 Afghan civilians were mistakenly killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul on Aug. 29.

The National Guard troops will only deploy upon the request of the Capitol Police and will help man entry points to the Capitol complex.

Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a memo that a number of defense staff have reported "sudden and troubling sensory events."

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin tells reporters in Kuwait that "The nature of al-Qaida and (the Islamic State group) is they will always attempt to find space to grow and regenerate."

Despite dismay about China, countries aren't saying "well, China bad, US good. We're all pro-America now," one expert told Insider.

Emily Brearley says the military didn't keep her safe — they promoted her partner instead.

This is the first departure by land from Afghanistan facilitated by the State Department since the U.S. military withdrawal was completed at the end of August.

This is the first departure by land from Afghanistan facilitated by the State Department since the U.S. military withdrawal was completed at the end of August.

Zak Khogyani fled Afghanistan with his parents when he was 9. When the Pentagon called on commercial airlines to support evacuation efforts, he asked to be a part of the mission.

General Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave their first press briefing since the last American troops left Afghanistan.

The last American plane left Afghanistan at 3:29 p.m. ET on Monday.

Major General Chris Donahue, commander of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, was one of the commanders on the ground running the evacuation mission.

Austin and Milley "should have recommended against this dangerous withdrawal in the strongest possible terms," the group said.

Major General Chris Donahue, commander of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, was one of the commanders on the ground running the evacuation mission.

President Joe Biden postponed a meeting with Israeli PM Naftali Bennett and canceled an event with governors to focus on the attacks at the Kabul airport.

The Defense Department has added the vaccine to the list of required shots troops must get to serve in the military.

Austin had said earlier this month that he'd require service members to be vaccinated either upon FDA approval or by mid-September with a waiver from Biden.

The move comes following the FDA giving full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

The move comes following the FDA giving full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

David Martin reports on the new efforts being put forth to address inequality in the military, this time under the watch of the country's first Black Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed “incidents” of Taliban violence against Americans heading to the Kabul airport to flee Afghanistan.

The military is asking for 18 airplanes, but says the passenger jets will not fly into or out of Kabul. Instead, they'll be used to ferry passengers from temporary safe havens outside of Afghanistan.

The U.S. military is considering “creative ways” to get Americans and others into the Kabul airport for evacuation from Afghanistan amid “acute” security threats, Biden administration officials said, and the Pentagon on Sunday ordered six U.S. commercial airlines to help move evacuees from temporary sites outside of Afghanistan. At the one-week mark since the Taliban completed its takeover of the country, the U.S.-directed airlift from Kabul continued Sunday even as U.S. officials expressed growing concern about the threat from the Islamic State group. President Joe Biden met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other members of his national security team to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, the White House said., and planned to provide a public update on Afghanistan later in the day.

The airlines will not fly directly to Afghanistan.

The next time President Biden takes questions from reporters, he'll be asked what he didn't know and why he didn't know it. Why it matters: Assurances Biden gave at a news conference on Friday about security around the Kabul airport were contradicted within minutes by network reporters on the ground — and later by his own administration. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.Biden said "we have no indication" that American citizens are having trouble getting