Jacqueline Klimas

Yemen evacuation will toughen fight against al Qaeda: Pentagon

A Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday that evacuating all U.S. military personnel from Yemen will make it more difficult to combat terrorism in the region.

March 24, 2015

VA to change Choice Card 40-mile criteria to driving distance, not straight line

The VA said Tuesday that it will change the distance criteria for the Choice Card program after facing months of criticism from lawmakers and veterans.

March 24, 2015

Ashraf Ghani, Afghan president, unlikely to sway Obama on troop drawdown, experts say

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will visit the White House on Tuesday to make the case for keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but analysts say the president is unlikely to budge on ending U.S. involvement in 2016.

March 23, 2015

Ashraf Ghani, Afghan president, thanks U.S. troops for sacrifices in first visit to D.C.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani thanked U.S. troops Tuesday for their service in Afghanistan and said they have helped to train a country that can defend itself against terrorism.

March 23, 2015

Mac Thornberry’s defense acquisition reform aims to cut paperwork, empower managers

Rep. Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services, will unveil Monday his plan to cut paperwork and increase accountability in the defense acquisition process.

March 22, 2015

Afghan President Ghani seeks ‘new chapter’ in U.S. relations with D.C. visit

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will visit Washington next week for the first time since his election to meet with administration officials and mark a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries.

March 20, 2015

Military sexual assault services may neglect men: report

The military has worked to eliminate sexual assault within the ranks in recent years, but a report released Thursday found that it may be neglecting a large group of survivors — men.

March 19, 2015

Integrating women into combat reduces effectiveness, harms unit cohesion: report

As the military completes testing to open combat positions to women, critics say that lawmakers and defense officials are ignoring reports that suggest integrating women into ground warfare would reduce effectiveness in battle and harm unit cohesion.

March 19, 2015

ICC should prosecute Islamic State for genocide, war crimes: U.N. report

The United Nations urged the International Criminal Court to prosecute the Islamic State for a series of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide against the Yezidi community.

March 19, 2015

Adan Garar, mastermind of Nairobi Westgate Mall attack, killed by U.S. drone

The mastermind behind the Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi, Kenya, has been killed by a U.S. drone strike, Pentagon officials confirmed Wednesday.

March 18, 2015

Special forces operator killed in parachute training

A sailor assigned to a special operations unit died Wednesday from injuries sustained during parachute training.

March 18, 2015

Ashton Carter: Sequestration could threaten homeland, must be undone for entire government

As the Islamic State continues to metastasize in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter warned lawmakers Wednesday that cutting the Pentagon's budget could lead to serious threats to the nation's homeland and urged members to find a solution to sequestration for the entire government.

March 18, 2015

Sequestration cuts put American lives in danger, military chiefs say

Military service chiefs warned Tuesday that American lives will be at greater risk if lawmakers refuse to lift the sequestration cuts set to take full effect in fiscal 2016, reiterating concerns that top defense lawmakers say they already take seriously.

March 17, 2015

Joseph Dunford: Defense Dept. approved decision to evacuate Yemen unarmed

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford told lawmakers Tuesday that officials in Washington approved a controversial order for Marines to destroy their weapons while evacuating Yemen last month.

March 17, 2015

Sequestration will put American lives in danger, military chiefs warn

Military service chiefs warned Tuesday that American lives will be at greater risk if lawmakers refuse to lift the sequestration cuts set to take full effect in fiscal 2016.

March 17, 2015

VA refusing to comply with Congress on transparency, reforms, lawmakers say

Lawmakers slammed the Veterans Affairs Department on Monday night for refusing to comply with Congressional requests, saying that the department needs to be more open to committee oversight if it ever hopes to regain trust among members and veterans after last year's wait-list scandal.

March 16, 2015

Mac Thornberry: Members have ‘moved past’ Obama’s AUMF

The head of the House Armed Services Committee said Monday that many in Congress have already given up on the president's proposal to fight the Islamic State and are ready to start from scratch on their own war authorization.

March 16, 2015

Veterans Affairs problems wait for improvement, Congress prime-time hearing will reveal

The troubled VA is still struggling to find its footing and even get a grip on the problems, a congressional committee will hear Monday in a prime-time hearing as lawmakers take stock of the department nearly a year after whistleblowers exposed bureaucratic bungling and veterans dying while waiting for care.

March 15, 2015

Pope Francis visit goes ‘above and beyond’ budget: Capitol police

Capitol security leaders said Thursday that they will not have enough money in fiscal 2015 to provide protection for the pope's visit to Congress later this year, saying the event could cause them to "take a hit financially."

March 12, 2015

Ashton Carter: Islamic State ‘metastasizing,’ U.S. intervention desperately needed

The Islamic State is "metastasizing" outside of Syria and Iraq, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Wednesday, urging Congress to quickly grant President Obama war authority without any limits on where the U.S. could strike terrorists.

March 11, 2015