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BASRA AIR STATION — A Royal Air Force officer at Basra Air Station in southern Iraq is used to anchoring oil rigs to the ocean floor, but he’s spent the last two months patching up soldiers and airmen at this large British base near the Persian Gulf. Flight. Lt. Paul Andrews switched from a role as troubleshooter on oil rigs to being a military doctor, applying his trade on the front-lines. He just finished a two-month assignment at a medical center at Basra Air Station, gaining promotion to squadron leader at the same time. Andrews, who joined the RAF in...

AR Wildlife Officers Demoted For Illegal Hunting E-mail This Article Printable Version The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission says two Arkansas wildlife officers have been demoted for illegal hunting turkeys without a license in Tennessee. Game and Fish Director Scott Henderson said that Major Jerry D."Chuck" Woodson, assistant chief of enforcement for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and Wade Spence were demoted. Spence, a six-year game and fish veteran, was named Wildlife Officer of the Year in 2003 by the National Wild Turkey Federation. The illegal hunting reportedly happened in April, but it wasn't reported until July 12th. Woodson...

SAN FRANCISCO Three robbery suspects who were allegedly inside a van that crashed and killed a city police officer during a chase were charged with murder Thursday, and a fourth was being held on suspicion of murder. Steven Wayne Petrilli, 19, of Hayward; Carl Lather, 20; and Nicholas Smith, 22; also were charged with manslaughter, evading police and robbery, according to the San Francisco District Attorney's office. Jessica Chamberlain, 20, who also was a passenger in the van, was arrested but not yet charged. Police are still trying to determine why officer Nick-Tomasito Birco, 39, joined in Wednesday's pursuit of...

U.S. Army Capt. Demechel Robinson Supply Officer Enjoys Helping People By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Nikki Prodromos 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment TIKRIT, Iraq, July 25, 2006 -- U.S. Army Capt. Demechel Robinson likes helping people. From her job as the assistant S-4 of Operations, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division to her involvement in many charitable organizations, she spends most of her time giving something back. Robinson helps bring the 3rd Brigade Combat Team troops on the ground their medical supplies, water, food, ammunition, and other necessities by providing an accurate and continuous picture of the brigadeÂ’s...

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2006 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld hosted China's senior military officer here today to build on the growing U.S.-China military relationship and discuss issues of mutual interest, including North Korea. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace (left) and Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld (second from left) meet with Gen. Guo Boxiong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China at the Pentagon July 18. Photo by Staff Sgt. Gary Hilliard, USA   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Gen. Guo Boxiong, vice chairman of...

SAN DIEGO - A former military intelligence officer was sentenced Monday to a year in federal prison for helping a convicted arms trafficker export parts for jet fighters and other aircraft that were ultimately destined for Iran. George Charles Budenz II, a retired Navy commander, pleaded guilty in November to three counts of illegally exporting engine parts for F-5 fighters, T-38 military trainers and Chinook helicopters to Malaysia and Belgium on behalf of Pakistani arms dealer Arif Ali Durrani. In court, Budenz called Durrani a "lying snake" who took advantage of him at a time of personal and financial distress....

Duluth police issued a citation Thursday night after watching a live contortionist onstage at a troubled historic theater — an act the officer says violated a new state law on adult entertainment. The citation was issued on the only recent night that adult entertainment was offered at the NorShor Theatre in downtown Duluth. "We're back to being just a bar for now,'' said Jim Gradishar, a Duluth adult bookstore owner who also is managing the bar business in the NorShor, which is owned by Duluth physician Eric Ringsred. Gradishar said he believed the Thursday night act was not in violation...

SAN DIEGO – A San Diego-based Coast Guard petty officer is one of the 50 hottest bachelors named by People magazine in its issue released Friday. Petty Officer 2nd Class Josh Miramontez, 25, is one of just five non-celebrities on the list, Coast Guard public affairs officer Anastasia Devlin said. “They did a celebrity thing, but five of the 50 were rescuers nationwide,” Devlin said. “They took in a lot of pictures and his was selected.” Miramontez is deserving of the honor, Devlin said. “Oh, yes. He looks a little Italian. The tall, dark and handsome type,” she said. While...

For two years, Troy Greene pushed ahead with a probe that authorities say ultimately crippled a violent, drug-dealing street gang on St. Paul's West Side. The St. Paul police officer saw his efforts recognized today when he won the Minnesota Peace Officer of the Year Award during a ceremony in Alexandria. Greene led a local and federal task force that landed indictments against 26 gang members and drug dealers earlier this year. The award comes from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association.

An Army officer who was born and raised in Honolulu is refusing to go with his unit to Iraq because he says the basis of the war is illegal and immoral. 27-year-old First Lieutenant Ehren Watada is with the Stryker unit out of Fort Lewis, Washington. Watada is the son of former state Campaign Spending Commission executive director Bob Watada. "I feel that we have been lied to and betrayed by this administration," Watada said Tuesday in a telephone interview with the Seattle Times from Fort Lewis. "It is the duty, the obligation of every soldier, and specifically the officers,...

SEATTLE - As thousands of Fort Lewis Army troops prepare to head back to Iraq, one of their officers is making a stand. A lieutenant says he is going to refuse to go, saying it's an unjust war. Anti-war groups are rallying to his defense. Lt. Ehren Watada of the Stryker Brigade writes, "I refuse to be silent any longer. I refuse to watch families torn apart, while the President tells us to ‘stay the course.’ I refuse to be party to an illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to deserve our aggression. "I wanted to be...

<p>Federal prosecutors investigating the confrontation between Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia and a Capitol police officer have been talking privately with McKinney's office in hopes of resolving the case without the spectacle of an indictment and trial, the ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION reports on Wednesday.</p>

Polish woman sub lieutenant accused of harassment 06.06.2006 A woman sub lieutenant has been accused of the harassment of 11 soldiers in the 55th chemical defense company. Report from our Gdansk correspondant, Halina Bykowska A Polish Navy prosecutor has launched a thorough investigation. The woman lieutenant has been accused of having committed eleven offences. No women soldiers, serving in the Polish Navy, have been taken to court before on this sort of charge. A prosecutor was shaking his head in disbelief. The woman sub lieutenant used to order her soldiers to perform heavy physical exercises and to learn how to...

A Marine captain who was relieved of command after members of his battalion allegedly shot and killed civilians in Haditha, Iraq, said he became a "political casualty" as senior commanders at Camp Pendleton scrambled to defuse an explosive situation. "It makes my blood boil to see my name lumped in with this massacre, when I was in a different city not playing any role in this incident," Capt. James Kimber told The Associated Press. Kimber, 33, of Fountain Hills, Ariz., was one of three officers relieved of command last month and reassigned to new duties for what the Marines said...

Officer accused of strangling pullout protestor Border Guard officer accused of assaulting protestor during settlers' demonstration at Kissufim checkpoint in July 2005; according to indictment, 'officer held plaintiff by his neck with two hands, squeezed his throat, chocked him' Shmulik Hadad The Police Investigation Unit has filed an indictment against Yaniv Reuveni, a 28-year-old Border Guard officer from the southern town of Kiryat Gat. The officer was accused of attacking a Gush Katif resident during the evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements as part of the disengagement, Ynet learned Wednesday. According to the indictment, which accuses the officer of assault, was...

A Chicago Police officer roughed up a parking ticket supervisor last week, the supervisor alleged, arresting her and throwing her into a police wagon when she refused to void a ticket on an officer's car. The alleged victim, Jackie Fegan of the city's Traffic Management Authority, plans to sue the city, her lawyer said. She wept Friday as she described the incident, in which four officers allegedly took part. "They were hurting me. They wouldn't stop," Fegan said. "It's unreal. One minute I'm working, and the next minute I'm being hauled off and hurt and thrown into a paddy wagon."

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (May 25, 2006) -- Marines from 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division gathered in front of the regiment’s headquarters as four Bronze Stars were awarded May 19. Lt. Col. Richard O. Miles Jr., executive officer for Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division, received his award for meritorious achievement in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from February 2005 to February 2006 in Fallujah, Iraq. The Bronze Star is given for valor and meritorious service and is the nation’s fourth highest distinction. “As the executive officer I see and hear almost everything that goes on....

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (May 25, 2006) -- Marines from 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division gathered in front of the regiment’s headquarters as four Bronze Stars were awarded, May 19. Maj. Toby G. Dyer, logistics officer for Regimental Combat Team-8, 2nd Marine Division, received his award for meritorious achievement in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from July 2005 to February 2006 in Fallujah, Iraq. “It’s an honor to receive something that commemorates the hard work of my Marines,” said Dyer, a Seattle native. The Bronze Star is given for valor and meritorious service and is the nation’s...

MARINE CORPS RECRUITING STATION PITTSBURGH (May 17, 2006) -- In a recent ceremony held in a room full of friends, family, and members of his former Camp Lejeune, North Carolina-based Marine unit, 1st Lt. Raymond G. Baronie, was honored with a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, with combat “V” for Valor, for his courageous actions while deployed to Iraq. Baronie, a native of Lower Burrell, PA and 2002 graduate of Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA, served in Iraq with the Marine Corps’ 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force as a liaison officer between the newly created Iraqi Security Forces and the...

Officer, Gunman Dead After AttackFAIRFAX, Va. -- Michael Kennedy of Centreville, Va., fired at least 70 rounds as he walked through Sully District Police Station parking lot Monday afternoon, killing one officer and critically wounding another in a shootout with police. "It looks to us that he was looking for as many victims as he could find," said Maj. Bob Callahan, commander of the Criminal Investigations Bureau of the Fairfax County Police Department, during an 11 a.m. news conference. Callahan says Kennedy, 18, was armed with five pistols, an AK-47-style assault weapon and a long-barreled high powered hunting rifle as...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (April 19, 2006) -- He stood in front of the American and Marine Corps colors while fellow Marines and friends watched as he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal. He received this award April 13 from 2nd Marine Division’s commanding general, Maj. Gen. Richard A. Huck, during a ceremony here. Maj. Patrick M. McGee, who served as the Division Assistant Air Officer in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, from February 2005 to February 2006, received his award for meritorious achievement in coordinating thousands of air assault and support missions. “Patrick is a fine air officer and...

LONDON (AFP) - A senior British military officer, who worked in Baghdad in 2004, believes US generals try to act like gung-ho movie stars such as John Wayne, a newspaper reported. Brigadier Alan Sharp made the comments in an academic report on Britain's influence on US foreign relations, The Daily Telegraph said. The 46-year-old, who worked alongside the US military in Baghdad, said there was a "strong streak of Hollywood" among American officers. He said an important part to being a success in the US army was the ability to combine the "real and acted heroics" of Audie Murphy, a...

Days ago, Cynthia McKinney was a heroine to local Democrats because she was standing up for disenfranchised voters everywhere. The controversial congresswoman from Georgia was even worthy of taking center stage at a rally at one of area's most identifiable events: the Sarasota Film Festival. But that was before McKinney was accused of striking a Capitol police officer and became this week's target for late-night comedians. Now, Democrats are doing everything they can to distance themselves from McKinney, including canceling the rally. It wasn't public pressure that caused the cancellation, said Democratic Party Chairman Henry Bright. It was the fact...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Army News Service, April 5, 2006) – The U.S. Army NASCAR racing team has played host to hundreds of dignitaries, VIPs and generals over the past several years, but this past Sunday they spent some time with an army officer who has combined talent, leadership and educational pursuits to achieve success both in and out of the army. Capt.-promotable Rose Lopez-Keravuori, who also happens to be the reigning 2005 Mrs. Virginia, was a guest of the U.S. Army team at Sunday's DIRECTV 500 Nextel Cup race. It was the first NASCAR race for Keravuori, who was crowned Mrs....

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (March 30, 2006) -- Many reservists volunteer to join the military knowing that at anytime they can be activated. No matter what, they are trained and ready to join the fight at a moment’s notice. For one dentist with 2nd Dental Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, joining the fight meant giving up his private dental practice, but serving a nation he felt indebted to was more important to him. Lieutenant Cmdr. Chat Pongsugree, born in Bangkok, Thailand, came to America in 1980 in search of a better future. “This country is the greatest country...

A Shelbyville police officer shot and killed a man who allegedly fired a handgun toward him late Saturday afternoon. The victim, Fermin Estrada, 48, of Shelbyville died instantly of a gunshot wound to the head, Chief Austin Swing said. Family members said Estrada, a longtime Shelbyville resident and owner of a Belmont Avenue bakery, was escorting visitors around the property and insisted he had not fired toward the officers. Officer James Wilkerson, a 15-year veteran of the force, had ordered Estrada to stop before firing the shot, Swing said. Police had been called to Cedar River Road, in the Shelbyville...

FORT HUACHUCA — The first Iraqi officer to attend training on this post starts classes Monday. The officer has been on the post this week preparing for the Military Intelligence Captain’s Career Course, said Lt. Col. Brian Clark. The Iraqi will be one of 14 foreign officers in the class, and he is the first of six Iraqis scheduled to go through training on Fort Huachuca this year, said Clark, commander of the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion. The battalion provides training for hundreds of U.S. Army officers, as well as more than 200 foreign officers a year. The name and...

At a forward operating location, U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Nikita Belikov troubleshoots a laptop computer with a co-worker. At age 11, the lieutenant and his mother emigrated to the United States to seek a better life.  U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Doug Nicodemus U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Nikita Belikov Air Force Officer Left Russia for U.S. at Age 11 By Master Sgt. Scott King 40th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Feb. 22, 2006 — “It was really a no-brainer,� he said. “There was literally no future for me besides the obligatory, two-year...

A memorial illustration for Trooper Steven R. Smith of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2006 – Terrorists killed an Iraqi army major and his son during an attack in the Taji area today, and wounded several Iraqi police officers elsewhere in separate incidents yesterday, officials in Baghdad reported today. Remains of the slain Iraqis were taken to a Baghdad hospital. Iraqi authorities are investigating the incident. In Iraq's Nasir district, several police officers were injured and three suspected terrorists were detained in connection with a spate of bombings yesterday. Police officers wounded in the three separate attacks were taken to a local hospital for further treatment and are listed in fair...

U.S. Air Force Capt. LeeAnn Roberts instructs Iraqi trainees and a coalition soldier on proper firing techniques at the Al Kasik Training Base firing range, Iraq, Jan. 30, 2006. She is the first female coalition military assistance training team instructor assigned to the base, and the only female out of 8,000 assigned personnel. U.S. Air Force photo U.S. Air Force Capt. LeeAnn Roberts Female Officer Overcomes Cultural Challenge to Train Iraqis By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Mark Woodbury Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq Public Affairs AL KASIK, Iraq, Feb. 13, 2006 — For one U.S. Air Force captain, breaking...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- A former soldier injured in Iraq is getting a refund after being forced to pay for his missing body armor vest, which medics destroyed because it was soaked with his blood, officials said Wednesday. First Lt. William "Eddie" Rebrook IV, 25, had to leave the Army with a shrapnel injury to his arm. But before he could be discharged last week, he says he had to scrounge up cash from his buddies to pay $632 for the body armor and other gear he had lost. Rebrook, who graduated from West Point with honors, said he was...

MARINE CORPS RECRUITING STATION DENVER (Feb. 8, 2006) -- Making the transition from enlisted Marine to warrant officer is something that many Marines often dream of, but rarely act on. However, Chief Warrant Officer Thomas W. Walker, formerly a gunnery sergeant, has long established himself as a leader. He now looks forward to his next steps as an officer of Marines. “The Corps offers many bittersweet moments and this is one of them,” said Master Sgt. Al Matthews, assistant recruiter instructor for RS Denver. “I hate to see him go. He was an outstanding NCOIC and recruiter who, as a...

FORT CARSON, Colo. (Jan. 24) - A military jury recommended a simple reprimand Monday for an Army officer who killed an Iraqi general by stuffing him headfirst into a sleeping bag and sitting on his chest during an interrogation. As soldiers applauded in the courtroom, Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Welshofer Jr. hugged his wife after hearing the surprisingly light sentence, which will be reviewed by Fort Carson's commander, Maj. Gen. Robert W. Mixon. The commander cannot order a harsher sentence, defense attorney Frank Spinner said. Welshofer, 43, was charged with murder, but was convicted over the weekend of negligent homicide...

SIERRA VISTA — Doug Bugeaud says the United States is his second favorite country. Naturally, his first favorite is his home country — Canada. But it appears some people take offense to the Canadian Forces major flying his nation’s red and white Maple Leaf flag in front of his Sierra Vista home. His vehicle has been the target of a number of eggings, and he has received a couple of letters about flying the Canadian flag, as well as being the subject of an On Your Mind comment in the Herald/Review. During the Christmas holidays, his in-laws from Canada visited,...

FREMONT, Calif. -- A pack of angry Chihuahuas attacked a police officer who was escorting a teenager home after a traffic stop, authorities said. The officer suffered minor injuries, including bites to his ankle, Detective Bill Veteran said.

FLINT, Mich. -- The city has offered a police officer accused of staging his own shooting $72,000 to leave the force.

view low speed video view hi speed videoWSBT) An Osceola police officer is on the wrong side of the law. Officer Ronald Lusk faces two felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor. The allegations involve sexual acts with a 15-year-old girl. In court Monday the judge entered a not guilty plea to the charges on Lusk’s behalf. Court documents say Lusk initially denied having any sexual contact with the girl, who was 15 at the time. Lusk later admitted that he had engaged in sexual conduct with the girl beginning in the early summer of this year. He told...

First Iraqi Cadet Class Wraps Up Officer Training The group is the first class to complete the basic officer training course under the new Iraqi army. By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Mark Woodbury Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 12, 2005 — The Iraqi army will mark another first this week with the expected graduation of 77 cadets at the Iraqi Military Academy at Ar Rustamiyah. The group is the first class to complete the basic officer training course under the new Iraqi army. The 42-week course focuses on developing leaders of soldiers from all backgrounds and...

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Dec. 2, 2005) -- “ He led from the front,” said 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment Bn. commander Lt. Col. Craig S. Kaczynski during Capt. Patrick M. Rapicault’s Silver Star ceremony Dec. 2. Rapicault assumed command of Weapons Company, 2nd Bn. 5th Marines during his deployment to Iraq while they were in contact with the enemy on 24 September 2004. As company commander, Rapicault led his Marines through 50 firefights and 27 improvised explosive device ambushes between the time he took command of the unit and until he was killed Nov. 15, 2004. For...

DALLAS — A newlywed police officer was killed early Sunday by a suspect he was chasing on foot, authorities said. Officer Brian Jackson and another officer went to investigate a disturbance complaint and chased a male suspect through alleys and between houses, Police Chief David Kunkle said. During the chase, the man fired at the officers, fatally wounding Jackson, Kunkle said. The suspect, Juan Lizcano, 28, was charged with one count of capital murder and was in police custody. Jackson, 28, was a five-year veteran of the Dallas police force and had previously served with the New York Police Department,...

French police turn on Chirac as officer jailed By Kim Willsher in Paris and Henry Samuel in Bobigny (Filed: 13/11/2005) After 16 nights battling urban violence by rioters, Jacques Chirac's government is confronting angry new protests - from the police themselves. Firefighters extinguish a burning car in Strasbourg Officers at the forefront of attempts to control the wave of riots and arson attacks across France are furious at moves to prosecute policemen accused of assaulting a youth. As officers were deployed in force in Paris yesterday following a call on weblogs for a mass demonstration, the police union described the...

More than just a branch of America’s armed forces, the modern U.S. Marine Corps serves as a model that other military forces worldwide have attempted to emulate, with varying degrees of success. Marines are aware of this, and justifiably proud. But that pride has not always been conducive to working and playing well with others.

No matter where Marines are serving, from the Pentagon and Marine Barracks in Washington, to the loneliest outposts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marines will stop, shake hands, say happy birthday, sing the Marines' Hymn and, if it is available, have a piece of cake. It doesn't matter to us if its an elaborate cake from some big hotel, a smaller cake from the great cooks aboard ship, or a cookie from an MRE, we're going to celebrate!

KENTWOOD IN THE PINES – An airborne wild turkey struck a motorcyclist on state Route 79 yesterday. Two turkeys were walking across southbound Route 79 near Royal Drive about 11:15 a.m., said Officer Brian Pennings of the California Highway Patrol. One turkey began to fly and struck a southbound motorcyclist in the chest. The impact caused the rider of the 2001 Harley Davidson Softail to cross into the northbound lanes and go into an embankment. The 56-year-old man hit a manzanita bush and rolled over twice. He was thrown from the motorcycle and suffered abrasions to the right side of...

Like the exploits of 21st-century special operators – including U.S. Navy SEALs, Army Delta soldiers, Force Recon Marines, Air Force commandos, and CIA paramilitary operatives – stories of men like Ortiz are rarely gleaned from books, newspapers, and magazines. Their incredibly dangerous work often goes unseen and is thankless.

BROWNSVILLE — A 43-year-old Harlingen man was sentenced to 50 years in prison Saturday for assaulting a police officer with burning gasoline. Jurors deliberated four hours on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning before settling on the penalty for Sergio Daniel Gonzales. The same jury found Gonzales guilty of two counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer and one count of evading arrest. Carlos Ramos, 36, was splashed with gasoline and burned Oct. 4, 2004, while responding to a domestic violence call at the Gonzales home. A second officer also was burned, though not as seriously.

Third officer this year to face charges; Johnson accused of molesting girl, 15 A Columbus police officer was charged Saturday night with sexually abusing a teenage girl. Bruce Anthony Johnson, 41, of 1050 Farr Road, was charged with aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, statutory rape, enticing a child for indecent purposes and two counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor. He is scheduled to appear in court this morning. Columbus Police Chief Ricky Boren said the investigation began Friday afternoon, and the allegations involved a 15-year-old girl. "We started the investigation Friday afternoon, and the investigation continued until Saturday evening...

Photos Show Moments Before Officer Shot By OPD Apparent Badge Seen Around Jenkins' Neck ORLANDO, Fla. -- Photos snapped by a University of Central Florida grad student captured campus officer Mario Jenkins with his gun drawn and an apparent police badge hanging around his neck moments before he was mistakenly shot and killed by an Orlando police officer. Jenkins, an officer who had been working with state Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco agents to curb underage drinking, died after being shot Saturday outside the Citrus Bowl by a retired Orlando police officer working on reserve status. Witnesses said Jenkins...

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A man who bilked companies out of tens of millions of dollars in equipment by pretending he was recruiting business for a secret NATO project was sentenced to 80 months in prison. Errol Anthony Marsden, listed in court papers as Jourdan Mars, had pleaded guilty in March to a count of wire fraud in a plea agreement with prosecutors. He said at his sentencing Friday that his actions were unacceptable. "At the time, I was not a rational person," the British national said. "For the first time in my life, I see the consequences," One of...