National Security

A drone takes its first flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California in February. In the near future, drones could be used outside of the military for things like traffic helicopters or flying jumbo jets. Alan Radecki/AP hide caption

National Guard members train at the Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center in Camp Atterbury, Ind., in this file photo from 2010. Sgt. William Hill/AP hide caption

When it was first founded in 1942 to help build the atomic bomb, Oak Ridge, Tenn. was a military reservation. Now, the city is a world-renowned center for nuclear research and the destination for tons of German nuclear waste. AP hide caption

The new Automated Target Recognition software eliminates passenger-specific images and replaces them with generic outlines. Courtesy of Transportation Security Administration hide caption

A soldier participates in a military exercise conducted by Georgians and U.S. Marines together on Friday. As the U.S. faces cuts to military spending, it's hoping to share more of its defense burden with European allies. Shakh Aivazov/AP hide caption

The size of the Marine Corps could be reduced with the withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, as the Pentagon focuses its resources on other types of threats, like cyberattacks. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

This image provided by IntelCenter on Feb. 28, 2010, shows Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi in a posthumous video message posted on extremist websites. The al-Qaida double agent killed seven CIA operatives when he set off the 30-pound bomb strapped to his body at a fortified base in Afghanistan near the Pakistani border in December 2009. AP/IntelCenter hide caption

The leader of this Miami Mosque, shown May 14, has been accused of financing terrorism in Pakistan. He has pleaded not guilty. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

Afghan National Army soldier Mohammed Shadwar gets a bird's-eye view from the rooftop of a mud-walled compound during a joint clearing operation in Helmand province, Afghanistan. As the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan changes, there's a question of whether U.S. policy will shift from one that supports building up Afghan national security forces to one focused on targeting insurgents. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

Glenn Carle served for 23 years in the Clandestine Services of the Central Intelligence Agency. Sally J. Carle hide caption