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Tuesday

Here Are The 24 Heroic Stories Behind Today's Medals Of Honor

Vietnam veterans Melvin Morris (center), Jose Rodela (obscured) and Santiago J. Erevia (left) received the Medal of Honor from President Obama at the White House on Thursday. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Win McNamee/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Here Are The 24 Heroic Stories Behind Today's Medals Of Honor

At the White House, the nation's highest honor for valor in action went to 24 men — three of whom are still alive. Most were Jewish or Hispanic and had been unfairly passed over.

Monday

Pentagon Budget-Cutting Plans Sure To Draw Flak
Mark Wilson/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Pentagon Budget-Cutting Plans Sure To Draw Flak

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel proposes cutting the size of the Army and taking steps that trim military pay and benefit costs. "We must now adapt, innovate and make difficult decisions," he says.

On 'Morning Edition': NPR's Tom Bowman talks with host David Greene about the Pentagon's budget problems

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Tuesday

Soldiers' 'Fun' Photo With Flag-Draped Coffin Sparks Outrage

The photo that has offended many. The soldier responsible for posting it on Instagram has been suspended and an investigation has begun. Wisconsin National Guard Facebook page hide caption

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Wisconsin National Guard Facebook page

The Two-Way

Soldiers' 'Fun' Photo With Flag-Draped Coffin Sparks Outrage

A soldier from the Wisconsin National Guard posted a photo of herself and other solders joking around. Social media have erupted with complaints about disrespect.

Wednesday

Democrats Clash In Military Sexual Assault Debate

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (center) and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill (right) are at odds over the best way to respond to military sexual assaults. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

It's All Politics

Democrats Clash In Military Sexual Assault Debate

Democratic Sens. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York are at odds over whether military commanders should retain control over pursuing prosecution in sexual assault cases.

Thursday

Friday

Tuesday

Wednesday

U.S. Military Lingo: The (Almost) Definitive Guide

U.S. soldiers look at a crane that tipped over while trying to move a CHU, or Containerized Housing Unit, at a small COP, or Combat Outpost, in southern Afghanistan. A dozen years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan have created a whole new military vocabulary. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

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David Gilkey/NPR

Parallels

U.S. Military Lingo: The (Almost) Definitive Guide

GlobalPost

What's a fobbit? How about rumint? And then there's a self-licking ice cream cone. A dozen years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq have spawned a whole new military vocabulary.

Wednesday

Soaring Personnel Costs Threaten Readiness, Hagel Warns

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Soaring Personnel Costs Threaten Readiness, Hagel Warns

In an interview, the Pentagon chief says adjustments need to be made soon so that spending on health care, retirement benefits and related programs don't leave the nation with "a military that's heavily compensated, but probably a force that's not capable and not ready."

On 'Morning Edition': Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel talks with NPR's Steve Inskeep

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Wednesday

U.S. Troops Oppose Striking Syria, Online Survey Suggests

Members of the U.S. Marine Corps listen to President Obama during his visit to Camp Pendleton, Calif., in August. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The Two-Way

U.S. Troops Oppose Striking Syria, Online Survey Suggests

Military Times asked 750 active-duty personnel about whether the U.S. should take action against the Assad regime for its alleged use of chemical weapons. About three-quarters said no. While not scientific, the results do echo what some military personnel have said in interviews.

Wednesday

French Maker Of Military Rafts Gets An American Identity

U.S. Marines with 4th Force Reconnaissance Company slide off F470 Combat Rubber Raiding Crafts during training in Waimanalo, Hawaii. The French company Zodiac has been the U.S. military's choice for inflatable rubber rafts for roughly two decades. Now the company is making the rafts in the U.S. Lance Cpl. Reece E. Lodder/Marine Corps Base Hawaii hide caption

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Lance Cpl. Reece E. Lodder/Marine Corps Base Hawaii

Parallels

French Maker Of Military Rafts Gets An American Identity

Zodiac produces most of the inflatable rafts used by the U.S. military. But a California company challenged that contract, saying it violates a requirement that the Defense Department use products made with American material and by U.S. workers. In response, Zodiac set up a factory in Maryland.

French Maker Of Military Rafts Gets An American Identity

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Thursday

Egypt's Top General And His U.S. Lessons In Democracy

Downtown Cairo is plastered with huge posters of Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the U.S.-trained Egyptian army chief who helped overthrow President Mohammed Morsi. Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters/Landov hide caption

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Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters/Landov

Parallels

Egypt's Top General And His U.S. Lessons In Democracy

Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi led the recent ouster of Egypt's democratically elected president. Seven years earlier, he was a student at the U.S. Army War College and wrote a paper called "Democracy in the Middle East." He's the latest in a series of U.S.-trained military officers to topple a civilian government.

Egypt's Top General And His U.S. Lessons In Democracy

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Friday

U.S. Pacifies An Afghan Village, But Will It Stay That Way?

The Afghan Local Police is a semi-volunteer force. They are minimally paid and minimally trained, and when the Americans leave, they will be left to defend their country on their own. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

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David Gilkey/NPR

Parallels

U.S. Pacifies An Afghan Village, But Will It Stay That Way?

The southern Afghan district of Arghandab has long been a Taliban stronghold, and it took years of fighting for the Americans to reduce the insurgent threat. But with the U.S. leaving, it will be up to the Afghan security forces to maintain control.

U.S. Pacifies An Afghan Village, But Will It Stay That Way?

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Thursday

As The Clock Ticks, U.S. Forces Scale Back Afghan Goals

The gray line in the upper left comes from an aerial view of Afghanistan's crucial Highway 1, the main route between Kabul and Kandahar, the two biggest cities. U.S. forces are still working to secure the route which runs through lush farm valleys and the high desert terrain. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

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David Gilkey/NPR

Parallels

As The Clock Ticks, U.S. Forces Scale Back Afghan Goals

The 12-year U.S. military effort in Afghanistan has sought to drive out extremists and help Afghans rebuild their country. As the American forces prepare to withdraw, the focus is on practical security measures and those ambitious nation-building goals seem to be fading away.

As The Clock Ticks, U.S. Forces Scale Back Afghan Goals

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Friday

There's No Place For Sex Assaults In Military, Obama Says

President Obama delivering the commencement address Friday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Larry Downing/Reuters /Landov hide caption

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Larry Downing/Reuters /Landov

The Two-Way

There's No Place For Sex Assaults In Military, Obama Says

"Those who commit sexual assaults are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that make our military strong," he said in his Naval Academy commencement address. Obama challenged graduates to follow "that inner compass that guides you not when the path is easy and obvious, but when it's hard and uncertain."