Four Iraqi commandos at the base were among those awarded medals by Defense Secretary Ash Carter during his visit earlier this month. David Welna/NPR hide caption
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
Stories About
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Army Gen. John Nicholson speak at a news conference during Carter's farewell visit to Afghanistan. Robert Burns/AP hide caption
U.S. Army Capt. Gerrard Spinney (right) speaks to his Iraqi army counterpart from the Ninawa Operations Command prior to a security meeting at Camp Swift, Iraq, earlier this month. 1st Lt. Daniel Johnson/AP hide caption
Defense Secretary Ash Carter, shown here at his Pentagon office in February, said the attempted coup in Turkey last week caught everyone by surprise. But he does not believe it will harm the battle against the Islamic State in Syria. The U.S. uses an air base in Turkey to launch strikes against ISIS. Ariel Zambelich / NPR hide caption
Defense Secretary: Turkey's Turmoil Shouldn't Harm Battle Against ISIS
Defense Secretary Ash Carter announces new rules allowing transgender individuals to serve openly in the U.S. military, during a news conference at the Pentagon on Thursday. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption
Sgt. Kelly Brown puts her weapon over her shoulder at the Marine base at Twentynine Palms, Calif., in March. On Thursday, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced that women would be allowed to serve in combat jobs. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption
Defense Secretary Ash Carter testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington earlier this month. In an interview on CNN Sunday, Carter complained that Iraqi forces lacked "the will to fight" the self-declared Islamic State. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP hide caption