Tom Bowman

The U.S. military is being drawn into dangerous flashpoints in the Middle East after Israel invaded Gaza. Iraq faces pressure to expel U.S. forces, which have been attacked by Iran-backed militias.

After Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was mysteriously hospitalized, doctors from Walter Reed National Military Center say he is being treated for prostate cancer.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin waited several days to inform President Biden and members of Congress that he was hospitalized after complications from elective surgery.

In remarks to the Knesset on Monday, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to keep fighting until Israel is victorious. The U.S. is urging Israel to take a more targeted approach and contain the conflict.

In an update to NPR's Taking Cover investigation, a U.S. senator asks for answers from the Marines and an Army soldier, still serving on active duty, has been denied the truth about his war wounds.

The U.S. will be part of a task force to protect ships in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks launched from Yemen. The threat has forced some shipping companies to avoid the area altogether.

U.S. support for Ukraine's war against Russia is fast eroding. Ukraine's Volodymr Zelenskyy visited Washington today to make a last-ditch push for more U.S. weapons and aid.

The Air Force says it's disciplining 15 members following it's investigation of an Air National Guardsman accused of classified leaks online.

Hamas freed 12 more hostages it seized in its deadly assault on Israel on Oct. 7. This comes as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas enters its fifth day.

The numbers are classified, but U.S. military planners use what's called a collateral damage estimate to gauge how many civilians might be killed in an attack on a target. Here's what that means.

Senate Republicans have erupted in anger at Tommy Tuberville's hold on military promotions. On Wednesday, several Republicans tried to force votes on the promotions of more than 60 military officers.

Israel's attacks on Gaza are intensifying, but the strategy of the operation remains unclear.

Israel says a ground invasion into Gaza is imminent. There are growing concerns among U.S. officials about what that invasion could look like, and the potential for the conflict to spread regionally.

When it comes to attacking Hamas, the U.S. says it supports Israel but has a lot of questions about how it's going about it.

Israel and Hamas are waging one of their deadliest clashes as the U.S. moves naval forces into the Mediterranean Sea. Questions persist about why Israel was caught so unprepared in the assault.

An American F-16 shot down an armed Turkish drone in northeast Syria. Officials said it was the first time the U.S. shot down an aircraft from Turkey, a NATO ally.

NPR has learned that the Pentagon has been warning U.S. lawmakers that military aid in Ukraine is running out. There are now fears that ousting Speaker Kevin McCarthy could delay battlefield support.

Biden has assured allies Congress will eventually provide more Ukraine funding. But then House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted, making the path forward murkier.

Amid those hawking corndogs and cheese curds at the Minnesota State Fair, the Army is trying to sell itself. An effort to entice sign ups is happening as the Army struggles to fill its ranks.

A government shutdown is looming but not every federal office will close completely. Some critical services will continue as employees work without pay.