Tom Bowman

The U.S. faces two setbacks in the Syrian civil war — a failed effort to train rebels and an increase in Russian aid to the Syrian regime. NPR reports on the Russian fighter jets currently in Syria.

Russia has been sending artillery, tanks and troop housing to an air base in Syria. Pentagon officials say while no Russian military aircraft have been tracked yet, it appears the Rus...

The Marine Corps released a study that raises questions about the effectiveness of women in combat conditions. The report found that all-male units out performed mixed-gender units across the board.

The Marine Corps is expected to decide as soon as next week whether to open all combat jobs to women or request exceptions. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter is inclined to open all jobs to women.

The Marine Corps released the results of its year-long study of women in combat units Thursday. The study found all-male units outperformed mixed gender units across the board.

Hundreds of Vietnam combat helicopter pilots, their families and Gold Star families planted a tree in Arlington National Cemetery on Friday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first U.S. combat troops entering the Vietnam War.

The group called it the largest gathering of pilots, with 1,000 expected, says Bob ...

The two women who made it through the Army's grueling Rangers training program spoke publicly for the first time Thursday at Fort Benning, Ga.

Two West Point graduates have become the first women to complete the grueling Army Ranger course. NPR profiles the women, who will graduate at Fort Benning, Georgia, on Friday.

The first women have completed the tough and grueling Army Ranger training course. But it's still uncertain whether the women will be allowed to serve in ground combat units.

The Army says two female lieutenants in their 20s will graduate from Ranger School this week. Ranger training is some of the toughest in the Army, physically and mentally.

The United States is investigating reports that self-declared Islamic State fighters used a chemical agent, possibly mustard gas, in an attack on Kurdish forces in Iraq earlier this week.

The Air Force plans to send more warplanes for training exercises with Eastern European allies amid growing concern Russia is beefing up armaments along the border with those NATO allies.

Senate Republicans expressed skepticism about the Iran nuclear deal Wednesday, including concern that the deal would allow Iran to acquire missiles and conventional arms in the coming years.

The two nations hope to push self-declared Islamic State fighters out of a swath of Syrian territory. Turkey also called an emergency NATO meeting Tuesday on ISIS threats within its borders.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, defending the Obama administration's strategy on the self-declared Islamic State.

The women who trained on tanks and armored vehicles say they proved they belong. Such ground combat jobs will open to women in January unless the Marine Corps makes the case they should be closed.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter heads to Europe to unveil plans to deploy tanks and other heavy armor in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe. Russia says the move is provocative and may send more armor to its Western borders.

The nation's top military officials said the U.S. needs a greater commitment from Iraq in the fight against the self-declared Islamic State but argued against sending any U.S. combat troops there.

They'll speed up training and equipping of Sunni soldiers in Anbar province. The aim is to get more Sunnis working with the Shiite government to defeat the so-called Islamic State, also known as ISIS.

The United States will send an additional 450 troops to Iraq to act as trainers. The move comes not as a change in policy, but to speed up training and equipping of Sunni soldiers in Anbar province.