Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'army'

Army Recruiter Suicides Prompt Investigations

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:04:00 EST

The Army is investigating a cluster of suicides in the Houston Recruiting Battalion, where five soldiers have taken their own lives since 2001. Nationally, 17 recruiters have committed suicide during the same period. Recruiting is considered one of the most stressful jobs in the military.

U.S. Soldier, Iraqi Translator Reunite In America

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

An Army reservist who was deployed to Iraq last year has celebrated the holidays with the Iraqi he credits with keeping him alive. For more than a year, the master sergeant waited for his Iraqi translator to receive a visa to come to the U.S. Now the men and their families have formed a bond on American soil. Jessica Jones reports from North Carolina Public Radio.

Looking Back On Life In Revolutionary Cuba

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:43:00 EST

Thursday marks the 50th anniversary of the start of the 1959 revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power. Luis Rumbaut recalls his experience as a 9-year-old boy when Castro's army took control of Cuba. And a former journalist talks about reporting from Havana during the revolution.

Essay: Troops In Iraq Face Economic Battle At Home

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:16:00 EST

Just as Capt. Nate Rawlings decides he's ready to leave the Army for journalism, he watches the newspapers and radio shows he adores go under. Some of his fellow soldiers are planning to stay in the military, he says, rather than try to find a job in such a severe recession.

Nonprofits Help Disabled Vet Make Ends Meet

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:28:00 EST

Veteran Jason Brunson was discharged this year from the Army for medical reasons. He and his family struggle to pay the bills on the disability checks he receives every month. Recently, they've found some relief from nonprofits that help veterans and their families.

In Fla., A Mystery, Annual Gift To Salvation Army

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

For the third year in a row, a Liberty Eagle gold coin worth almost $1,000 was dropped in a Salvation Army kettles. Each time, the coin has been accompanied by a small note, "In memory of Mimi." Megan Spears, resource management director of The Salvation Army of Lee County, Fla., talks about the donation.

Polish Spy Was Secret CIA Hero

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:27:00 EST

Faced with a growing dissident movement in 1981, the communist government in Poland declared martial law. The U.S knew it was coming, because a Polish army officer named Ryszard Kuklinski had secretly leaked the plan to the CIA. For nearly ten years, Kuklinski was the CIA's top spy in the Soviet bloc.

Shinseki Nominated To Head Veterans Affairs

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

President-elect Barack Obama has named a decorated Vietnam veteran as his choice to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. Retired Gen. Eric Shinseki is a former Army chief of staff, who was known for criticizing the Bush administration's plans to invade Iraq with too few troops.

Obama Picks Shinseki To Lead Veterans Affairs

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:49:00 EST

Retired Gen. Eric Shinseki served as the Army chief of staff during the Bush administration. He gained notoriety just before leaving his position in 2003 after publicly questioning proposed U.S. troop levels for Iraq.

Security Contractors Play By 'Big Boy Rules' In Iraq

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:58:00 EST

Washington Post reporter Steve Fainaru has extensively covered the "parallel army" of private security contractors. His book Big Boy Rules: America's Mercenaries Fighting In Iraq, details the tens of thousands of "mercs" who arrived in Iraq in the absence of sufficient levels of U.S. troops.

Salvation Army Tests Plastic At Red Kettles

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

You'll soon be seeing volunteers for The Salvation Army out with their red kettles, asking for donations. They've had trouble before because so many people only have plastic on hand. Now, five bell-ringers in El Paso County, Colo., will be the first to accept credit and debit cards along with coins and bills. So if you just never seem to have any spare change on hand — consider that excuse a ghost of Christmas past.

New Details Surface About Georgia-Russia War

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:38:00 EST

In the three months since the conflict between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway province of South Ossetia, details have come to light about how and why Georgia ended up going head-to-head against the much larger Russian army.

Military's First Female Four-Star General

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST

The Army now has the first woman four-star general in the history of the American armed forces. Gen. Ann Dunwoody grew up in an Army family — her father served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Now, his daughter will lead the Army Materiel Command.

Former General Sounds Off On Obama's Iraq Plan

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:23:00 EST

Gen. Jack Keane, former Army vice chief of staff, oversaw military operations in Iraq during the U.S. invasion. He talks about president-elect Barack Obama's plan to end the war. Keane says the focus now should be on achieving the goal of the mission, not getting out.

Congo Rebels Call For Talks Amid Chaos

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EDT

A rebel army outside the eastern capital of Goma is pushing for direct talks with the government. But despite major territorial gains this week, they have yet to reach the bargaining table. NPR's Gwen Thompkins joins guest host Alison Stewart from a rebel-controlled area.

Congo Crisis Deepens As Rebels Make Gains

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:53:00 EDT

Congo's army has retreated from a rebel advance. The U.N., which has been blamed for not doing enough, has evacuated most of its civilian staff from its regional headquarters in Goma. Jeffrey Gettleman, East Africa Bureau chief for The New York Times, offers his insight.

Turkish Military Leaders Under Fire For Scandals

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:06:00 EDT

Generals have been publicly criticized for their handling of the conflict with Kurd separatists, and at least three former officials have been accused of ties to a group accused of plotting to overthrow the government. The army has long been considered a sacred institution.

A Blind Date That Turned Into 60 Years

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:02:00 EDT

They've been together for over a half-century — but Ben and Bernice Finn met on a blind date. It was eight months after the end of World War II, and Ben had recently returned home to Brooklyn, N.Y., after serving in the Army.

New Army Field Manual Is Road Map To Stabilization

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:30:00 EDT

The Army has a new operations manual that emphasizes nation-building over conventional warfare. The Stability Operations Field Manual was put together at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., the home of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center. The new doctrine will drive Army resources, organization and training for many years to come.

Mayhem In Mexico: Official Struggle To Curb Violence

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Violence in Mexico is on the rise, as the battle with Mexico's drug war continues. President Felipe Calderon is using the army and federal police to fight narcotics traffickers, but more and more, innocent bystanders seem to be caught up in the conflict. Malcolm Beith, the Mexico section editor of The News, an English language newspaper in Mexico, discusses the dire situation just across the U.S. border.

U.S. Finds More Trouble On Pakistan's Border

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

On Thursday, a Pakistani military unit fired warning shots at two U.S. Army helicopters that allegedly flew into Pakistani territory. It's the latest in a series of tense moments. How does this incident affect U.S. relations with Pakistan?

Fort Drum Highlights Suicide Prevention

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:11:00 EDT

The U.S. Army is nearing a grim statistic: The number of soldiers who committed suicide this year is on pace to be an all-time high. To draw attention to suicide prevention, Fort Drum Army base in upstate New York recently hosted a memorial march.

Encounter With 'A Soldier's Story'

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Army sargeant Vernon Waters from "A Soldier's Story," is a complicated character. He's a murderer. And he's obsessed with protecting the dignity — and future — of the African-American race.

Is This The 'End Of American Exceptionalism'...

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:24:00 EDT

Andrew J. Bacevich, a professor of history and international relations at Boston University and a retired Army colonel, discusses his new book, The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism. He argues that pragmatic realism has always been the core of American foreign policy, and current politicians would do well to remember that.

Tracing A Father's Steps On China's Long March

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 11:49:00 EDT

Red Army soldiers trekked through China on their epic journey nearly 75 years ago. The daughter of an officer, Diane Zhang, follows the route on a quest to learn about the defining moment in her family's and China's history.