The military has made removed a large portion of equipment from Iraq as the 2011 withdrawal deadline for the U.S. approaches.
“When we started this operation we had about 2.8 million items of equipment in Iraq,” said Third Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. William Webster during a briefing from Kuwait Friday. “We’re about 35 percent through with that right now.”

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Third Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. William Webster noted during a briefing from Kuwait Firday that the army has tried to tone down the overall costs of the removal of equipment from Iraq by tracking down redundancies and inefficient practices. In 2009, the army had saved $3.8 billion, according to Webster. (0:06)

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The military has made removed a large portion of equipment from Iraq as the 2011 withdrawal deadline for the U.S. approaches.
“When we started this operation we had about 2.8 million items of equipment in Iraq,” said Third Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. William Webster during a briefing from Kuwait Friday. “We’re about 35 percent through with that right now.”
Webster noted that the army has tried to tone down the overall costs of the equipment’s removal by tracking down redundancies and inefficient practices. In 2009, the army had saved $3.8 billion, according to Webster.
In early 2009, President Barack Obama stated that the U.S. combat mission in Iraq will end by late August this year. The bulk of the U.S. presence will be removed by the end of 2011.

1. The Pentagon is denying yesterday’s AP story that the U.S. test fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile in Saudi Arabia. Spokesman Bryan Whitman said the story was “just flat-out wrong.” Whitman added that he told AP directly the story was inaccurate before it ran and is disappointed the wire-service didn’t do more to correct the record.
2. Avast, mateys. The U.S.S. Nicholas has 5 suspected pirates in their custody after the possible-pirates’ ship opened fire on the naval vessel off the Seychelles islands. After apprehending the crew, the U.S.S Nicholas ultimately sank the opposing ship. Whitman says that the U.S. is still trying to determine what to do with the detainees.

Changes to be implemented:
– Only a general or flag officer may separate an enlisted member believed at the conclusion of an investigation to have engaged in homosexual conduct. Under previous policy, a colonel — or for a captain in the Navy and Coast Guard – could order separation.
– A revision in what’s needed to begin an inquiry or a separation proceeding. Information provided by a third party now must be given under oath, “discouraging the use of overheard statements and hearsay,” Gates said.
– Certain categories of confidential information — such as information provided to lawyers, clergy and psychotherapists — no longer will be used in support of discharges. Information provided to medical personnel in furtherance of treatment, or to a public-health official in the course of seeing professional assistance for domestic or physical abuse also is excluded, as well as information obtained in the process of security-clearance investigations, in accordance with existing Pentagon policies.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen applauds the Chief of Staff for the Pakistani Army General Ashfaq Kayani for the progress he’s made in Pakistan. (0:38)

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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the Pakistani military has become more active, and is increasing its working relationship with U.S. forces. (0:22)

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By Benny Martinez – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen met with Congress Wednesday to discuss a $549 billion DOD budget for FY 2011, and the U.S.’s relationship with Pakistan.
The budget request does not include an extra $159 billion to support Overseas Contingency Operations, primarily in Afghanistan and Iraq, and a war supplemental of $33 billion this fiscal year to support the military’s mission in Afghanistan.
During a hearing before the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, Mullen said Afghanistan is becoming the “center of gravity” for U.S. forces, adding that the nation’s efforts will yield positive results in the coming months. Within months, Mullen said the number of American troops should decrease to 50,000, and the military’s role will shift from combative to an advise-and-assist role.
Both Mullen and Gates testified that Pakistan is becoming more cooperative with U.S. forces deployed in the area.
“There is a developing partnership or relationship with General [Stanley] McChrystal, in terms of coordinating what’s going on on both sides of that border, that I think represents a hugely salutary development,” Gates said.
Mullen added that improvement will not happen overnight, but the efforts of the Pakistani military show lasting promise.
“It is a matter of us building trust in the relationship,” Mullen said. “It’s coming back and we’ve had an impact on that border area and we will continue to do that.”

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell had a press briefing today. Here are the highlights:
1. An announcement is expected sometime this week from Gates on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
2. In regards to the New York Times story about Michael Furlong, the DoD official accused of running his own spy-ring in Afghanistan/Pakistan- Morrell says there is going to be a team established to quickly review if there are any systemic changes that can be made to prevent this from happening in the future. Stops short of calling it an investigation.
3. Despite reports that Iran has been heavily involved with funding/ training of the Taliban, Morrell says the contribution is minimal and includes weapons and explosives etc.

Pentagon spokesperson Brian Whitman would not tell reporters Monday if there will be a formal investigation following the release of a New York Times story on a Defense official who hired private contractors to gather information and kill militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Instead, Whitman repeatedly stated that the allegations contained in the article “warrant further review,” but would not elaborate as to how the review will be performed.
The New York Times story comes amid considerable controversy surrounding contractors in the country. In February, information surfaced alleging that employees from a subsidiary of the company formerly called Blackwater stole 500 AK-47s from Afghan National Forces.