WASHINGTON, DC — President Biden spoke from the White House Tuesday afternoon about the situation in Afghanistan following his decision to stick with the Aug. 31 deadline for withdrawing troops from the country. In his remarks, Biden gave an update on the number of people evacuated from Afghanistan, saying that the United States has assisted in
Continue ReadingNick Kay, a former UK ambassador to Afghanistan, says the Taliban’s hardening rhetoric is concerning and stressed the “urgent need” to facilitate evacuations.
Continue ReadingWASHNGTON, DC — President Biden has decided to stick with his self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline for a military withdrawal from Afghanistan, U.S. officials told ABC News, despite pressure from European allies and pleas on the ground to extend the time for evacuations. Biden met with G7 leaders earlier Tuesday to discuss extending the Aug. 31
Continue ReadingEL PASO, Texas — Over 650 evacuees from Afghanistan are currently being housed at Fort Bliss and officials have indicated more are expected to arrive this week. El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar said Monday that more than 650 Afghan refugees had arrived at the military installation as of Saturday. Fort Bliss officials on Sunday had
Continue ReadingFORT BLISS, Texas — As Afghan refugees begin to arrive at Fort Bliss, both paid jobs and unpaid volunteer positions have begun to open up. In a press briefing Monday, Pentagon officials said there are currently 1,200 Afghan refugees being housed at U.S. military installations including Fort Bliss. In that briefing. Pentagon Press Secretary John
Continue ReadingBy LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says it will require service members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full approval. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had vowed earlier this month to require the shots once the Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine. Pentagon spokesman
Continue ReadingFORT BLISS, Texas — Afghan refugees continued arriving at Fort Bliss on Sunday, with more expected to arrive in the Borderland region over the next few days. According to Fort Bliss officials, those who are arriving are special visa applicants, their families, and others who were at risk. The U.S. Northern Command is working to
Continue ReadingBy Ellie Kaufman, Oren Liebermann, Veronica Stracqualursi and Alexis Benveniste, CNN The Department of Defense is mobilizing commercial airline flights to help with the United States’ evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, which has been chaotic as thousands are desperate to leave the country after the Taliban swiftly took control. The Pentagon announced Sunday that Defense Secretary
Continue ReadingUPDATE: FORT BLISS, Texas — Afghanistan refugees evacuated by the U.S. government from Kabul began arriving at Fort Bliss on Saturday, with officials saying more arrivals were expected in the coming days. “This morning, special immigrant visa applicants, their families and other individuals at risk arrived at Fort Bliss,” said a statement issued Saturday evening
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ALAMOGORDO, New Mexico — The main gate at Holloman Air Force Base reopened around 3:20 p.m. Thursday, officials said, after being closed for hours following a gate crashing attempt by a car being chased by U.S. Border Patrol agents. In a statement issued to the media, base officials said “multiple suspects crashed their vehicle while
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EL PASO, Texas — Over the past week rainfall flooded more than just the streets of El Paso, it also caused damage to grave plots at the Fort Bliss National Cemetery. Approximately 200 plots were sunken in from the weather. Brenda Bustos, the Fort Bliss National Cemetery administrative officer, said there were many factors that caused this
Continue ReadingWASHINGTON, DC — A defiant President Joe Biden rejected blame for chaotic scenes of Afghans clinging to U.S. military planes in Kabul in a desperate bid to flee their home country after the Taliban’s easy victory over an Afghan military that America and NATO allies had spent two decades trying to build. At the White
Continue ReadingFORT BLISS, Texas — Fort Bliss is among two U.S. military bases that are set to be used by the Defense Department to house thousands of evacuated Afghan refugees. The other installation to be utilized will be Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. Pentagon officials confirmed during a briefing Monday afternoon that preparations at the two facilities
Continue ReadingBy Oren Liebermann, CNN The messages began pouring into the law office of Joseph Jordan in Killeen, Texas, soon after the Pentagon announced it would seek to make the Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for troops. Service members wanted to know what their options were if they didn’t want to be vaccinated. “It’s been the number one
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EL PASO, Texas — After Thursday night’s rains cancelled the special National Airborne anniversary event, the 82nd Airborne Chapter was left to clean up the aftermath. “We developed all this massive amount of dirt, rock and debris,” said John Ceballos, chapter chairman of the 82nd Airborne Division Association. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar and other El Paso
Continue ReadingBy ROBERT BURNS and JOSH BOAK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has authorized an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan. That raises to roughly 5,000 the number of U.S. troops deployed to ensure what Biden is calling an “orderly and safe drawdown” of American and allied personnel. U.S. troops will
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By MICHAEL BALSAMO and ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A military base in the nation’s capital was locked down for about an hour and a half Friday, after an armed man ran onto the grounds following a report of gunfire on local streets surrounding the base. Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling posted a note on
Continue ReadingKABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Officials says the Taliban seized three more provincial capitals in Afghanistan and a local army headquarters. The insurgents now control some two-thirds of the nation as the U.S. and NATO finalize their withdrawal after a decades-long war there. The fall of the capitals of Badakhshan and Baghlan provinces to the northeast
Continue ReadingWASHINGTON, DC — The Pentagon will require members of the U.S. military to get the Covid-19 vaccine by Sept. 15, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press. That deadline could be pushed up if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise. “I will seek the president’s approval to make
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EL PASO, Texas — An Air Force veteran who suffers from mental illness was able to realize a life-long dream of becoming a U.S. citizen thanks to the help from her treatment team at El Paso’s Veterans Affairs. Janet Arellano, 37, was honorably discharged from the Air Force because of academics 18 years ago. In
Continue ReadingBy Jennifer Hauser, Tara John and Nick Paton Walsh, CNN The Taliban has seized control of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, local officials told CNN on Sunday. It is the first major city to fall to the insurgent group since they began their offensive in May, and marks a big blow to the Afghan government. Kunduz
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WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to seek authorization to make Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for all active duty troops as soon as this week, following President Joe Biden’s directive that the military examine how and when it could make that happen. Austin’s “inclination is towards making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory” for
Continue ReadingBy Laura James, CNN Pvt. Felix Hall was barely an adult when he was found hanging from a tree on a segregated Army base in Georgia in 1941. His killers were never prosecuted but 80 years later, the US Army has unveiled a memorial to honor the Black soldier who is the only known victim
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WASHINGTON, DC — An officer died after being stabbed Tuesday during a burst of violence at a transit station outside the Pentagon, and a suspect in the incident was shot by law enforcement and died at the scene, officials said. The Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, was temporarily placed on lockdown after gunshots
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EL PASO, Texas — U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Gerardo Gonzalez is returning home to his native El Paso County for a garrison command role at Fort Bliss after being away for 26 years. Gonzalez grew up in Anthony on a farm, where he and his two brothers would work the fields on the weekends and
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FORT BLISS, Texas — Military personnel and all others visiting Fort Bliss must return to wearing face masks indoors on the U.S. Army post due to “substantial community transmission” of Covid-19 in the El Paso area, the commanding general said in a new order that takes effect immediately. In a memo drafted late Friday and
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UPDATE, July 30: Fort Bliss officials said Friday afternoon that missing Army Sgt. Soto de Jesus had been found alive, but offered no additional information surrounding his disappearance and discovery. “Our priority remains the safety and well-being of this soldier and his family. In an effort to respect the privacy of Sgt. Soto de Jesus’
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SAN DIEGO, California — The U.S. Navy said Thursday that charges have been filed against a sailor who is accused of starting a fire last year that destroyed a warship docked off San Diego. The amphibious assault ship called the USS Bonhomme Richard burned for more than four days and was the Navy’s worst U.S.
Continue ReadingFORT BLISS, Texas — Two more whistleblowers have come forward alleging that migrant children who stayed at the Fort Bliss facility in El Paso received poor care, according to a complaint obtained by CNN. The issues include mismanagement by private contractors, shortage of underwear and other clothing, and anxiety among children unsure of what to
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AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas National Guard deployment along the U.S.-Mexico border will start helping troopers make arrests, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday, as the state begins filling a formerly empty prison with migrants accused of trespassing. Abbott said the Guard would “assist” troopers with arresting migrants on state charges but offered no details
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