Officials with U.S. Army Europe are confirming three of their soldiers were killed when their UH-60 Blackhawk crashed Wednesday night northeast of Mannheim, Germany.

The Virginia National Guard is preparing for heavy snow from a winter storm this weekend.

Military One Source offers numerous ways for servicemembers to file their taxes.

The Kentucky National Guard’s 2123rd Transportation Company is preparing to deploy to Afghanistan.

The Puerto Rico National Guard is activating soldiers to help police handle the rising crime rate.

About 3200 members of the Fourth Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky will deploy to Afghanistan.

The first female has been sworn in as the head of California’s National Guard.

Military members who purchased a new home in 2009 may be eligible for a credit this tax season.

Marines and their spouses talk about a recent deployment. Plus, a new housing project is helping give homeless vets a second chance.

The 65th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge is celebrated today.

With thousands of additional troops preparing for deployment to Afghanistan, personnel at the Defense Logistics Agency are working to get those forces the supplies they’ll need.

The DoD responds to Iran’s recent missile test.

Even with the pending deployment of about 7000 Marines to Afghanistan, Marine Commandant General James Conway says morale in the Corps has never been better.

Marines in Afghanistan have created their own hybrid MRAP.

General James Conway said military operations against enemy forces in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand Province are going well.

Soldiers work to defeat indirect fire attacks.

About 16,000 Marines and soldiers have been notified they will deploy to Afghanistan as part of President Barack Obama’s new strategy, according to AFPS’ Jim Garamone.

Obama announced his decision to deploy 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan in the first half of 2010 on Dec. 1.

The troops in today’s announcement primarily will come from Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Fort Drum, N.Y.; and Camp Pendleton, Calif., Pentagon officials said today. More notifications will be made in the weeks and months ahead, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.

These initial deployments will join the 68,000 American troops already in the country. At the end of the effort, about 100,000 U.S. troops will be deployed to Afghanistan.

About 1,500 Marines from Camp Lejeune will deploy later this month. In addition, 6,200 Marines of Regimental Combat Team 2 at Camp Lejeune were alerted for deployment early in the spring, Whitman said.

The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton will deploy 800 Marines in the spring, Whitman said.

The 1st Brigade Combat Team from the Army’s 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum will deploy 3,400 soldiers in early spring to train Afghan forces.

Additionally, 4,100 support personnel will deploy at various times through the spring, Whitman said. Military officials call these personnel “enablers” who do essential missions and bring extra value to the counterinsurgency effort. These include military police personnel, engineers, civil affairs personnel, route-clearance teams, explosive ordnance demolition personnel and experts in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

Jim sent this in:

After months of what’s become termed “dithering,” President Barack Obama is prepared to unveil his long-awaited Afghan plan tonight on prime time television. Meanwhile, United Kingdom military forces are already prepared for their troop deployment including manpower, weapons, tactical vehicles and state-of-the-art body armor.

USS Chosin, home-ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has assumed the role as flagship for the counter-piracy efforts of Combined Task Force 151 after arriving in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations as part of a regularly scheduled deployment, according to Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew A. Hepburn.

“We’re extremely well equipped to support this mission,” said Navy Capt. Timothy Smith, the ship’s commanding officer. “An Aegis-class cruiser has an awful lot of capabilities to search and identify, perform command and control operations, collect intelligence and maintain communications related to counter piracy.”

Early in the deployment, the Chosin crew sighted a suspicious group of small boats called “dhows,” and within 10 minutes coordinated and intercepted with the crew of the Italian frigate Lebeccio. The two ships operated in close quarters and coordinated all operations to ensure the safety of the boarding team.

“There is an extraordinary level of communication and cooperation among all of the nations conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden,” said Navy Rear Adm. Scott Sanders, commander of Combined Task Force 151. “Because of our close cooperation with the European Union, NATO and independent navies, we’ve been able to prevent several suspected pirate attacks.”

The presence of coalition navy vessels in the region demonstrates a commitment to regional security and stability. To continue to counter and deter piracy, commercial shippers, regional governments and the international community must compliment coalition efforts, task force officials said.

Combined Task Force 151 was established in early January and has a mandate to deter and disrupt piracy in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It includes naval forces from the United States, Spain, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Australia and Turkey.