Military officials say 2011 will be a transition year for dwell time in the U.S. Army.

The Pentagon has called improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, among the most deadly threats to servicemembers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dozens of military families were reunited this weekend as the Army Reserve’s 180th Transportation Company returned home after a year in Iraq.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recognized the contributions women have made in the military during a ceremony Thursday at the Pentagon.

Hundreds of National Guard troops from North Dakota and Minnesota are deployed along the Red River to help fight the rising flood waters.

The NATO training mission in Afghanistan needs more qualified trainers in order build a high-quality Afghan military.

Joined by fellow National Guardsmen from Georgia, Kansas, South Dakota and Washington, Missouri’s “Houn’ Dawgs” are sniffing out improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan and rendering them harmless, reports AFPS’ Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill.

Sustained by support from back home, members of the Missouri National Guard’s 203rd Engineer Battalion are prevailing in this dangerous mission.

“We’re all very proud to be here representing our state and our nation,” Army Lt. Col. Tony Adrian, the battalion commander, said yesterday during a “DoDLive” bloggers roundtable.

Considered one of the most dangerous and important missions assigned to the U.S. military, route clearance ensures safety for those traveling Afghanistan’s roads – a mission felt across the region.

The 203rd’s area of responsibility is about the size of West Virginia, Adrian said.

“It’s a constant cat-and-mouse game with the enemy,” he said. “They change their tactics. We change ours. And the cycle goes on.”

In addition to the route-clearance mission, Adrian said, troops are preparing for a surge of more American and NATO forces and are training Afghan forces to take over when coalition forces leave.

The Houn’ Dawgs deployed last fall and expect to leave Afghanistan later this year. The deployment is the battalion’s second in five years. The 203rd served in Iraq in 2003 and 2004.

The 203rd’s lineage dates back to 1876. In 1916, the unit became known as the “Houn’ Dawg Outfit” after it was associated with a song titled “You Gotta Quick Kickin’ My Dog Around.”

“One of our biggest [strengths] is the soldiers themselves,” said the unit’s top enlisted soldier, Army Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Stuenkel, also by phone from Afghanistan. Soldiers scan for signs of IEDs and monitor the demeanor of the local populace, often a clue to trouble ahead, he explained.

“It does boil down to instinct and the quality of leaders that we have over here,” Adrian said, noting the caliber of the young lieutenants who serve as platoon leaders for the Houn’ Dawgs. “They’re able to think on their feet,” he said. “They’re very ingenious. They’ve got very good instincts.”

The 203rd is equipped with mine-resistant, ambush-protected military vehicles, rocket-propelled grenade cages and detection devices that include ground-penetrating radar, infrared and thermal optics and electrical jamming devices, Stuenkel said.

“Technology is one of our strengths here in this fight,” Adrian said. “The technology we have … is shared with our coalition partners.”

And the 203rd’s citizen-soldiers are well-trained, he said, noting that more people volunteered for the mission than the Houn’ Dawgs could use. “We didn’t have any trouble filling the ranks and getting our forces up to strength,” he said.

Adrian said the ratio of IEDs found and cleared is one measure of effectiveness – a figure that currently stands at about 75 percent.

“We do very well on that,” he said. “Right now, during the winter, it is a slow season for IEDs in most areas. That is all going to change come the warmer weather.”

The 203rd commands, controls and supports three Guard sapper companies in Afghanistan: its own 1141st Engineer Company out of Kansas City, Mo., the 211st Engineer Company out of South Dakota and the 810th Engineer Company out of Georgia.

Admiral Michael Mullen says the U.S. is in Afghanistan for the long haul.

National Guard troops in four states are responding to severe winter weather.

Coast Guard officials say nearly half the oil that spilled at a major Texas port has dispersed or been recovered from the water.

Counter IED efforts in Afghanistan hope to reduce the number of combat casualties.

Many of the soldiers wounded in last week’s shooting spree at Fort Hood will be attending today’s memorial ceremony honoring their fallen comrades.

Two men are safe today after the Coast Guard rescued them from an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

November is a time set aside for the Department of Defense to acknowledge the challenges and sacrifices of military families.

A changing of the guard at the organization charged with leading the fight against IEDs.

Jim sent this in:

A federal grand jury today returned a two-count indictment charging Michael C. Finton, a.k.a., “Talib Islam,” as previously charged in a criminal complaint, with attempted murder of a federal officer or employee and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction against property owned by the United States.

Finton, a resident of Decatur, Illinois, was arrested on September 23, in connection with an alleged plot to detonate a improvised explosive device (IED) concealed in a  vehicle at the federal courthouse in Springfield, Illinois, according to court documents obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police’s Terrorism Committee from the NYPD Shields. 

According to one member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the 29-year old Finton idolized American born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh known as “Jihad Johnny” by members of the news media.

The federal indictment alleges that on September 23, 2009, Finton parked a van that he believed contained about a ton of explosives in front of the Paul Findley Federal Building and Courthouse intending that the detonation of the bomb would destroy the building and kill its occupants. Finton allegedly left the van and used a cellular telephone at a nearby location to send a signal he believed would detonate the bomb in the van.

According to the criminal complaint, in his alleged efforts to carry out the plot, Finton ultimately dealt with undercover FBI agents and confidential sources who continuously monitored his activities up to the time of his arrest. FBI agents arrested Finton immediately after he allegedly attempted to detonate the device, which actually contained inactive materials.

If convicted, Finton faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against property owned by the U.S. The penalty for attempting to murder a federal officer or employee is up to 20 years in prison.

During his initial appearance in federal court in Springfield, Finton waived his right to a detention hearing and was ordered to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

The investigation was conducted by the Springfield FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and assisting law enforcement agencies. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Risley from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, with assistance from Trial Attorney Joanna Baltes from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates speaks to the Association of the U.S. Army concerning measures of protection against IEDs.

Federal health leaders say the H1N1 virus has accounted for most of the influenza cases so far this season.

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar played host to its annual air show this weekend.

National Security Advisor, retired General James Jones, told CNN this weekend al Qaeda is being driven out of Afghanistan.

NATO officials confirm eight American soldiers and at least one Afghan national policeman were killed in eastern Afghanistan.

Two U.S. servicemembers were killed Monday after an IED blast in Afghanistan.

The National Guard is using X-ray technology to protect America’s southern border.

Scouts with the 501st Infantry Regiment, along with Afghan Security Forces, are working to secure Patika Province in southeastern Afghanistan.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says the best way to succeed in Afghanistan is through a properly resourced counter insurgency effort.