Chairman of the Joint Chiefs ADM Mike Mullen spoke to officers at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Thursday. He said the military alone can’t solve the world’s conflicts.

Admiral Michael Mullen says U.S. and NATO troops will shift their focus to southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province following their current offensive against the Taliban in Marjah.

Commander of U.S. Central Command GEN David Petraeus says it is vital for coalition troops to avoid civilian deaths whenever possible.

As more soldiers head from Iraq to Afghanistan, proper training for different circumstances becomes vital for their success.

A female suicide bomber killed 41 people in Iraq Monday when she detonated an explosive vest in a crowd of religious pilgrims.

The National Guard in seven states has been activated to assist with winter storm support.

One of the main focuses for U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan in 2010 is the training of Afghan security forces.

The Marines in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand Province continue their push against the Taliban and al Qaeda.

The historic aircraft carrier USS Yorktown is the focus of a huge restoration project courtesy of the Citadel’s Reserve Officers Training Corps.

Marines from Camp Lejeune are the first of thousands set to deploy to Afghanistan.

Oregon’s Army National Guard assists search and rescue efforts.

U.S. and NATO troops deploying to Afghanistan over the next eleven months will be spending significant time working with Afghan security forces.

Several military operations in southern and eastern Afghanistan today and yesterday resulted in insurgents killed and captured, military officials reported.

A force of Afghan and NATO International Security Assistance Force troops were conducting an overnight operation against a Taliban commander and his unit in the Pul-e Alam district of Logar province when several militants were killed, officials said.

The force received hostile fire upon arrival to the compound and returned fire. The force issued verbal commands for all residents to exit the building and several women and children complied and exited safely. The force issued several more commands to ensure all residents exited the building.

After no response to subsequent commands to exit the building, the force then assaulted the building and killed several enemy militants. They identified the Taliban commander among the dead. The force recovered AK-47 rifles, grenades and chest racks from the compound.

This commander and his element were responsible for multiple attacks against and kidnappings of Afghan civilians, and supplied weapons to other militant elements in the region.

In other operations, joint forces detained several insurgents in Zabul and Kandahar provinces today.

A force searched a compound in Zabul’s Qalat district known to be used by a Taliban commander and his element who are believed to be responsible for several attacks against Afghan civilians and infrastructure in the region.

During the search, the force shot and killed an enemy militant armed with an AK-47 rifle and chest rack before he engaged the force. The force completed the search and detained several suspected militants.

In a separate search in Kandahar City, a joint force detained a suspected militant who immediately surrendered and identified himself as a Taliban member responsible for supplying improvised explosive devices used against Afghan civilians and infrastructure in the region. No shots were fired.

No Afghan civilians were harmed in the operations.

Afghan and NATO troops have killed or detained numerous militant fighters throughout eastern and southern Afghanistan in recent days, military officials reported.

Forces detained a group of suspected militants today after searching compounds northeast of Khowst City known to be used by a Haqqani terrorist network leader and his unit. The search was conducted without incident.

In the Saydabad district of Wardak province, forces detained several suspects today after searching a series of buildings known to be used by a Taliban leader and his unit. The group is suspected of providing financial support, weapons and bombs to other militants.

In a third operation today, forces detained several suspects after searching buildings west of Kandahar City. The buildings are known to be used by a Taliban element responsible for the supply of weapons, explosives, fighters and money to other militant elements in the region.

Forces yesterday conducted two searches in an effort to disrupt a Taliban element working in the southeast. In Ghazni province, they detained suspected militants during a search in the Gelan district. A suspected insurgent also was detained in the Saydabad district of Wardak province. No one was injured or killed during the operations.

In operations Oct. 3:

– Forces detained multiple suspects in Zabul, Wardak and Paktia provinces after searching areas known for terrorist activity. No one was injured in the operations.

– In Paktika province, forces killed suspected insurgents attempting to use makeshift bombs against them, as well as a suspect who posed an imminent threat in another building.

– In Kandahar province, forces found more than 1,600 pounds of ammonium nitrate, a chemical compound commonly used in making explosives. The force destroyed the chemical on site, and one insurgent was detained.

No Afghan civilians were harmed in the operations.

Afghan and international forces have captured several militant fighters in southern Afghanistan in the past three days, military officials reported.

Several other insurgents were killed in firefights with combined Afghan and international forces, they said.

Combined Afghan and NATO International Security Assistance Forces today detained several suspects following a search of an insurgent compound in Wardak province known as a Taliban weapons supply center.

The joint force conducted the search in the Chaki Wardak district without incident. No shots were fired, and no Afghan civilians were harmed.

Yesterday, an Afghan and international security force detained several suspects after searching a compound in Kandahar province known to be used by an insurgent leader and his followers.

The search was conducted near the village of Haji Mohammad Ewaz, southwest of Kandahar City. The joint security force detained four suspected insurgents responsible for financial and logistical support of militant attacks in the region. The operation was conducted without incident, and no Afghan civilians were harmed.

On Sept. 26, a joint force detained several suspected insurgents in three separate operations after searching compounds in Wardak and Helmand provinces known to be used by insurgents.

Joint security forces searched a compound north of Ghazni City in Wardak province after intelligence reports indicated militant activity. The force killed enemy militants when they ignored the force’s instruction to comply and demonstrated hostile intent. The force then completed its search and identified one of the killed enemy militants as the Taliban facilitator responsible for financial support of militant attacks and dissemination of anti-government media in the region.

In another operation in Wardak province, the joint security force searched compounds near the village of Mohabbat Kheyl and detained a suspected militant member of a Taliban element responsible for financing, supplying and conducting numerous bombing and small-arms attacks against Afghan civilians and infrastructure.

In Helmand province, a joint security force searched a compound near the village of Ali Khafali, north of Lashkar Gah district, and detained two suspected militants. There were no civilian casualties.