American Forces News Service

Just days after the combat mission in Iraq ended, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, reminded Americans that their commitment to military families must carry on.

News coverage cannot convey the scope of the floods that have ravaged Pakistan, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed progress and challenges in Afghanistan with top military and diplomatic officials during a three-hour visit to Kabul.

Coalition forces employed an air strike against an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan senior member determined to be a deputy shadow governor.

U.S. and coalition troops in southwestern Afghanistan have made significant gains in recent months, but not without sacrifice, said the commander of NATO's regional command southwest.

There are now enough resources in Afghanistan to deliver "tangible and lasting results," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a joint news conference in Kabul with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The insurgency in southwestern Afghanistan is down to its "last card in the deck," the top military commander in the region said, citing Taliban cash flow problems and manning issues.

In her latest blog, AFPS' Elaine Wilson writes about the Department of Defense Education Activity's new virtual high school that's helping to fill in gaps for military students.

Sailors assigned to the USS Constitution, which is visiting Baltimore, have prepared and served food at a local homeless shelter as part of Navy Week.

The Air National Guard's "Wingman Project" trains citizen-airmen and their families to recognize the signs of suicide and help others in need.

The U.S. military is boosting its flood-relief capabilities to Pakistan by deploying more aircraft and increasing the number of aid distribution stations in the flood-stricken nation, the Pakistan aid task force commander said.

Military children attending Department of Defense Education Activity schools deserve the best education possible, the activity's acting director said.

With the vast majority of 30,000 additional troops now in Afghanistan, surge forces have started conducting operations and are positioned to make major strides in the country, said Army Gen. David H. Petraeus.

Though flood relief efforts may help others see the United States in a more favorable light, the objective here is to help, said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while in Pakistan.

The Defense Department is ready to respond should Hurricane Earl's projected landfall bring disaster to the Atlantic coast.

Even as floodwaters begin to recede in Pakistan, the United States is continuing to rush assets there to help the millions affected by record monsoon floods.

The work of volunteers is as important to the legacy of America as the contributions of those who serve in uniform, said Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In this blog, guest blogger Heather Forsgren Weaver writes about a visit Army Secretary John McHugh made to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., where he vowed to maintain funding for family programs.

Combat operations may be over in Iraq, but the U.S. military and diplomatic endeavor remains, Vice President Joe Biden said in Baghdad, reminding the international community of the significance of Operation New Dawn.

Afghan and coalition forces killed or captured hundreds of Taliban and Haqqani extremists during the past month.