U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan at 2,077 As of April 30, 2013, at least 2,077 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count. At least 1,719 military service members have died in Afghanistan as a result…

News Four service members die in plane crash in Afghanistan, NATO says Four international service members have died in a plane crash in southern Afghanistan. Initial reporting of the April 27 crash indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time, NATO said. Pentagon steps up planning for potential military intervention in…

Alabama offering new veterans driver’s license Alabama veterans will have the option to display proof of their military service on their driver’s license. A law sponsored by Democratic Rep. Marcel Black of Tuscumbia provided for the Veterans Driver’s License. The state Department of Public Safety says the licenses will be available beginning May 1. Black…

The Department of Defense announced April 28 the deaths of four airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died April 27, near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in the crash of an MC-12 aircraft. The cause of the crash is under investigation, however initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the…

News Panel guts bill easing veterans’ sexual assault claims A House panel April 25 gutted a bill that would have ordered the Veterans Affairs Department to relax evidence requirements for veterans’ claims related to rape and sexual assault.   Business Boeing profit beats estimates despite 787 problems Boeing’s first-quarter earnings jumped nearly 20 percent, handily…

U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan at 2,071 As of April 23, 2013, at least 2,071 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to an Associated Press count. At least 1,717 military service members have died in Afghanistan as a result…

Business Honeywell Agrees to Buy RAE Systems for $340 Million Honeywell International Inc. agreed to acquire privately held manufacturer RAE Systems Inc. for $340 million, giving the diversified technology and manufacturing company additional gas-detection offerings. Airbus wins coveted BA mini-jumbo order International Airlines Group unveiled orders for 18 Airbus A350 long-haul jets for its British…

Army warns of steeper reductions in troop numbers Senior U.S. Army officials warned April 23 they may have to cut more than 100,000 additional soldiers over the next decade unless automatic spending reductions forcing the military services to slash their budgets are stopped. Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army’s chief of staff, told the Senate Armed…

Business U.S. defense shares soar as investors ignore predictions of contraction Automatic federal budget cuts were supposed to shake the fortunes of Pentagon contractors, with a leading industry lobbyist predicting an “unemployment Armageddon” for defense workers. Dreamliner: Boeing starts replacing 787 batteries Boeing has started replacing batteries on some of its grounded 787 Dreamliner fleet,…

Yemen officials: U.S. drone kills two militants Yemeni army officials say a U.S. drone strike has killed two suspected al Qaeda militants east of the capital, sparking a retaliatory attack on a military checkpoint. It’s the third suspected U.S. drone strike in less than a week in Yemen. The officials in Marib province say at…