Talk Radio News Service embedded Military Affairs Correspondent Richard Miller interviews Lt. Jason Chambers who is serving as a chaplain in Afghanistan. (9:07)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[Read more →]

Talk Radio News Service embedded Military Affairs Correspondent Richard Miller interviews an officer in the U.S. Army, Col. Scott Waterman a special forces trainer of the Afghan security forces. (9:53)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[Read more →]

Talk Radio News embedded Military Affairs Correspondent Richard Miller accompanies a group of soldiers in the Afghan National Army to the firing range on a training day

The Instructor

Loading AK-47 magazines one round at a time

The face of the NCO

Check out more photos from Richard’s trip to Afghanistan on our Flickr Page!

[Read more →]

The House Armed Services Committee began the long and tedious process of marking up the Defense Authorization bill for fiscal 2009. The markup is expected to go on throughout the day. The Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO), in his opening statement expressed his position that the war in Afghanistan should be the primary focus of the American military efforts in the Middle East. This runs somewhat contrary to statements made by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates when he spoke at the Heritage Foundation in Colorado Springs yesterday, “The risk of overextending the Army is real. But I believe the risk is far greater — to that institution, as well as to our country — if we were to fail in Iraq. That is the war we are in. That is the war we must win.”

Skelton also said that the bill offered a pay increase for the military, a greater commitment to fighting weapons of mass destruction, and reforms for the contracting structure within the U.S. Army. He said that the bill addresses the command and control issues that have arisen in Afghanistan and the combined NATO operations there. Ranking Member Dunking Hunter (R-CA) emphasizes future combat systems funding and the need to increase the size of the Army.

The first subcommittee to present their markup and amendments was the Terrorism and Unconventional Threats and Capabilities. The subcommittee chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) said that they have authorized $185 million beyond the president’s budget for special operations capabilities. The ranking member of the subcommittee, Mac Thorberry made the most political statement saying that fighting terrorism goes beyond the Armed Services Committee and that the failure to pass FISA in the House and the limits currently being extracted on intelligence officials’ interrogation techniques increase, “Our potential vulnerability to new threats…” He spoke out against Nancy Pelosi saying that “no good deed goes unpunished” as she uses Iraq war funding and the Colombia Free Trade Agreement as leverage against President Bush.

[Read more →]

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) says that the committee will continue to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with a $70 billion “bridge” fund until the full supplemental is approved. But Skelton also calls for the Iraqis to contribute more to their own security. (0:37)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[Read more →]

Embedded Military Affairs Correspondent Richard Miller interviews a colonel in the Afghan Army, Col. Said Faqir Shah, who is also an imam and helps with the spiritual development of the troops under his command. (14:51)

This interview is translated.

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[Read more →]

Embedded Military Affairs Correspondent Richard Miller interviews two American officers, Lt. Col. Mark Sherman and Lt. Col. Lynn Heng, responsible for the training of the Afghan police force. (6:20)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[Read more →]

Talk Radio News Service Military Affairs Correspondent Richard Miller interviews Lt. Doug Lowery about humanitarian assistance while embedded in Afghanistan. (8:34)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[Read more →]

Richard Miller, Talk Radio News Service Military Affairs Correspondent in his combat reporting gear

The End of the Line: And Pakistan Beyond. Outer Defensive Perimeter, COP Skin

Machine Gunner in Advanced Outpost

Check out more pictures from Richard’s trip to Afghanistan on our Flickr Page!

[Read more →]

During a press conference at the Pentagon Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says that despite a desire by the Commandant of the Marine Coprs, General James Conway, to move Marines into Afghanistan, additional deployments of Marines or other additional troops depend on the force levels in Iraq. (0:40)

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

[Read more →]