Marine Lance Cpl. Jacob Adams and Lance Cpl. Michael Chatel are just two of the many young men and women joining the military today. Both being 20 years old, they were just kids when the terrorist attacks on 9/11 happened. Adams and Chatel are a part of the new generations of troops “inheriting” the Afghan war.

A large number of the men and women who were a part of the war since the first action against Afghanistan and Iraq have left the military to live “normal” lives. The new generation of troops show how long this war has been going on and how no one would have thought it would have lasted this long.

Adams said, “It’s kind of weird having watched it all on the news those first days. And then 10 years later, here I am, and here we are still fighting it.”

Both Adams and Chatel remember being pulled out of school early on the day of the attacks on 9/11. They were only in the 5th grade when the initial attacks happened. Now, 10 years later, these troops are fighting in the same war.

For more information, visit Military.com.

Starting next year, the Army expects to send troops to Afghanistan with the new M4A1 carbines. They’re calling it “the biggest overhaul of service rifles in nearly 50 years.”

According to the Program Executive Office Soldier, who introduced the improvements, the upgrade to the M4 includes a more resilient barrel, ambidextrous controls and a full-automatic setting. He stated that once you add better ammunition, soldiers will have a more lethal weapon to fight.

Although the M4 will be 5 more ounces heavier than the old, many soldiers in Afghanistan are happy about the upgrade. Sgt. Aaron Billington of the 10th Mountain Division at Kandahar Air Field states his excitement, and that he is not worried about the extra 5 ounces. He thinks that “the heavier barrel could improve accuracy and give the weapon better stability.”

While many are excited for the change, others aren’t quite convinced. Staff Sgt. Lincoln Dockery, a combat engineer stationed in Bamberg says, “Adding full-automatic fire mode to the M4 is a huge mistake.”

For the full details, visit Military.com.

The FBI has a short and simple message to the person who has shot at the Pentagon, a Marine museum and two military recruiting stations in the Washington area: Call us.

They want to speak to who they believe is an ex-Marine holding some type of grudge. The shooter has not harmed anyone because the all the shooting were at off-hours, but they do not know if this will escalate.

John Perren, acting assistant director for the FBI’s Washington field office, stated that investigators think the person may be dealing with a traumatic event such as loss of a job or divorce, and they assume the person was part of the Marine Corps at some point. Criminal profiler Pat Brown, who trains law enforcement, thinks the shooter is a young person who lives around the area of the museum.

Many people of the area are concerned something bad will happen, and someone will end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

They are hoping to catch the shooter and find out why he’s doing this, and if they can help him.

For full story, go to Military.com.

On September 6, 2009 Air Force 1st Lt. Ryan McGuire got injured in a boating accident. From this accident his hip was dislocated, his pelvis was fractured and his right foot was severely damaged.

After the accident, McGuire went through the long process of rehabilitation. Air Force Col. Michael Frankel, 47th Flying Training Wing commander said, “He has always had a positive attitude. I’ve never seen him down, never seen him upset. He’s always been pressing forward, trying to achieve his goals. I look forward to the day when he graduates from pilot training and I can hand him a set of silver wings.”

After this long and painful process, McGuire completed the Air Force Marathon in his prosthetic leg and he participated in the Warrior Games. After a medical board found him fit for duty, they sent in a waiver request for him to be allowed to return to pilot training. On October 29th, the waiver was approved.

For full story, go to www.defense.gov.

During a “DODLive” bloggers round table, Navy Rear Adm. Philip H. Cullom, director of energy and environmental readiness for the Chief of Naval Operations, says, “It’s not just about natural security, because that’s what most people think of when they think about going green. Our energy program also strengthens national security.”

The Navy’s goal is to not just limit them to one source of energy, such as petroleum. By going green, it creates various sources. By 2020, they would like to have 50 percent of total Navy Department energy consumption to come from different energy sources. They would also like to reduce the use of petroleum in the non-tactical commercial fleet by 50 percent and to evaluate energy factors

They hope that working with the Air Force and the Coast Guard will help them on the path to become greener, and leave that “green footprint.”

More information at www.defense.gov.

On Sunday night (Oct 31) , 23 year-old Sgt. Ryan Lekosky was attacked while he and his wife were walking along Dauphine Street in the Quarter after celebrating the service’s 235th birthday at a formal ball at the New Orleans Marriott on Canal Street. A man allegedly pulled over right next to them, shouting inappropriate remarks at his wife. They then got in an altercation and Lekosky stepped in and defended her.

As reported by the police, (Sgt. Lekosky) sustained several stab wounds while trying to break up the fight.”

He survived combat in Iraq, but was murdered, in uniform, in the French Quarter.   In honor of this fallen Marine, we post the flag of the United States at half-staff, along with the U.S. Marine Emblem.

For more information go to Military.com.