Today's Headlines from Stars and Stripes

Stars and Stripes, the U.S. Military's Independent News Source: Sunday, December 20, 2009
Top headlines from Stars and Stripes. See the rest of today's news at www.stripes.com Kandahar builds ahead of troops surge The military is furiously building for an influx of troops after President Barack Obama's announced he will send an additional 30,000 to Afghanistan, many of them to the south. The first Marines have already started arriving, though the full escalation could take up to 11 months. U.S. personnel in Iraq could face court-martial for getting pregnant The policy, which went into effect Nov. 4, makes it possible to face punishment, including a court-martial and jail time, for becoming pregnant or impregnating a servicemember, according to the wording of the policy and confirmations from Army officials. Walmart backs off extra charge for APO/FPO shipping Retail giant Walmart is no longer charging extra shipping fees to U.S. military customers living overseas. The shipping costs for a $120 order to Walmart were nearly five times the cost of the same order being sent to a stateside address. North Korea suspected of defense data hack North Korea could be behind a computer hacking incident that gave the rogue government access to a summary of what the militaries of South Korea and the United States plan to do in the event war would resume on the peninsula. Police: Auschwitz 'Arbeit Macht Frei' sign stolen The Nazis' infamous iron sign declaring "Arbeit Macht Frei" - German for "Work Sets You Free" - was stolen Friday from the entrance of the former Auschwitz death camp, Polish police said. General makes it easier for soldiers to be scholars Maj. Gen. Michael Tucker has a plan to get the troops in his command to work and train harder. He's going to let them knock off early two days a week. There's a catch, of course. Marine awarded Navy Cross for Afghan heroics In a ceremony at Recon Point, Gunnery Sgt. John Mosser was awarded the Navy Cross medal for his actions during a deadly battle in Afghanistan in June. Mosser was the team sergeant of the Marine patrol that was pinned down by heavy sniper and automatic-weapons fire in a small valley on June 26. Army testing new camouflage Soldiers heading to Afghanistan could soon be issued new combat uniforms that would offer better camouflage based on their operating environments. Soldiers who have served in Afghanistan had identified the need for camouflage uniforms that better conceal troops operating there. Foul pre-Christmas weekend in store for East Coast The eastern U.S. prepared for a frightful wintry storm Saturday that was expected to dump more than a foot of snow, hampering travelers heading home and deterring shoppers on the weekend before Christmas. Report: U.S. helped Yemen's strike against al-Qaida The U.S. provided firepower and other aid to Yemen in its strike this week against suspected al-Qaida hide-outs and training sites within its borders, the New York Times reported. President Barack Obama approved the military and intelligence support, which came at the request of the Yemeni government.
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