SPECIAL EDITION YEAR IN DEFENSE ARMY | NAVY | MARINES | AIR FORCE | NATIONAL GUARD FREE 2014 EDITION

Hagel’s Battles Defense STRATEGIC COMBAT LIFE AFTER SHIFT READY SERVICE secretary faces From Afghanistan Innovative tech Programs help tough choices to the Pacific region for the troops wwith education, jobs 2 SPECIAL EDITION USA TODAY USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION 3 4 SPECIAL EDITION USA TODAY USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION 5

" is is a product of

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jim Lenahan [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR Jeanette Barrett-Stokes [email protected]

ART DIRECTOR Jerald Council U.S. NAVY [email protected]

EDITORS THE TROOPS Chris Garsson Christine Neff ABOVE AND BEYOND Elizabeth Neus 40 Paying tribute to heroes Amanda Shifflett — past and present

DESIGNERS HONOR THE FALLEN Erin Aulov 42 Remembering those Karen Loehr who have died Kathleen Rudell Lisa M. Zilka WOMEN IN COMBAT 53 Training and assessment INTERNS underway Quinn Kelley, Zoe King SHAME OF A NATION CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Matt Alderton, Lucas Bernhardt, Julie Bird, 54 Trying to put an end to Paige Bowers, Stacey Closser, Clay Dillow, sexual assaults Jesse Ellison, Laura Laing, Katherine Reynolds Lewis, Tom Philpott, Erik Schechter, Marc INVISIBLE TRAUMAS Selinger, Adam Stone, Dan Taylor, 55 Preventing suicides, treating Tom Vanden Brook CONTENTS PTSD CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS U.S. MARINE CORPS A WAY OF LIFE Kelly Boyd, Zach Crookston, David Hyman, How four military families Gary Tramontina 59 THE POLICIES THE BRANCHES fared in 2013

ADVERTISING AT THE HELM ARMY JOB HUNTING VP, ADVERTISING 6 Defense chief faces tough decisions 22 Q&A with the chief of staff 66 Programs provide direction Patrick Burke | 703-854-5914 and a look at new challenges [email protected] REBALANCING ACT BUYING POWER Handling complicated foreign policy NAVY PROJECT MANAGER 11 70 Commissaries keep current Justine Goodwin | 703-854-5444 26 Q&A with the chief of opera- NEW KIND OF WARFARE [email protected] tions and a look at “operating 16 Taking command of cybersecurity forward” THE WEAPONS AND TECHNOLOGY

A USA TODAY publication, Gannett Co. Inc. BUDGET BATTLES MARINE CORPS UNMANNED ACCOMPLISHMENTS USA TODAY, its logo and associated graphics are the 20 Services caught in fi scal crunch 30 Q&A with the commandant and 75 trademarks of Gannett Co. Inc. or its affi liates. All rights a look at amphibious priorities New systems fl y high reserved. Copyright 2013, USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. Editorial and publication headquarters ABOUT THE COVER Secretary of AIR FORCE TECH FOR THE TROOPS are at 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22108, and Defense Chuck at 703-854-3400. 34 Q&A with the chief of staff and a 78 The latest in armor, equipment Hagel makes a stop aboard the Arleigh look at the Joint Strike Fighter For accuracy questions, call or send an e-mail to Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS BUILDING FOR VICTORY [email protected]. Stethem at Fleet Activities, Yokosuka — a NATIONAL GUARD 83 Military construction worldwide U.S. Naval base outside of Tokyo — on Oct. Prepared for “boots on the PRINTED IN THE USA 38 4 while visiting South Korea and Japan. ground” MILITARY HEART Photo by Jacquelyn Martin/AFP/Getty Images 86 Service members lend a hand 6 SPECIAL EDITION USA TODAY

THE POLICIES

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel speaks with troops at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu on May 30.

HAGEL’S HEAVY

AGENDADEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Defense chief faces tough challenges in the year ahead

By Tom Vanden Brook convince reluctant service chiefs to accept ers on stemming sexual assaults in the job. He doesn’t absorb details, he doesn’t them. Adopting reforms to the military’s military, and doing so without drawing listen to advisers and he’s too diplomatic to OR CHUCK HAGEL, the listening tour justice system will be another major issue attention to himself. make an impression on Congress.” is over. on which he’s judged. “He’s leading thought