By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) N. Ross Taylor, Sept. 30, 2011 BUSAN, Republic of Korea - The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63) arrived in Busan, Republic of Korea, for a port visit Sept. 29. This visit to Busan is the first for Cowpens in almost three years. “We are very fortunate to be able to visit su ...

By Patricia Kime - Staff writer, Friday Sep 30, 2011 9:25:53 EDT New military retirees will pay a little more for health care starting Saturday. As of Oct. 1, annual fees for Tricare Prime coverage will increase by $30, to $260 a year, for individuals, and by $60, to $520 a year, for retirees with families, but only for retirees who are new to Prime. Reti ...

By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer, Friday Sep 30, 2011 10:22:50 EDT Military chaplains can preside over same-sex marriages on military installations in places where same-sex marriage is not prohibited by state and local laws, according to a new Pentagon policy unveiled Sept. 30. It’s one of the first policy changes since the repeal of the military’s ban on ...

By Matthew M. Burke and Elena Sugiyama Stars and Stripes, September 30, 2011 SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — In an effort to ease concerns over low-level radioactive waste from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami currently being stored at U.S. military installations across Japan, the Sasebo City Assembly is sending a letter to the Japanese government asking them ...

By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes, September 30, 2011 YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Street lights, escalators and other electrical equipment that was switched off to save power over the summer will gradually be turned on in October as cooler autumn temperatures reduce peak energy demand at U.S. military bases across Japan, according to U.S. officials. ...

Staff and wire reports, September 30, 2011 It appears the effort to eradicate the notorious brown tree snake on Guam and keep it from infesting Hawaii will not fall victim to congressional budget tightening – at least for now. The program was on the verge of being canceled this week because the fiscal year is ending and Congress has imposed a moratorium on ...

Sep 30, 6:59 AM EDT TOKYO (AP) -- A small Japanese company has developed a modern, miniature version of Noah's Ark in case Japan is hit by another massive earthquake and tsunami: a floating capsule that looks like a huge tennis ball. Japan's Cosmo Power says its "Noah" shelter is made of enhanced fiberglass that can save users from disasters like ...

By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press TOKYO (AP) -- Japan lifted some evacuation advisories around the tsunami-devastated Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant Friday to reassure tens of thousands of residents who fled the worst atomic crisis since Chernobyl that it is safe to return home. A 12-mile (20-kilometer) no-go zone remains in place around the plant, whic ...