President Barack Obama has announced his choice of Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr. to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

The top U.S. military officer says the U.S. called in Apache helicopters to prevent Iraqi forces from being overrun by Islamic State militants in a recent fight near Baghdad's airport.

The Pentagon says U.S. warplanes have made three more airstrikes against Islamic State targets near the Mosul Dam, including a machine gun position that was firing on Iraqi forces.

The Pentagon says a Russian fighter jet intercepted an American reconnaissance plane in international airspace over the Pacific in late April, prompting top officials to communicate their concerns to the Russian military.

The White House said President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone as the U.S. reviews Russia's military moves in Ukraine.

America's top military officer said Wednesday the U.S. threat to withdraw all troops out of Afghanistan if no security pact is signed may encourage the enemy and lead some Afghan forces to align with the Taliban.