Gen. Dempsey told a group of reporters recently that he would recommend the U.S. military move against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces if they become a direct threat to the U.S. homeland, according to The Associated Press. As of yet, Dempsey still considers the group a regional threat and does not believe militants are planning to launch attacks against the U.S. or European nations, the news source reported. Dempsey has not recommended military action or airstrikes against the group in Syria yet.

Battling ISIL forces
American servicemembers have not engaged ISIL militants outside of Iraq, excluding a 24-man search and rescue operation executed earlier this summer, which was intended to save American hostages inside Syria, according to CBS News.

Instead, military operations against the extremist group have been restricted to particular measures in Iraq to protect American officials and Iraqi civilians who fled to Mount Sinjar. Both events predominantly included calculated U.S. airstrikes. Thus far, the AP reported that the U.S. has launched 96 airstrikes across Iraq targeting ISIL targets. Sixty-two of those airstrikes occurred around the Mosul Dam. ISIL forces captured Mosul – Iraq's second-largest city – in June and commandeered an expanse of land stretching from Syria to western and northern Iraq. 

Working with allies
If U.S. military forces decide to move against ISIL, the Joint Chiefs chairman believes surrounding nations will join the effort against the extremist group, including Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, according to Fox News.

"I think ISIS has been so brutal, and has wrapped itself in a radical religious legitimacy that clearly threatens everybody I just mentioned, that I think they will be willing partners," Dempsey said, according to the news source.

If American territories are threatened, the U.S. military response may include a variety of measures. Airstrikes in Syria have not been authorized by the Obama administration, but this could change with Dempsey's recommendation. Moreover, the U.S. could provide more assistance and advice to Iraqi forces instead of putting a greater force of boots on the ground. Dempsey told reporters that U.S. military advisers have already assessed roughly 50 Iraqi military brigades and Kurdish units to judge whether the forces are trained well enough and sufficiently equipped to fight ISIL forces, the AP reported. As of yet, the U.S. has not received permission to or attempted to put military advisers alongside Iraqi troops in combat.

After a failed attempt to rescue American hostages in Syria being held by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces, a future mission to save hostages may be very difficult, according to CBS News.

According to a statement released by the Department of Defense, U.S. forces attempted to rescue several American hostages – including James Foley – earlier this summer. However, the mission was unsuccessful, as the hostages were not being held in the suspected location.

A successful breach but no hostages
"The United States attempted a rescue operation recently to free a number of American hostages held in Syria by [ISIL]," Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement. "This operation involved air and ground components and was focused on a particular captor network within ISIL. Unfortunately, the mission was not successful because the hostages were not present at the targeted location."

Despite the failed attempt and the increased difficulty U.S. forces will face as ISIL becomes more vigilant in their hostage captivity and transportation methods, Kirby said the military will continue to work to find and bring back U.S. citizens.

"The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will work tirelessly to secure the safety of our citizens and to hold their captors accountable," Kirby said.

A sensitive situation
There are at least three more American citizens being held by the same Islamic terrorist forces that executed Foley, according to CBS News sources. However, locating and securing these citizens may be increasingly difficult, CBS News Homeland Security correspondent Bob Orr reported. Now, it is likely hostages will be split up and moved around to make tracking harder. Additionally, the terrorist group may limit its telecommunications to evade American forces. Government officials initially tried to keep the failed operation secret to prevent ISIL from increasing protection of the hostages.

The rescue mission
According to USA Today, President Barack Obama authorized the rescue mission because U.S. intelligence was convinced the American hostages were in significant and imminent danger.

"[Obama] authorized action at this time because it was the national security team's assessment that these hostages were in danger with each passing day in (Islamic State) custody," Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism said, according to USA Today.

The rescue mission included two black hawk helicopters equipped with stealth technology, 24 special operations forces commandos and surveillance aircraft overhead, CBS News reported. Military forces searched for hostages in a disused oil refinery that was reportedly being used as an ISIL stronghold. They came in contact with several ISIL militants and were engaged in a firefight. Several terrorist fighters were killed and one American soldier was wounded. All military forces were flown to safety.

The hostages were gone when the soldiers searched the location. Supposedly, the rescue team had just missed them, according to NBC News sources. U.S. officials reportedly admitted that intelligence about the mission was not based on the best intelligence, but the mission was launched because the hostages were thought to be in immediate danger.

Since their adoption in March, the new military tattoo regulations have caused a fair amount of controversy. According to a report by The New York Times, when the stricter rules regarding ink were adopted, a flurry of soldiers took to tattoo parlors to take advantage of the old regulations while they were still in effect. Others jumped on social media to express their frustration about the new regulations, according to Military Times. 

As aggravating as tattoo regulations may be for soldiers who planned to go under the needle or servicemembers who already had tattoos, there may be good news ahead. According to Military Times, the Army is close to announcing changes in the tattoo policy, which could end in more relaxed regulations. Army spokesman Paul Prince told the news agency that changes to the policies would be inevitable and the specifics would be available in the latest version of Army Regulation 670-1.

The current tattoo guidelines
There was controversy over more than just tattoos, according to Fox News. The latest edition of AR 670-1 also regulated certain hairstyles, glasses, jewelry and fingernails. Hairstyle regulations have since been changed due to racial bias, according to a Time magazine report. This event has convinced some members of the military that tattoo regulations may be changed as well. According to AR 670-1, tattoo regulations currently prohibit:

• Tattoos on the head, neck, fingers, hands and wrists
• More than four visible tattoos below the elbow or knee
• Tattoos larger than the wearer's hand below the elbow or above the knee
• Extremist, indecent, sexist or racist tattoos of any sort.

Punishing current soldiers
Fox News reported that 300 military applicants were turned away because of tattoo regulations in the Phoenix area alone between March and mid-June. However, already enlisted servicemembers with now inappropriate tattoos face punishment as well. According to Military Times, while many members of the military with tattoos would be grandfathered in, enlisted soldiers with improper tattoos would not be able to request commission without a waiver. For many, this means the opportunity for promotion would be taken away because of a previously acceptable tattoo. 

The waiver process has granted roughly 59 exemptions as of July, Prince told Military Times. However, the guidelines of the waiver process and the difference between waived tattoos and unacceptable tattoos has not been divulged. 

According to Fox News, Purple Heart recipient Zac Rand – an army specialist – would have been turned down by the military if he applied today with his current tattoos.

"I don't think it's really fair to cut people short just because of [their] tattoos," Rand told the news agency.

Just two days after President Barack Obama deployed 130 military advisers to northern Iraq to assess an unfolding situation regarding an estimated 40,000 civilian Yazidis who had taken refuge on Mount Sinjar, Obama has said that a rescue mission will probably not be necessary and additional humanitarian airdrops will most likely not be needed, according to a statement from the White House.

A successful effort
According to Obama, U.S. military humanitarian airdrops managed to deliver over 114,000 meals and 35,000 gallons of water to Yazidis atop Mount Sinjar. U.S. forces were joined in the effort by United Kingdom forces and other allies, and airdrops were made on a nightly basis. The Iraqi civilians – who managed to escape dangerous Islamic State of Iraq and Levant forces – may have dehydrated and starved atop Mount Sinjar without the aid.

Not only that, but Obama stated that military strikes managed to break ISIL forces' hold of the area.

"Our military was able to successfully strike ISIL targets around the mountain, which improved conditions for civilians to evacuate the mountain safely," Obama said.

Fewer civilians than expected
Whereas some believed tens of thousands of civilian refugees may have been stranded on Mount Sinjar – NPR reporter Tom Bowman reported there were estimates of around 40,000 Yazidis stuck on the summit – American military advisers found far fewer civilians on the mountain. Military Times reported a U.S. military and civilian team found there were close to 4,000 Iraqi civilians on Mount Sinjar.

Supposedly, there were so few civilians compared to previous estimates because the U.S. military measures earlier this week allowed civilians to escape the mountain after dark, according to Obama. Now, the remaining civilian groups will be aided by friendly ground forces to facilitate safe evacuations.

"The civilians who remain continue to leave, aided by Kurdish forces and Yazidis who are helping to facilitate the safe passage of their families. So the bottom line is, is that the situation on the mountain has greatly improved and Americans should be very proud of our efforts," Obama said.

Looking forward, the president warned that the situation is not over for Iraqi civilians or defensive forces yet. ISIL forces still threaten much of the Iraqi populace and American support is still necessary.

"We will continue air strikes to protect our people and facilities in Iraq. We have increased the delivery of military assistance to Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting ISIL on the front lines," Obama said.

According to Department of Defense News, President Barack Obama has ordered 130 advisers into Iraq to advise and assess the situation there. The additional troops will observe humanitarian efforts regarding displaced Iraqi Civilians on Mount Sinjar and develop plans to evacuate the people safely.

No combat for newest wave of troops
The additional troops have already touched down in Irbil, Iraq, according to a NPR. The 130 additional advisers will join 90 U.S. military advisers in Baghdad, another 160 in two operation centers, 455 members of U.S. security forces and another 100 military personnel in the Office of Security Cooperation in the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, according to The Associated Press. The 130 troops have been called "assessors" by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, who has stated the personnel will not serve any combat purpose.

"Very specifically, this is not a combat 'boots-on-the- ground' operation," Hagel told a group of marines and soldiers, according to DoD news. "We're not going to have that kind of operation."

According to a statement read by a military official, the servicemembers will "assess the scope of the humanitarian mission and develop additional humanitarian assistance options beyond the current airdrop effort in support of displaced Iraqi civilians trapped on Sinjar Mountain by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant," DoD news reported.

Obama has stated that new ground combat personnel will not be sent into Iraq. The AP reported that Obama will cap the number of troops that can be sent into the region. However, the 130 additional advisors do not count toward that amount because they have been authorized to provide humanitarian assistance.

The situation
According to The Independent, roughly 40,000 Yazidis fled to Mount Sinjar to escape Islamic ISIL forces, and the United Nations has warned that a potential mass atrocity or genocide could happen within days or hours. Humanitarian efforts have managed to airdrop water, food and other resources to the Yazidis, however there is still no long term solution for the civilians who have been surrounded on the mountain.

Additionally, U.S. airstrikes will be used to deter ISIL forces from advancing on Mount Sinjar and Irbil. However, some suggest that armed forces will be needed to escort Yazidi civilians off of the mountain. According to NPR, the possibility of airlifting the civilians off of the mountain is slim because of the number of people will require too large an effort.

From his gift for stand-up comedy to his role as a nanny in "Mrs. Doubtfire," Robin Williams won the hearts and laughs of millions. But there's another side of the legendary actor and comic that some overlook. He was also showed incredible support to American soldiers.

Over a decade of performing for troops
According to Fox News, Williams participated in United Service Organization tours for over a decade, traveling to war zones in 13 countries and performing stand-up for nearly 90,000 troops. His respect for servicemembers of the U.S. ran deep, and he even spoke about his experience performing for soldiers in an interview with ABC News back in 2012.

"I'm so honored to meet them and know what they've gone through and say, 'Hey dude,' this is just something that really humbles me," Williams said, according to the news source.

Servicemembers remember Robin Williams
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel issued a statement Aug. 11, reading, "The entire Department of Defense community mourns the loss of Robin Williams. Robin was a gifted actor and comedian, but he was also a true friend and supporter of our troops. From entertaining thousands of service men and women in war zones, to his philanthropy that helped veterans struggling with hidden wounds of war, he was a loyal and compassionate advocate for all who serve this nation in uniform. He will be dearly missed by the men and women of DoD – so many of whom were personally touched by his humor and generosity."

Even off the stage during his USO tours, Williams showed his dedication to soldiers by visiting those who couldn't see his routine, according to ABC News' global correspondent Martha Raddatz.

"He would be tireless at these performances," Raddatz said in an ABC News report. "He would perform in the big shows where everyone could go see him, but when others were performing, he'd sneak away and go to the guard posts and the dining facilities to visit those soldiers and marines who weren't able to come to the big show."

The loss of Williams reverberated through every sector of the armed forces, even warranting a statement from President Barack Obama .

"Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between," Obama said  "But he was one of a kind.  He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit.  He made us laugh.  He made us cry.  He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most – from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets.  The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin's family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams."

President Barack Obama recently told reporters that U.S. combat troops would not be entering Iraq again, according to The Associated Press. However, some officials say that servicemembers are needed in the area to provide countermeasures against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria forces.

More than a campaign promise
One of the reasons Obama has refused to place more troops on the ground in Iraq follows a campaign pledge he made to retract forces in the area, but there are also logistical issues with keeping armed forces in the country. According to Obama, the Iraqi government called for the departure of American forces because officials could not agree to grant U.S. forces legal immunity. This would have left troops subject to an Iraqi judicial process during their time in the country.

Instead of carrying out defensive measures using troops, Obama has focused on a series of targeted airstrikes on ISIS forces to protect American personnel in Iraq and Iraqi civilians on Mount Sinjar. Obama noted that IS advances on Irbil – a region in Iraq with a consulate holding American troops and diplomats – have been quicker than expected, but airstrikes have already destroyed ISIS arms and equipment.

Why others call for troops
While U.S. forces try to keep ISIS militants out of Irbil to protect American personnel, there is a second mission to protect 40,000 Iraqi Yazidis on Mount Sinjar from militant advances. Civilians trapped on the mountain have already received air drops of food and water, but some military officials suggest that ground forces are needed to protect the citizens, according to Military Times.

While airdropped resources help Yazidi civilians survive on Mount Sinjar, there are concerns about getting the civilians off the mountain, which has been surrounded by ISIS forces.

"You're talking about a 10,000- to 15,000-soldier effort to include maintenance, and medevac and security," retired Army Col. Peter Mansoor, told Military Times."But that is the price you're going to pay if you want to roll back [Islamic State]. You can't just snap your fingers and make it go away,"

Monsoor suggested that security forces would be needed to lead Yazidis through ISIS territory to safety. Without boots on the ground, the only other option may include massive helicopter airlifts of Iraqi civilians from Mount Sinjar if further airstrikes do not effectively hold militants back.

Effective airstrikes
However, retired Air Force Col. Mark Gunzinger, told Military Times that airstrikes may be very effective in Iraq because the U.S. has enough drones to keep a near constant presence overhead, and ISIS militants may not have anti-aircraft equipment capable of defending against coordinated airstrikes.

Some specifics regarding airstrikes have still not yet been explained by authorities. While some suggest airstrikes may only be used for defensive purposes around Irbil and Mount Sinjar, there is the possibility that a bigger effort may be coordinated.

"There is still some question about whether this is going to be a major air campaign to defeat [ISIS] or whether it is going to be more along the lines of strikes and raids to deny them access and prevent them from making further advances. I'm not sure," Gunzinger told Military Times.

Buying discounted tobacco products will be a thing of the past for military servicemembers, according to The Associated Press. Recently, the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee slashed the 25 percent discount on tobacco products allowed to soldiers in a defense spending bill that will begin Oct. 1.

Promoting soldiers' health
While financial reasons have been have been cited among the reasons for the change, lawmakers and others mention the inherent health problems associated with tobacco products most frequently.

"I don't know if there's anybody in America who still thinks that tobacco is good for you," Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said, according to Stars and Stripes. "The dollars are one thing. But the health of your people — I don't know if you put a price tag on that."

According to the American Lung Association, soldiers that smoke frequently suffer a wide range of health concerns. On its webpage, the group reported that soldiers that smokers are more likely to suffer injuries, perform worse on military fitness evaluations and are more stressed than soldiers who do not smoke, according to reports. Additionally, smoking is one of the main predictors of military training failure.

Reducing smoking in servicemembers
Another noteworthy issue, studies show that members of the military tend to smoke at higher rates than civilians. According to the American Lung Association, 30 percent of all members in the armed forces smoked as of 2008. On top of that, 9.5 percent of military personnel smoked heavily. 

The News Tribune reported that military leaders intend to dramatically decrease tobacco use in soldiers by 2020. The AP also reported that some lawmakers are attempting to restrict the use and sale of tobacco. However, Rep. Duncan Hunter had managed to convince members of the House Armed Services Committee in May that the right to smoke should be preserved for soldiers, calling the habit one of the few pleasures for a servicemember.

In a recent demo at a Fort Hood training area, the U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center unveiled the latest technology in unmanned military vehicles, according to a press release on the group's website.

During the demonstration, two driverless vehicles worked through training ground streets covered with obstacles and oncoming traffic to effectively work with another manned vehicle within a convoy. At the same time, the vehicles followed the rules of the road, avoided pedestrians and managed to change routes several times to showcase the technology's decision-making capabilities and precision. Exhibiting advanced autonomous features, the new technology could present a future method of keeping soldiers out of dangerous locations while completing supply missions and other tasks.

Unmanned vehicles make a debut in the near future
Although the technology is still in testing phases, TARDEC is well on its way to producing independent unmanned vehicles on schedule. The group has set a national date to release a series of driverless vehicles as part of the Autonomous Mobility Appliqué System. That equipment is set to be introduced in 2025, according to Military Times. However, TARDEC Director Paul Rogers believes the driver assist technology could be released for military personnel by next year, and that vehicles could be traveling without soldiers behind the wheel within three years.

The technology still needs a lot of work before it can make a debut on the battlefield. According to Military Times, the equipment uses advanced radar and lidar systems to pinpoint oncoming traffic, and obstacles and read the surface of the road and painted lines. Using a pre-programmed system, coordinates can be punched in and a specific route can be followed by the vehicles, or they can be programmed to follow other manned vehicles within a convoy.

In a controlled environment, the systems work very well, but the unmanned vehicles are unready for other areas.

"In a military or unstructured environment, the challenge becomes much more significant," Rogers said, according to Military Times. "We're looking at how to make our systems robust so that they're able to operate in more of these unstructured environments."

Reportedly the vehicles cannot complete more complicated street maneuvers and have not fully passed exercises that require backing up or K-turns, but the technology's developers remain optimistic.

"We are very happy with the results, but the AMAS must undergo more testing before it becomes deployable," Bernard Theisen, TARDEC's lead AMAS engineer, said on the group's website.

Keeping soldiers out of harm's way but still in the field
According to TARDEC officials, the aim of the AMAS is not to replace soldiers. Instead, allowing the vehicles to operate themselves will give soldiers more leeway to work in a defensive capacity in convoys or to complete other tasks while in route to destinations. The system is intended to increase the capability of the vehicles and allow soldiers to retain more situational awareness or operate from a safer distance in particularly dangerous locations. Additionally, taking soldiers out of particular vehicles can help reduce vehicle weight by stripping vehicles of armor, allowing for greater mobility. Ultimately, equipping convoys with unmanned vehicles could drastically improve the performance and effectiveness of soldiers.

A new study, which appears in JAMA Surgery, is showing that a relatively new method of combat care could be saving soldiers' lives. It's called Damage Control Resuscitation. This method of servicemember care is intended to optimize wounded soldier outcomes by reducing blood loss and increasing tissue oxygenation, according to an infographic released by the JR Army Med Corps, and it encompasses an eight-step process after a soldier is wounded in the field:

1. Novel hemostatics reduce blood loss and dress wounds
2. Battlefield Advanced Trauma Life Support or emergency on-site surgery is provided to buy time to move servicemembers to the next level of care
3. Enhanced Medical Emergency Response Teams composed of four-practitioners  provide advanced interventions while the soldier is rapidly transported
4. The wounded soldier goes through consultant based resuscitation at a nearby hospital or field hospital
5. Hemostatic resuscitation – restoring and sustaining normal tissue blood flow – is pursued
6. Physicians run bedside diagnostics 
7. Damage control surgery is performed 
8. An intensive therapy/treatment unit or Critical Care Air Support Team is dispatched for ongoing treatment or transport

This system brings wounded soldiers from the point of wounding and battlefield care to hospitals. According to Military Times, JAMA Surgery researchers are calling DCR "one of the most important medical breakthroughs of our current conflicts." 

A silver lining
Unfortunately, the tremendous improvement in battlefield care has brought surviving soldiers to hospitals, which may have pushed in-hospital deaths of Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers to reach historic heights. To put it into perspective, the amount of servicemember deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan has been very low. However, DCR services provide such speedy evacuations and effective care that critically wounded soldiers make it to hospitals but succumb to their wounds despite the efforts.

Many believe that more soldiers would have died of their wounds without the DCR treatment. In fact, Military Times reports that JAMA Surgery author Nicholas Langan attributes many of the deaths to head injuries, not hemorrhaging or blood loss. Such an assessment suggests that DCR is improving survivability for troops.

Helping enhance in-hospital outcomes
Moving wounded troops to hospitals faster and in better condition increases their chances of survival. Now, researchers must make determining how to improve emergency room outcomes a priority. JAMA Surgery officials think there is a possibility of saving a great deal of patients by giving in-hospital care more attention.

"There appears to be a significant potential for salvage in up to 50 percent of patients who die of wounds at a military treatment facility," Langan wrote in the study, according to Military Times.

Nonetheless, there is wide agreement that DCR efforts have vastly improved wounded soldiers' outcomes since the procedure's adoption in 2006. Of the 57,179 troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan only 4.5 percent have died due to their injuries. Of that amount, 80 percent died within 24 hours of arriving to a military treatment facility. 

Moreover, many military medical professionals claim that this high attention to combat casualty outcomes could likely improve patient results in future wars. The Pentagon is working to chronicle all combat casualties in the Joint Trauma Registry, and the compiled data could lead to further medical breakthroughs.