Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announces that Air Force Secretary James Roche has withdrawn his name from contention for the Secretary of the Army position. (Also see July 7, 2003.)
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.

