On Patrol

• The holiday season is over, but Wreaths Across America needs your help one more time. They’ll be picking up the thousands of wreaths they laid at Arlington National Cemetery tomorrow morning. Volunteers should meet at 8:30 a.m. at the McClellan Gate Arch near Section 12 of the cemetery.

• After finding it odd that there weren’t celebrations to mark the end of the Iraq War, two friends started a campaign that will culminate with this Saturday’s parade in St. Louis. Follow the link to read their story.

• And finally, Navy’s men’s basketball team looks to break a 13-game losing streak Saturday night when it hosts Bucknell at 7 p.m.

The former Marine who shot at the Pentagon, Marine Corps museum and two military buildings in Virginia pleaded guilty to three counts Thursday in a deal that calls for him to serve 25 years in prison. But his motive still isn’t clear.

Yonathan Melaku — who admitted to shooting at the Pentagon on October 19, 2010 — was arrested on June 17 with a backpack containing bomb-making material near Arlington National Cemetery.

According to The Washington Post, prosecutors said Melaku was on a campaign of “fear and terror,” pointing to video tapes of the man shouting “Allahu Akbar!” and the extremist writings they found in his backpack the day of his arrest. But Melaku’s lawyer says he does not know of any motive for the crimes, and told the Post that he wonders if the former Marine is suffering with psychological problems. No one was injured in any of the incidents.

Read more in Motive of shooter who targeted military sites is unclear.

Air Force Staff Sergeant Jonathan Hill, left, directs villagers to his Mi-17 helicopter in Shewa village in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province on January 24, 2012. Air Force photo by Master Sergeant Shane A. Cuomo

Details of the Pentagon’s restructuring plan surfaced Thursday morning, showing the Department of Defense wants to focus more on drones and special-operations activities.

The plans—which Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was to discuss Thursday—will boost America’s drone fleet by 30 percent, according to Fox News. The organization also reported a planned increase in special-operations bases around the world.

“What we really want is to see the Army adopt the mentality of special forces,” a military officer told Fox News on condition of anonymity.

The DOD wants to boost these capabilities while simultaneously cutting eight Army brigades—roughly 80,000 soldiers—from the ranks.

Read more in New Pentagon plan focuses on drones, special ops, cuts traditional forces.

Also, The Associated Press takes a look at the political angle Panetta has to take when discussing the cuts amid the run-up to November’s elections.

Army Sergeant Ramon Cortez takes a knee while providing security detail during a combat patrol in Khost province, Afghanistan, on January 25, 2012. Army photo by Staff Sergeant Jason Epperson

SEAL Team 6 freed a pair of hostages in Somalia late Tuesday, killing nine suspected pirates in the process.

According to The Associated Press, the latest victory for the Navy’s special operations unit that led the raid against Osama bin Laden involved parachuting into the African nation and sneaking up on a camp where the hostages—and American and a Dane—were being held.

President Barack Obama congratulated Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on the operation as he walked to the podium before the State of the Union address Tuesday night. The Washington Post has a behind-the-scenes look at how the operation unfolded from the White House’s perspective on the day of the president’s annual speech.

Read more in U.S. military raid in Somalia frees American, Dane.

Navy Chief Petty Officer Craig Wright reunites with his family on Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Washington, after returning from a strategic deterrent patrol aboard the ballistic-missile submarine USS Henry M. Jackson on January 21, 2012. Navy photo by Lieutenant Ed Early

• DOD's website connects military children from AFPS
• Condolence payments to Afghans total millions of dollars from Air Force Times
• Involuntary manslaughter charge may be dropped in case of Private Danny Chen from New York Times
• Britain could increase military presence in Strait of Hormuz from USA Today

A great story comes out of Wisconsin this week, where veteran Napoleon Elvord—who describes himself as a semi-retired construction worker—realized he’d become an instant millionaire.

But it took a little encouragement from the vendors at his local hangout to get him there.

According to the Today show, Elvord—who has been receiving regular kidney dialysis treatments for the last five years—purchased the winning ticket to the January 14 drawing, but then forgot to check the numbers.

For three days after it was announced that the winning Megabucks ticket from the Jan. 14 drawing had been sold at a Wisconsin Mobil station, Napolean Elvord had no idea a life-changing sum of money was right at his fingertips. The clerks at the Madison store that Elvord visits daily asked him if he was the one who bought the winning ticket. But he said it wasn’t him — and as the days passed, no one came forward to claim the prize.

Elvord eventually was convinced by the clerks at his store to check the ticket. He then took it to Wisconsin lottery officials, who declared him the winner. He opted for a cash payout, which will be worth $6.87 million after taxes.

Read more in Lottery winner in need of a kidney nearly didn’t claim $14.3 million.

Marine Corps Lance Corporal Tyler Sletterink uses a welding torch to cut a piece of rebar during the construction of a land bridge in the Now Zad district of Afghanistan's Helmand province on January 14, 2012. Marine Corps photo by Master Gunnery Sergeant Phil Mehringer

Army General Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and French Admiral Edouard Guillaud, chief of Defense Staff, talk at the Ecole Militare in Paris on January 17, 2012. DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen

The under-the-radar Navy special operators—now famous for conducting the raid where Osama bin Laden was killed—turned 50 this month.

While they’re not much for press, the Navy SEALs have established a rich history since they were created in 1962 at the urging of then-President John F. Kennedy.

All told, five SEAL team members have received the Medal of Honor.

Read more about the history of the SEALs—and the state of their operations—in Navy SEAL program turns 50.

In other news around the military:

• The Army said it completed a massive destruction of chemical weapons last week in Utah. All told, a reported 90 percent of the country’s chemical weapons stockpile has been destroyed.

• They don’t just deal with the Taliban: read about how one Air Force dentist is making a difference in Afghanistan.