Here are recent headlines about the military in Kansas:Fort Leavenworth(AP) Petraeus’ presentation falls on friendly ears in Leavenworth: Army officers said Monday that it’s unlikely Gen. David Petraeus changed any minds in Congress with his assessment of the war in Iraq. Petraeus — who until earlier this year commanded Fort Leavenworth, near Kansas City — told members of two House committees that the surge of 30,000 troops was beginning to work and that some of the troops might be able to leave Iraq by year’s end. Students at Fort Leavenworth’s School for Advanced Military Studies spent the day listening to the testimony and questions from lawmakers. All the officers had been deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan, often more than once, and most felt there was little Petraeus or U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker could say to change minds. “It seems like the testimony is right on. It’s a tough situation,” said Maj. Michael Sullivan, who was in Iraq twice this spring and spent a year advising the Iraqi military. “We can only do so much to a certain point, but we’re starting to see the Iraqis step up.”(LJWorld.com) KU rolling out welcome mat to military college: Kansas University will announce today a new initiative to help students at Fort Leavenworth’s Command and General Staff College receive advanced degrees in Lawrence. Led by David Lambertson, a former U.S. ambassador and a KU faculty member, the new initiative will seek to provide a one-stop destination for Fort Leavenworth soldiers who wish to earn a degree. “It’s something that’s quite appropriate for us to do,” KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway said. “This is a pool of students in the state of Kansas that want to be educated, which is what we’re supposed to do.” Lambertson said KU plans to be more user-friendly for Fort Leavenworth residents.link to YahooFort Riley ¢ 1st Infantry Division(49abcnews.com) Local reaction to Petraeus testimony: At Stacy’s Diner in Junction City, the locals grab a bite to eat, catch up with friends, and discuss what’s happening in the world. This small community near Fort Riley has a lot to say about General David Petraeus’ testimony and what it means to them. “I think we’re doing the right thing in Iraq,” stated Dick Polgreen, a Junction City resident who just got in from watching General Petraeus. “I’m not against leaving Iraq when the time comes. But I don’t think that time is here,” Polgreen added.(Topeka Capital-Journal) Four Fort Riley soldiers killed this month: History and the military were longtime passions of Spc. David J. Lane, of Emporia, who couldn’t wait to have a hearing impairment repaired so he could join the Army. Lane, 20, and two other Fort Riley soldiers were killed Sept. 4 by a roadside bomb while patrolling in a Humvee near Rustamiyah, Iraq. All three were members of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based at Fort Riley. Also killed by the bomb were Sgt. Joel Murray, 26, of Kansas City, Kan., and Pvt. Randol S. Shelton, 22, of Schiller Park, Ill. The deaths bring to 130 the number of Fort Riley soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. In a separate incident on Sept. 4, Spc. Rodney J. Johnson, 20, died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit in Baghdad. He, too, was part of the 1st Infantry Division.