BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. — It is highly unlikely that Private First Class Bradley Manning will go from prisoner to Nobel laureate any time soon.

NEVATIM AIR FORCE BASE, Israel — The Israeli defense Force, the IDF, has received unusual attention as a model since then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lifted the US military’s ban on women in combat two months ago. Although Israelis are used to the idea of female soldiers, however, they still face obstacles advancing in a military in which they make up only a small fraction of the country’s battle-ready forces.