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Feds pay out $17M to families sickened by Navy’s fuel-contaminated water in Hawaii
Each of the 629 people received about $27,000. Affected service members have received nothing.
Military recruiting hit a 15-year high. How quickly do recruits become mission ready?
How quickly recruits move from accession to operational qualification can affect force generation, unit staffing and long-term readiness planning.
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101st soldiers use drones to drop grappling hooks, breach razor wire
The Army should treat drones like ammo, one officer said, estimating a brigade needs between 1,000 to 1,500 drones per week in sustained combat operations.
Debate over women in combat prompts NDAA battles
The amendments follow Hegseth’s order that all the services develop gender-neutral physical fitness standards for all troops in ground combat roles.
Ukraine’s newest strike weapon drifts into Russia on the wind
The U.S. and Russia are fielding the same balloons used by Ukraine that bait air defenses and now launch missiles.
The Pentagon’s research infrastructure is ‘deteriorating,’ study finds
Pentagon research has been hampered by backlogged security clearances, limited funds to build or refurbish labs and a slow and difficult hiring process.
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Commentary
NATO allies promised Trump they’d secure the Arctic; they’ve got work to do
Through most of NATO’s eight-decade history, the inhospitable High North was low priority. That calculus is now changing.
Army launches new branch for military space operations
Following up on its “space vision,” the service created a home for its space operations officers.
US sending military warships, personnel to Venezuela in the wake of the nation’s devastating earthquakes
Two U.S. warships, the USS Fort Lauderdale and the littoral combat ship USS Billings have been dispatched to Venezuela following the nation's earthquakes.
US Army officer sentenced for secretly giving abortion drug to pregnant soldier
A U.S. Army officer who secretly gave abortion medication to a pregnant junior enlisted soldier was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison.
In other news
Ukraine’s top strike-drone maker moves into ballistic missile defense
Fire Point's drones already fly most of Kyiv's strikes inside Russia. With Germany's Hensoldt, the company is now building Freyja, a homegrown alternative.
Sailor reportedly finds dead rat in finished energy drink
The sailor said medical personnel informed him, “with the chemicals that are in Monster, that it should be OK.”
That time the Air Force proposed making a ‘gay bomb’
The Air Force once explored the idea of a chemical weapon that would make enemy soldiers sexually irresistible to one another — striking a blow to morale.
Master Chief actor condemns use of character in White House’s Iran war hype video
“I demand that the producers of this disgusting and juvenile war porn remove my voice immediately,” Steve Downes wrote in a post on X.
‘War Machine’ review: Finally, a training scenario with aliens
The sci-fi flick raises the premise: What if the final phase of U.S. Army Ranger selection suddenly involved fighting a giant alien robot?
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F-35 program chief says growth has outpaced sustainability for joint fighters
"We didn't put enough parts and pieces on the shelf," Lt. Gen. Gregory L. Masiello told a Senate subcommittee in a recent hearing.
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Ukraine’s top strike-drone maker moves into ballistic missile defense
Fire Point's drones already fly most of Kyiv's strikes inside Russia. With Germany's Hensoldt, the company is now building Freyja, a homegrown alternative.
By Katie Livingstone
The Pentagon’s research infrastructure is ‘deteriorating,’ study finds
Pentagon research has been hampered by backlogged security clearances, limited funds to build or refurbish labs and a slow and difficult hiring process.
By Michael Peck
Hungry bears are heading to Fort Carson this summer
Low snowpack, seasonal hyperphagia — where an animal’s insatiable urge to eat overrides a natural fear of humans — and loose garbage have contributed.
By Eve Sampson
House committee advances spending bill with cuts to Air Force flying hours, other programs
The House Appropriations Committee approved their spending bill that saw cuts to select Air Force programs and budget requests, while boosting others.
DoD scraps plan to privatize commissaries
DoD concluded “the potential cost savings of privatization are unlikely to be realized without severely degrading the benefits these programs provide."
By Karen Jowers
House vote on major veterans bill delayed amid controversy over voting legislation
A bill that encompasses two popular pieces of legislation — the Major Richard Star Act and the Love Lives On Act — has been stalled.
By Patricia Kime
Incoming female students at US Naval Academy must cut hair below chin
The school is returning to a female grooming standard that it upheld for decades before a 2018 shift in policy.
By Riley Ceder
Seven sailors injured during fire aboard USS Indianapolis
The fire was extinguished, and the injured sailors were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals before being cleared to return.
By Riley Ceder