Top stories
House passes Trump megabill with $150 billion in military funding
The bill includes $150 billion for the Pentagon, earmarked for shipbuilding, the Golden Dome and restocking precision weapons, among other priorities.
Navy did not document changes to recruitment procedures, watchdog says
The Navy reached its recruitment goal in fiscal 2024 by working through a backlog of 8,600 medical waivers, recruiting 5,845 sailors in the process.
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US strikes set back Iran’s nuclear program up to 2 years, DOD says
“We’re thinking probably closer to two years — like degraded their program by two years,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Wednesday.
Illinois veteran bestowed military honors nearly a decade after death
An extraordinary cold case investigation revealed a formerly unidentified ward of the state to be a Women's Army Corps veteran.
Pentagon creates new military border zone in Arizona
The fourth national defense area created along the US-Mexico border will be an extension of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in the Sonora Desert.
Pilots who bombed Iran sites invited to White House for July Fourth
The U.S. pilots who carried out Operation Midnight Hammer last month were invited to the White House for July Fourth.
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Learn how your military benefits — including health care, retirement pay and more — have changed in 2025.
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Military History
Top enlisted Marine takes a swipe at Audie Murphy’s uniform regs
The top enlisted Marine faced a sea of roasters on Army and Marine Reddit pages after he took a swipe at WWII combat soldier Audie Murphy.
The toilet paper war: A submariner’s battle against bureaucracy
In 1942, Lt. Cmdr. James Coe of the submarine Skipjack battled for his boat to receive what he deemed a basic necessity: toilet paper.
This US paratrooper faced down 100 Nazis and 2 tanks... and won
Pvt. John Towle who, faced with a company-size enemy force with armor support and comported himself like a one-man anti-tank unit.
Pentagon awards $5 billion contract to speed up ship manufacturing
The Navy continues to be under immense pressure to hasten the process of shipbuilding and modernize methods of repair and manufacturing.
In other news
US Air Force uses leftover ICBM funds to revamp Qatar plane
“This looks like one of the bigger wastes of money inside your budget," Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said of plans to turn a Qatari jet into Air Force One.
Why Patrick Star is the blue falcon of Bikini Bottom
Patrick Star is every lovable mess-up squadmate who cost you a weekend because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut during formation.
How a good PAO could spin Peter Griffin’s unapologetic havoc
The military, to be sure, has managed to explain away far worse than Peter Griffin.
By Clay Beyersdorfer
Why Homer Simpson is a government fixture familiar to all troops
If you’ve spent time in the armed forces, you’ve had a Homer in your unit. He's not a comedic exaggeration. He’s a federal fixture.
Why Master Chief shunned the red tape of realistic military promotions
Halo's Master Chief has single-handedly turned the tide of interstellar wars. Yet despite his legendary exploits, his rank has remained static.
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VIDEOS
Advanced Marine reconnaissance vehicles are on the way - here's what they look like
Check out the two designs competing to be the Marines new advance recon vehicle - and learn about what capabilities they offer on this edition of Gear Scout.
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MORE STORIES
New Orleans attack suspect identified as Army vet ‘inspired by ISIS’
The man who reportedly drove a truck into a crowd of New Year's revelers in New Orleans, killing 15, has been identified as a U.S. Army veteran.
Breaking down the number of veterans in the 119th Congress
This Congress begins with more members who are military veterans than any session in the last eight years.
Major leadership shakeup, new budget battles coming to VA in 2025
The major Veterans Affairs stories we're keeping an eye on in 2025.
Rollback of DOD anti-extremism efforts coming in 2025, experts predict
The piecemeal progress of extremism-prevention efforts during the past four years is more than can be expected out of the Pentagon in 2025, experts said.
From Grinch greetings to Santa sightings, the holidays come to troops
Holiday helpers have been busy, as plenty of organizations and individuals have been working to make the days a bit brighter for troops and their families.
By Karen Jowers
Will most troops move under new household goods program in 2025?
More than half of installations in the continental United States are moving troops' shipments under the new system.
By Karen Jowers
VA to resume new electronic health record rollout in mid-2026
The project was scheduled to take 10 years and cost $16 billion. Nearly eight years later, only six of VA’s 170-plus medical sites are using the software.
Suicides among veterans remain unchanged despite federal focus
The figures are the latest available from federal census data and suggest limited progress on the issue of suicide prevention by Veterans Affairs leaders.
Looming government shutdown could hurt military families, veterans
Plans to avert a partial government shutdown starting this weekend appeared scuttled after President-elect Donald Trump opposed the bipartisan deal.
Live in the Tricare West Region? Do this before Dec. 31.
Beneficiaries in the West Region who don't provide recurring payment information could risk losing Tricare coverage.
By Karen Jowers