Top stories
Pentagon cuts back F-35 upgrades to slow schedule slips: Auditors
The F-35's Block 4 upgrades are being trimmed back so the program can focus on what it can deliver in 2031.
Rubio says US military strikes on drug smugglers ‘will happen again’
Asked why the military didn't interdict the vessel and capture those on board, Trump said the strike would cause gangs to think twice about moving drugs.
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Survivors of Maine mass shooting allege Army could’ve prevented attack
An independent commission said it found numerous opportunities for Army officials to intervene to stop a reservist from carrying out the attack.
Trump links Space Command HQ move to Colorado’s ‘crooked’ voting laws
Twice Tuesday, Trump said Colorado’s mail-in voting policies influenced his decision to move SPACECOM headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville.
President says he will deploy National Guard troops to Chicago
President Trump says he will deploy the National Guard to Chicago to help with crime in the city.
Military lawyers authorized to serve as temporary immigration judges
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved sending up to 600 military lawyers to the Justice Department.
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EDITOR'S PICKS
Military Culture
Country music no longer owns the troops, and that’s a good thing
Troops today are just as likely to share playlists filled with hip-hop, EDM or K-pop as they are with country music legends.
Army picks 3 startups to fast-track self-driving squad vehicle
The Army has struggled to achieve fully-autonomous vehicles because of the inherent challenges on a modern battlefield not found on predictable roadways.
Keel laid for Navy’s second Columbia-class nuclear strike submarine
The vessel will carry multiple nuclear warheads and conduct patrols to deter adversaries.
The National Guard, DC landscaping and the great pursuit of lethality
Few training methods guarantee a better fighting force than boredom-induced annoyance.
In other news
What we know about NatGeo’s upcoming ‘Top Gun’ series
National Geographic is building its own highway to the Danger Zone.
Country music no longer owns the troops, and that’s a good thing
Troops today are just as likely to share playlists filled with hip-hop, EDM or K-pop as they are with country music legends.
The National Guard, DC landscaping and the great pursuit of lethality
Few training methods guarantee a better fighting force than boredom-induced annoyance.
By J.D. Simkins
Back-to-school, military edition: why August is also admin hell
For civilians, August is a return to structure. For service members and veterans facing bureaucratic deadlines, it often feels like drowning in it.
Deployment playlists, then and now: from Walkmans to wireless despair
Music has always been more than a distraction for deployed service members — it's a lifeline. Here's how its method of delivery has changed over time.
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A conversation with U.S. Representative Rob Wittman
U.S. Representative Rob Wittman talks readiness & resilience at Defense News Conference
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MORE STORIES
US strikes drug-carrying vessel that departed Venezuela, Trump says
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. has carried out a strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug-carrying vessel.
By Regina Garcia Cano
President says he will deploy National Guard troops to Chicago
President Trump says he will deploy the National Guard to Chicago to help with crime in the city.
By Carla Babb
Trump links Space Command HQ move to Colorado’s ‘crooked’ voting laws
Twice Tuesday, Trump said Colorado’s mail-in voting policies influenced his decision to move SPACECOM headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville.
Army football player and his dad save man after crash near West Point
An Army football player and his father pulled a man from a crashed car just before it burst into flames near the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Army picks 3 startups to fast-track self-driving squad vehicle
The Army has struggled to achieve fully-autonomous vehicles because of the inherent challenges on a modern battlefield not found on predictable roadways.
By Jen Judson
Military lawyers authorized to serve as temporary immigration judges
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved sending up to 600 military lawyers to the Justice Department.
Keel laid for Navy’s second Columbia-class nuclear strike submarine
The vessel will carry multiple nuclear warheads and conduct patrols to deter adversaries.
By Zita Ballinger Fletcher
He was bayoneted in Guam. Shot on Iwo. Now, at 100, he is a sergeant.
At just 16, Frank S. Wright lied about his age to join the Marine Corps and went on to see combat on Guadalcanal, New Georgia, Guam and Iwo Jima.
Carrier landings no longer required for Navy pilots’ Wings of Gold
Graduated pilots will now complete the carrier qualification during follow on training at their fleet replacement squadron, a Navy spokesperson said.
By Riley Ceder
Coast Guard to get first MQ-9 drones
Current and former officials are heralding the move as a game-changer in the fight against smuggling.
By Carla Babb