“Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has recommended — and President Donald J. Trump has approved — death by U.S. Army firing squad for convicted terrorist Nidal Malik Hasan, the jihadist who opened fire on unarmed American soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell announced. “He killed 13 people and wounded 32 others while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ during the attack.

“The Secretary of the Army will set the time and place of the execution,” he continued. “Judgement day for Hasan has finally come.”

If Hasan’s execution is indeed carried out by a firing squad, it would mark the first such case for the service since Jan. 31, 1945, when Pvt. Eddie D. Slovik was executed by a U.S. Army firing squad in France for desertion during World War II.

The last death sentence carried out by the U.S. military was in 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was executed by hanging at the gallows in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, after he was convicted of raping and attempting to kill a young girl.

Hasan, who was born in northern Virginia, walked into a Fort Hood readiness processing center on Nov. 5, 2009, and opened fire using a semi-automatic handgun.

Thirteen people were killed, including a pregnant soldier.

Former Army Staff Sgt. Patrick Zeigler, a two-time combat veteran, was shot four times in the attack and spent nearly a year recovering in various hospitals.

“He looked me straight in the eyes as he pointed the gun at me, and a split second later, I’m on the floor with a hole in my head,” he told the Killeen Daily Herald in 2023.

At his court-martial, Hasan, now 56, admitted to the shooting, and in 2013 said he carried out the attack in support of the Taliban.

At the time, Hasan requested a delay in court proceedings so he could ready a new legal strategy that would show he acted “in defense of others.”

Asked by presiding Judge Col. Tara Osborn who he was defending, Hasan replied, “The leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban.”

Hasan was convicted by a military jury in August 2013, which recommended he be sentenced to death.

He was subsequently transferred to Fort Leavenworth, where he has been incarcerated on death row.

Jonathan Lehrfeld contributed to this report.

Inked at $20 billion for the full-scale development phase, the contract, according to a Pentagon release, “procures multiple test aircraft for ground, airworthiness, systems, and weapons integration testing.”

“The F/A-XX is a critical pillar in our commitment to maintaining peace through strength,” Michael P. Duffey, under secretary of defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, said in the release. “F/A-XX will dominate contested airspace, extend operational reach, and deliver a decisive combat advantage for the warfighter.”

Equipped with an extended range to provide power projection from U.S. carriers, Boeing has promised that the F/A-XX will, crucially, be interoperable with both manned and unmanned platforms such as Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

“This achievement marks a new era for the U.S. Navy,” said acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao. “The Sixth-Generation fighter is a generational leap in air superiority and will provide the world’s best aviators with unparalleled capabilities to fight, win, and come home safe. We are excited to partner with Boeing, and for our warfighters to continue to dominate the skies and defeat our nation’s enemies.”

Boeing’s contract award marks another milestone victory for the company, which has now all but guaranteed its monopoly on sixth-generation fighters across the services.

In 2025, Boeing beat out Lockheed Martin for the contract to build the U.S. Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter under the Next Generation Air Dominance program, or NGAD.

That aircraft, since dubbed the F-47, has entered its engineering and manufacturing development phase, one service official announced in July, with first flights expected as early as 2028.

The Air Force at the time announced plans to purchase at least 185 of the next-gen fighters, a number designed to replace the F-22 Raptor fleet.

The F/A-XX program, meanwhile, which has yet to receive its official designation, has been the subject of funding disputes for years, with engineering and supply chain concerns prompting some Pentagon officials to push for delaying the program.

The carrier-based fighter jet is slated to anchor the Navy’s next-generation fighter fleet — operating alongside the F-35 — and is expected to replace the aging inventory of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers beginning in the 2030s.

“It’s an honor to be selected to produce the Navy’s first sixth^–generation platform,” Steve Parker, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said in a release announcing the deal. “Backed by decades of work, bolstered by game-changing innovations and solidified by the investments we’ve made in new facilities uniquely suited to build multiple products with next-generation capabilities, our dedicated and talented team is ready to execute this critical program.”

Wall Street Journal was the first to report the news on Monday.

Driscoll said he’d leave the post effective Sept. 3, according to a source with knowledge of Driscoll’s actions. A Pentagon spokesperson could not immediately confirm the news when queried by Military Times.

Driscoll, a Ranger-tabbed veteran Army officer who deployed once to Iraq, also has a background in venture capital and Republican politics. He launched an unsuccessful campaign to represent North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District in 2020, then later worked as an advisor to President Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection campaign.

As Army secretary — a position he held concurrently with that of Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms until April — Driscoll has championed innovation and acquisition reform, defending the military’s “right to repair” its own equipment, and developing pathways to faster test range access for industry. He also oversaw the launch of FUZE, a $750 million program that takes a page from venture capital to fast-track warfighting technology, aiming to get ideas from concept to prototype within 70 days.

In an October 2025 address at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting, Driscoll went scorched earth on the military-industrial complex’s conventional way of operating, promising to bring change.

“You have been let down,” Driscoll said, in a direct address to the soldiers in attendance. “You have been fighting, deploying, training and preparing for years, and you’ve always had each other’s backs, but unfortunately, your civilian leadership hasn’t always done the same for you.”

But simmering tensions between Driscoll and Hegseth have reportedly reached a boiling point in recent days. The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 21 that Driscoll had already moved his family out of the formal Army Secretary’s residence into more modest housing. NBC more recently reported that Driscoll was considering resigning as soon as Labor Day.

Multiple outlets have said Hegseth is considering Sean Parnell, an Army veteran and political operative now serving as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, as Driscoll’s replacement.

Driscoll’s departure under reported friction is the latest in a series of departures under Hegseth. Since he assumed his post in January 2025, he has presided over the firings or early departures of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti; Gen. James Mingus, the Army’s vice chief of Staff; and Army Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa.

The resignation also leaves the Army effectively leaderless. Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George in April, and has yet to nominate a replacement for the Army’s top uniformed post.

Two people are dead after an Apache helicopter crashed outside of Fort Hood, Texas, according to local authorities.

Emergency calls reporting the crash came in around 1:34 p.m. Central Standard Time, said Cliff Coleman, a spokesperson for the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

The individuals were pronounced dead at 2:30 p.m., he said, directing additional questions about the military statuses of the deceased to the Fort Hood Criminal Investigation Division.

Fort Hood did not immediately respond to an inquiry.

Earlier in the afternoon, Fort Hood announced that an Apache helicopter crashed in Salado, outside of the base, and said that emergency services were involved.

“Our immediate priority is securing the site and supporting the initial response efforts,” said Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven, acting commanding general of the 1st Cavalry Division. “Our thoughts are with the crew and their families as we await further information.”

A third U.S. service member is missing, the command release added, while four more troops had to be medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan.

Those four service members have since been discharged, the command added.

“Other personnel who were evaluated for minor injuries have returned to duty,” the release stated.

U.S. Central Command is withholding the identities of the dead until 24 hours after the service members’ next of kin have been notified.

Additional information about the exact location of the attack had not been provided as of publication.

The casualties in Friday’s attack bring the toll of American troops killed in the war with Iran to 16.

Most recently, the commanding officer of the Navy’s Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5, Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards, was killed on July 1 when the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter he was aboard went down in the Arabian Sea. Three other sailors were rescued following the emergency landing.

More than 400 U.S. troops have been wounded in the campaign, which began Feb. 28.

A U.S. Navy aircrewman is missing after a helicopter carrying four crew members made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday, the Navy said.

The MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush, had an emergency water landing at 3:30 a.m. EDT. While the cause of the emergency landing wasn’t immediately clear, the Navy said it did not appear to be the result of any hostile activity.

“Three of the helicopter’s four crew members have been recovered and are in stable condition aboard George H. W. Bush,” the Navy said. “U.S. Navy assets in the region are currently searching for other aircrewman still missing.”

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

A B-52 aircraft crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff on Monday morning at the air base in California. Initial indications were that the incident was not survivable. On board were military personnel, government civilians and government contractors.

Officials confirmed their deaths late Monday evening but held off on releasing their names until 24 hours after their families were notified.

Boeing, the defense and aerospace company that designed and built the B-52s, announced that two of their employees were among the eight who perished in the routine test mission, which was conducted in support of the radar modernization program.

“It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that I can now share the names of the eight extraordinary Americans we lost during Monday’s B-52 crash,” Col. Thomas Tauer, 412th Test Wing commander, said in a Wednesday release. “They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates.”

Col. Gregory Watson, 53, was a Boeing weapons systems officer from Shreveport, Louisiana, who was an Air Force reservist assigned to 10th Air Force in Fort Worth, Texas.

Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, was a weapons systems officer at Edwards Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 5.

Maj. Alexander Davis, 34, was a weapon systems officer assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards and was from Lancaster, California.

Maj. Robert Dee, 40, was a pilot in the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards.

Maj. Brad Hovey, 35, was a pilot in the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards.

Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, was a Boeing pilot from Tehachapi, California.

Jeromy Smith, 32, was a flight test engineer in the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards and was from Rosamond, California.

Christopher Rischar, 41, was a flight test engineer and JT4 contractor from Lancaster, California.

“These Airmen were more than coworkers. They were friends, mentors, teammates and valued members of our Edwards and Air Force family,” Tauer said in the release.

Some family members of the fallen published fundraisers through GoFundMe for money to cover expenses. Lauren Smith, the widow of flight test engineer Jeromy Smith, has two GoFundMes that had garnered a combined total of over $67,000 as of Wednesday.

“The sudden loss has left Lauren facing unimaginable grief and uncertainty, as she tries to navigate life for herself and her children,” one of the post’s captions reads. “The family had just purchased their home together, and now Lauren is left to manage everything on her own, while caring for her two young boys.”

Pam Middleton, the widow of Boeing pilot Miles Middleton, also has a GoFundMe that was created by a family friend that had amassed over $110,000 as of Wednesday.

An Interim Safety Investigation Board is currently investigating the crash, the Air Force release said, and the Edwards airfield will remain closed until further notice.

At a Monday news conference, Edwards Deputy Commander Col. James Hayes said that a Safety Investigation Board will determine the cause of the crash, which can take around 30 days. Then, an Accident Investigation Board will take up to six months to determine what information can be released to the public and next of kin.

According to AirNav Systems, a website that tracks flights, the B-52 was in the air for only a short period of time and took a sharp right turn before crashing.

Gen. Ken Wilsbach, the Air Force chief of staff, said in a social media post Monday night that the force is grieving the loss of the individuals involved.

“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of eight teammates today at Edwards AFB,” Wilsbach said in the post. “My thoughts are with the bomber and test communities during this difficult time.”

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink also lamented the deaths in a public statement, saying, “We mourn this loss and honor the service of our Airmen, civilians, and contractors who work every day to advance our mission.”

At 11:20 a.m. local time, or 2:20 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the bomber aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff for a routine test mission and burst into flames, according to service officials. Initial indications of the crash were that it was not survivable.

Emergency personnel responded immediately to the scene, and as of late Monday were still working to account for all personnel, alongside base officials.

At a Monday afternoon news conference, Air Force officials said they were still attempting to locate personnel, as well as the aircraft’s black box, which could be used in the investigation of the incident.

The individuals on board were not all service members, Edwards Deputy Commander Col. James Hayes said at the news conference. The eight were a mix of military personnel, government civilians and contractors.

The crashed B-52 was in support of the radar modernization program, Hayes said.

The cause of the incident is still unknown, and it is currently under investigation by an interim safety board. The investigation will be taken over by a Safety Investigation Board that will determine the cause and will be followed by an Accident Investigation Board that will determine what information can be revealed to the public and next of kin.

The Air Force has yet to reveal the identities of the eight individuals. Teams were in the process of notifying family members by Monday afternoon.

The aircraft crashed shortly after its takeoff on Edwards Air Force Base at 11:20 a.m. local time, according to a base announcement.

The B-52 was carrying eight people on a routine test mission in support of the radar modernization program, according to the Air Force.

Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable, the service said, and officials were working late Monday to account for all personnel with the emergency response crew on scene.

The individuals on board were not all service members, Edwards Deputy Commander Col. James Hayes said at a Monday news conference. Those presumed dead in the crash include military personnel, government civilians and contractors.

Hayes declined to offer more details on the individuals, saying that teams were in the process of notifying family members.

The service did not have any indication as to the cause of the crash Monday, but the base is standing up an interim safety board to gather initial facts, Hayes told reporters. A Safety Investigation Board will then investigate the cause, which will take about 30 days.

An Accident Investigation Board will then commence a six-month process to determine what information can be released to the public and next of kin, he said.

Emergency responders first worked to dispel the flames from the crash. Then, it turned into a recovery operation that included searching for the aircraft’s black box that will be used in the investigation.

Roughly an hour and a half after the crash, Edwards closed the airfield and began diverting all inbound aircraft, according to a social media post.

“All non-commercial visitor passes have been suspended until further notice to allow the installation to focus entirely on emergency response operations,” the post reads.

Hayes said that the base is terminating operations for Tuesday, also, because of runway damage.

The Air Force has used the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in various operations dating back to Vietnam.

Most recently, the aircraft flew missions as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, where the bomber carried out long-range air strikes targeting ballistic missile facilities and command-and-control infrastructure.

The B-52 is the Air Force’s oldest bomber in service and could potentially become the first military aircraft to remain in service for a century.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. military has also intercepted and shot down multiple Iranian drones that posed a similar threat.

The U.S. military strikes, which have not been previously reported, came during negotiations to end a three-month-old war that has killed thousands and sent global energy prices sharply higher since it began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli attacks.

U.S. President Donald Trump earlier on Wednesday dismissed a Iranian state media report that Iran and Oman would jointly manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a peace deal. Trump said the waterway would remain open.

The U.S. last carried out what it called defensive strikes against Iran on Monday, in what Iran called a violation of the countries’ fragile ceasefire. The U.S. targets included boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites that the U.S. military’s Central Command said posed a threat to U.S. forces.