To deter Russian aggression, the U.S. and NATO are rapidly building an Eastern Flank defense network focused on counter-drone tech and data integration.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military announced a sudden visit to the Mideast by long-range, nuclear-capable B-52H bombers, underlining America's continuing presence in the region.
As large fires continue to rage across the West Coast, elements of the Air National Guard from across the U.S. have been sent in to assist on the ground and in the air, high above the flames and the billowing smoke.
The merger comes on the heels of some combat incidents at outposts on the Horn of Africa, including a May 9 attack on U.S. soldiers assigned to a coordination cell in Mogadishu, Somalia.