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Energy secretary: Iran ‘frighteningly close’ to nuclear weapon despite Operation Epic Fury
“They are weeks — a small number of weeks — away to enrich that to weapons-grade uranium," Energy Secretary Chris Wright told a Senate committee.
US Army abruptly cancels deployment of 4,000 soldiers to Poland
The Army has abruptly halted a planned deployment to Poland, bringing U.S. personnel numbers in Europe to pre-2022 levels — before Russia invaded Ukraine.
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Air Force MQ-9 fleet drops to 135 aircraft after Iran combat losses
The Air Force is seeking to backfill the inventory of MQ-9 Reapers and field a cheaper, more expendable replacement.
Pentagon reaches agreements with defense firms on containerized missiles
The Pentagon is announcing framework agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos and Zone 5 to acquire over 10,000 containerized missiles.
US special operations leaders frustrated by inability to modify their own equipment
The military must wait for manufacturers to fix or upgrade equipment, leaving them with outdated capabilities as technology evolves quickly, they said.
Ukraine’s battlefield integration surpasses US military’s, Army secretary says
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told lawmakers U.S. lags behind Ukraine in battlefield network integration.
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Contractor awarded $3.5 billion to build out US Coast Guard’s Arctic Security Cutters fleet
The five cutters to be delivered by Davie Defense will represent a new class of Arctic icebreakers.
US Navy could run out of money by July, top officer warns
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle told lawmakers at a budget hearing Tuesday that the Navy might have to modify training and operations.
AI tool has ‘saved a lot of aircraft’ in Epic Fury, AFSOC chief says
Lt. Gen. Michael Conley said “necessity had been the mother of invention” in spurring the service to apply available machine learning tools in combat.
Marines mandate servicewide AI training by year’s end
The Marine Corps will require all Marines to complete a basic artificial intelligence course by the end of the year.
In other news
Role of Indo-Pacific air defenders has evolved dramatically, US Army commander says
Brig. Gen. William Parker, 94th AAMDC chief, recalled an old air defense building bearing a "Will work for food" sign, a stark contrast to the role today.
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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Troops request assistance at ‘unprecedented’ rate as shutdown persists
Due to processing time, Congress would need to act to ensure military pay Monday or earlier in order to avoid troops' checks being delayed, DFAS confirmed.
By Karen Jowers
Marines retire ‘workhorse’ Assault Amphibious Vehicle after 50 years
From the shores of Grenada to the deserts of Iraq, Assault Amphibious Vehicles shielded and carried Marines from ship to sea to shore since 1972.
Shutdown halts funding for military spouse tuition assistance program
No new requests for military spouse MyCAA financial assistance have been approved since Sept. 30.
By Karen Jowers
Military families seek out food assistance amid shutdown anxiety
"We expected an increase, but didn't quite expect this," said Dorene Ocamb, Armed Services YMCA chief brand and development officer.
By Karen Jowers
How the government shutdown is affecting troops, families
The current effects of the shutdown on installation programs and services vary from base to base.
By Karen Jowers
Financial resources for troops if the government shutdown stops pay
From banks and credit unions to the military relief societies, help will be available.
By Karen Jowers
Here’s how a government shutdown would affect VA services
Veterans' health care and benefits processing won't be affected, but other services would stop during a government shutdown.
By Karen Jowers
Senator ‘alarmed’ about barracks privatization, seeks answers from DOD
Given the Defense Department's history with family housing privatization, the Pentagon should "move cautiously," one senator said.
By Karen Jowers
DOD needs to shore up help for troops with gambling problems, GAO says
More clarity is needed to define who's responsible for certain steps to prevent and treat gambling disorder among troops, government auditors said.
By Karen Jowers
Here’s how looming government shutdown could affect troops, families
Lawmakers are pushing for military pay to continue. Some operations, like child care, may vary from base to base.
By Karen Jowers