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US military assets flock to Middle East amid Iran standoff
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is set to soon become the keystone of the Pentagon’s naval armada in the region.
Vietnam vet, law firms file suit over new VA ruling on disability rating exams
A Vietnam veteran has filed suit over a VA rule that requires medical examiners to factor in a medication's effects when determining a disability rating.
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Pentagon & Congress
VA restores gun rights to some disabled veterans
The VA announced it will immediately stop reporting veterans to the FBI’s national background check database if they need a fiduciary for their finances.
The Medal of Honor recipient who became a ‘One-Man Regiment of Iwo Jima’
Pinned down and with casualties mounting, Pvt. Wilson Watson took matters into his own hands to savagely take out enemy entrenchments.
US Air Force sees early 2030s rollout for revamped Sentinel nuclear missile
The LGM-35A ICBM program had its Milestone B status revoked during a Nunn-McCurdy review, but a new decision is expected by the end of 2026.
Robert Duvall, ‘Apocalypse Now’ actor and Army veteran, dead at 95
The Oscar-winning actor died at his home Sunday in Middleburg, Virginia.
In other news
During WWI this sailor saved his fellow mate from noxious toilet fumes — earning him the Medal of Honor
The German emigre did not think twice when rescuing his fellow sailor from the gaseous byproduct of human waste.
Woo your significant other this Valentine’s Day with the help of some WWII acronyms
Let your partner know how you really feel with acronyms such as MALAYA: My Ardent Lips Await Your Arrival.
Why every day can feel like ‘Groundhog Day’ in the military
For troops, "Groundhog Day" captures something they immediately recognize: days repeat, routines harden and progress feels frozen.
By Clay Beyersdorfer
The US Coast Guard’s newest weapon in border security: Jet Skis
In its ever-evolving fight on the U.S.-Mexico border, the Coast Guard has unveiled its latest fighting tool.
How fashion borrowed military aesthetics and lost the context
"What was once functional equipment tied to service, sacrifice and sometimes trauma is now treated as visual shorthand for toughness or rebellion."
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MORE STORIES
US to send more missile launchers to the Philippines despite China’s alarm
The addition of missile launchers comes as treaty allies condemned what they called China’s “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities.”
Trump reveals US helicopter pilots were wounded in Maduro raid
The president also said one of the soldiers who helped capture Maduro will receive the Medal of Honor.
By Tanya Noury
‘Reduced to atoms’: The devastating 1945 Allied bombing campaign in Dresden
The bombing of Dresden remains a controversial period in the Allied air war over Europe.
US Air Force buying more bunker-buster bombs after Iran nuclear strikes
The 30,000-pound guided bomb is designed to penetrate an estimated 200 feet through rock or other hard substances before destroying enemy labs or bunkers.
Sore throat? Tricare Prime now offers virtual option for urgent care
Nurses will decide whether the symptoms can be treated virtually, and set up the virtual appointments.
By Karen Jowers
Judge dismisses deportation case for Mexican father of 3 US Marines
The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that it would appeal the judge’s decision.
Woo your significant other this Valentine’s Day with the help of some WWII acronyms
Let your partner know how you really feel with acronyms such as MALAYA: My Ardent Lips Await Your Arrival.
Pentagon to deploy roughly 200 troops to Nigeria
The 200 troops will supplement a small team of American military officers already embedded with Nigerian forces.
By Tanya Noury
Health care access a top complaint among troops, top enlisted leaders tell lawmakers
A Democratic senator also questioned whether the services are doing everything they can to increase child care slots.
By Karen Jowers
US Air Force’s CCA program advances with auto-flying software integration
The service said integrating third-party autonomous software is a major step on developing drones that can fly themselves alongside jets like the F-35.
No evidence women in combat roles lower standards, top enlisted leaders say
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s call for a review of the effectiveness of women in combat roles prompted questions during a Senate Armed Services hearing.
By Karen Jowers
A Medal of Honor recipient rescued a downed pilot in WWI. The airman’s identity remained a mystery — until now.
Ralyn M. Hill put his life on the line for a downed ally.
By Jon Guttman
Syria says its forces have taken over al-Tanf base after handover from US
The military outpost was run for years by U.S. troops as part of the war against the Islamic State group.
Pentagon let CBP use anti-drone laser before FAA closed El Paso airspace: Report
The confusing arc of events began as the FAA announced it was shutting down all flight traffic over the city on the U.S.-Mexico border for 10 days.
By Seung Min Kim, Ben Finley, Mary Clare Jalonick, Konstantin Toropin and Morgan Lee, AP
Louisiana National Guardsman leaves M4 carbine in Bourbon Street bathroom
A whole bouquet of oopsie daisies.
By Eve Sampson
VA reorganization projected to cost at least $312 million
The reforms, known as the RISE initiative, are expected to begin this year with an aim to reduce the VHA’s administrative overhead, improve clinical care.
By Patricia Kime