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Services ask defense secretary for exceptions to lax flu vaccine policy
The services sent a "robust set of exception" requests to a new Pentagon policy allowing personnel to decide whether to get the flu shot.
T-38 Talon flight operations halted fleetwide amid crash investigation
Last week, a T-38 Talon II aircraft had a "mishap" that resulted in the ejection of two pilots in Alabama.
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Official trailer for Jimmy Stewart biopic released
A journal — discovered after Stewart's death — helped to shape the upcoming film.
Pentagon watchdog evaluating US military’s strikes on alleged drug boats
The Defense Department’s inspector general initiated an evaluation into the U.S. Southern Command's protocols when attacking suspected drug boats.
Pentagon policy isn’t keeping pace with autonomous weapons, senators argue
As the Trump administration seeks a massive investment in AI-driven systems, the DoD's policies on their use "lag behind," one senator said.
Trump edges toward new strikes on Iran
CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper told lawmakers Tuesday he's ready to "execute a broad range of contingencies" depending on how negotiations go.
In other news
More US troop withdrawals from Europe expected, NATO commander says
Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said Europe should "absolutely" expect additional U.S. troop withdrawals as NATO allies provide more of their own defense.
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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DARPA eyes breakthrough with synthetic human blood | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 5.19.26
Pushing the biotech envelope, DARPA and researchers are on the cusp of a massive breakthrough in emergency battlefield medical care.
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Military needs better recipe for feeding troops, auditors say
A new government watchdog report argues the Pentagon can do more to steer troops toward nutritious options at military-run dining halls.
By Karen Jowers
Army imposes stricter rules for addressing extremism among troops
The rules require continued extremism training for troops and offer more precise guidance for how commanders should address extremism in their units.
As troops struggle to find child care, 24-hour centers offer help
Around-the-clock child care centers offer peace of mind for troops who work odd hours or are deployed. But the military says it has no plans to add more.
By Karen Jowers
Republicans will again try to slash defense secretary’s salary to $1
Democratic lawmakers have blasted the salary reductions as unrealistic and petty.
Tight congressional calendar squeezes lawmakers’ defense work
Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of June 24, 2024.
VA chief of staff stepping down from leadership post next month
Kimberly Jackson has served as the VA's top advisor since last fall, and will leave the post in mid-July.
US prepares to open new training site for foreign F-35 pilots
Ebbing Air National Guard Base will become the latest U.S.-based site dedicated to training pilots across the global F-35 Joint Strike Fighter enterprise.
Grand jury indicts CEO of military privatized housing company
The Michaels Organization CEO has taken a leave of absence to "focus on vigorously defending himself" against racketeering allegations, the company said.
By Karen Jowers