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Staff sergeant becomes only airman in his class to complete Army Air Assault School
Staff Sgt. Ivan Sauer became the only airmen in his class to complete the 10-day U.S. Army Air Assault School.
DoD, movers try to ease the heavy lift for troops moving this summer
A direct line for resolving troops' problems and better relationships with moving companies are among DoD's efforts.
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Read up on tips and tricks in Military Times’ 2025 Permanent Change of Station Guide.
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Transgender troops granted class action lawsuit against government
In the class action lawsuit, the protections won in Talbott v. USA would extend to all transgender service members.
The US military wants a fleet of laser trucks. Here’s what they might look like.
Two ground vehicles could define how the Pentagon fields high-energy laser weapons at scale.
VA uses hundreds of AI systems. Veterans may not know when they’re involved.
The VA’s recently released 2025 AI Inventory identifies 215 of those use cases as high-impact systems.
SOCOM is seeking a long-range kamikaze drone
Armed with loitering munitions, SOCOM MC-130J gunships and other aircraft would be able to hunt targets deep inside enemy lines.
In other news
Bipartisan bill would let service members sue US military for sexual assault
The bill is modeled after similar legislation that allows service members to file civil claims for medical malpractice at U.S. military hospitals.
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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GWOT Memorial group open to design changes | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 6.30.26
The president of the GWOT Memorial Foundation says he’s taking feedback on the installation’s design. Plus, foam drones and a throwable 360-degree camera.
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MORE STORIES
Pilot shut off fuel supply, leading to October 2025 Skyraider II crash, Air Force finds
A student pilot reached for the wrong fuel control in his Block-1 OA-1K Skyraider II, forcing a crash-landing, an Air Force investigation found.
Anthony Tata assumes oversight of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Families of missing service members from the Vietnam war are pushing for answers on budget cuts that have canceled MIA searches in Vietnam and Laos.
By Richard Sisk
Is GPS reliance making troops less observant? Yearlong study aims to find out.
The study will use virtual reality simulations to track aspects of observation and recall in subjects with and without navigation aids.
By Hope Hodge Seck
US strikes Iranian missile, drone, radar sites
The U.S. struck Iranian missile, drone and radar sites on Friday, U.S. Central Command said.
By Eve Sampson
Air Force solicits ideas for over 1,000-mile range weapon from industry
At an Industry Day, the Air Force will field solutions from vendors about a next generation long-range weapon with air-to-air and air-to-surface variants.
Military recruiting hit a 15-year high. How quickly do recruits become mission ready?
How quickly recruits move from accession to operational qualification can affect force generation, unit staffing and long-term readiness planning.
By Natalie Oliverio
Debate over women in combat prompts NDAA battles
The amendments follow Hegseth’s order that all the services develop gender-neutral physical fitness standards for all troops in ground combat roles.
By Hope Hodge Seck
The Pentagon’s research infrastructure is ‘deteriorating,’ study finds
Pentagon research has been hampered by backlogged security clearances, limited funds to build or refurbish labs and a slow and difficult hiring process.
By Michael Peck
House committee advances spending bill with cuts to Air Force flying hours, other programs
The House Appropriations Committee approved their spending bill that saw cuts to select Air Force programs and budget requests, while boosting others.
DoD scraps plan to privatize commissaries
DoD concluded “the potential cost savings of privatization are unlikely to be realized without severely degrading the benefits these programs provide."
By Karen Jowers
House backs $1.55 billion to revive E-7 Wedgetail, spares Navy Hawkeye
The White House budget office wants to raid a Navy radar-plane account and a classified Air Force line to pull the E-7 Wedgetail back from the dead.
Trump meets munitions makers amid push to replenish weapons stockpiles
Pentagon negotiators are pressing contractors to move much faster to boost output.
By Mike Stone, Reuters
White House asks Congress for $87.6 billion, mostly for Iran war
The request includes $67.15 billion for the military, including $21 billion for munitions and to strengthen the U.S. industrial base.
By Patricia Zengerle, Reuters
In shift, Pentagon grants flu vaccine exceptions to military services, some federal agencies
The Pentagon has updated their guidance on influenza vaccinations, giving select forces and agencies exceptions to the optional policy.
Can the US military preserve decades of wartime experience?
Thousands of post-9/11 veterans are reaching retirement. Whether the lessons they learned during two decades of combat will be retained remains to be seen.
By Natalie Oliverio