Top stories
US blockade of Iran will be major military endeavor, experts say
The U.S. military has not offered basic details yet about the blockade, including how many U.S. warships will enforce it.
Meet the Navy sailors who will be the first to greet returning Artemis II astronauts
The group of four sailors will be the first faces the Artemis II crew sees after splashing down in the Pacific on Friday night.
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Former USNS Carson City skipper accused of 2021 rape surrenders license
A lawyer for the alleged victim says he will continue to pursue criminal accountability for the ship's captain.
Troops would get up to 7% pay raise under proposed defense bill
The White House's proposed budget for fiscal 2027 includes a pay raise for junior enlisted service members and other pay grades, ranging from 5% to 7%.
Navy to clear records for some sailors who refused COVID-19 vaccine
The settlement comes as the result of a class-action lawsuit brought by sailors who denied the COVID-19 vaccine due to religious reasons.
Amid focus on Strait of Hormuz, experts sound warning on Yemen’s Houthis and Red Sea
Foreign policy experts warn that the strait is not the only potential choke point that Iran and its proxies could leverage amid the war.
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Military History
100-year-old B-17 turret gunner knighted by France
Phillip “Bruce” Cook flew 35 missions as a ball turret gunner in a B-17 Flying Fortress, tasked with fighting for air supremacy over occupied Europe.
Pentagon’s women-in-combat review reassigned; deadline extended
A Pentagon-ordered review on the effectiveness of women in combat is now under new management, Military Times has learned.
US Navy should rely on allies to boost maritime industrial base, report says
As the Navy builds its presence in the Middle East, experts argue that the force should rely more on allies to improve the U.S. maritime industrial base.
US military eyes high-energy ‘laser dome’ for domestic air defense
The U.S. military's pursuit of high-energy laser weapons for American air defense comes amid the expanding threat of low-cost weaponized drones.
In other news
Vietnam veteran’s gravestone somber reminder of war’s toll
The gravestone is evidence that Vietnam veteran Eugene “Gene” Marion Simmers carried the burden of decades-long grief and trauma.
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China draws strategic lessons from US war with Iran | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 4.14.26
Monitoring from afar, one of the world’s top superpowers is watching the United States’ war in Iran from a strategic perspective. What are they learning?
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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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Navy fires commanding officer of Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic
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The best reasons to marry military
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Graphic novel tells story of Alwyn Cashe’s long-awaited Medal of Honor
Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on Dec. 16, 2021.
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Navy unveils new process to speed payouts for Camp Lejeune illnesses
Individuals can get up to $550,000 through the new process, but officials won't say exactly when the payouts will be sent out.
Shaving the Sergeant Major of the Army? There’s an app for that.
The game lets you "help SMA Weimer become a better soldier and a better man by shaving off his beard."
By Davis Winkie
90% of senior military posts could soon be caught in nominations fight
The number of senior posts held up in a political showdown is expected to more than double by year's end.
Russian shelling in east kills 17 as US Secretary of State visits Kyiv
The attack came as U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Ukraine’s capital, where he was expected to announce more than $1 billion in new aid.
More technical problems found with VA’s disability claims system
Nearly 90,000 cases filed through VA.gov have been delayed because of glitches in the department's system.
QAnon-embraced film pulled from screening on-base at SOUTHCOM
SOUTHCOM planned and then canceled screenings of Christian-faith-based thriller "Sound of Freedom" to military service members.
Navy sends medical supplies to Guam to support Indo-Pacific operations
Expeditionary Resuscitative Surgical System crews conduct surgery in a self-sustaining environment ashore, afloat and undersea.
By Diana Stancy