Fighter jets flying off the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower used a variety of munitions for the first time ever in combat, according to the Navy. Washington’s top diplomat in Manila was joined by key allies in a forum to express alarm over increasing hostilities in the contested South China Sea. Territorial disputes in the South China Sea have persisted between the two countries since last year, sparking fears of a larger armed conflict. While underway, the Ike carrier and its strike group shot down a barrage of Iran-backed Houthi drones and missiles on a regular basis. A U.S. Coast Guard cutter on routine patrol in the Bering Sea came across several Chinese military ships in international waters near the Aleutian Islands. Our guest opinion writer argues the Pentagon should do more to defend against online lies and disinformation spread by the Houthis and their allies. The Navy said the investigation is still open, but sufficient findings of fact have emerged to warrant the captain’s firing. The Combat Action Ribbon, or CAR, is awarded to sailors and Marines who actively participated in ground or surface action. The warship Mason's crew battled Houthi attacks on merchant vessels and their own ship, according to the Navy. The Navy rescued mariners of multiple cargo ships transiting Middle Eastern waters in June after Houthi militants struck the commercial vessels. Load More