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Military pay raises, changes to housing allowance included in House-passed $1.15 trillion defense budget
After controversial amendment votes, a House committee advanced a bill early Friday morning that would authorize the largest defense budget in history.
The US Army wants thousands of air defense missiles to replace the Stinger
A new Army Request for Information seeks to identify companies that can deliver 11,000 next-gen, short range interceptors beginning in Fiscal Year 2028.
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Defense News is covering the evolving military, strategic, and regional implications of tensions and operations involving Iran.
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Military Times has outlined helpful information about car insurance, renters insurance, and life insurance for troops.
2025 PCS Guide
Read up on tips and tricks in Military Times’ 2025 Permanent Change of Station Guide.
2025 Benefits Guide
Learn how your military benefits — including health care, retirement pay and more — have changed in 2025.
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Veterans
Unemployment rate for veterans drops to 3.2%, women vets surge on jobs market
The improvement was bolstered by a strong showing from women veterans on the jobs market and came despite growing fears of AI-triggered layoffs.
Lawmakers move to require chaperones for ‘sensitive’ appointments in military health system
Under the provision, a trained third party would have to be present for exams conducted by obstetrician-gynecologists at military treatment facilities.
Pentagon must divulge cost of Iran war under House proposal
A measure advanced Friday would require the DoD to report on the total financial cost of operations in Iran, including damaged or destroyed U.S. property.
US forces board sanctioned tanker in Indian Ocean, Pentagon says
U.S. forces have intercepted multiple commercial and oil tankers in the Indian Ocean in recent months.
In other news
Pentagon balks at court order allowing HIV-positive persons to serve
The Pentagon is fighting a court ruling that lifted a ban on potential recruits with controlled HIV from joining the military.
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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Game-changing new tech emerges for troops and commands | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 6.2.26
A box that makes drinkable water out of the air and hydrofoil drone tech have emerged at defense shows. Plus, an interview with a top executive at Lockheed.
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Troops attending White House UFC event must meet physical standards, pay for travel
The hundreds of active-duty service members selected for the "high visibility" event must meet military waist-to-height standards and fund their travel.
Army seeks US manufacturer to supply boots
The Army is looking for companies ready to supply troops with high-quality boots made in America.
By Michael Peck
Lawmakers quarrel over effort to boost defense tech integration between US and Israel
A new measure aims to "expand and accelerate bilateral defense technology research ... and industrial cooperation" between the U.S. and Israel.
By Ellen Ioanes
SOCOM wants to revive legacy M4 carbine with ‘hypervelocity’ cartridge
The elite command asked vendors to double the effective range of the M4 platform with the Hypervelocity Improved Carbine program.
Army consolidates air and missile defense roles into new MOS
The service hopes to recruit approximately 300 soldiers before the new MOS officially launches on Oct. 1.
National Guard’s DC deployment has had no ‘measurable effect’ on violent crime: Report
The report, which the White House called "out of touch," asserted that Guard troops have been deployed in “the wrong places for the wrong types of crime.”
By Tanya Noury
The US military wants to showcase battle-ready laser weapons by 2028
A directed energy demonstration is expected to occur during the summer of 2028, as part of a series of planned Golden Dome-related events.
By Jared Keller
Rubio faces lawmakers as Iran ceasefire hangs in the balance
The U.S. has been "highly successful" in achieving its military objectives in Iran, but the country continues to field a robust drone arsenal, Rubio said.
By Tanya Noury
Immigration concerns and the ‘very typical’ impact on military recruiting
Recruiters, attorneys and advocates say immigration questions continue to arise in conversations about military service.
By Natalie Oliverio
Medal of Honor recipient Bruce Crandall, whose heroism was chronicled in ‘We Were Soldiers Once,’ dies at 93
Ret. Col. Bruce Crandall received the Medal of Honor for repeatedly flying his helicopter into intense enemy fire to evacuate dozens of wounded troops.
US court blocks Pentagon from removing transgender troops, for now
The court ruled that the Trump administration could, for now, bar transgender people from enlisting, but blocked the discharge of current service members.
By Daniel Wiessner, Reuters
Trump invokes national security in push for White House ballroom ‘drone port’
The president wrote that today's highly sophisticated weaponry means "we can no longer defend Washington, D.C., with rifles and pistols, alone."
By Tanya Noury
US military seeks cultural advisors in Somalia amid regional strikes
The U.S. special operations task force in Somalia is looking for contractors to advise troops on Somali politics, culture and tribal dynamics.
By Eve Sampson
Not ‘just a gun’: New SOCOM rifle allows barrel swapping and cartridge changes
At SOCOM’s request, the rifle features a swappable barrel, allowing operators to change between legacy cartridges and the newer 6.5mm Creedmoor.
US general holds rare meeting with Cuban military officials near Guantanamo Bay
The meeting is the first in recent memory by a head of U.S. Southern Command and comes amid growing concerns in Cuba of a possible U.S. military attack.
By Phil Stewart, Reuters
Pentagon failed to assess impact of cuts to civilian workforce, watchdog finds
Roughly 78,000 civilian positions were eliminated in 2025 — about 10% of a workforce that originally exceeded 793,000.
By Tanya Noury