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Trump administration releases first tranche of ‘never-before-seen’ UFO files
“With these new Documents and Videos, the people can decide for themselves, ‘WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?’” Trump wrote, adding, “Have Fun and Enjoy!"
Presidential Fitness Test to be required at Defense Department schools
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Presidential Fitness Test would soon be mandatory in the DoD's 161 K-12 schools.
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Pentagon turns to AI targeting to help troops shoot drones
The technology can detect threats and distinguish them from non-threats, such as birds, faster than a human operator can.
Opinion
Why Congress must end the remarriage penalty for military survivors
A policy that causes surviving spouses to lose their benefits if they remarry suggests their sacrifice ends the moment they seek a new chapter in life.
Commissaries reverse decision to charge for single-use bags
The decision came only one month after the bag fees went into effect.
Life or death centered around a canteen for this AEF soldier
While under a hail of machine gun fire, William Sawelson crawled through the mud to deliver water to a wounded soldier.
In other news
Danger pay for US troops could double, expand to more regions
The U.S. defense budget request for Fiscal Year 2027 has raised the prospect of an increase in the monthly stipend paid out to troops in dangerous regions.
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 looks to expand tech, autonomy for future fleet | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 5.5.26
The commander of the Naval Research Laboratory outlines goals for the fleet at Sea-Air-Space 2026. Plus, global defense spending updates for the year.
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US to close its flagship Gaza mission as Trump plan stalls
The U.S. military-run body tasked with monitoring the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and boosting aid to Gaza is set to be shut down, seven diplomats told Reuters.
By Alexander Cornwell, Reuters
Pentagon freezes out Anthropic as it signs deals with AI rivals
The Department of Defense announced on Friday that it had struck deals with seven leading artificial intelligence companies.
By Tanya Noury
‘A beans and rice diet’: Government watchdog finds issues with military cost of living pay
The Government Accountability Office found the DoD used a mix of unsound sampling practices and inconsistent processes to set cost of living payments.
By Eve Sampson
A history of the War Powers Resolution and what it means for the Iran war
This case of executive overreach by Nixon in Cambodia during the Vietnam War led to the passage of the War Powers Act on Nov. 7, 1973.
New Arctic combat course teaches troops to fight and win in extreme conditions
The five-day course covers arctic medicine, combat patrolling, cold weather weapons and using snow for cover.
US Army tests fresh drones, 3D printers at ‘Balikatan’ drill in the Philippines
In addition, the lab was testing a containerized solar-panel micro grid to generate electricity, a quieter alternative to diesel generators.
Some US troops cite benefits of Germany presence as Trump threatens pullback
Germany is the U.S. military’s largest footprint in Europe, with some 35,000 active-duty military personnel, and serves as a key training hub.
By Cassell Bryan-Low, Louisa Off and Anja Guder, Reuters
US combatant chiefs want more amphibious ready groups, Marine commandant says
The four-star officers who lead U.S. military commands have all requested the support of amphibious ready groups and Marine Expeditionary Units.
By Riley Ceder
Ceasefire ‘stops’ War Powers clock on Iran, Hegseth claims
The 60-day threshold is delineated in the War Powers Resolution of 1973. The most relevant part of that law makes no mention of a ceasefire.
By Tanya Noury
Trump says ‘probably’ when asked if he might pull US troops out of Italy, Spain
The comment came one day after Trump announced that Washington was looking at reducing the number of U.S. military personnel in Germany.
By Humeyra Pamuk, Reuters