J.D. Simkins
Executive Editor
J.D. Simkins is the executive editor of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
Connect
All Stories By J.D.
‘Warfare’ directors talk filmmaking process, capturing combat realism
Directors Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland discuss everything that went into creating one of the most realistic depictions of combat ever made.
Trump downplays possibility of sending Ukraine long-range weapons
Trump on Tuesday offered a more cautious tone on what to expect after he threatened Russia a day earlier with steep tariffs.
Senate confirms controversial vet to lead Pentagon personnel office
Retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata has made inflammatory comments about Democratic leaders and former President Barack Obama.
Pope Leo XIV is the son of a D-Day veteran
The first American to ever be elected pope is the son of D-Day veteran.
Lawmakers want details on plans to privatize military stores
Lawmakers are hoping to put the brakes on DOD plans to privatize retail programs.
Mike Waltz pledges to make UN ‘great again’ in confirmation hearing
Tuesday was the first time Waltz faced lawmakers since mistakenly adding a journalist to a private Signal chat used to discuss sensitive military plans.
Pentagon taps four commercial tech firms to expand military use of AI
The four firms — Google, Anthropic, OpenAI and Elon Musk's xAI — will help the DOD develop AI workflows for key national security missions.
Ukrainians welcome US aid, concerned over Trump’s ultimatum to Putin
Trump delayed “very severe” sanctions on Russia for 50 days, sparking criticism from Ukrainians and European leaders who see the delay as too long.
Australia hosts largest-ever Talisman Sabre military exercise
The event began with live-fire exercises, including Australia’s first use of U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket systems.
Retired Army officer pleads guilty to sharing secrets on dating site
David Slater, who worked as a civilian Air Force employee, admitted to conspiring to transmit classified Russia-Ukraine war info on a foreign dating site.
