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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 needs drones, not Trump-class battleships, Democrats argue
Lawmakers struck down a Democratic measure Thursday that would've scrapped $1 billion in defense funding to begin work on the Trump-class battleship.
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House advances measure to give troops a discount on gas
The proposal would authorize the defense secretary to offer a discount on fuel at military exchanges that's equivalent to the price of the federal gas tax.
Navy fires leadership trio of ship repair facility in Japan
The service did not specify the reason for the firings.
Navy eliminates regular performance, fitness reports for select paygrades
"Personnel in these paygrades have demonstrated a sustained history of superior performance ... that negate the requirement for annual periodic reporting."
Navy recognizes USS Carl Vinson with Battle ‘E’ award
The aircraft carrier returned to port in August 2025 after a nine-month deployment covering over 275,000 nautical miles.
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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.
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.
Army identifies soldier who died in training accident in Iraq
U.S. Army Sgt. Devin A. Seibel, 26, died on May 31 at Erbil Air Base. British Lance Corporal James Freeman was also killed in the incident.
DoD should review special needs health care programs to ensure they’re helping military families, watchdog says
The coverage amounts for Tricare ECHO services haven't increased since 2009.
In other news
Draft defense bill would halt cuts, closures of military health facilities
House members are seeking to stop the closure or reductions of services at U.S. military hospitals and clinics.
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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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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.
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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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 Navy selects companies for at-sea MUSV prototype testing
The U.S. Navy announced on Friday that it had selected seven companies to compete to secure the service’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel contract.
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
US military continues self-defense strikes against Iran, intercepts missiles
The ceasefire that began April 12 between the U.S. and Iran is still in effect, U.S. Central Command confirmed.
By Riley Ceder
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
Trump-class battleships should not be built until weapons technology is ready, lawmakers say
Lawmakers in the House Armed Services Committee released the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act on Tuesday.
By Riley Ceder
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