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Japanese torpedo sends US ship to the ocean floor during Valiant Shield exercise
The USS Juneau was sent to the ocean floor during a multinational SINKEX exercise.
Former leader who served during transformative time for Coast Guard dies at 65
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Frank Welch spearheaded a number of reforms for senior enlisted personnel.
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Select Navy reserve aviators eligible for up to $40,000 in annual bonuses
The service is offering annual financial incentives in an effort to retain its aviation leaders.
Military Sealift Command ships makes history with rare combat award
The award cements the USNS Kanawha and the USNS William McLean as the first-ever auxiliary ships to receive the Presidential Unit Citation.
20-year trove of shipboard assault cases now public after data request
Launched earlier this month, the archive, which covers all relevant cases between 2000 and 2022, shows a broad range of alleged misconduct.
US strikes Iranian missile, drone, radar sites
The U.S. struck Iranian missile, drone and radar sites on Friday, U.S. Central Command said.
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Pentagon & Congress
Bipartisan bill would let service members sue US military for sexual assault
The bill is modeled after similar legislation that allows service members to file civil claims for medical malpractice at U.S. military hospitals.
Anthony Tata assumes oversight of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
Families of missing service members from the Vietnam war are pushing for answers on budget cuts that have canceled MIA searches in Vietnam and Laos.
Is GPS reliance making troops less observant? Yearlong study aims to find out.
The study will use virtual reality simulations to track aspects of observation and recall in subjects with and without navigation aids.
Military recruiting hit a 15-year high. How quickly do recruits become mission ready?
How quickly recruits move from accession to operational qualification can affect force generation, unit staffing and long-term readiness planning.
In other news
Debate over women in combat prompts NDAA battles
The amendments follow Hegseth’s order that all the services develop gender-neutral physical fitness standards for all troops in ground combat roles.
VIDEOS
GWOT Memorial group open to design changes | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 6.30.26
The president of the GWOT Memorial Foundation says he’s taking feedback on the installation’s design. Plus, foam drones and a throwable 360-degree camera.
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Defense News is covering the evolving military, strategic, and regional implications of tensions and operations involving Iran.
Insurance Guide
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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MORE STORIES
US strikes Iranian missile, drone, radar sites
The U.S. struck Iranian missile, drone and radar sites on Friday, U.S. Central Command said.
By Eve Sampson
Feds pay out $17M to families sickened by Navy’s fuel-contaminated water in Hawaii
Each of the 629 people received about $27,000. Affected service members have received nothing.
By Karen Jowers
Military recruiting hit a 15-year high. How quickly do recruits become mission ready?
How quickly recruits move from accession to operational qualification can affect force generation, unit staffing and long-term readiness planning.
By Natalie Oliverio
US sending military warships, personnel to Venezuela in the wake of the nation’s devastating earthquakes
Two U.S. warships, the USS Fort Lauderdale and the littoral combat ship USS Billings have been dispatched to Venezuela following the nation's earthquakes.
Debate over women in combat prompts NDAA battles
The amendments follow Hegseth’s order that all the services develop gender-neutral physical fitness standards for all troops in ground combat roles.
By Hope Hodge Seck
The Pentagon’s research infrastructure is ‘deteriorating,’ study finds
Pentagon research has been hampered by backlogged security clearances, limited funds to build or refurbish labs and a slow and difficult hiring process.
By Michael Peck
DoD scraps plan to privatize commissaries
DoD concluded “the potential cost savings of privatization are unlikely to be realized without severely degrading the benefits these programs provide."
By Karen Jowers
Incoming female students at US Naval Academy must cut hair below chin
The school is returning to a female grooming standard that it upheld for decades before a 2018 shift in policy.
By Riley Ceder
Seven sailors injured during fire aboard USS Indianapolis
The fire was extinguished, and the injured sailors were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals before being cleared to return.
By Riley Ceder