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USS Boxer and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit deploy to Middle East
The Pentagon is deploying thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East.
Two US counter-mine ships based in the Middle East are now in Singapore, Navy says
The USS Santa Barbara and USS Tulsa, which are homeported in Bahrain, arrived in Singapore this week.
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Service members must prove sincere religious beliefs for facial hair waivers
Religious waivers that have already been approved will be reevaluated within 90 days, the memo states.
‘It takes money to kill bad guys’: Pentagon seeks $200 billion in new funding for war in Iran
The attacks against Iran had cost the U.S. about $12 billion as of Sunday, 15 days after they began.
US carrier Ford to go to port temporarily after fire
The USS Gerald R. Ford, deployed in operations against Iran, is expected to temporarily go to Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete, officials said.
Sailors aboard USS Gerald R. Ford reportedly lost their beds amid fire
Some sailors are sleeping on floors and tables because of the damage.
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Your Navy
Marines test ‘cruise control’ swim feature on amphibious vehicle prototype
The vehicles vying to replace the Marine Corps’ aging light armored vehicle fleet swam for the first time earlier this year.
Marine lance corporal develops $10 solution to $5,600 antenna problem
The junior Marine's innovation has so far saved an estimated $600,000 and eliminated years of supply delays. Motivation intensifies.
Hegseth wants Pentagon to dump Claude, but military users say it’s not so easy
Pentagon staffers, former officials and IT contractors who work closely with the U.S. military say they are reluctant to give up Anthropic’s AI tools.
US F-35 forced to make emergency landing after Iran combat mission
CENTCOM confirmed the pilot made an emergency landing during combat operations. CNN sources told the outlet the aircraft was struck by an Iranian munition.
In other news
Trump jokes about Pearl Harbor in meeting with Japanese PM
The president drew a parallel between the U.S. strikes on Iran and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.
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The impact of US interceptors on the Iran war | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 3.17.26
Since the beginning, part of the war in Iran has been a contest of Iranian missiles and drones versus U.S. interceptors. How is the matchup shaking out?
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Read up on tips and tricks in Military Times’ 2025 Permanent Change of Station Guide.
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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?
By Clay Beyersdorfer
When veterans take the pen, war stories start to change
Hollywood has never lacked war stories. But it has often lacked veteran storytellers telling them.
How MREs inspired today’s meal-delivery industry
The MRE has to survive heat, cold, impact and time. And it has to do all of that at scale. Sound familiar?
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MORE STORIES
US F-35 forced to make emergency landing after Iran combat mission
CENTCOM confirmed the pilot made an emergency landing during combat operations. CNN sources told the outlet the aircraft was struck by an Iranian munition.
By J.D. Simkins
Trump jokes about Pearl Harbor in meeting with Japanese PM
The president drew a parallel between the U.S. strikes on Iran and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.
By Daphne Psaledakis and Trevor Hunnicutt, Reuters
Hiroshima survivor who spent decades investigating American POW deaths dies at 88
Shigeaki Mori, an atomic bomb survivor, spent decades researching the forgotten American prisoners of war killed in the Hiroshima attack.
‘It takes money to kill bad guys’: Pentagon seeks $200 billion in new funding for war in Iran
The attacks against Iran had cost the U.S. about $12 billion as of Sunday, 15 days after they began.
By Tanya Noury
US weighs military reinforcements as Iran war enters possible new phase
“There has been no decision to send ground troops at this time, but President Trump wisely keeps all options at his disposal," a White House official said.
By Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Erin Banco and Gram Slattery, Reuters
Paper or plastic? Military commissaries to charge for single-use bags
The move will save the commissary system money, officials said in their announcement of the change.
By Karen Jowers
Sending a military care package to the Middle East? Check this list first
The U.S. Postal Service temporarily suspended mail services in 28 military ZIP codes in the Middle East.
By Karen Jowers
House Republicans seek new strategy for passing VA policy bills
Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., wants to develop a “must-pass” authorization bill process for the VA similar to the legislative procedure used to approve the NDAA.
By Patricia Kime
US assesses China not planning to invade Taiwan in 2027
The assessment in the intelligence agencies’ annual report comes as Beijing has stepped up pressure on Taiwan with frequent military drills.
By Michael Martina, Reuters
The Pentagon wants to field laser weapons at scale within 3 years
Amid waves of Iranian drone attacks, the U.S. Defense Department is pushing to finally field high-energy laser weapons in the next 36 months.
By Jared Keller