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National Guard officers earn medals for apprehending gunman in DC shooting
Two West Virginia National Guard officers received medals for overpowering the gunman who shot two service members in November.
Former Qatari aircraft on track for summer Air Force One delivery
The new aircraft in the Boeing VC-25B Bridge program completed modifications and flight testing and is now being painting red, white and blue.
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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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Read up on tips and tricks in Military Times’ 2025 Permanent Change of Station Guide.
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Learn how your military benefits — including health care, retirement pay and more — have changed in 2025.
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Pentagon & Congress
Pentagon says Iran ceasefire holds despite exchanges in Strait of Hormuz
Gen. Dan Caine characterized the hostile actions as “all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point.”
US, Iran launch new attacks as they wrestle for control of Gulf waters
It was the first apparent attempt to use military force since last month’s ceasefire announcement.
US destroys six Iranian small boats, shoots down missiles, drones, admiral says
Adm. Brad Cooper said Iran was trying to interfere with a U.S. military operation to open the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic.
Impacts of Strait of Hormuz tensions stifle searches for US missing in Laos
The ripple effects of the Iran war have spread to Laos, where fuel shortages have forced the cancellation or curtailment of searches by U.S recovery teams.
In other news
Trump says US operation will aid ships stranded in Strait of Hormuz
It was not immediately clear which countries the U.S. operation would aid or how the operation would work.
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
Impacts of Strait of Hormuz tensions stifle searches for US missing in Laos
The ripple effects of the Iran war have spread to Laos, where fuel shortages have forced the cancellation or curtailment of searches by U.S recovery teams.
By Richard Sisk
Trump says US operation will aid ships stranded in Strait of Hormuz
It was not immediately clear which countries the U.S. operation would aid or how the operation would work.
By Reuters
2 US troops reported missing amid African Lion exercise
The Moroccan army said the service members went missing near a cliff. The incident remains under investigation and the search is ongoing.
By Reuters
US withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany, US officials say
The move comes as a rift over the Iran war widens between President Donald Trump and Europe.
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, Reuters
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
Air Force units earn honors for rescues during US evacuation from Afghanistan
Units assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base received the Presidential Unit Citation for rescue operations during the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
Trump nominates new chief of space operations
Trump's nomination of Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess now goes to the Senate.
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.
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