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‘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.
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.
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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.
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.
Domestic-related shooting leaves 1 dead, another injured at New Mexico Air Force base
A shooting near the Holloman Air Force Base’s shoppette caused a brief lockdown on Tuesday evening.
US Air Force special operations seeks kamikaze drones
The U.S. Air Force wants small one-way attack drones for its special operations forces, according to an Air Force Request for Information.
In other news
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.
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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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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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
Shelter-in-place order lifted at MacDill Air Force Base
The installation has lifted a shelter-in-place order that was enacted earlier Wednesday after officials said a threat had been made against the base.
VA awarded authority to appoint legal guardians for impaired veterans
VA officials say the process will help hundreds of veterans hospitalized at VA facilities who are unable to transition to more appropriate settings.
By Patricia Kime
VA’s review of disability claims for fraud won’t include past filings, officials say
Using a Microsoft data analytics program, the VA program will use information gleaned from DBQ forms to identify patterns that could indicate fraud.
By Patricia Kime
Top Trump official resigns over Iran, blaming Israel for march to war
"I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people," the official said.
By Tanya Noury
An Afghan man who worked with the US military dies in ICE custody
A cause of death is still pending from the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office. But the man's family said he was not ill.
Number of US troops wounded in war against Iran rises to about 200
The U.S. military’s Central Command said the vast majority of those wounded had suffered minor injuries and 180 troops had already returned to duty.
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, Reuters
As allies resist US call to help in Strait of Hormuz, Trump says it was a loyalty test
Trump's calls for help to other countries was a loyalty test, rather than a strategic necessity, he said. "We don't need anybody."
By Tanya Noury
Judge orders VA to reinstate contract with employee union
A judge ordered the VA to recognize a bargaining contract that represents roughly 300,000 employees.
By Patricia Kime
Iran missile strike damages five KC-135 tankers in Saudi Arabia, officials say
The aircraft were reportedly parked on the flight line at the time of the strike and sustained damage but were not destroyed.
By Michael Scanlon
‘Radiant’ mother from Kentucky was among 6 US service members killed in air crash in Iraq
The KC-135 was supporting operations against Iran on Thursday in “friendly” airspace when an unspecified incident involving another aircraft occurred.
SEAL influencer David Goggins, 51, in Air Force special ops training
Goggins, who retired from active duty in the Navy SEALs in 2016, has reenlisted and is now assigned to the Special Warfare Training Wing.
By Hope Hodge Seck
Army general left classified maps on a train in Poland, watchdog finds
Then-Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Aguto, now retired, was also found to have sustained a concussion following a night of drinking to intoxication.
By Hope Hodge Seck
Pentagon identifies six airmen killed in KC-135 crash in Iraq
Six airmen were killed when a U.S. Air Force KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed during ongoing combat operations against Iran.
By J.D. Simkins
Trump fundraising email uses photo of March 7 dignified transfer of deceased soldier
A fundraising email distributed by a Trump-linked political action committee featured a photo of a dignified transfer of a U.S. soldier killed in Kuwait.
By J.D. Simkins