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‘Actively shrinking’: Guard generals push Congress for 100 new fighters a year
A total of 22 generals signed a letter to Congress this month calling for multiyear funding to buy between 72 and 100 new fighters per year.
Air Force hits fiscal 2026 recruitment goal ahead of schedule
Five months ahead of the end of fiscal 2026, the Air Force and Space Force achieved their recruiting goal in part to the Delayed Entry Program.
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Iran Coverage
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.
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Pentagon & Congress
Advocates press for preventive programs, VA benefits for struggling vets
Representatives from specialty courts and veterans’ legal organizations pressed Congress Wednesday for expansion of the Veterans Treatment Courts system.
Starlink outage hit drone tests, exposing Pentagon’s growing reliance on SpaceX
Last August, a global outage across Elon Musk’s satellite network left U.S. Navy unmanned surface vessels bobbing off California, halting operations.
Army veteran tasked with prosecuting Nazi death squads awarded Congressional Gold Medal
Ben Ferencz was just 27 with no previous trial experience when he became chief prosecutor in one of the most significant murder trials in history.
White House offers no hint of Iran war cost as it seeks military funding surge
"I don't have a ballpark," White House budget director Russell Vought told lawmakers Wednesday about the cost of the Iran war.
In other news
Suicide rates among military families continue to climb
The total overall number decreased, a drop that coincides with smaller overall force numbers.
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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China draws strategic lessons from US war with Iran | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 4.14.26
Monitoring from afar, one of the world’s top superpowers is watching the United States’ war in Iran from a strategic perspective. What are they learning?
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MORE STORIES
‘Toxic’ politics increase terrorism, extremism risk, DHS official says
The current political climate leads to extreme views, the official said, some of which gain footing among military and veteran communities.
How a WWII ace became the unlikely honoree of a submarine combat award
John Galvin became an ace pilot during WWII, but his most prized award may have been his Submarine Combat Patrol Insignia.
By Jon Guttman
Opinion
How the Osprey crash response reinforced the power of partnerships
Outgoing Air Force Special Operations Command boss Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind reflects on the international response in the wake of November's Osprey crash.
By Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind
ASVAB tutor scams target military prospects, Air Force recruiters say
A burgeoning world of scammers preys on would-be military recruits, many of them teenagers, by appropriating the identities of real military recruiters.
Military families: Tell us how inflation has affected you
Tell Military Times how inflation has affected your wallet and your choices.
By Karen Jowers
Troops may face inflated drug costs under Tricare, lawmakers say
Is the Tricare pharmacy contractor hurting troops and their families by squeezing out competition?
By Karen Jowers
Do military families really need to move so much?
A new report from a leading advocacy group argues it’s time to give the pace of military moves, known as permanent changes of station, a fresh look.
By Karen Jowers
Military needs better recipe for feeding troops, auditors say
A new government watchdog report argues the Pentagon can do more to steer troops toward nutritious options at military-run dining halls.
By Karen Jowers
Army imposes stricter rules for addressing extremism among troops
The rules require continued extremism training for troops and offer more precise guidance for how commanders should address extremism in their units.
As troops struggle to find child care, 24-hour centers offer help
Around-the-clock child care centers offer peace of mind for troops who work odd hours or are deployed. But the military says it has no plans to add more.
By Karen Jowers