Dover ‘Personal Effects Specialist’ Job Posting Creates Stir on Social Media
Veteran‑owned contractor Joint Technology Solution posted part‑time “personal effects specialist” positions to handle the belongings of fallen service members at Dover Air Force Base. The roles, paying $15.66 per hour and requiring a secret security clearance, are tied to a $595,000 contract supporting the Joint Personal Effects Depot. The announcement sparked a viral reaction on X, with over 660,000 views and speculation that the hiring reflects preparation for increased casualties amid the ongoing U.S.–Iran conflict. Officials say the ads are routine, aimed at recruiting qualified retirees and spouses in Delaware.
National Guard Member’s Invention Allows Cyber Warfare Training on the Go
Senior Master Sgt. Taylor Gow unveiled the Agile Cyber Training Environment (ACTE), a backpack‑sized system that lets Massachusetts Air National Guard airmen conduct cyber‑warfare training anywhere. The invention, accepted into the Air Force’s Spark Tank 2026 competition, processes drone imagery...
3 F-15s Shot Down by Kuwait in Friendly Fire Incident, Pilots Safe, US Says
Three U.S. F‑15E Strike Eagle jets were shot down by Kuwait’s air defenses in a friendly‑fire incident on Sunday. All six aircrew ejected, were recovered and are in stable condition. The loss occurred while the aircraft supported Operation Epic Fury,...
Competing with Dick Bong to Be WWII’s Top Ace This Pilot Met a Fateful End
Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. became the United States’ second‑ranking WWII fighter ace, tallying 38 aerial victories before his fatal crash on 7 January 1945 while attempting to rescue a fellow pilot. His rivalry with fellow ace Maj. Richard I. Bong, who...
Stick to Your Guns: Why the Marine Corps Is Opting for the M27 over the Army’s M7
The U.S. Marine Corps has confirmed it will continue fielding the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle rather than adopting the Army’s new 6.8 mm M7 Next Generation Squad Weapon. Marine officials say the 5.56 mm‑chambered M27 aligns with the Corps’ amphibious doctrine, close‑combat...
SOCOM on the Hunt for ‘Acoustic Rainbow’ Tech for Silencing Drones
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has launched an SBIR solicitation for acoustic rainbow emitters (ARE) to silence tactical drones, aiming to cut acoustic signatures by at least 50%. The devices must weigh no more than 1 kg for Group 1 UAVs and...
Army Orders $186 Million in Switchblade Kamikaze Drones, Tank Killers
The U.S. Army has placed a $186 million delivery order with AeroVironment for two Switchblade loitering‑munition variants: the 600 Block 2 and the 300 Block 2. The 600 Block 2 brings advanced AI‑driven target detection and can operate from sea platforms, while the 300 Block 2 is equipped with...
New Hypersonic Missiles Unveiled for Fighter Planes, Ground Systems
Ursa Major unveiled the HAVOC hypersonic missile system, a medium‑range weapon that can be launched from fighter jets, bombers, ground platforms and even from space. Powered by a liquid‑rocket engine, the missile can vary its speed in flight and be...
Military Bases Must Bolster Natural Disaster Planning to Mitigate Risks, Report Finds
The U.S. Government Accountability Office reports that the Department of Defense has incurred over $15 billion in damages from extreme weather and natural disasters across its installations in the past decade. A review of twelve heavily impacted bases revealed gaps in...
New Commander of US Navy Submarine Force Atlantic Takes Over
Vice Adm. Richard Seif took command of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force Atlantic, relieving Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher at a ceremony in Norfolk. Gaucher, who led the Atlantic fleet since December 2023, will now serve as the first Direct Reporting...
Ukraine Is Reshaping the Armored Battlefield. The US Army Is Trying to Keep Up.
The U.S. Army’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart is integrating drone operations into its cavalry scout mission, using the commercial Liftoff simulator to train soldiers before real‑world flights. This effort is part of the Transformation in Contact...
Trump Presents Medal of Honor to 100-Year-Old Korean War Veteran During State of the Union
President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to honor retired Navy Captain Royce Williams, a 100‑year‑old Korean War ace, by presenting him with the Medal of Honor. Williams survived a 35‑minute dogfight in 1952, downing four Soviet...
US Pulls Nonessential Staff From Beirut Embassy as Tensions with Iran Ratchet Up
The United States ordered nonessential personnel and their families to leave the Beirut embassy as tensions with Iran rise. The move is described as a temporary safety precaution while core diplomatic staff remain on site. It coincides with a massive...
Supreme Court Declines COVID Vaccine Mandate Cases
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear two Air Force cases challenging the Department of Defense’s COVID‑19 vaccine mandate, deeming them moot after the Pentagon began reinstating service members who had refused the shot. Plaintiffs, citing the Religious Freedom Restoration...
Massive US Air Force Warplane Movements in Bulgaria Raise Stakes for Iran Talks
The United States staged a fleet of KC‑135 tankers, C‑17s, C‑130s and transport Boeing 747s at Sofia International Airport, temporarily halting civilian flights on Feb. 23‑24. Bulgaria’s defence ministry said the presence supported NATO‑related training, while officials downplayed any link...
National Guard Team Clinches Award for Clawed Drone at Army Competition
Soldiers from the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division won the Best Innovation award at the U.S. Army’s inaugural Best Drone Warfighter Competition in Huntsville, Alabama. Their Project RED system employs AI and a 3D‑printed carbon‑fiber claw to locate, retrieve,...
Navy Eyes BAH Increases, Barracks Updates to House More Sailors Ashore
The Navy has relocated 4,500 sailors from shipboard berths to shore‑based housing as part of its "No Sailor Lives Afloat" initiative. Officials say the effort includes upgrading existing barracks, reopening rooms, and exploring public‑private housing ventures while advocating for higher...
Army Using AI to Update Doctrine
The U.S. Army’s Combined Army Doctrine Directorate is training doctrine writers to use generative AI tools to accelerate the creation and revision of field manuals. Internally‑developed applications now let authors search hundreds of texts in hours and automatically check grammar...
How Commercial Drones Make the Pentagon’s ‘Blue UAS Select’ List
The Department of Defense has launched the first phase of its Drone Dominance Program, dubbed “the Gauntlet,” to evaluate commercial uncrewed aerial systems from 25 vendors at Fort Benning. Ahead of testing, the Pentagon’s Blue UAS List, maintained by the...
Hill Air Force Base Bids Farewell to A-10 Depot Mission as Final Warthog Departs
The U.S. Air Force held a "Hawg Out" ceremony at Hill Air Force Base as the last A-10 Thunderbolt II completed depot-level maintenance at Ogden Air Logistics Complex and prepared to depart by the end of February. The event marks...
SpaceX and Blue Origin Abruptly Shift Priorities Amid US Golden Dome Push
SpaceX and Blue Origin have abruptly redirected their long‑term goals from Mars and sub‑orbital tourism to lunar development. SpaceX announced it will swap its planned Martian city for a moon settlement, while Blue Origin paused New Shepard flights to concentrate...
US Military Assets Flock to Middle East Amid Iran Standoff
President Donald Trump ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest carrier, to join roughly a dozen warships already positioned in the U.S. Central Command area as pressure mounts on Iran over its nuclear program. The move is accompanied...
How Chocolate Became One of the US Military’s Most Important WWII Rations
During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army used chocolate as a portable, high‑energy comfort food. In World War II the Army commissioned Hershey to produce the Field Ration D, a 600‑calorie, heat‑resistant bar deliberately made bitter to discourage casual eating. When...
Trump Reveals US Helicopter Pilots Were Wounded in Maduro Raid
President Donald Trump publicly disclosed that U.S. helicopter pilots were seriously wounded in the February raid aimed at capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The operation, dubbed Absolute Resolve, deployed more than 200 troops and 150 aircraft, with pilots sustaining severe leg...
US Army Leaders Say Future European Fight Could Mean 1,500 Targets Daily
U.S. Army leaders warned that a future large‑scale war in Europe could generate up to 1,500 targets per day, a pace drawn from observations in the Russia‑Ukraine conflict. The projection, shared during the Dynamic Front 26 multinational exercise, underscores the...
Navy Names Surface Warfare Officers of the Year
The U.S. Navy honored Lt. Cmdr. Carolyn Bystrom and Lt. Cmdr. Brian Van Metre as the Pacific and Atlantic Fleet Surface Warfare Officers of the Year, respectively. Bystrom earned the Pacific award for her tactics leadership aboard the destroyer USS Spruance, including...
Experts Argue Marine Pullback in Okinawa Should Be Halted as China Threat Rises
Experts warn that the Defense Policy Review Initiative, which aims to move roughly 10,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam, Hawaii, Australia and the continental United States, could erode deterrence as China accelerates its push toward Taiwan. The plan, in...
Female Sailors Can Now Purchase New Dress Overblouse, Navy Announces
The U.S. Navy announced the second phase of its female uniform modernization, making the optional white, long‑sleeved service‑dress overblouse available at select Navy Exchange locations in Norfolk, Arlington and San Diego, as well as online. The overblouse, part of the...
In the Bloody, Urban Combat to Liberate Manila, This Airborne ‘Angel’ Sacrificed All
PFC Manuel Pérez Jr., a 22‑year‑old paratrooper with the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, performed a daring solo assault on a Japanese pillbox during the February 1945 liberation of Manila. His aggressive close‑quarters attack killed 18 enemy combatants and cleared the...
Beer and Wine at Chow Halls of the Future? Commanders Will Decide.
The Army is piloting a campus‑style dining concept at Fort Hood’s 42 Bistro, launching on Feb. 18, with an optional beer and wine service. Senior commanders, including Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan and Fort Hood’s commander, will decide whether alcohol is...
National Guard Members Shot in DC Will Receive Purple Hearts
The Pentagon announced that Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe and the late Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, both members of the West Virginia National Guard, will receive the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in a November ambush near the White...
Fort Hood Soldiers to Get ‘Freedom Dollars’ with First Campus-Style Dining Facility
Fort Hood, Texas, will host the Army’s inaugural campus‑style dining facility, the 42 Bistro, opening Feb. 18. Soldiers enrolled in the Essential Station Messing program receive a daily $39 ‘freedom dollars’ credit to purchase meals, while others pay out‑of‑pocket. The venue,...
Marine Earns Service’s Highest Non-Combat Award for Vehicle Rescue
Staff Sgt. Billy Scafidel, an armory chief with the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for rescuing a fellow Marine from a submerged truck on Sept. 1, 2024, near Camp Pendleton. After hearing a splash, Scafidel...
US and Italian Soldiers Earn German Military Badge in Joint Italy Training
Over 110 U.S. and Italian soldiers completed a four‑day proficiency test at an Italian base, meeting German Armed Forces standards to earn the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. The event, overseen by Germany’s 10th Panzer Division, included ruck marches, weapons...
US Military Boards Sanctioned Oil Tanker in Indian Ocean
The U.S. military conducted a right‑of‑visit boarding of the Panama‑flagged tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean. The vessel, linked to sanctions on Venezuelan and illicit Russian oil, had been operating with its transponder off,...
For This Black World War I Regiment, Battle Was on 2 Fronts
The 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, returned to New York in February 1919 after a distinguished World War I service under French command, where they fought longer and suffered more casualties than any other U.S. unit. Despite...
USS Arleigh Burke Sailors Awarded Armed Forces Service Medal for ‘12-Day War’ Operations
The guided‑missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke awarded its sailors the Armed Forces Service Medal for participation in ballistic‑missile‑defense operations in late 2024 and the June 2025 “12‑Day War” between Iran and Israel. Eligibility covers service from Aug 15‑Dec 16, 2024, and from June 12‑24, 2025,...
