Top 5     US aircraft fires at, disables another oil tanker in Gulf of Oman (Military Times) The U.S. military on Tuesday struck and incapacitated an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman for violating the U.S. Navy blockade by “attempting to transport oil from Iran.”       ‘They got very lucky,’ Trump says of downed Apache helicopter’s crew (Defense News) President Donald Trump on Wednesday said two U.S. Army aviators “got very lucky” after an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter was downed by Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that American retaliation for the incident is not over.       Qatari-donated Air Force One now sports red, white and blue paint job (Defense News) The Qatari Boeing 747-8i aircraft gifted to the United States to serve as an interim Air Force One is now donning the red, white and blue livery.       Event honoring servicewomen canceled after most branches decline to attend (Task & Purpose) An annual event put on by members of Congress to honor fallen servicewomen was canceled this year after the Navy, Air Force and Space Force bowed out, citing Pentagon and White House policies on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Other branches either didn’t respond to the invite or cited scheduling conflicts.       Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are retiring. How will new leaders inherit their lessons learned? (Military Times) The military is preparing for future conflicts that may look little like the wars fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the same time, the generation that spent two decades fighting those wars is steadily leaving the force.   US Strikes in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific     A list of US military strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels (Military Times) Since early September 2025, the U.S. military has conducted strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean in support of what the Pentagon has called continued counternarcotics efforts.   Operation Timeline     The human impact of policy changes at the DOD and VA (The War Horse) An ongoing timeline of the Trump administration’s actions focusing on the military and veterans.   Pentagon     Hegseth warns Cuba against acquiring weapons in visit to Guantánamo Bay (The Guardian) U.S. defense secretary continues ramp-up of pressure against country including sanctions and devastating oil blockade.       Pentagon to launch ‘Cyber Mastery Incentive Pay’ program (Defense News) The Pentagon is establishing a multilayered cyber incentive pay program to boost cyber capabilities as part of the DoD’s Project Patriot Pipeline effort.       Top Pentagon official worked closely with CIA officer later found with gold bars (The New York Times) David Rush, the C.I.A. employee, worked on a highly classified China spying program with Stephen A. Feinberg, the Pentagon’s second-ranking official.   Congress & Politics     House appropriators back $55.5 billion Space Force budget, omit reconciliation funds (Space News) Draft defense bill funds Pentagon at requested discretionary levels but excludes $350 billion in proposed reconciliation spending, casting doubt on Golden Dome and other space programs.   Your Military     First look at the Global War on Terrorism Memorial design in Washington (Military Times) The foundation overseeing the design of the future Global War on Terrorism Memorial on the National Mall in Washington has unveiled the first renderings of what the site will look like.   Army     Army recruiter stole identities of recruits to apply for loans, credit cards (Task & Purpose) An Army recruiter used the identities of seven would-be recruits to open bank accounts, cash in on fraudulent checks and credit cards in their names, and even buy plane tickets for a Las Vegas trip, according to federal court documents.   Navy     US Navy stands up naval support activity in Western Australia (Military Times) The U.S. Navy has established a naval support activity in Western Australia, the service announced, the latest move designed to enhance security cooperation between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.       Navy chaplains to remove rank insignia from all working and utility uniforms (Military Times) U.S. Navy chaplains will discard their rank insignia on working and utility uniforms starting Tuesday, the service announced in an administrative message.   Space Force     Soldier turned Guardian to lead Space Force component in Korea (Air & Space Forces Magazine) For the next leader of its component in Korea, the Space Force is turning to a colonel who has decades of experience in the Army, historically the leading service for all things U.S. military on the peninsula.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard rescues 2 people near Ormond Beach after vessel power outage (Stars and Stripes) The U.S. Coast Guard located and rescued two mariners aboard a disabled vessel approximately 18 miles east of Ormond Beach, Fla. on Tuesday.       Coast Guard tightens entry rules for ships departing Haiti (Stars and Stripes) Boats arriving from Haiti’s seaports will soon be required to operate under enhanced security measures or risk being denied entry into the United States.   Veterans     VA introduces new electronic health records system to four additional sites (Military Times) The Department of Veterans Affairs deployed the new Federal Electronic Health Record system to four sites in Ohio and Kentucky on Saturday, bringing the total number of VA health systems using the software to 14.       Veterans and relatives see no place for Trump's arch near Arlington National Cemetery (NPR) Three Vietnam War veterans are suing to stop President Trump from building an arch just steps from Arlington National Cemetery, where 400,000 service members, veterans and their relatives are buried.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     US Army astronaut tapped for NASA’s Artemis III mission (Military Times) The U.S. Army is launching into space — once again — by way of Col. Frank Rubio, who will be part of the 2027 Artemis III mission, NASA announced Tuesday.   Defense Industry     Germany welcome in GCAP, but new Leonardo boss warns about timing (Defense News) The head of Italian defense firm Leonardo has welcomed the possibility of Germany entering the Italo-Japanese-UK GCAP fighter program but has warned that adding a new member could push back the delivery date.       German air show opens under shadow of Iran war, fighter project collapse (Defense News) Germany’s ILA air show opened on Wednesday under the twin shadows of the Iran war and the collapse this week of a flagship Franco-German fighter jet project, clouding what is meant to be one of Europe’s premier aerospace showcases.       The US usually sells weapons to Taiwan – with drones, expect the reverse (Defense News) The United States has been selling advanced weapons to Taiwan for years, with large American contractors churning out more of the higher-end equipment than the island could ever produce alone for its defense against its military rival China.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israeli strikes kill 12 in Lebanon as Netanyahu urges fight against Hezbollah (France 24) Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed 12 people on Wednesday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Lebanese citizens to join Israel's fight against Hezbollah. A border town said two municipal employees detained by Israeli forces were later released. Fighting has continued despite an April ceasefire and a conditional truce announced last week.   Ukraine     Ukraine says missiles hit military plant deep inside Russia (BBC News) Ukraine's military also says it has struck a Russian oil refinery and a "shadow fleet" oil tanker in the Black Sea.   International     Russia says it is discussing 'reformatting' of military facilities in Syria (Reuters) Russia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that cooperation with Syria was developing very actively and that Moscow ?was discussing with Damascus a "possible reformatting" of its military facilities ?in Syria.       Russia sends additional military equipment to Madagascar (Bloomberg) Russia sent an additional consignment of military equipment to Madagascar to help re-equip the island nation’s Military Engineering Corps.       Pakistan says all aboard military helicopter killed in crash in Pakistani Kashmir (Reuters) All personnel on board ?a military helicopter have been ?killed in a crash near Muzaffarabad in Pakistani Kashmir, Pakistan's ?military said in a ?statement on Wednesday, without specifying ?the number of deaths.   Military Culture & History     Initial design revealed for Global War on Terrorism memorial on the National Mall (Stars and Stripes) The Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation on Wednesday revealed the initial concepts for a permanent tribute on the National Mall to honor the generations of Americans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.   Video     Taiwan fires rockets in 'scoot and shoot' anti-invasion drill (Defense News) Taiwanese forces shoot American-made HIMARS in excercise.   Commentary & Analysis     Defense secretary’s Navy flag board actions are unprecedented and deeply troubling (Military Times) The defense secretary’s recent removal of several qualified officers from the fiscal 2027 Navy O-7 Flag list should be of immediate concern to military personnel, veterans and to all Americans, regardless of political affiliation.       Has Russia given up on Kinburn Spit, its westernmost foothold in Ukraine? (France 24) At the start of the war in Ukraine, the Russian capture of Kinburn Spit – a narrow piece of land that holds the key to several Ukrainian ports – was hailed as one of Moscow’s most significant victories on the southern front. From there, Russia could launch attacks on the Ukrainian mainland, and use it as a springboard should it make an attempt to take Odesa. Now, Russian forces appear to have pulled back from the once so-strategic spit. What is going on?       The crisis Iran’s leaders can’t ignore (The Atlantic) The war between Iran and Israel and the United States has been an economic catastrophe for Iranians. Their country has lost at least 1 million jobs —possibly 2 million—since the war began. In the same period, almost 300,000 eligible Iranians have signed up for unemployment insurance, and job-seeking websites are so inundated with new applications that they keep crashing.