Top 5     Recap: Autonomy dominates the US Army’s 2026 conference in Washington (Military Times) The Association of the United States Army showcased its annual conference from Oct. 12-14 in Washington, assembling defense industry officials, lawmakers and military personnel from around the globe to assess the future force and evolving threats.       What is the US Army doing in Panama? A bit of everything. (Military Times) Muted American flag patches on the right shoulders of camouflage-clad men and women in the jungle are one sign of an expanding partnership between the U.S. and Panama. American optometrists in the country’s Darién Province are another. U.S. military salvage and dive teams training near the Panama Canal offer a third.       Blood supplies, autonomous systems shape US Army’s Indo-Pacific combat care plans (Military Times) U.S. Army combat medical teams are experimenting with ways to prolong care in preparation for a possible fight in the Indo-Pacific theater, where vast distances and limited evacuation platforms affect a patient’s timely access to surgical care.       Shakeup of Kosovo peacekeeping force brings return of Army unit there at the start (Stars and Stripes) Active-duty U.S. soldiers from a unit that helped establish NATO’s Kosovo peacekeeping force in the wake of Balkan bloodshed are back for the first time in years, taking over from National Guard counterparts.       US Special Operations adopts new half-mask and goggles (Military Times) U.S. Special Operations forces will adopt a new face and breathing protection system after the Pentagon and Avon Protection announced a contract on Oct. 9.   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.   Congress & Politics     Order to limit Starshield for Ukraine came from inside White House, sources say (Reuters) The order to limit a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations came from inside the White House, according to two U.S. officials and a Western official briefed on the matter.   Army     Army leader who served in Poland faces domestic violence and other charges (Stars and Stripes) A former senior enlisted leader of U.S. Army Garrison Poland and the 3rd Infantry Division faces charges involving domestic violence, assault and other misconduct, including alleged offenses during his assignment in Poland.       US Army’s 8th Psychological Operations Group inactivated (Military Times) The Army officially inactivated the 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) in a ceremony at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Sept. 29.   National Guard     Arizona Guard first to field Gray Eagle 25M drone (Military Times) The Arizona National Guard will become the first state to establish a unit equipped with the unmanned aircraft system, or UAS, known as the Gray Eagle 25M.   Veterans     More than 3 million veterans disability claims processed in 2026, VA says (Stars and Stripes) The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to break records for processing disability claims, reporting that 3.1 million requests were processed in fiscal year 2026.   Defense Industry     New human-machine interface will help Boxer punch above its weight (Defense News) An Australian startup is developing new tactical orchestration software that will allow Boxer 8x8 armored vehicles to control unmanned systems in the air and on the ground simply by operators giving verbal instructions.       Team digitally traces Polish Revolutionary War hero’s West Point contributions (Military Times) Nearly 250 years after 30-year-old Tadeusz Ko?ciuszko established himself as one of the Continental Army’s most brilliant — and much-needed — combat engineers, West Point and three members of Poland’s Foundation for the Virtualization of National Cultural Heritage teamed up to ensure Ko?ciuszko’s legacy endures.       Israel secures procurement of 12 Apache gunships in last-minute maneuver (Defense News) Israel is set to acquire 12 Apache “Echo” attack helicopters from Boeing, according to an Israeli ministry of defense announcement this week.       What is Starshield, SpaceX’s military version of Starlink? (Reuters) Ukraine said on Wednesday that Elon Musk’s SpaceX had restricted “military-grade” Starlink services, hampering Ukrainian drone strike missions and air defenses.       ‘Weaponized light’: KBR’s new base defense technology pits lasers against drones (Military Times) An Xbox controller may be a key part of an unlikely answer to the U.S. military’s struggle with counter-drone defense. As cheap drones proliferate, shooting them down can mean firing multimillion-dollar missiles to destroy aircraft worth just a fraction of that price.       South Korean lasers down three drones in Army demo, Hanwha says (Military Times) Two laser weapons developed by Hanwha Systems shot down all three target drones during a South Korean Army demonstration on Oct. 14, the company said, as it pitches the technology to foreign buyers.       US arms firm Anduril could make interceptors in Europe, executive says (Reuters) U.S. defense firm Anduril could eventually manufacture its newly unveiled Steelfin interceptor missiles in Europe, a company executive said this week, as governments aim to expand air defense production after global conflicts highlighted shortages of interceptor missiles.   Ukraine     Ukraine launches more than 1,000 drones at Russia as spat between Trump and Zelenskyy continues (The Associated Press) Ukrainian strikes set an oil export terminal and a depot ablaze in St. Petersburg on Sunday as Kyiv launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia in one of its largest aerial attacks of the war.       Zelenskyy urges support for new US sanctions on Russia put on hold by Trump (The Associated Press) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged supporters Saturday to speak out in favor of new U.S. sanctions against Russia, hours after President Donald Trump signed an executive order putting the sweeping restrictions on hold.   International     What we know so far about deadly fire at Canadian military base (BBC) A huge fire swept through a Canadian military base on Saturday, killing at least four people and leaving 19 people in critical condition.       Egypt’s top security body agrees to help Saudi Arabia defend itself against Houthi attacks (The Associated Press) Egypt’s top security body said Sunday it has agreed to support close ally Saudi Arabia in the major escalation of fighting between the kingdom and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has marked the latest front in the Iran war.       North Korea says it tested new torpedo system with AI capabilities (The Associated Press) North Korea said Saturday it had successfully tested a new torpedo system that uses artificial intelligence for target detection and guidance.   Video     EOS Defense Systems prepares to build Slinger counter-drone systems (Defense News) EOS Defense Systems discusses plans for U.S. production of its Slinger counter-drone system, AI-assisted targeting and adjustable levels of autonomy.       How iridium is helping the Army stay connected beyond line of sight (Defense News) Iridium discusses satellite communications that keep soldiers and unmanned systems connected, along with navigation technology for GPS-disrupted environments.       Army looking to advance another new rifle for troops | Headlines (Defense News) Fielding of the M8 carbine, the Army took notes from soldiers on its weight and length and aims to get it into troops' hands by December       Defense Manpower Data Center’s data breach | MOAA Headlines (Defense News) Personal information for millions potentially got exposed in a security breach at a military agency, officials said recently.       Working to relieve 'tactical dehydration' with new urine collection systems for troops (Defense News) Skydrate shows off the latest designs for its urine collection systems, made to aid pilots and troops stuck in convoys of both sexes.   Commentary & Analysis     Europe’s changing politics and the future of US leadership (The Cipher Brief ) “And now, there is war again. There is new competition between great powers. There is vulnerability, aggression, terrorism, a whole universe of new threats and attacks again. And so, we must rebuild our institutions and our alliances to face these threats together.” From Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s October 7th speech in Greece, at the Acropolis. Mr. Rubio’s excellent speech should be mandatory reading for high school and college civics classes.       The Soviet roots of Russia’s modern disinformation war (The Cipher Brief ) Anti-Semitism, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pronounced while repudiating an anti-Israel resolution adopted at the 1967 National Conference for New Politics, is “immoral.” Accordingly, the civil rights leader would surely have been dismayed at the prevalence of that age-old prejudice in the wake of the barbarous October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.