Top 5     Record deployment for destroyer USS Spruance casts doubt over US Navy maintenance (Defense News) The Arleigh-Burke class destroyer USS Spruance has set a post-World War II record for a U.S. Navy destroyer deployment and is raising questions about the maintenance work that could follow its eventual return.       Senior US general fired, accused of leaking classified information (Reuters) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, a senior military planner on the Pentagon’s Joint Staff, over accusations that he leaked classified information to the public, officials said on Thursday.       Pentagon treating military base freezer malfunctions as suspected cyberattack, officials say (Military Times) The Pentagon is treating the spate of mysterious freezer malfunctions that spoiled food at military bases across the United States in August as a suspected hack, according to four officials familiar with the matter.       Air Force again requires flu vaccine for select personnel (Military Times) The Air Force restored the annual influenza vaccine mandate for select personnel once again, following the service’s exception request from the Pentagon’s optional policy.       Iran’s hidden web of military agencies is slipping hardware past the US blockade (Reuters) Iran has created a secret network of military agencies with global reach to import at least $2 billion in hardware, explosives and heavy-duty trucks since January 2025, evading both the U.S. naval blockade and Western sanctions, a Reuters investigation has found.   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     Congressman pushes for military housing in San Diego amid Navy data center backlash (Task & Purpose) A California Congressman is pushing for the Navy to include military housing in its massive redevelopment project in San Diego that has drawn public backlash over plans for a potential data center.       Hasty US exit from Europe could drive allies away from American arms, RAND says (Military Times) A rapid, uncoordinated U.S. military drawdown from Europe could push key NATO allies further away from American weapons over the long term, according to a new RAND study, a shift the authors say would hurt the U.S. defense industrial base.   Army     Army pilots are trying virtual reality to stay more alert in flight (Defense One) The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade is testing a virtual-reality headset to see if it can make helicopter pilots more alert.   Navy     US Navy wants more visible role for drone boats as one deploys for the first time (Military Times) While the U.S. Navy has been making significant investments in uncrewed boats in recent years, key questions have remained about how the service plans to employ and distribute the new capability.       Long deployments to be Navy standard for next couple years, MCPON, CNO say (USNI News) It will take a couple years before deployment lengths shift from the extended 10-11 months back to the normal seven, the Navy’s top enlisted sailor said.   AIr Force     Air Force rolls out free Wi-Fi in dormitories (Stars and Stripes) U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Calista Jones, Squadron Officer School Command Support Staff technician and Maxwell Dormitory vice president, logs onto her laptop inside her dormitory room at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., March 3, 2026. (Mikayla Cardona/U.S. Air Force)   Defense Industry     New tactical comms system for US ground troops aims to break network silos (Defense News) General Dynamics revealed a new artificial intelligence-enabled, portable communications system on Thursday called the Vion, a Mission Partner Environment solution. Although its basic purpose is to give ground troops a suitcase-sized platform to exchange messages and files, the company said its real value is how it connects allied systems.       At pivotal summit, Canadian-European security cooperation is a central focus (Defense News) Canada and the European Union plan to deepen cooperation on satellite services, Arctic maritime capabilities and critical materials for defense industries at a two-day summit in Montreal that began on Thursday,  according to a draft joint statement.       Destinus’ monthly output tops Europe’s pre-war annual cruise missile production (Reuters) Defence startup Destinus has built more than 1,750 Ruta cruise missiles in Europe and now produces more cruise missiles in a month than Europe did in a year before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it told Reuters.       In Arctic, US Army researchers test camo that could adapt to changing landscapes (Defense News) In a future battlespace, boats, vehicles and weapons could deploy and travel with outer shells or coverings that change with the terrain — or even light and time of year — to add an extra layer of concealment.       After Vucic ouster, Serbia’s weapons-buying habits are under the microscope (Defense News) One of Europe’s key arms purchasers, Serbia, is likely to slow down procurement and investigate the probity of recent buys after a student-led protest movement ousted the country’s long-time strongman leader in a surprise election win on Sunday.       NATO’s Black Sea nations decry Ukraine war spillover endangering commercial ship traffic (Defense News) The Ministers of Defense of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey have condemned attacks against commercial vessels in the Black Sea and call on all parties to refrain from any further actions that could endanger commercial vessels, maritime infrastructure and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, according to the joint statement made after a meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Oct. 28.       Switzerland shortlists SAMP/T, Barak MX for long-range air defense (Defense News) Switzerland narrowed down the choice of the country’s second future long-range air defense system to either Israel’s Barak MX system or the French-Italian SAMP/T NG, while also sticking to plans to buy the United States’ Patriot air-defense system.   Ukraine     At least 13 killed in 'horrific' Russian drone strike at Ukraine train station (France 24) At least 13 people were killed when a Russian drone struck a busy railway station in Ukraine's Dnipro on Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing the attack as "horrific" and urging Kyiv's allies not to ease sanctions on Moscow.       Russia strikes energy facilities in Kyiv as aid convoy heads for besieged town of Oleshky (France 24) Russia said its forces struck energy infrastructure in and around Ukraine's capital on Friday as an aid ?convoy started ?moving overnight towards the beleaguered Russian-held town of Oleshky ?in southern Ukraine, carrying food and medical supplies among other items. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.   Military Culture & History     The Mosquito Bowl and the ‘barbaric madness’ of the Pacific War (Military Times) It feels, at times, as if the viewer can’t escape. Body clenched, stomach tight — eyes perhaps slanted downward — as the oppressive violence folds around you. At face value, that seems absurd. The viewer isn’t one of the 5,000 Marines landing on Tarawa, facing a maelstrom of mortars, machine guns and rifle fire poured by elite troops of the Imperial Navy’s Special Naval Landing Force.   Video     Join CBP Air and Marine Operations on a high seas, high-speed chase (Defense News) Officers had the throttle down to catch up with a boat of suspects.       How Silvus is connecting soldiers and systems across the battlefield (Defense News) Silvus explores how tactical radios, threat detection and anti-jamming capabilities can help the Army maintain communications in contested environments.       Closing gaps in interoperability on the modern battlefield (Defense News) Leonel Garciga, Sr. Executive Advisor at Booz Allen, provides an overview of his company’s priorities in a time of evolving conflict.   Commentary & Analysis     Death terrifies me. So I asked my grandfather, a war veteran, how he faced it (The War Horse) Watching my mother’s glossy wooden casket covered with yellow roses being lowered into the ground when I was only 10 taught me death’s brutal weight. Ever since, I’ve struggled to understand how people can move willingly toward it.       A sailor jumped from the USS Lincoln. The Navy punished him. (The New York Times) The case offers a rare look at the military’s handling of mental health issues during extended deployments.       Let’s talk about the US target drone Iran claims to have recovered intact (The War Zone) Iran claims to have brought down what looks to be a U.S.-made MQM-170C Outlaw G2 drone largely intact.       What’s a revolution in military affairs good for? (War on the Rocks) For decades, militaries have chased the next revolution in warfare. But what actually makes a revolution in military affairs revolutionary?       A warrior’s view of why war fails (Foreign Affairs Magazine) William McRaven spent four decades in the U.S. military as a Navy SEAL, a four-star admiral, and head of U.S. Special Operations Command.