Top 5     Pentagon list of service members killed in Iran war removes most recent four (The Guardian) The Pentagon’s official online list of service members killed in the ongoing Iran war does not include the four soldiers who died during renewed fighting over the weekend, despite the fact that their names were included in a Pentagon press release on the formal transfer of their remains back to the United States on Wednesday.       US strikes Iran and Bahrain warns of incoming fire as clashes over shipping routes escalate (The Associated Press) Bahrain activated its sirens early Friday, warning residents to shelter from detected fire hours after the U.S. military said it had wrapped up its 13th night of strikes against Iran.       Parris Island drill instructor found dead in apartment (Military Times) A drill instructor assigned to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island was found dead in her apartment on July 17, the service confirmed.       US House passes war powers resolution directing Trump to withdraw US military from Iran (The Guardian) The U.S. House of Representatives for the second time passed a war powers resolution directing Donald Trump to withdraw the U.S. military from the conflict with Iran, amid renewed fighting that has driven oil prices to their highest levels in weeks and claimed four American lives.       Colonel takes helm at Nevada air base wing as unit’s first female commander (Military Times) For the first time in 99th Air Base Wing history, a woman has assumed command.   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.   Congress & Politics     Trump authorizes use of AI for defense supply chain mapping (DefenseScoop) A new executive order issued by President Donald Trump this week authorizes the Pentagon to use artificial intelligence capabilities to map vulnerabilities in the department’s supply chains.   Your Military     Even $500 could make a difference for military childcare workers, researchers find (Military Times) Low pay is the leading reason childcare providers leave their jobs — both military and civilian — but even a $500 retention bonus could keep many of these providers at risk of leaving, new research has found.   Army     Soldier hit by stray bullet near White House seeks $25 million from Secret Service (Military Times) Attorneys for a vacationing soldier who was shot when he was caught in a “hail of bullets” in front of the White House have filed a $25 million claim against the U.S. Secret Service.   Navy     Navy Reserve announces retention, recruiting bonuses up to $20,000 (Military Times) The U.S. Navy Reserve is offering enlisted sailors, officers and civilians sizable financial incentives to remain or join the service, the Navy announced Wednesday.       Navy announces recipients of 2026 Expeditionary Warfare Excellence Awards (Military Times) The U.S. Navy on Wednesday announced the 2026 recipients of the Expeditionary Warfare Excellence Awards, recognizing the top performing sailors and Marines from the 2025 calendar year.       Navy’s ‘dinosaur’ carrier delivery plane flies into sunset (Military Times) In 2022, Lt. Cmdr. Alex “Phrog” Vogel flew his 60-year-old C-2A Greyhound carrier onboard delivery aircraft from San Diego to Japan in a memorable mission that at times balanced on a knife’s edge of timing and logistics.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard should get a leader like other military branches, GOP senators say (The Hill) The Coast Guard Leadership Modernization Act would establish a secretary of the U.S. Coast Guard.   National Guard     F-15EX drops bombs from an operational unit for the first time (Military Times) In early May, the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing loaded practice bombs onto its F-15EX Eagle IIs at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and dropped them on the range. The training marks the first time an operational unit has employed the Eagle II’s air-to-ground capabilities, according to the wing’s July 17 announcement.   Veterans     In a suicide crisis, eligible veterans can go to any ER for free. Nearly 50,000 already have. (Military Times) The COMPACT Act allows eligible veterans and certain former service members to receive Veterans Affairs-funded emergency suicide crisis care at VA and community hospitals, even if they aren’t enrolled in VA healthcare. New data obtained by Military Times show 49,341 veterans have used the benefit since 2023, but veteran advocates and suicide prevention professionals say many eligible veterans still don’t realize it exists until they experience a crisis.   Defense Industry     Pentagon awards Oracle $7B agreement for consolidated software tools, licenses (DefenseScoop) The Defense Department announced a multibillion-dollar deal with Oracle on Thursday that will consolidate all of the company’s software, services and licenses used across the Pentagon under a single contract vehicle.       Greece to buy $4 billion air defence system from Israel (Reuters) Greece has approved the purchase of a multi-layer air defense system worth up to €3.5 billion ($4 billion) from Israel, several types of drones and Embraer’s C-390 military transport aircraft, its defense minister said on Thursday.       Australia whips together a hybrid air defense weapon (Defense News) Australia successfully tested a “Frankenstein” medium-range air defense system last month, harnessing existing and new capabilities in a way nobody has tried before.   Ukraine     Australia whips together a hybrid air defense weapon (Military Times) A Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter jet for the first time since the American-designed planes arrived on the battlefield in 2024, the top-ranking U.S. general told Congress on Tuesday, emphasizing the impressive progress of Kyiv’s air defense forces in shielding the country’s skies.   International     UK ‘ready to defend itself’ after Iranian threat over US bases (The Guardian) IRGC claims base in south-west England was used by US to launch bombing missions, making it ‘legitimate target’       EU naval mission will now intercept Russian shadow tankers in the Indian Ocean (Defense News) The European Union has authorized its naval mission in the Indian Ocean to stop and board Russian shadow fleet tankers suspected of operating under false flags, the bloc announced on Wednesday.   Military Culture & History     25 years later, ‘Band of Brothers’ still resonates (Military Times) As an actor, Ross McCall is used to being recognized on the street. However, the Scottish film and TV star is amazed at the amount of attention he still receives for a character he portrayed a quarter of a century ago in the acclaimed “Band of Brothers ” miniseries on HBO.   Video     Pentagon rolls out new cognitive performance test for troops (Defense News) The Pentagon is replacing its long-used cognitive assessment with a new test they say is designed to better detect cognitive changes and support brain health monitoring across the force.       Lockheed unveils reusable microwave weapon to stop 50+ drones in one flight (Defense News) Lockheed Martin has unveiled the MORFIUS X-Rotor, a reusable counter-drone system designed to disable more than 50 enemy drones in a single flight using high-power microwaves.   Commentary & Analysis     Widespread hormone replacement could yield long-term detriments that outweigh benefits (Military Times) Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently announced a new policy to screen service members over 30 for low testosterone and offer replacement therapy to those who qualify.       Trump promised redemption for troops who refused COVID shots. A year later, many are still waiting. (The War Horse) When the COVID-19 vaccine was released in 2020, Daniel Pendergast was intrigued.       Peace through secure supply chains (Defense News) The United States has the most lethal military on Earth. But even the most advanced weapons system is only as strong as the supply chains behind it.       The arsenal of autonomy: Doctrine and industry recommendations for the age of autonomous warfare (The Cipher Brief) The age of autonomous warfare has already arrived, and America must rethink everything to remain competitive.       A $1.5 trillion defense budget? Not so fast, experts warn (Air & Space Forces Magazine) President Donald Trump declared in a social media post Jan. 7 that he would propose a $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027—a record-breaking figure that called to mind the Reagan buildup of the 1980s. Now, nearly eight months later, the chances such a budget might pass are fading fast.       Is Iran controlling the Gulf conflict? (The Cipher Brief) Recent statements from President Trump indicate he is prepared to continue, or escalate, U.S. military strikes while simultaneously signaling he is open to continued negotiations. Some would see this as a reasonable offer of carrot or stick. But, having lost scores of ships, missiles, and military production facilities, U.S. actions still depend on what Iran does. This is allowing the regime leadership to control the pace of the conflict. How is this possible?       America needs an off-ramp between doing nothing and shutting AI down (War on the Rocks) For 18 days in June, two of America’s most capable AI models went dark worldwide, not for technical or business reasons, but because the U.S. government ordered it.       How adaptive weapons and trusted autonomy are reshaping the future of fires (DefenseScoop) The Pentagon’s next breakthrough won’t simply be a missile that flies farther or a warhead that hits harder. It will be a weapon that adapts in flight, shares data seamlessly across the kill chain, scales affordably and earns enough trust to deploy without a human asset beside it.