Top 5     ‘A soap opera’: How Ukraine’s frontline soldiers view peace talks (Military Times) “These peace talks feel like cognitive dissonance to me,” a Ukrainian soldier wrote in a message to Military Times while deployed in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region.       AI-powered military neurotech: Mind enhancement or control (Military Times) AI's ability to monitor a warfighter’s mental state, visuals or inner dialog may outpace the ability to shield that data from misuse, some scientists say.       US weighs complete military withdrawal from Syria (The Wall Street Journal) Near collapse of U.S.’s Kurdish allies after fighting government forces has led Pentagon to question the benefits of stationing troops in Syria.       The Navy’s largest ship continues to be plagued by plumbing issues (Military Times) The world’s largest aircraft carrier is experiencing difficulties with a service that is an integral part of every sailor’s life — the bathroom.       Army orders soldiers to stand by for possible Minneapolis deployment (The Associated Press) The U.S. Army has ordered several dozen additional active-duty soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment to Minneapolis if needed, a defense official said, amid protests over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown.   Pentagon     New deputy directors named for Golden Dome, top Air Force programs (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The White House nominated Army Maj. Gen. Brian W. Gibson for promotion to three-star general as the No. 2 officer in charge of the Golden Dome missile defense shield and Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark B. Pye for a similar promotion as deputy chief of major Air Force programs at the Pentagon.       Key US defense projects with Norway, Canada continue despite tensions (Defense News) Major defense projects involving the United States, Canada, and Norway remain on track in spite of strained relations with traditional allies following the Trump administration’s push for Greenland.       Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez assured US of cooperation before Maduro’s capture (The Guardian) Sources say powerful figures in the regime secretly pledged US and Qatari officials they would welcome Maduro’s departure.       DOD failed to provide Congress with details on $23B Golden Dome (Federal News Network) Lawmakers are still waiting for the Defense Department to provide details on how it plans to spend $23 billion already approved for the Golden Dome effort.   Congress & Politics     Qatar-gifted Air Force One plane delivery expected this summer (Defense News) The Air Force expects to have a Boeing 747 gifted from Qatar ready to serve as an interim Air Force One presidential transport plane by this summer.       FAA finalises ban on most helicopter flights near Reagan National airport (Flight Global) The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a permanent ban on most helicopter operations in airspace surrounding Ronald Reagan Washington National airport, formalising restrictions introduced after last year’s midair collision that killed 67 people.       House Armed Services Committee seeks answers on Pentagon plan for Stars and Stripes (Stars and Stripes) The House Armed Services Committee has sent two requests to the Defense Department asking how the department will ensure the congressionally mandated independence of Stars and Stripes amid a plan to “refocus” its content, according to two people familiar with the matter.   Army     Fort Bliss dedicates memorial to troops killed in Ramadi on battle’s 20th anniversary (Stars and Stripes) The names of the 94 service members who died in Iraq as part of the Second Battle of Ramadi are now memorialized at Fort Bliss as the 1st Armored Division marked 20 years since one of its brigades participated in the tide-turning combat operation.       101st Airborne ‘pauses’ major exercise as eastern bases brace for possible snowpocalypse (Task & Purpose) The 101st Airborne Division paused a major field exercise Wednesday night as military bases across the Midwest and on the Atlantic coast began bracing for a historic winter storm this weekend.       MQ-1C drones the Army has called 'obsolete' added in new budget plan by Congress (The War Zone) A new defense spending bill making its way through Congress would add $240 million to the U.S. Army’s budget for the purchase of more MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones. This is despite top Army leaders having declared last year that they would stop buying “obsolete” MQ-1Cs amid continued questions about the uncrewed aircraft’s relevance, especially in future high-end fights.       Husband and wife in the Army compete to see who’s the better medic (Task & Purpose) Soldiers on opposing teams don’t usually train together for a competition, and they certainly don’t get the opportunity to use their French bulldog to help them prep. That’s probably because, in most cases, they’re not married and serving as combat medics.       Army recognizes top 30 recruiters for their achievements in 2025 (Stars and Stripes) Army Staff Sgt. Victoria Ortiz is new to recruiting but makes sure she is authentic with people.   Marine Corps     Marine Corps makes GenAI.mil its official enterprise AI platform as older systems get sidelined (DefenseScoop) The Marine Corps officially designated GenAI.mil as its preferred large language model platform this week, a move that largely distances the service from older AI systems that are owned and operated by other branches of the military.   Space Force     Space Forces Southern activated amid Western Hemisphere focus (Military Times) The U.S. Space Force officially activated its southern component in a ceremony on Wednesday, formalizing Space Forces Southern’s role in space capabilities across the Western Hemisphere.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard reporting of sexual assault cases still lacking, GAO finds (Military Times) The U.S. Coast Guard is facing further scrutiny after a recent Government Accountability Office report cited ongoing failures in how the service has reported cases of sexual assault and harassment to Congress since 2022.   National Guard     Georgia National Guard train troops to fly small quadcopter drones (Military Times) The Georgia Army National Guard successfully launched a new program this month that aims to transform troops across the state into skilled drone pilots.   Veterans     VA has shed 40,000 employees, Democratic report finds, with drastic impacts on veterans (GovExec) The Veterans Affairs Department has shed tens of thousands of employees under President Trump and veterans are experiencing worse outcomes as a result, Senate Democrats said in a report on Thursday.       VA chief’s policies delaying care, destroying work force, report says (Military Times) Under the Trump administration, wait times for mental health care at the Department of Veterans Affairs have increased while morale among employees has plummeted with the loss of 40,000 people, Senate Democrats said in a new report released Thursday.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Shield AI begins windtunnel testing X-Bat autonomous fighter (Flight Global) American autonomy specialist Shield AI has begun windtunnel testing on its X-Bat uncrewed tactical aircraft, three months after unveiling the tail-sitting jet platform that will operate using the company’s Hivemind artificial intelligence software.       Rocket Lab launches first satellites for Open Cosmos constellation (Space News) A Rocket Lab Electron launched the first satellites for a new constellation being developed by Open Cosmos that will use spectrum previously assigned to Rivada Space Networks.   Ukraine     Ukraine arrests two Russian spies inspecting Oreshnik missile damage (Defense News) Ukraine claims to have detained two Russian spies who were involved in scoping out the damage caused by Moscow’s Oreshnik ballistic missile in Lviv.   International     UK helps France seize suspected Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tanker the Grinch (BBC News) The vessel, named Grinch, was stopped by the French navy as it travelled through waters between Spain and Morocco.       The Taiwanese president's proposal to hike defense spending faces gridlock at home (NPR) Opposition parties are slamming the brakes on billions in defense funding as the China escalates military pressure.       Denmark bristles at idea of giving up any sovereignty in Greenland (The New York Times) American and NATO officials have discussed giving the United States sovereignty over U.S. military bases in Greenland. The Danes don’t seem to like that.   Military Culture & History     ‘Militarily stupid to insult your allies’ — and other advice from 1942 (Military Times) “Don’t try to tell the British that America won the last war or make wise-cracks about the war debts or about British defeats in this war,” came the sage advice from the U.S. War Department in 1942.   Video     Army explores future of AI in warfare (Bloomberg) Joseph Welch, executive director of US Army Transformation and Training Command, said that AI can help soldiers do their jobs better and help them make "human based judgments consistent with our laws and our values" when they're out in the field.   Commentary & Analysis     The German bomb: Much ado about very little (Defense News) Discussions about a “German bomb” are like Dracula. No sooner has one killed the Transylvanian vampire than he rises again from his coffin.       Op-Ed: Carrier deployments prompt speculation about a US attack on Iran (The Maritime Executive) Open source intelligence sleuths posting on social media are closely monitoring US force deployments into the Middle East region.