Top 5     Female troops bristle at Pentagon’s review of combat roles (Military Times) This much we know: at least 154 women have earned the vaunted black-and-gold Ranger tab, according to U.S. Army data from early 2025.       US seizes sixth sanctioned tanker it says has ties to Venezuela (The Associated Press) U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.       NATO nations send scouting teams to Greenland amid US annexation talk (Defense News) Several NATO countries have announced they are sending troops to Greenland amid the Trump administration’s rhetoric of a potential annexation, continuing a balancing act of offering a win to Washington while preserving Denmark’s territorial integrity.       Naval Station Norfolk sailor found dead in building (Military Times) A sailor located at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, was discovered dead inside the command’s building on Friday, the Navy said.       Trump meets Venezuelan opposition leader Machado after praising interim president (Reuters) Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she had presented her Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday during a high-stakes encounter that could affect how Trump seeks to shape the South American country's political future.   US strikes in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific (updated)     A list of US military strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels (Military Times) Since early September, 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.   Pentagon     Trump’s cyber chief pick tells lawmakers he’ll assess efficacy of Cybercom-NSA dual-hat role, if confirmed (DefenseScoop) In a confirmation hearing with lawmakers on Thursday, President Donald Trump’s nominee for top uniformed cyber chief said he would evaluate the efficiency of the dual-hat leadership role between U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency if he’s confirmed to the job, touching on one of the community’s most heated policy debates.       ‘Department of War’ rebrand could cost up to $125 million, CBO says (Military Times) The Trump administration’s effort to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War could cost taxpayers anywhere from $10 million to $125 million, according to an analysis released by the Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday.       Pentagon officials blame government shutdown for delaying annual suicide report (Task & Purpose) The Pentagon’s annual suicide report for 2024 is delayed because of the government shutdown, officials claimed.   Congress & Politics     Most Americans oppose Trump’s push on Greenland, poll shows (Politico) Americans broadly oppose President Donald Trump’s latest foreign policy ambitions in Greenland, according to a new poll released Thursday, and are skeptical about U.S. incursions abroad.       Trump threatens Insurrection Act as Minnesota protests grow (Bloomberg) President Donald Trump threatened to deploy U.S. military forces to Minnesota in order to quell protests in response to violent encounters involving federal immigration agents.       New bill pledges enforceable standards for mold in military family housing (Stars & Stripes) A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Thursday introduced a bill to hold private landlords of military family housing financially responsible for the health and safety of the homes they lease on military bases through enforceable standards.   Your Military     New common minigun variant to replace all existing versions eyed by US (The War Zone) The U.S. military is looking at replacing all of the different versions of the famous Minigun in service today with a new standardized type that would be designated the GAU-24/A. The iconic six-barrel Gatling-type 7.62x51mm machine gun, capable of firing thousands of rounds per minute, first entered service in the 1960s, and America’s armed forces now have an array of variants spread across their arsenals.       Navy and Marine aviation accidents doubled amid Red Sea fight (Task & Purpose) The number of major accidents in Navy and Marine aviation nearly doubled in 2025 from the previous year, though only two sailors were killed in a flying accident, according to fleet-wide safety statistics released this week. Accidents among sailors and Marines underway on warships dropped slightly.   Army     Top enlisted soldier says he got ‘over my skis’ on new Army PT uniform (Task & Purpose) Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael R. Weimer has acknowledged that he overpromised when he announced back in 2024 that the service was coming out with a new and redesigned physical training uniform for soldiers.       Army competition tests medics’ ability to keep wounded soldiers alive beyond ‘golden hour’ (Stars & Stripes) The Army is testing the ability of its combat medics to keep critically injured soldiers alive on the future battlefield, where they no longer will be able to rely on quick medical evacuations.   Navy     Navy civilian ship repairman accused of smuggling psychedelic drugs into Japan (Stars & Stripes) Japanese police arrested a U.S. Navy civilian this week on suspicion of attempting to smuggle psychedelic drugs via mail, a police spokesman said Thursday.       US Navy to deploy unmanned systems with surface forces this year (Military Times) The U.S. Navy is moving swiftly to integrate and deploy unmanned surface vessels, with three USV divisions slated to be created next week and two medium USVs to be operating under fleet control this year.       Pentagon moving carrier strike group toward Middle East amid tensions with Iran (The Hill) The Pentagon on Thursday said it is moving a carrier strike group from the South China Sea toward the Middle East as tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to rise.   Air Force     MH-139 logs first convoy flight providing security to US Air Force nuclear missiles (Flight Global) The U.S. Air Force’s Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf has commenced operational nuclear security duties, completing its first convoy escort mission protecting intercontinental ballistic missile sites at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana.   Coast Guard     Lunday becomes US Coast Guard’s 28th commandant (Military Times) Adm. Kevin Lunday was sworn in Thursday as the U.S. Coast Guard’s 28th commandant, nearly a year after he had been acting in the role.   Veterans     VA watchdog issues warning on AI use by medical staff (Task & Purpose) A watchdog inside the Department of Veterans Affairs issued an urgent advisory Thursday over two AI chat tools currently in use by VA health care providers, citing “potential patient safety risks.”   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Saildrone, Lockheed to place missile launchers on naval drones (Defense News) Saildrone will equip its unmanned surface vessels with strike missiles made by Lockheed Martin, the drone company announced this week.   Defense Industry     Macron puts local defense firms on notice France may buy European (Defense News) French President Emmanuel Macron fired a warning shot to the country’s defense industry, saying France’s armed forces could turn to European suppliers if those can deliver equipment faster or more efficiently, as the country seeks to bolster its military.       Lockheed delivered record 191 F-35s as it cleared out TR-3 backlog (Defense News) Lockheed Martin delivered 191 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters last year, according to the company, the highest yearly amount in the program’s history, as the major defense contractor worked to clear out a backlog of previously undelivered jets.       Latvia eyes indirect-fires boost with new Archer howitzer acquisition (Defense News) Latvia’s government has approved the planned purchase of Archer 155mm self-propelled howitzers for the country’s armed forces. As part of the procurement, which are made by BAE Systems, Latvia aims to strengthen its cooperation with Sweden, the first customer to buy the Archer.       Czechoslovak Group plans stock-market listing amid Europe defense boom (Defense News) Czechoslovak Group, the Prague-based maker of Tatra military vehicles and one of Europe’s largest ammunition manufacturers, plans to seek a stock-market listing in coming weeks as the company looks to boost international visibility and secure funding for future growth.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel kills 8 in Gaza as US declares phase 2 of ceasefire deal launched (Al Jazeera English) Two family homes come under Israeli attack in central Gaza's Deir el-Balah, killing at least eight Palestinians.   International     Remains of Cuban officers killed during Venezuela strike repatriated (The Associated Press) Cuban soldiers wearing white gloves marched out of a plane on Thursday carrying urns with the remains of the 32 Cuban officers killed during a stunning U.S. attack on Venezuela as trumpets and drums played solemnly at Havana’s airport.       The US is pressing Mexico to allow US forces to fight cartels (New York Times) The United States is escalating pressure on the Mexican government to permit the U.S. military to target fentanyl labs, according to American officials.       As tensions rise in the Pacific, US partners say they are in for the long haul (Defense One) The military balance is “shifting dramatically and rapidly” in the Indo-Pacific, and “provocative military activities are intensifying” in the western and southern Pacific, Japan’s minister of defense said this week.       US warns Cuba’s leadership: ‘Don’t play games’ with Trump (Bloomberg) The U.S. is sharpening its rhetoric toward Cuba after its successful military operation in Venezuela, signaling a tougher approach toward Havana unless the Communist-run island changes its ways.   Military Culture & History     Pentagon says it will ‘refocus’ Stars & Stripes content (Stars & Stripes) The Pentagon said on social media Thursday it would take over editorial content decision-making for Stars & Stripes in a statement from the Defense Department’s top spokesman.       Gunner killed off Guadalcanal accounted for after 82 years (Military Times) It has been 82 years since Staff Sgt. Nicholas J. Governale crashed into the sea off the coast of Guadalcanal. Now, the gunner is coming home.       ‘It hurts’: Traveling Vietnam wall replica delivers both grief and relief in Hawaii (Stars & Stripes) On Wednesday morning, Joe Vargas stretched to reach the name of his Marine Corps buddy who was killed in action 57 years ago.