Top 5     Trump backs down on Iran strikes in expectation of ‘rapidly’ reaching a deal (The Guardian) Donald Trump has said he cancelled planned military strikes against Iran on the basis of “rapidly” reaching a deal on its nuclear programme and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.       At least 13 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza after Hamas agree disarmament deal (BBC News) Israel says it was targeting military operatives in the strikes on Gaza City, Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah.       Senate Democrats press Pentagon over medical care for troops wounded in Kuwait drone strike (Military Times) Senate Democrats are pressing the Pentagon for answers about medical care provided to service members wounded in the March 1 drone strike at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, saying the Defense Department has yet to fully answer an earlier congressional inquiry or provide the results of the Army’s investigation into the attack.       Just one in three Americans back Iran war, most unsure of Trump’s goals, poll finds (Reuters) Just one in three Americans support the war on Iran , the lowest reading in a Reuters/Ipsos poll since the five-month-old conflict’s early days, with most respondents saying that President Donald Trump has failed to explain his goals .       Israel says it has serious concerns with Hamas disarmament deal (The Associated Press) Israel has shared “serious security concerns” with the White House regarding the proposed disarmament deal with Hamas, an Israeli official said as Israeli strikes overnight and into Sunday evening killed at least 17 people, including children, in Gaza.   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.   Pentagon     US general warns Pentagon he lacks sufficient forces to protect Israel (Washington Post) A shortage of Navy destroyers, used to defend against Iranian ballistic missile attacks, will force the head of U.S. European Command to prioritize the U.S. homeland instead, officials said.   Congress & Politics     Saudi crown prince urges Trump not to escalate Iran war as US leader weighs new strikes: AP source (The Associated Press) President Donald Trump in a Saturday evening social media post claimed that Mideast allies have reached the parameters of a deal to end the Iran war and said that he would hold off on ordering new strikes in the five-month old conflict for now.       Military testosterone policy raises questions about its links to aggression (The New York Times) A new policy raises questions about testosterone’s effect on aggression in some men.       GOP kills bid to expand IVF acess in the military (The New York Times) In a notable shift, Republican senators voted unanimously against a proposal to expand the military’s coverage of fertility treatments.   Your Military     ‘Good Samaritans’ beware: Scammers ramp up targeting of troops’ goodwill (Military Times) The father of a sailor is out to warn others in the military community about a “Good Samaritan” scam that cost his son thousands of dollars.   Army     Army offers up to $200,000 in bonuses to keep senior pilots (Task & Purpose) As the Army cuts thousands of junior jobs in its aviation corps, the service is offering bonuses as high as $200,000 to senior pilots to remain on active duty for up to six years.       Soldiers can now wear the Jungle tab Army-wide (Task & Purpose) Soldiers who completed the Army’s jungle warfare school can now wear the Jungle tab on their uniform, regardless of where they serve. The Army approved a service-wide authorization to wear the tab as an official skill badge late in July.   Navy     Navy offering up to $150,000 retention bonuses for select aviation billets (Military Times) The U.S. Navy is rolling out retention bonuses for select active-duty aviation billets in an effort to retain skilled personnel in certain mission-critical roles, the service announced.       Virginia-class submarine USS Minnesota completes first deployment (Military Times) The nuclear-powered fast attack submarine USS Minnesota returned to Naval Base Guam on July 29, completing its first deployment as the Navy’s first forward-deployed Virginia-class boat.       Navy relieves commander of USS West Virginia (Stars and Stripes) The Navy relieved the commanding officer of ballistic missile submarine USS West Virginia homeported at Kings Bay, Ga., the service announced Saturday.   Marine Corps     Marines to get new anti-drone round for M4 and M27 rifles (Task & Purpose) Marines will get a new type of ammunition that can be fired from their M4 carbines and M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles and is designed to help them shoot down small drones, a Marine Corps acquisition spokesperson said.       MARSOC wants to automate armory recordkeeping (Military Times) Marine Forces Special Operations Command is partnering with SOFWERX, the public-private technology hub for companies wanting to work with military special operations, to modernize armory recordkeeping.   AIr Force     After being denied wrongful death claim, family files lawsuit alleging failures to prevent suicide, sexual assault at Air Force Academy (Stars and Stripes) The death of a young Air Force officer could have been prevented had the service’s academy properly investigated an allegation of sexual assault and implemented regulations meant to protect cadets, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court by the officer’s family.   Veterans     GSA official put on leave for social media post saying veterans’ preference in federal hiring is hampering tech recruiting (GovExec) A senior official at the General Services Administration recently posted on his personal social media that veterans’ preference in federal hiring is preventing his team from bringing on qualified tech-focused employees.   Defense Industry     B-52 modernization faces delays, cost increases, watchdog says (Military Times) Most of the U.S. Air Force’s efforts to modernize its B-52s are experiencing significant challenges, a government watchdog said in a Friday report .       Chinese military researchers tap US AI models to train defense systems (Reuters) Chinese military researchers have used outputs from leading U.S. artificial intelligence models developed by OpenAI and Anthropic to train domestic AI systems to advance China’s defense capabilities , according to a Reuters review of more than 80 Chinese academic papers and patents.   Ukraine     At least 14 dead as Ukraine and Russia exchange strikes ( France 24 ) Ukrainian attacks killed at least nine people across Russia on Sunday, while Russian strikes left at least five dead in Ukraine, officials said. Both sides intensified long-range attacks despite stalled efforts to negotiate an end to the war.       The Kremlin is bullying more Russians into fighting in Ukraine (The Wall Street Journal) Measures increasingly include beatings and manipulation, fueling expectations of a second forced mobilization Russia is strong-arming more fighting-age men into military service to boost the flagging ranks of its army as voluntary recruitment stalls and Moscow’s initiative on the front line in …   International     China's Xi urges deeper anti-graft fight in military, modernisation advance (Reuters) China's President Xi Jinping urged senior leaders of the ruling Communist Party on Friday to deepen the fight against corruption in the military and to advance ?the modernisation of national defence, state news agency Xinhua reported.       A suicide bomber strikes an anti-militant rally in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 14 (The Associated Press) A suicide bomber targeted protesters at an antimilitant rally in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 14 people, mostly civilians and police officers, and wounding more than two dozen others, officials said.       China holds military drills near disputed shoal in the South China Sea (The Associated Press) China conducted military drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Saturday as territorial tensions with the Philippines intensify.   Video     US military may require troops to give up cell phones in Middle East (Defense News) Watch now.       Iran war left US Patriot missile stockpiles depleted, experts warn (Defense News) The U.S. used roughly two-thirds of its pre-war Patriot missile interceptor inventory during the Iran conflict, according to a new analysis. Experts say the drawdown has created readiness challenges.   Commentary & Analysis     Iran’s leaders show a united front over the war but are divided over what the goal is (The Associated Press) With escalating attacks against U.S. bases and its allies over the past week, Iran’s leaders are showing considerable unity over their war strategy: hanging tough, determined to show Iran can endure more than America and its allies can.       Investing in the next arsenal of democracy (The Cipher Brief) America’s critical technology, maritime, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing base is one of the clearest places where tax incentives, private capital, and national security should meet. We already know this model can work. Opportunity Zones helped drive billions of dollars into real estate, community development, and designated investment areas by giving investors a reason to move capital into places that policy makers wanted to support.       The new space wars: Lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East (Space News) In March 2021, while serving as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, I hosted a discussion with General Chance Saltzman, now Chief of Space Operations for the United States […]