Top 5     US expected to send thousands of soldiers to Middle East, sources say (Reuters) The Pentagon is expected to send thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, adding to a massive U.S. military buildup even as President Donald Trump talks about a possible deal with Tehran to end the war.       Military families: DOD wants your input on quality of life improvements (Military Times) Military families and others have the opportunity over the next month to provide input for defense officials on quality of life issues at the state level for service members and their families.       Deadly Iran school strike casts shadow over Pentagon’s AI targeting push (Military Times) On the first day of the U.S.-Iran war, a Tomahawk cruise missile struck Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, southern Iran. At least 168 people were killed — more than 100 of them under the age of 12, according to UN and Iranian officials.       Nearly 300 U.S. troops have been wounded in Operation Epic Fury amid drone, missile attacks (DefenseScoop) The number of U.S. military personnel wounded in Operation Epic Fury continues to rise as the campaign against Iran approaches its fourth week.       Army ROTC cadets awarded medals for stopping campus shooter (Military Times) Army ROTC cadets attending Old Dominion University were awarded eight meritorious service medals and two Purple Hearts for their actions during a shooting incident that occurred in their classroom earlier this month.   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.   Pentagon     Judge calls Pentagon's moves against AI firm Anthropic "troubling" (CBS News) A judge sharply questioned a lawyer for the federal government on Tuesday over the Pentagon's efforts to cut Anthropic's AI out of its classified systems.       DOD rejects malpractice appeal in 26-year-old soldier’s cancer death (Military Times) A military appeals board has ruled that the Pentagon bears no responsibility in the death of 26-year-old Army specialist whose family says her health concerns and request for a diagnostic test were ignored by medical providers until it was too late for treatment.   Congress & Politics     US legislative failures are giving China a strategic edge, Anduril exec says (Reuters) Trae Stephens, co-founder of defense technology firm Anduril Industries, sharply criticized American lawmakers on Tuesday, warning that congressional dysfunction and Silicon Valley arrogance were handing China a strategic opening in the race for military and technological supremacy.   Army     Army raises enlistment age to 42, eases marijuana restrictions (Task & Purpose) A major update to Army recruiting regulations this week raises the maximum age a recruit can join to 42, and removes a barrier to joining for recruits with a single legal conviction for marijuana or drug paraphernalia possession.       Army cuts officers from credentialing assistance program (Military Times) The Army removed commissioned officers from its credentialing assistance program in a policy update this week.       Soldiers must now get approval from supervisors for tuition assistance (Task & Purpose) All soldiers will now need approval from their supervisors before they can receive financial assistance under the Army’s Tuition Assistance program, which helps soldiers pay for taking higher education classes.       Army receives first pilot-optional Black Hawk for testing (Defense News) The Army has taken a step toward pilot-optional flight, receiving its first Black Hawk helicopter equipped with autonomy systems that allow it to fly without a human crew.   Navy     USS Nimitz, now in service until 2027, heads to SOUTHCOM exercise (Military Times) The USS Nimitz is deploying to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility for a maritime exercise with South American partner nations, the Navy announced on Monday.   AIr Force     3 military families file lawsuit over homes leased at Texas Air Force base (Stars and Stripes) Three military families have filed a federal lawsuit against the private landlord at a Texas Air Force base, accusing the company of leasing them homes plagued with mold growth, sewage problems, lead paint and other ongoing conditions that caused their health to suffer.       Air Force going fast to develop ‘new class’ of low-cost munitions (Air & Space Forces Magazine) New approaches to acquisition, faster testing, and lessons from combat are shrinking the Air Force’s timelines for fielding low-cost munitions from years to months.   Space Force     Space Force officer shares intelligence on threats to space systems (Space News) Electronic warfare is a growing threat to U.S. space systems, according to a March 23 unclassified briefing by U.S. Space Force Chief Master Sergeant Ron Lerch, senior enlisted advisor to the Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard relieves commander of Alaska-based cutter (Military Times) The Coast Guard temporarily relieved the commander of the fast response cutter Douglas Denman, based in Ketchikan, Alaska, on Monday.   National Guard     Guardsmen assigned to DC have administered Narcan 100 times since August (Military Times) National Guardsmen assigned to the Joint Task Force-District of Columbia have administered naloxone to more than 100 individuals experiencing drug-related emergencies since August 2025, according to a release.       National Guard mobilized as Hawaii battles worst flooding in 20 years (Military Times) Search-and-rescue teams from the National Guard are fanning out across Hawaii, where a powerful storm has destroyed hundreds of homes and buried roads in red volcanic mud.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     New NSA director urges more intelligence sharing with allies (Defense One) The new director of Cyber Command and the National Security Agency used his first all-hands meeting to urge his workforces to share more intelligence with U.S. allies and partners, according to two people familiar with the matter.       ‘The fight is on’ as top cyber officials try to revamp the military’s digital workforce (DefenseScoop) Top cyber officials on Tuesday outlined the stakes around the military’s digital hiring pipeline as the broader force attempts to implement a sweeping new talent-management model and the war with Iran nears its one-month mark.   Defense Industry     Lockheed launches Hellfire missile from 10-foot cargo container (Defense News) Lockheed Martin announced Tuesday that the U.S. defense giant successfully launched a Hellfire missile from its new Grizzly launcher — housed within a 10-foot cargo container.       Indra teams up with Hanwha for Spain’s $5.3 billion artillery order (Defense News) Spain’s Indra teamed up with South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace to fill a Spanish order for tracked self-propelled artillery with a budget of €4.55 billion (U.S. $5.3 billion).       Netherlands plans $1.1 billion rush order for extra Patriot system (Defense News) The Netherlands plans to place a rush order for an additional Patriot air-defense system for €940 million, or US$1.1 billion, to avoid losing its production slot and joining the tail end of a waiting list of international customers, which the Dutch government says could push delivery back to 2033.       TKMS and ST Engineering to create submarine service ‘hub’ in Singapore (Defense News) Germany’s TKMS and Singapore-based ST Engineering’s naval division signed an agreement on Tuesday toward the establishment of a joint submarine maintenance center in Singapore.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel's military to occupy swathe of southern Lebanon, defense minister says (Reuters) Israel's military to occupy swathe of southern Lebanon, defense minister says.   International     United States said to have sent Iran a plan to end the Middle East war (The New York Times) The 15-point plan was delivered via Pakistan, whose army chief has emerged as the key interlocutor between the United States and Iran, officials say.       China maps ocean floor as it prepares for submarine warfare with US (Reuters) China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.       Chinese corvette recently trained its weapons on Philippine frigate, officials confirm (Defense News) The Philippine Navy has confirmed that an armed Chinese corvette engaged its fire control radar against a Philippine frigate this month, marking the latest escalation between the two nations in contested areas in the South China Sea.   Military Culture & History     After more than half a century, these veterans returned to Vietnam (Military Times) It was a homecoming of sorts — decades overdue.   Video     Who got a $20 billion Army AI contract? | Defense Dollars (Military Times) Tech innovator Anduril makes a big play in the defense space, and Turkish drone maker Baykar unveils the "Kamikaze" — that and more on Defense Dollars.       Former Navy minesweeper commander outlines US counter-mine capability (Military Times) How do US forces counter potential mines in a waterway like the Strait of Hormuz? A retired Navy expert explains.   Commentary & Analysis     The ‘simple maneuver’ of opening Hormuz strait carries great risks, analysts say (Defense News) U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday called NATO allies “cowards” for their unwillingness to help secure maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which he said would be a “simple military maneuver” with little risk.