Top 5     Danish military evacuates US submariner who needed urgent medical care off Greenland (The Associated Press) Denmark’s military said its arctic command forces evacuated a crew member of a U.S. submarine off the coast of Greenland for urgent medical treatment.       Experts worry about nuclear quid pro quo in Russia-North Korea alliance against Ukraine (Defense News) With North Korean soldiers and equipment playing a key role at Russia’s front line in Ukraine, some experts worry Moscow may be ready to return the favor by providing highly sensitive information on nuclear submarines to its newfound ally in Pyongyang.       Mexican army kills leader of powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel during operation to capture him (The Associated Press) The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” on Sunday, decapitating what had become Mexico’s most powerful drug cartel and thrusting swaths of the nation into chaos.       Christian nationalist pastor speaks on his sermon to troops at Pentagon (Military Times) The Department of Defense is defending its decision to invite controversial Pastor Doug Wilson, a self-described Christian nationalist who opposes women serving in combat, to preside over a 15-minute worship service at the Pentagon this week.       Army aviator receives Purple Heart 14 years after being wounded in Afghanistan (Stars and Stripes) U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jayson Johnson received the Purple Heart in a ceremony Thursday at Fort Rucker, Ala., for his actions while under fire during a deployment to Afghanistan in November 2012.   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.   Congress & Politics     State lawmakers ask Congress to pass Richard Star Act for combat-injured veterans (Stars and Stripes) The Iowa House of Representatives on Wednesday became the latest legislative body to formally throw its support behind a federal bill stalled in Congress for years that would change how combat-injured veterans receive disability compensation and pension payments.       US arms sale to Taiwan clashes with Trump’s desire to strike trade deal with China (The Hill) A U.S. arms sale to Taiwan is clashing with President Trump’s desire to strike a trade deal with China. Chinese President Xi Jinping has voiced opposition to the new major arms sale to Taiwan, which China sees as its territory, and the president took note.       New Army office aims to quickly develop and scale soldier ideas (Defense One) A new Army organization aims to meld service leaders’ mandates to cut bureaucracy and adopt a venture-capital mindset with their push to turn soldiers’ ideas into manufactured gear.       Army using AI to update doctrine (Military Times) When a soldier reads a field manual, they are studying the Army’s guide on how to fight. Now, doctrine writers are using artificial intelligence to update those manuals, the service shared in a press release this week.   Navy     Navy eyes BAH increases, barracks updates to house more sailors ashore (Military Times) As the Navy moves to expand its “No Sailor Lives Afloat” initiative first announced last year, a top leader in personnel policy described the effort as part of a larger push to keep sailors by ensuring their quality-of-life expectations are being met.       Navy relieves destroyer commander after Caribbean crash (Task & Purpose) The commander of the Navy destroyer USS Truxtun was removed from the ship on Sunday, “due to a loss of confidence” in his ability to command, following the ship colliding with a supply vessel earlier this month.       US Navy taps Fincantieri to build Marine Corps landing vessels (Military Times) Fincantieri is to build four U.S. Marine Corps landing vessels at its U.S. Marinette Marine yard in a new deal that follows the cancellation of its contract to build Constellation class frigates for the U.S. Navy.       Sailor found dead at Naval Station Great Lakes (Military Times) A sailor at the Navy’s Surface Combat Systems Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois, was found dead on Feb. 8, the service confirmed.   Marine Corps     Top enlisted Marine issues emotional appeal to ‘reach out to somebody’ (Task & Purpose) The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is asking his fellow Marines for help. He wants them to ask for help.       Marine corporal dies at mountain warfare training center in California (Stars and Stripes) A Marine infantryman died Jan. 30 at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Calif., a Marine spokesman said.   AIr Force     Last A-10 to leave depot, maintenance squadron to deactivate (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Air Force will send off its final A-10 Thunderbolt II from depot maintenance this month and deactivate the unit that performs overhauls, upgrades, and rebuilds on the venerable close air support jet.       Davis-Monthan airman indicted in plot to defraud the military of millions in medical equipment (Task & Purpose) An airman at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is accused of defrauding the Department of Defense of millions of dollars, in an allegedly years-long scheme.   Space Force     Space Force’s role in Iran, Venezuela raids fueling push for more resources (DefenseScoop) Space Force guardians provided critical support during high-profile U.S. military operations in Iran and Venezuela — experience that underscores the need for additional resources to prepare the service for future conflicts.   National Guard     National Guard team clinches award for clawed drone at Army competition (Defense News) Soldiers of the Army National Guard’s 28th Infantry Division snagged the award for Best Innovation at the U.S. Army’s inaugural Best Drone Warfighter Competition in Huntsville, Alabama, this week for inventing a drone that uses a claw to retrieve downed drones.       Army mountain brigade steps into role training Ukrainians in Germany, vows to ‘take this forward’ (Stars and Stripes) A new Army National Guard unit took over the training of Ukrainian forces in Bavaria this week amid the latest breakdown in peace talks seeking to end Kyiv’s 4-year-old war with Russia.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Drones ‘change everything’ about combined arms combat, US Army aviation chief says (Defense News) Drones are profoundly changing the Army’s approach to aviation and combined arms training, Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill, commanding general of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, told Military Times in an interview.       How commercial drones make the Pentagon’s ‘Blue UAS Select’ list (Defense News) The Defense Department this week began testing for the initial phase of its Drone Dominance Program, an effort to expand the use of commercial drones across the military.   Defense Industry     Estonia begins buying hundreds of pop-up bunkers to fortify border with Russia (Defense News) Estonia has started public procurement of 600 modular bunkers as part of a joint push by the Baltic states to secure their long border with Russia and Belarus, marking a crucial next phase in the region’s ambitious fortification drive.       DIU eyes First Launch for its commercial hypersonic testbed (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Defense Innovation Unit is gearing up for the first flight of its commercially developed hypersonic testbed as soon as the end of February—part of a larger project to quickly increase the cadence of the Pentagon’s hypersonic flight testing and field advanced, high-speed systems and components at scale.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Islamic State claims two attacks on Syrian army, announces ‘new phase’ of operations (Reuters) Islamic State claims two attacks on Syrian army, announces "new phase" of operations.       Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon kill 8 Hezbollah members, officials say (The Associated Press) Israeli airstrikes on eastern Lebanon have killed eight members of the militant Hezbollah group, including several local officials, two officials with the group said Saturday.   Ukraine     Russian launches missile barrage on Ukraine's energy facilities (France 24) Russia fired scores of missiles and drones at targets across Ukraine on Sunday, crashing into energy and rail infrastructure and residential buildings, just two days before the fourth anniversary of Moscow's all-out invasion.   International     US-Iran talks expected on Thursday amid fears of strikes (France 24) Talks between the U.S. and Iran are expected to take place on Thursday in Geneva "with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalising the deal," Badr Albusaidi, foreign minister of regional mediator Oman said on Sunday. Iranian officials held out hope for progress towards a deal amid a massive build-up of American military might in the region.       Russian aircraft intercepted off the Alaskan coast, NORAD says (USNI News) Five Russian aircraft were intercepted by the North American Aerospace Defense Command while flying near the Alaskan coast Thursday.       US military strikes another alleged drug boat in eastern Pacific, killing 3 (The Associated Press) The U.S. military said that it has carried out another deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.   Military Culture & History     American MIA group and Filipino Muslim government unite to bring home World War II servicemen (The War Horse) They will search for remains of four U.S. Army soldiers, including a general who became a hero to many Filipinos after his refusal to obey Japanese orders led to his execution.   Video     FN showcases a budget-minded pistol at SHOT Show 2026 (Military Times) Check out a cost-friendly handgun choice from firearms maker FN.   Commentary & Analysis     Iran and the Gulf: Why hedging is no longer enough (War on the Rocks) During the recent protests in Iran, most Gulf states quietly but actively pushed back against calls in Washington for military strikes. Their judgment was simple: Escalation would almost certainly destabilize the region without producing meaningful political change inside Iran, while leaving Gulf cities, infrastructure, and populations directly exposed to retaliation.