Top 5     Gulf tensions escalate as Iran hits Kuwait, US strikes near Hormuz (Military Times) Gulf hostilities flared again on Wednesday as Iranian attacks on Kuwait damaged its airport and injured dozens while the U.S. military carried out strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, with diplomacy to halt the war showing little sign of progress.       US tells Europe, Canada to boost NATO air and naval forces (Military Times) The U.S. expects European NATO allies and Canada to swiftly increase the number of manned and unmanned aircraft and ships they contribute to the alliance’s defense plans as Washington steps back in these areas, a top U.S. general said on Wednesday.       Draft defense bill would halt cuts, closures of military health facilities (Military Times) House lawmakers want to stop any reductions in service or closures of military hospitals or clinics by the Department of Defense, according to draft legislation under consideration this week in the Armed Services Committee.       Troops attending White House UFC event must meet physical standards, pay for travel (Military Times) Fighters participating in the Ultimate Fighting Championship matches on the White House grounds later this month aren’t the only ones who need to make weight.       Creating a separate Cyber Force would require $10 billion and a minimum of 1 year, report says (Military Times) The U.S. military’s current cyber forces are “insufficient” to leverage the increase of cyber threats facing the nation, propelling the push by some policymakers to create an independent cyber branch, according to a report completed by two independent think tanks.   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     DoD should review special needs health care programs to ensure they’re helping military families, watchdog says (Military Times) Defense officials need to review their special needs health care coverage to make sure it meets the needs of military families, according to a new report from government auditors.   Congress & Politics     Lawmakers demand answers about $620M Pentagon loan to firm tied to Trump Jr. (Defense One) In a letter, a group of Democratic Congress members wrote that ProPublica’s reporting on the deal “reveals a staggering level of corruption and influence.”       Lawmakers quarrel over effort to boost defense tech integration between US and Israel (Military Times) A measure included in the House’s version of the fiscal 2027 defense bill calls for more integration between U.S. and Israeli defense technology sectors — an idea that is receiving pushback before the bill goes up for debate Thursday.   Army     Army identifies soldier who died in training accident in Iraq (Military Times) The U.S. Army on Wednesday identified a soldier who died in what the service has called a training-related incident.       Army seeks US manufacturer to supply boots (Military Times) The U.S. Army is exploring how to get better boots that are made in America.       ‘Dogface’ soldiers reunite with families after 9-month deployment to Europe (Stars and Stripes) Soldiers with the 3rd Division Sustainment Brigade, known as the “Dogface Soldiers,” were welcomed back to U.S. soil by family Monday at Fort Stewart, Ga., after a nine-month deployment in Eastern Europe.   Navy     Grab-and-go food stations will be open all day by end of 2026 (Military Times) The U.S. Navy is in the process of expanding the amount of grab-and-go food stations at shore-based installations and implementing changes that will make those options accessible all day.       Navy wants to let sailors use meal cards at chain restaurants on base (Task & Purpose) The Navy wants enlisted sailors to be able to use their meal cards at restaurants on base — including chains like McDonald’s or Panera Bread.   National Guard     National Guard member sues state of Virginia after being denied state tuition assistance for religious studies (Stars and Stripes) A federal civil rights lawsuit is challenging the denial of state tuition assistance in Virginia to a National Guard member who is studying theology as a pathway to becoming a military chaplain. (Joshua Magbanua/U.S. Air Force)   Defense Industry     Lockheed’s GRIZZLY C-UAS system downs attack drone in live-fire demo (Military Times) Lockheed Martin has downed a Group 3 one-way attack drone for the first time using a Joint Air-to-Ground Missile, fired from its GRIZZLY containerized launcher. The test integrated the company’s Sanctum counter-unmanned aerial system battle manager with Fortem R-40 radars for detection, tracking and engagement.       GE, Rolls-Royce get contracts to advance autonomous drone engine designs (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Air Force has awarded contracts to General Electric Aerospace and Rolls-Royce to further hone their designs for engines to power medium-thrust autonomous drones.       SOCOM wants to revive legacy M4 carbine with ‘hypervelocity’ cartridge (Military Times) With so many services adopting new weapon systems, Special Operations Command wants to breathe new life into the legacy M4 carbine.       At a NATO range in Latvia, hits and misses mark Europe’s counter-drone journey (Defense News) As NATO military staff and officials greeted the booms of successful drone intercepts with polite applause, demonstrations at the S?lija testing range in central Latvia last week showed both the progress European startups are making in counter-unmanned aerial systems as well as the difficulty to reliably take down flying drones.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel intercepts 'hostile aircraft' that crossed from Lebanon, military says (Reuters) The Israeli military ?said it intercepted a "hostile aircraft" that crossed ?into northern Israel ?from Lebanon on Wednesday.   Ukraine     Ukrainian drones hit St. Petersburg as ‘Russian Davos’ opens in city (The Guardian) Ukrainian drones hit energy and military sites in St, Petersburg early on Wednesday, hours before international guests gathered for the city’s flagship economic forum, in a blow to Vladimir Putin.   International     US and intelligence allies issue rare joint warning about China (Washington Post) Nations in the Five Eyes intelligence partnership warned that fake profiles and job offers are targeting military officers, spies, and others with access to classified or sensitive information.       8 bagged bodies found with note in narco-trafficking hotspot (CBS News) The discovery comes in the midst of a U.S.-backed military crackdown on the organized crime gangs in Ecuador.       Experts warn terrorism threat is rising in Africa as US pulls back (Military Times) From the Horn to the Sahel, a jihadist front is gaining ground across Africa, the Center for Strategic and International Studies warned in its annual risk analysis.       Several Iranian-backed militias in Iraq say they accept state control of weapons (The Long War Journal) Iraq’s new government is attempting to bring weapons held by Iranian-backed militias under state control, a move that could reshape the role of armed groups linked to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Several militias have announced plans to place their arms under government authority and disengage from the PMF, while others remain opposed or have issued mixed signals.       US military says it carried out strike in eastern Pacific, killing two people (Reuters) The U.S. ?military on ?Wednesday said it carried out ?a strike ?on a vessel ?in the ?eastern Pacific killing ?two people. The U.S. Southern Command said ?on ?X that intelligence had ?confirmed ?that the vessel "was engaged in narco-trafficking operations."   Commentary & Analysis     Yes, I served in Iraq. But what if people mistake me for a hero? (The War Horse) The Department of Motor Vehicles was a good place to lose your identity, not find it, especially 30 minutes before closing. I sat surrounded by strangers balanced on wobbly folding chairs, the endless announcements blared extra loud, and you could feel an edge to the air every time a new ticket was called.       China’s uneasy partnerships with Russia and North Korea (The Cipher Brief) China’s summit with Russia last month and the reported likely upcoming visit of President Xi Jinping to North Korea are tactical moves that ignore the historical tensions between China, Russia and North Korea.       Iran nuclear risk seen higher than before Trump attacks began (Bloomberg) The risk that Iran is covertly pursuing nuclear weapons is higher today than before the US and Israel launched their first military attacks on the Islamic Republic a year ago, according to western officials who cited new data circulated by the United Nations atomic watchdog.