Top 5     USS Boxer and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit deploy to Middle East (Military Times) The United States military is deploying thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East, three U.S. officials told Reuters.       Trump signals possible "winding down" in Iran as Marines head to Middle East (CBS News) President Trump said Friday on social media that the U.S. is considering "winding down" its military efforts against Iran. Meanwhile, more than 2,000 Marines and more warships are headed to the region.       Marine lance corporal develops $10 solution to $5,600 antenna problem (Military Times) A junior Marine’s 3D-printed fix for a fragile communications antenna is saving the Marine Corps hundreds of thousands of dollars and slashing months-long supply delays across the fleet.       VA directed to restore union contract under temporary court order (Stars and Stripes) A federal district court judge issued a temporary order requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to reinstate a collective bargaining agreement with the National Veterans Affairs Council, a labor union representing many VA workers at medical centers and cemeteries.       NATO pulls several hundred personnel from Iraq amid Iran war (CBS News) NATO has pulled several hundred personnel out of Iraq as the Iran war rages on, the alliance said in a statement.   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     Pentagon wants to increase naval, special operations capabilities on Greenland (Task & Purpose) The U.S. military is working to increase its presence on Greenland, including adding special operations forces and potentially operating in three new areas on the island, the head of U.S. Northern Command said this week.       Hegseth invokes divine purpose to justify military might (The New York Times) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has imbued U.S. military actions with a Christian moral underpinning that suggests they are divinely sanctioned.   Congress & Politics     Terror groups under increased scrutiny in DNI’s annual threat report (Military Times) The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released its annual threat report Wednesday, outlining the broader intelligence community’s assessment of dangers to the U.S. and its interests and military installations abroad.       Waltz: US allies starting to 'come around' to reopening Strait of Hormuz (The Hill) U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Sunday that American allies are beginning to “come around” on providing support to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which President Trump has urged them to do.   Your Military     US countered drone threat over ‘strategic’ installation in early hours of Operation Epic Fury: Guillot (Military Times) Forces successfully countered a drone threat over a “strategic” U.S. installation hours into the joint U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran that began on Feb. 28, according to Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command.   Army     Army receives a new Black Hawk helicopter, pilot optional (Task & Purpose) The Army officially received its first version of a new Black Hawk helicopter, one modified to allow it to fly without a pilot if soldiers want.   Navy     Navy’s newest destroyer, named for Medal of Honor recipient, arrives in Norfolk ahead of commissioning (Stars and Stripes) Medal of Honor recipient and retired Marine Corps Col. Harvey C. Barnum Jr. welcomed the warship bearing his name as it arrived to its homeport at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.   Marine Corps     Marines test ‘cruise control’ swim feature on amphibious vehicle prototype (Military Times) The vehicles vying to replace the Marine Corps’ aging light armored vehicle fleet hit the water for the first time earlier this year, completing a series of tests to demonstrate safety and performance across a spectrum of sea conditions and highlighting some new features in the process.   AIr Force     Air Force first to upgrade records for troops discharged over COVID vax refusal (Military Times) The U.S. Air Force identified hundreds of service members who were involuntarily discharged for declining the COVID-19 vaccine and allowed eligible veterans to be entitled to some upgrades, boosting their ability to return to service without a waiver, service officials announced.       USAF pilot suffered shrapnel wounds after F-35 hit over Iran (Air & Space Forces Magazine) A U.S. Air Force F-35A pilot suffered shrapnel wounds after their aircraft was damaged during a combat mission over Iran on March 19, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.   Veterans     VA social worker dies following shooting at rural Georgia clinic (Military Times) A Veterans Affairs social worker died after being shot Tuesday at a VA clinic in Jasper, Georgia.   Defense Industry     Texelis, Scata team up on medium-heavy vehicle that can do drone defense (Defense News) French company Texelis Defense and Finnish defense manufacturer Scata have partnered to develop new combat vehicle made entirely in Finland, with variants planned for counter-drone and air-defense operations.       Japan’s new ‘ugly duckling’ electronic-warfare aircraft takes to the sky (Defense News) Japan’s new electronic-warfare aircraft, converted from a Kawasaki C-2 tactical cargo hauler, took to the sky for its maiden flight this week.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israeli military says it is striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut (Reuters) The Israeli military said early on Saturday it was striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut, after issuing an evacuation warning for seven neighborhoods in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.   Ukraine     Ukraine deploys units to 5 Middle East countries to intercept drones (Military Times) Ukraine has deployed specialist teams to five Middle Eastern countries to help intercept drones and advise on air-defense measures, with officials saying they expect to conclude several significant agreements.   International     US military ramps up to clear Strait of Hormuz (The New York Times) Warplanes and attack helicopters are “hunting and killing” Iran’s fast-attack watercraft in contested sea lanes, Gen. Dan Caine said.       Two suspected Iranian spies reportedly arrested near UK submarine base (Defense News) Two suspected Iranian spies have been arrested after attempting to enter Britain’s nuclear submarine base in Scotland, the Sun newspaper reported on Friday.       Iranian strike hits near Israeli nuclear facility after Tehran says its site targeted (BBC News) The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency called for "maximum military restraint" following the strikes.       Saudi Arabia orders Iranian military attache, four embassy staff to leave (Reuters) Saudi Arabia informed Iran's military attache, his assistant and three members ?of the embassy staff that they must ?leave the kingdom within 24 hours after being declared persona non grata, the Saudi foreign ministry said on ?Saturday, citing what it described as continued ?Iranian attacks on Saudi territory.       UK approves US use of British bases to strike Iran missile sites targeting ships (Defense News) The British government gave authorization on Friday for the United States to use military bases in Britain to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites that are attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.       Ukraine deploys units to 5 Middle East countries to intercept drones (Military Times) Ukraine has deployed specialist teams to five Middle Eastern countries to help intercept drones and advise on air-defense measures, with officials saying they expect to conclude several significant agreements.       Trump-Xi summit on hold until Iran conflict ends, people briefed say (Politico) The Trump administration is telling foreign officials and others that it will not reschedule a summit between the president and Chinese leader Xi Jinping until the Iran war ends.       Denmark planned to blow up Greenland runways if Trump moved to seize island (Military Times) Denmark dispatched soldiers and explosives to Greenland in January as part of a contingency plan to obliterate key runways if the United States attempted an invasion, the country’s public broadcaster has reported.       Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK military base Diego Garcia, it is understood (BBC News) Iran reportedly fired two ballistic missiles at Indian Ocean base, but neither reached the target.   Commentary & Analysis     Why military fellowships at civilian universities matter (Military Times) When the U.S. Marine Corps selected me as a fellow at Yale University’s International Security Studies Program and the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy in 2012, I was not exactly sure how the year would unfold.       Oil prices, fear of Trump? China mysteriously reduced warplane activity near Taiwan (Defense News) Could it be high fuel prices, or a desire to avoid upsetting U.S. President Donald Trump? What about China’s annual political confab in early March? Analysts have offered different explanations for a recent trend: a net reduction in daily Chinese fighter plane activity near Taiwan over the past three weeks.       How Ukraine’s front line became a laboratory for drone innovation (The Associated Press) The night air in eastern Ukraine is crisp, and a myriad of stars scatter above a small crew of soldiers watching for Iranian-designed Shahed drones that Russia launches in waves.       ‘Hormuz has to reopen’: Why the oil industry can’t help Trump tame rising gasoline prices (Politico) President Donald Trump promised to “drill, baby, drill,” but as the war in Iran stretches into its fourth week, he's having a difficult time persuading U.S. oil and gas producers to expand production.