Today's Top 5     1. 5 missing after Army helicopter goes down, items found (Associated Press) A multi-agency team scoured the ocean off Hawaii on Wednesday for five soldiers aboard an Army helicopter that went down during a nighttime training exercise.       2. U.S. says joint S.Korea war games not on the negotiating table (Reuters) The United States and South Korea will go ahead with joint military drills next week, the top U.S. military official said on Thursday, resisting pressure from North Korea and its ally China to halt the contentious exercises.       3. Utah guardsman killed fighting ISIS in Afghanistan (Military Times) One U.S. service member from the Utah National Guard was killed Wednesday during an operation against Islamic State forces in eastern Afghanistan, according to a statement from the Utah National Guard.       4. South Korea Says Trump Will Seek Its Consent for Any Strike on North (New York Times) President Moon Jae-in said on Thursday that President Trump had agreed to seek South Korea’s consent before taking any action on North Korea, including a military strike, assuring his public that there would be no war on the Korean Peninsula.       5. Trump signed the ‘Forever GI Bill.’ Here are 11 things you should know. (Military Times) President Trump has just put his signature on a new law that will bring significant changes to education benefits for service members, veterans and their families.   The Defense News Conference     Defining the Military Agenda (Defense News) Join us Sept. 6, 2017, at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City. The theme of this year’s conference is "Defining the Military Agenda." Registration is currently open. Reserve your seat today.   Overseas Operations     Turkish variants of the U.S. M72 LAW anti-tank rocket keep ending up in ISIS stockpiles (Military Times) According to Kurdish activists and arms researchers, Turkish versions of the U.S. M72 LAW anti-tank rocket keep popping up in ISIS stockpiles.       Trump aide Steve Bannon: No military solution in North Korea (Associated Press) President Donald Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon says there’s no military solution to the threat posed by North Korea and its nuclear ambitions, despite the president’s recent pledge to answer further aggression with “fire and fury.”       China urges US, North Korea to 'hit the brakes' on threats (Associated Press) China has urged the United States and North Korea to “hit the brakes” on threatening words and work toward a peaceful resolution of their tense standoff created by Pyongyang’s recent missile tests and threats to fire them toward Guam.   Pentagon     All four service chiefs denounce racism in wake of Charlottesville rally (Military Times) The top officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps have issued statements denouncing racism and extremism in the days since white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia.       Rand study recommends improvements to mental health care for service members (Military Times) A new survey of military mental health care providers raises concerns about gaps and barriers in delivering effective treatment to service members.       Chef Robert Irvine takes on military suicides, mental illness (Military Times) When celebrity chef Robert Irvine is out on a USO tour, it’s normally about food, photo-ops and escapism, meant as relief for service members deployed overseas.       Mattis: Continuing resolution ‘about as unwise as can be’ (Defense News) With the fiscal year set to expire at the end of September, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis is warning that a stopgap funding measure would have a serious impact on a Pentagon attempting to modernize its capabilities.   Army     There are 10 posts named after Confederates. Should the Army re-name them? (Army Times) As local governments and college campuses take down more and more monuments to Confederate heroes, eyes are turning to the military — particularly the Army, which has 10 installations named after Confederate officers.       Upgunned Stryker in Europe to help shape future infantry lethality (Defense News) How the U.S. Army’s new Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle Dragoon performs in the upcoming year in Europe will contribute to how the service shapes its future lethality capabilities within those medium-weight, infantry-centric brigade combat team formations.       NY governor asks Army to reconsider Confederate street names after Charlottesville (The Hill) The governor of New York is asking the Army to reconsider renaming two streets at a base in Brooklyn after Confederate generals following an outbreak of violence over Confederate statues.   Navy     Navy official: Ship name honoring Confederate victory unlikely to change (Navy Times) As America churns through a bloody debate over the place Confederate monuments occupy in the modern day United States, a Navy cruiser named in honor of a Confederate Civil War victory is unlikely to see its named changed, a service official said Wednesday.       Despite changes, 13 Navy ratings are still 99 percent men (Navy Times) It has been more than a year and a half since the military opened all jobs across the services to women.       Navy nixes exams for 20 auto-advance ratings (Navy Times) Navy personnel officials announced the elimination of E-4 advancement exams in 20 high-tech ratings that automatically advance all sailors to petty officer once the initial training pipeline is completed.       DARPA demonstrates naval sensor mast (C4ISRNET) DARPA has demonstrated an airborne sensor system that is towed by Navy warships.       Navy Rail Gun to Test Rapid Fire & Move Closer to Combat (Scout) Propelled by an electrical current and traveling at speeds up to Mach 7.5, the US Navy's Hyper Velocity Projectile can shoot out of a rail gun to destroy enemy ships, vehicles and missiles at ranges up to 100 nautical miles.   Marine Corps     3 pressing requirements for Marine Corps intelligence (C4ISRNET) As the military pushes ahead in an increasingly complex and uncertain world, the battlefield of the future will necessitate certain capabilities to fight and win in the information age.   Air Force     Air Force Awards Nearly $1B to Upgrade Landing Gear on Older Aircraft (DoD Buzz) The Air Force plans to drop some serious cash to upgrade the landing gear on some of its oldest aircraft.   National Guard     Oregon National Guard heads to wildfire near Crater Lake (Associated Press) Spc. Alex Beall, an Oregon National Guard member who fought in the war in Afghanistan, is being deployed along with more than 100 fellow guard members to take on a different foe: A wildfire at the state’s iconic Crater Lake.   Defense Industry     Trump disbands manufacturing council (Associated Press) With corporate chieftains fleeing, U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he is ending a pair of advisory business councils in the latest fallout over his remarks about protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.       Netherlands, Australia selected to house F-35 parts (Defense News) The Netherlands and Australia will serve as regional centers of F-35 equipment as part of the fifth-generation fighter’s global footprint, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.       India Jaguar fighters face upgrade challenges (Defense News) The Indian Air Force’s British-made Jaguar aircraft completed its maiden flight last week after integrating an advanced active electronically scanned array radar, but service officials say the Jaguar upgrade program is moving slowly and that there’s uncertainty regarding the mounting of proposed new engines.       Leonardo wins Army vehicle computer contract (C4ISRNET) Leonardo DRS has been awarded an additional $58 million Army contract for computers for tactical vehicles.       Lockheed Martin to hire 1,000 more workers for F-35 production in Fort Worth (UPI) The company will hold a job fair on Aug. 29th seeking people skilled in electrical and structural assembly, aircraft mechanics and low-observable material coating. Low-observable or radar absorbent materials are a key part of the F-35s stealth design to avoid enemy radar detection.   Veterans     Trump's ongoing Nazi controversy overtakes GI Bill expansion signing (Military Times) A White House press conference Wednesday on new veterans education benefits was quickly overtaken by the ongoing controversy over the president’s stance on white power hate groups, leaving the Veterans Affairs secretary to defend the administration.       New Purdue-Kaplan online university gets OK from Indiana officials (Military Times) The Indiana Commission for Higher Education has given Purdue University the OK to launch a new online school.       Veterans Affairs secretary says he’s ‘outraged’ by what he’s seen from Nazis and white supremacists (Washington Post) Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Wednesday that he is “outraged” by what he saw from Nazis and white supremacists during a deadly altercation Saturday in Charlottesville but that he declined to tell President Trump it was wrong for him to equate their violence with that of counterprotesters who stood up to them.   National Security     Robert Mueller May Not Be The Savior The Anti-Trump Internet Is Hoping For (National Public Radio) A lot of people are counting on special counsel Robert Mueller.   Congress & Politics     GOP chairman to discuss Charlottesville as domestic terrorism at hearing (The Hill) House Homeland Security Committee chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) announced Wednesday that the committee would discuss last weekend's violence in Charlottesville, Va. as domestic terrorism during an upcoming hearing.       Trump adviser Steve Bannon dubs white nationalists 'clowns' (BBC) The chief White House strategist Steve Bannon has attacked white nationalists as "clowns" as the fallout from violent protests in Charlottesville continues.       Trade groups warn companies to prep for government shutdown (Defense News) Two prominent industry trade organizations are encouraging their members to start preparing for a government shutdown that could occur at the end of the fiscal year.   Cyber, Space & Surveillance     Will U.S. Cyberwarriors Be Ready for the Next Big Hack? (RealClearDefense) Hackers around the world see weaknesses in U.S. voting systems, electric grids and other pillars of American society.       China cracks down on censorship loopholes (BBC) China's latest crackdown on those attempting to skirt state censorship controls has seen it warn e-commerce platforms over the sale of illegal virtual private networks (VPNs).   International Affairs     New U.S., Chinese MIlitary Communications Agreement Follows Years of Naval Engagement (USNI News) Creating a means for quickly de-escalating tense operations is the goal of a recently signed communications agreement between military leaders from the United States and China.       Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong jailed for six months (BBC) Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong has been jailed for six months for taking part in the 2014 pro-democracy protests.       Nigeria's Chibok girls say kidnap by Boko Haram was accidental (Reuters) The mass abduction of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls from Chibok - the biggest publicity coup of Boko Haram's jihadist insurgency - was the accidental outcome of a botched robbery, say the girls who spent three years in their brutal captivity.       Thousands of Mexicans march to scrap NAFTA, as government fights to save it (Reuters) While Mexican government negotiators fought tooth and nail to save the North American Free Trade Agreement during talks in Washington, thousands of Mexican farmers and workers took to the streets on Wednesday demanding the deal be scrapped.       US lists Hizbul Mujahideen as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (Long War Journal) As with the official designation of HM’s emir, Syed Salahuddin, State highlighted the group’s activities in Kashmir while ignoring its connections to the bevy of Pakistani and regional jihadist groups, including those that fight against US forces in Afghanistan.       Indian and Chinese Forces Square Off Amid Border Dispute (The Cipher Brief) Indian and Chinese troops skirmished along disputed border territory Tuesday, with soldiers tossing rocks at each other, causing minor injuries, according to Reuters.       HMS Queen Elizabeth makes an early appearance at its home port (Defense News) Britain’s Royal Navy moved one step closer for its new aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, to becoming operational, as the 65,000-ton warship sailed into its home port of Portsmouth for the first time on Aug. 16.   Commentary & Analysis     A new, winning strategy for Trump in Afghanistan (Washington Post) After 16 years of sacrifice in Afghanistan, President Trump is right to ask why we are there and what does it take to win.       Exporting Chaos to Venezuela (New York Times) President Trump is rattling the rest of the world, too.       India’s Muslims and the Price of Partition (New York Times) Seventy years after independence, India’s Muslim population has begun to fear that the dark fantasies of the Muslims led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League in the 1930s and 1940s — who fought for the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan as a homeland for the subcontinent’s Muslims — could well be coming true.