Top 5     Hegseth calls for extensive reforms to Pentagon drone-buying practices (Military Times) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced sweeping changes to the way the Pentagon buys and fields uncrewed air systems, or UAS, with a goal of establishing “UAS domain dominance” by 2027.       Pentagon office that designed bombs for Iran strikes can't say if they reached the needed depth (Military.com) Top officials at the Pentagon office that played a key role in designing the bombs used in the strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities more than two weeks ago cannot say whether the weapons were successful in reaching the deeply buried bunkers.       Toxic water on base made her family sick. Then her command tried to silence her. (Task & Purpose) An Air Force colonel illegally restricted an Army major from contacting a member of Congress about the health impacts she and her family faced from jet-fuel-laced drinking water in Hawaii, a federal watchdog found.       Families of those killed in Black Hawk collision with jet want more 'openness, compassion' from Army (Military.com) Family members who lost loved ones when a passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair in Washington, D.C., in January said in a letter that Army leadership is failing to take accountability and be transparent with those who are still mourning from the tragedy.       Air Force updates uniform standards including new rules for boots (Task & Purpose) Shorter, sneaker-style boots are out, as are eyelash extensions. All officers will now have to maintain a set of OCPs, even if they rarely wear them on the job, like pilots.   Pentagon     Military watching Chinese naval ship near Hawaii (Military.com) The U.S. military has been watching a Chinese naval vessel operating off the coast of Hawaii this week.       SOCOM halves OA-1K armed overwatch buy for 2026 (Air & Space Forces Magazine) U.S. Special Operations Command is once again slowing its purchases of the new OA-1K Skyraider II multipurpose counterinsurgency plane, as the Pentagon pivots its budget to prepare for a high-end conflict following two decades of wars in the Middle East, officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.       Battle damage assessment from Iran strikes could lead to improvements in MOP bomb technology (DefenseScoop ) Information gleaned from the intelligence community’s assessment of the effects of recent American military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities will help inform future versions of weapons like the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, according to a senior defense official.       Pentagon to become rare-earth mining company's largest stockholder (Defense One) The Defense Department will buy a 15% stake in MP Materials and fund the construction of a magnet-making facility, all to reduce its reliance on China.   Congress & Politics     Trump hands Congress a ‘weapon’ he once warned would do ‘grave damage’ to presidency (Politico) Executive privilege normally keeps White House communications secret. But both Trump and Biden waived the privilege during investigations of each other.   National Security     DHS intelligence office halts staff cuts after stakeholder backlash (Defense One) The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis has briefly paused plans to terminate most of its employees following pushback from law enforcement associations and Jewish community groups, according to two people familiar with the matter.   Your Military     Is this ‘what they signed up for?’ New military missions ignite interest in conscientious objectors. (The War Horse) Joy Metzler had expected to still be in uniform, working as a junior officer at her Air Force engineering job. Instead, she found herself protesting outside the United Nations, weakened from participating in a 40-day fast as she called on authorities to deliver full humanitarian aid to Gaza and end U.S. weapons transfers to Israel.       What to do when a military spouse loses income (Military.com) Military life brings with it many changes -- some planned, others unexpected. Due to this, military spouses often face unemployment and underemployment. PCS orders, deployments or the arrival of a new baby can suddenly interrupt or even eliminate a stream of income you and your family were relying on.   Army     Tim Kennedy, Green Beret and Army hype man, under investigation for lying about combat valor (Military.com) Tim Kennedy, a National Guard Green Beret and major public figure within the post-9/11 veteran community, admitted this week to lying about receiving a valor award for combat service and to exaggerating parts of his service.       UK cadets learning ropes at Army site in Bavaria to prep for faceoff with West Point (Stars & Stripes) Cadets from Britain’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst are at the U.S. Army’s expansive training grounds in Bavaria for a pivotal exercise marking the final stage of their commissioning process.       Army moves forward with October merger of Futures Command and TRADOC (Stars & Stripes) The Army will consolidate its Futures Command and Training and Doctrine Command in October under one four-star general, service officials said Thursday.       Carpenter brings history of training Ukrainians to bear on multifaceted HQ in Wiesbaden (Stars & Stripes) The Army’s artillery and multidomain command in Europe has a new boss, who will be tasked with completing the transformation of a headquarters being reshaped for a different way of waging war.   Navy     USS Michael Monsoor arrives in Japan for port visit (Military Times) The Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer Michael Monsoor arrived in Yokosuka, Japan, on Monday for a regularly scheduled port visit, a U.S. 7th Fleet spokesperson confirmed.       After Navy Federal overdraft fees case dropped, experts warn troops will need to be more vigilant (Military.com) Former officials from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, are calling the watchdog's choice to let Navy Federal Credit Union off the hook for charging its members -- almost exclusively service members, veterans and their families -- millions in illegal overdraft fees unprecedented, and they warn that the agency doesn't seem to living up to its promise to protect troops from financial scams and predatory acts.   Marine Corps     Lejeune Marines run first live munition drop from fielded drone (Military Times) Marines at the School of Infantry — East conducted the first fully fielded drone drop of lethal ammunition on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.   Air Force     ‘Costly and strategic blunder’: Retired Air Force generals blast service plan to cut F-35s, scrap new surveillance plane (Stars & Stripes) Deep cuts to the Air Force’s F-35 program and the elimination of the E-7 Wedgetail program would prove a “costly and strategic blunder” for the service, a retired three-star general said Thursday.       Air Force shifts enhanced F-16s from Japan to South Korea in force realignment (Stars & Stripes) The U.S. Air Force has transferred upgraded F-16 Fighting Falcons from Japan to South Korea, reinforcing its fighter capabilities on the Korean Peninsula amid ongoing efforts to deter airborne threats.   Space Force     STARCOM ‘on a good path’ to build up new training environment (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Space Training and Readiness Command is “on a good path” to develop a digital training environment where Guardians at different locations can train against realistic threats, perhaps as soon as the next year or two, according to outgoing commander Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Sejba.       Space Force developing new cloud-based digital environment for training (DefenseScoop ) As part of the Space Force’s effort to modernize its test and training infrastructure, the service is building a new digital range that will eventually connect disparate units and capabilities to allow for realistic, large-scale training.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard drops numbered districts, adopts geographical names for operating areas (Military.com) The Coast Guard has renamed its operational districts to reflect their geographic regions, a move the service says will make its construct more recognizable to the public as well as governmental partners and industry.   National Guard     Sergeant’s quick action results in receiving Soldier’s Medal (Military Times) Sgt. 1st Class Robert Cruz was driving home from work on Aug. 30, 2023, when he witnessed a four-vehicle accident unfold in front of him.   Veterans     Veterans face access, payment and records delays when seeking medical care at military bases, watchdog finds (Stars & Stripes) Veterans seeking health care at military bases encounter delays at security gates, access problems with medical records, and slowdowns with billing and reimbursements.       Legislation would allow VA doctors to talk to veteran patients about medicinal cannabis (Task & Purpose) Florida Congressman Brian Mast has introduced legislation that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs doctors to discuss medical marijuana with patients in states where it is legal.       Advocacy group warns new work requirements and eligibility rules for Medicaid could create hardships for veterans (Stars & Stripes) Disabled American Veterans — an advocacy group with one million members — warned new work requirements and eligibility rules for Medicaid could create hardships for former service members, particularly individuals who are homeless or without a steady income.   Education & Transition     Midyear financial tuneup for military families: Your money needs regular care too (Military.com) If July had a motto, it could look something like this: "Still time to make this year awesome."   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Allies struggle to work with US military in space operations, GAO finds (Defense One) Too many overlapping roles and responsibilities, excessive classification, and too few people in key positions are hurting U.S. collaboration with allies in space, a new government watchdog report says.   Defense Industry     France asks FCAS partners to ‘rethink’ work share on fighter project (Defense News) France proposed to partners Germany and Spain to “rethink” the work share on the Future Combat Air System project in order to stick to a schedule that would see a future fighter enter into service from 2040 onwards, the country’s Directorate General for Armament said.   Israel-Gaza-Iran     Children queuing at Gaza health center killed in Israeli strike, medics say (CNN) An Israeli strike killed 15 people, including women and children, gathered outside a health center in the central Gazan city of Deir Al Balah on Thursday, according to medical staff and officials in the enclave.       Some of Iran’s enriched uranium survived attacks, Israeli official says (New York Times) The assessment came as experts are trying to determine how long it would take Iran to rebuild its nuclear program in the aftermath of U.S. and Israeli strikes.       Iran urges UN nuclear watchdog to drop 'double standards' (Reuters) Iran's president said on Thursday the U.N. nuclear watchdog should drop its "double standards" if Tehran is to resume cooperation with it over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme, Iranian state media reported.       Pence says isolationists losing sway with Trump as he praises moves on Ukraine, Iran (CNN) Former Vice President Mike Pence says he thinks isolationists “may have lost some of their footing” in President Donald Trump’s administration, as he praised Trump’s tougher talk toward Russia’s Vladimir Putin and his decision to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.       Israel’s agonizing choice over which hostages to save (Wall Street Journal) The current deal on the table would see 10 men released out of 20 believed to be alive.   Ukraine     European allies step up plans for future Ukraine stabilization force, with US attending meeting (The Associated Press) Countries prepared to provide troops for a post-cease-fire force in Ukraine agreed to set up a headquarters in Paris for a rapid deployment after hostilities end in Russia's war on its neighbor. A U.S. delegation was present for the first time at a meeting of the group on Thursday.       Ukrainian intelligence officer shot dead in Kyiv in apparent assassination (CNN) An Ukrainian Security Service officer was shot dead in Kyiv on Thursday morning in what authorities told CNN was an apparent assassination.       Russia blasts Kyiv with another missile and drone barrage, killing at least 2 (The Associated Press) Russia pounded Ukraine’s capital with another major missile and drone attack overnight into Thursday, killing at least two people and causing fires across Kyiv a day after the heaviest drone attack so far in the more than three-year war, Ukrainian officials said.       Trump seems to be warming to what Europe wants for Ukraine: new Russia sanctions (New York Times) Flattery and pressure — coupled with President Trump’s growing dissatisfaction with President Vladimir V. Putin — have helped build momentum for new economic punishments.   International     France, UK join forces in step toward European nuclear deterrent (Defense News) France and the United Kingdom, Europe’s two nuclear-armed powers, have agreed to coordinate their atomic arsenals in response to major threats against the continent.       Taiwan’s president watches live-fire drills with new US-made tanks (The Associated Press) Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te watched live-fire drills with U.S.-made Abrams M1A2T tanks Thursday, as part of major annual exercises aimed at boosting the island’s ability to fend off threats from China.       Accidental blast at Okinawa base tied to rust removal on old anti-tank shell (Stars & Stripes) An explosion last month at a munitions storage facility on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, occurred when Japanese soldiers accidentally detonated a fuse on a World War II-era anti-tank shell, Japan’s military said Thursday.       Rescuers search for missing crew from Red Sea attack as US alleges Yemen rebels ‘kidnapped’ them (The Associated Press) Rescuers found four more crew members Thursday who went missing after Yemen’s Houthi rebels sank a ship in the Red Sea as the United States alleged the group may “have kidnapped” others on board.       Would-be Japanese kamikaze pilot reflects on war and peace 80 years after WWII (Stars & Stripes) A former Japanese army pilot who helped train the infamous kamikaze — flyers who deliberately crashed into their targets — is still telling his story 80 years after the end of World War II, in part to honor friends who died during the conflict.   Military Culture & History     How the growth of tactical fitness has improved the military (Military.com) The concept of the "tactical athlete" is a relatively recent development in military fitness training. "Tactical fitness" did not begin to emerge until the mid-2000s, with military fitness programming and philosophy undergoing the most significant changes in the last 20 years.   Video     Listen to the rhythmic fire of M249 and M240B machine guns (Military Times) Watch here.       POV you're fueling up an F-16 Fighting Falcon (Military Times) Watch here.   Commentary & Analysis     Campaign medals are for campaigns, not small-scale operations (Military Times) On June 30, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, introduced the Iranian Campaign Medal Act to recognize the recent U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. According to Gonzales, this medal would recognize “our troops deployed to Iran under President Trump’s decisive leadership,” specifically for service on June 22. According to one cosponsor, the medal is intended to apply to “not just the pilots [but] also the maintenance, planning, operational, and support personnel” involved.       The end of the trail for the Army’s ceremonial horse units (Military Times) The horses were never just horses. They were part of a living, breathing connection to American military heritage, bridges to a time when thundering hooves marked both ceremony and strategy. With the U.S. Army’s recent announcement to transition away from most of its ceremonial cavalry units, including the famed Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard (CGMCG) of the 1st Infantry Division, this living connection is drawing to a bittersweet close.       What’s Trump’s next move on Iran? (Wall Street Journal) The President still wants a nuclear deal, but that will take more sanctions and other pressure.