Top 5     Here’s where the services stand in cutting PCS moves (Military Times) The U.S. Army is moving ahead to meet the Defense Department’s direction to cut the number of military moves.       US Navy aviator missing after helicopter makes emergency landing in Arabian Sea (Military Times) A U.S. Navy aircrewman is missing after a helicopter carrying four crew members made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday, the Navy said.       US-Iran Qatar talks show progress, Trump says, as both sides set up hotline (France 24) U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday indirect talks with Iran in Qatar were making progress, signalling diplomacy remained on track despite recent hostilities. Iran later said the talks had ended with agreement to establish a communication channel by Thursday to report and document violations of their initial memorandum of understanding.       DoD, movers try to ease the heavy lift for troops moving this summer (Military Times) As military moving season shifts into high gear, service members and their families should be seeing the results of changes aimed at improving their household goods moves.       Following an outbreak, lawmakers push to require flu vaccine for all service members in budget bill provision (Military Times) U.S. representatives announced an amendment to fiscal year 2027’s National Defense Authorization Act that would require all military service members to have an influenza vaccine, following a training base outbreak that sickened nearly 300 trainees and killed one.   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     Hegseth realigning DOD’s scattered unmanned and autonomy work under new drone boss (DefenseScoop) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth established a new direct reporting portfolio manager for unmanned offensive and defensive systems — dubbed DRPM-UxS — to serve as the “single joint integrator” for almost all of the Pentagon’s autonomous and drone assets, investments and operations.       Pentagon’s push to field weapons faster risks outrunning its own oversight, watchdog finds (Military Times) The Pentagon’s drive to field new weapons faster risks outpacing the independent office meant to catch problems before those systems reach troops, according to a Government Accountability Office report released June 30. GAO based the findings on an audit it conducted from January through June 2026.   Congress & Politics     JD Vance defends Iran war in speech to military members (The New York Times) The vice president, a staunch critic of foreign wars, accused the president’s detractors of trying to prolong a conflict the administration was trying to end.       US to lift export controls on key Anthropic models (Nextgov) The Trump administration told Anthropic late Tuesday it is lifting export controls on the Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models allowing the company to restore broader access to some of its most powerful artificial intelligence systems and ending a closely watched standoff in the world of U.S. AI governance.   Your Military     Transgender troops granted class action lawsuit against government (Military Times) A federal court issued a ruling Tuesday that paves the way for all transgender service members to continue serving in the military despite a Trump administration policy that ordered their removal.       Annual ‘religious liberty training’ for troops could be on the way (Task & Purpose) Annual “religious liberty training” may soon be required for troops and commanders if the Pentagon adopts recommendations from a White House-directed commission of faith leaders and military advocates.   Army     US Army’s Ranger School alters men’s physiology more than women’s, study shows (Military Times) For weeks, Army Ranger School students put their bodies through a physical ringer, carrying heavy loads and marching far distances with little to eat and sparing sleep. But when Army researchers measured the course’s grueling toll, they found that female soldiers experienced fewer physiological changes than their male counterparts.       Army bans kratom use, underscoring Pentagon’s prohibition of the drug (Stars and Stripes) The U.S. Army has banned the use of the drug kratom and related products, underscoring an existing Defense Department directive across the military.       After ‘hemorrhaging talent,’ the Army created a path for NCOs to become software warrant officers, graduating first batch (DefenseScoop) Initially, the Army sent software-savvy troops across the force individually, according to officials. Now, the service is attempting to build out expert software teams composed of product managers, designers and engineers assigned to operational commanders as part of their direct staff where they will build tools, including AI-enabled applications, to help fix unit problems.   Navy     Time spent on select Super Hornet repairs could be cut in half with Navy’s 3D printing (Military Times) Composite repair time for F/A-18 Super Hornets could be slashed in half with a groundbreaking 3D-printing repair method, according to the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division.       64 sailors sickened by diesel exhaust fumes from USS Nebraska (Military Times) Dozens of U.S. Navy service members became ill after being exposed to diesel exhaust fumes from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska on June 22, the Navy confirmed.   Marine Corps     Marines convert uniform manual into simple phone app (Military Times) The Marine Corps launched a new mobile app that gives Marines a simplified guide for uniform and grooming standards, according to Tuesday’s administrative message.       Marines from multiple nations train together for potential future conflict (Defense One) On rifle ranges inside a volcanic crater, and in an urban training facility built to train for deployments to Iraq, Marines from several different countries spent the weekend alongside their U.S. counterparts, shooting rifles, clearing rooms, and practicing other tactical skills they’ll need if called to war.       Marine Corps adds new scout MOS to infantry units (Military Times) The Marine Corps will roll out a new infantry specialty later this year to provide infantry and light armored reconnaissance battalions with dedicated reconnaissance and surveillance support.   AIr Force     Staff sergeant becomes only airman in his class to complete Army Air Assault School (Military Times) An Air Force staff sergeant enjoyed a rare distinction recently as the only airmen in his class to complete the 10-day U.S. Army Air Assault School.   Veterans     VA uses hundreds of AI systems. Veterans may not know when they’re involved. (Military Times) The Department of Veterans Affairs currently has 367 documented artificial intelligence use cases supporting everything from medical appointments and disability claims to customer service and records management. However, veterans seeking medical care or VA benefits may encounter artificial intelligence without realizing it.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Unseen threats overhead: Drones endanger US rocket launch sites (Space News) One small, errant drone can scrub a space launch at the cost of millions of dollars in delays, with further repercussions spanning across multiple commercial and government launch service providers. […]       GenAI.mil records almost 1.7M users, plans new model additions (Nextgov) The Department of Defense plans to bring new models onto its internal, department-wide artificial intelligence marketplace and deploy them at higher classification levels, part of its updated procurement policy that aims for “commercial-first” in its deliverables.   Defense Industry     Video purportedly shows Ukrainian unit running down Russian Shahed. The US is paying attention. (Defense News) A Ukrainian drone unit has posted a video reportedly showing American-made Merops interceptors running down an Iranian-designed Shahed drone, fresh proof the cheap weapon works as the U.S. Army moves to build a version it can field at scale.       Ukraine is launching strike-drones from everything – including Black Sea robo-boats (Defense News) Ukraine has turned its signature naval drone – the little boat that drove Russia’s fleet out of the western Black Sea – into a launch platform for first-person-view attack drones, putting Kyiv’s strike reach beyond the coast.       UK defense plan to unlock fresh GCAP contract before Farnborough Airshow (Defense News) The tri-nation industrial consortium behind the GCAP fighter program is set to get its next major contract before the Farnborough airshow this month, after the U.K. came up with essential funding on the day that cash flow for the jet was due to run out.   Ukraine     Russian strikes on Kyiv kill at least 8 after Zelenskyy warns of 'massive attack' (France 24) Russian missile and drone strikes hit Kyiv early on Thursday, sparking fires, killing at least eight people and  injuring over three dozen, Ukrainian officials said, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow was preparing a "massive attack." The assault followed air raid warnings and Zelenskyy's decision to cut short a visit to Dublin after receiving intelligence that Russia was preparing a major strike.       Ukraine seeks €6.6 billion from EU's peace fund for military aid (Reuters) Ukraine is asking its European Union partners to direct €6.6 billion ($7.5 billion) available ?under the European Peace Facility to military aid, to ?take advantage of what it sees as a six-to-nine-month "window of opportunity" on the battlefield.       Fire breaks out in central Kyiv after explosion during air raid alert (France 24) A fire broke out in central Kyiv after an explosion during an air raid alert on Wednesday, an AFP reporter said. The journalist saw smoke and flames rising as firefighters and ambulances rushed to the scene. Kyiv has faced frequent Russian air strikes more than four years into Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.   Commentary & Analysis     I watched an execution. Was she a Viet Cong spy—or just fighting for her country? (The War Horse) The sun was a physical weight that afternoon, an oppressive, wet heat that seemed to pin everything to the red dust of our base camp in Kon Tum, Vietnam. I was 19, a supply sergeant, and my world was defined by our perimeter wire and the daily inventory of survival.       The US military wants a fleet of laser trucks. Here’s what they might look like. (Laser Wars) The U.S. military is closing in on its high-energy laser weapon of choice for counter-drone missions. Now it needs the vehicles to support it.       The Hezbollah predicament: Why an integrated approach is necessary (War on the Rocks) What can leaders do about a transnational organization that is a militia, a political party, a social services network, and a smuggling operation at the same time — and one that has resisted various dialogues and survived repeated attacks?American, Lebanese, and other leaders should recognize Hizballah’s hybrid, transnational nature and grapple with the unique challenges the organization creates. Otherwise, they will fail to resolve the Hizballah predicament while creating conditions for ineffective agreements, new wars, and squandered opportunities in the Levant.Meeting openly for the first time in decades, Lebanese and Israeli representatives have negotiated on security and political tracks while       Iran won't be able to toll the Strait of Hormuz in the long term (The Maritime Executive) Since Iran was attacked by the U.S. and Israel it has increasingly signaled its intent to make control of the Strait of Hormuz a permanent feature.