Top 5     US Air Force KC-135 goes down in Iraq, CENTCOM says (Military Times) A U.S. Air Force KC-135 refueling aircraft has reportedly gone down in friendly airspace in western Iraq during ongoing combat operations against Iran, U.S. Central Command announced in a release Thursday.       Old Dominion shooting suspect is ex-Army National Guard member with past terror conviction (The Associated Press) ROTC students subdued and killed a gunman who yelled “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire Thursday in an Old Dominion University classroom, killing one and wounding two, according to the FBI, which said the shooter had been in the Army and pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to aid the Islamic State.       Onboard fire extinguished on aircraft carrier in Red Sea, Navy says (Military Times) The world’s largest aircraft carrier experienced a non-combat fire Thursday that was successfully doused, the U.S. Navy announced.       Price tag for Epic Fury tops $11 billion in first six days, Pentagon tells Congress (Defense News) Pentagon officials told senators in a classified briefing this week that the first six days of Operation Epic Fury cost American taxpayers an estimated $11.3 billion, according to a person familiar with the session.       The US Navy decommissioned Middle East minesweepers last year. Here’s what they did. (Military Times) The U.S. Navy decommissioned half of its Avenger-class mine countermeasure ships last year and began replacing them with littoral combat ships that possess anti-mine capabilities.   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 orders ‘ruthless’ review of JAGs. Some see an attempt to evade accountability (Defense One) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday ordered an overhaul of the military’s civilian and uniformed legal offices, raising fears among current and former members of the judge advocate general corps that he will gut legal oversight of the administration’s actions.       Pentagon’s efforts to boost industrial base not moving the needle yet: Report (Air & Space Forces Magazine) While the Pentagon has signaled its intent to scale technology, field new systems faster, and work more with nontraditional vendors, a new report identifies persistent manufacturing capacity, resourcing, workforce, and modernization challenges that could hinder its ability to deliver on those goals.   Congress & Politics     General suggests US military responding 'robustly' to Russia's role in Iran war (The Hill) The top commander of U.S. forces in Europe told members of Congress on Thursday that the U.S. military is responding "robustly” to any entity aiding Iran in its military operations against the U.S.   Army     Four Army drone systems stolen from Kentucky base (Military Times) Four drone systems were stolen from a Kentucky Army engineer battalion in Kentucky late last year, the Army investigators reported in a social media post this week.       Army sergeant wants to plead guilty in Georgia base shootings that injured 5 (Stars and Stripes) An Army sergeant accused of shooting and wounding five co-workers at a southeast Georgia base last summer is seeking to plead guilty to attempted murder and other charges in a military court, Army prosecutors said Thursday.   Navy     Navy to commission ship named after Medal of Honor recipient (Military Times) Next month, the U.S. Navy will commission the USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr., the first vessel to ever bear the name of the Medal of Honor recipient.       US Navy won’t be ready to escort tankers through Hormuz for weeks (The War Zone) The U.S. Navy is not yet ready to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, but it will happen. This is the synopsis provided by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright in an interview with CNBC . The development comes as Iran continues to pummel international shipping in and around the critical channel, which the new Iranian supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vows to keep closed.       US Navy rotates last cruiser homeported in Japan to San Diego (Military Times) The U.S. Navy sent the last Ticonderoga-class cruiser homeported overseas back to the states, the sea service announced Wednesday.   Marine Corps     Pendleton Marines recognized for vehicle rescue after violent rollover (Military Times) U.S. Marines were recently recognized for a non-combat rescue on Jan. 15, 2026, when a vehicle lost control and rolled off of a ridge at Camp Pendleton, California.   AIr Force     B-21 Raider completed ‘close-proximity flight’ with KC-135 tanker, US Air Force confirms (Defense News) The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that a B-21 Raider flight test aircraft conducted a “close-proximity flight” with a KC-135 Stratotanker on Tuesday as part of the bomber’s ongoing test campaign.   Veterans     Lawmakers seek coverage for expedited fertility care under PACT Act (Military Times) Lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation in Congress that would fast-track medical care for veterans with infertility linked to hazardous exposures while serving overseas.       VA ‘invented new reasons’ to deny GI Bill benefits, lawsuit claims (Task & Purpose) Veterans say that the Department of Veterans Affairs has “invented new reasons to deny” former service members access to GI Bill benefits that many veterans qualify for, according to a new lawsuit.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Iran-linked hackers take aim at US and other targets, raising risk of cyberattacks during war (The Associated Press) Pro-Iranian hackers are targeting sites in the Middle East and starting to stretch into the United States during the war, raising the risk of American defense contractors, power stations and water plants being swept into a wave of digital chaos that could expand if Tehran’s allies join the fray.   Defense Industry     US Navy partners with Anduril to develop XL underwater vessel (Defense News) The U.S. Navy and the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit chose Anduril to participate in the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform Project, or CAMP program, to develop an extra-large unmanned underwater vessel.       Italy’s Leonardo rides high on soaring global defense spending (Defense News) Leonardo will see annual orders of $37 billion a year by 2030, up from €23.8 billion last year, the firm said on Thursday as it announced a bullish new industrial plan reflecting soaring global defense spending.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel strikes central Beirut after threatening to expand Lebanon operations (France 24) Israel renewed its strikes on Beirut on Thursday, as it threatened to expand operations and seize territory in Lebanon if Hezbollah did not stop its attacks. The Israeli military issued a call to evacuate ahead of the Beirut attack, after having also widened its evacuation warning for residents in southern Lebanon.   Ukraine     Zelenskyy says Ukraine awaits White House sign-off on US drone production deal (The Associated Press) Ukraine is awaiting White House approval for a major drone production agreement proposed by Kyiv last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday, as countries scramble to modernize their air defenses after the Iran war exposed shortcomings.       Ukrainian advisors to teach German army how to win a modern war by 2029 (Defense News) Ukrainian military instructors will deploy to German army schools to help the Bundeswehr meet a readiness target against a hypothetical Russian attack on NATO by 2029, the head of the German army said Wednesday.   International     Nations withdraw some equipment from NATO Arctic exercise amid Iran fallout (Defense News) Several countries slated to participate in NATO’s largest Arctic warfare exercise have withdrawn their military hardware, including warships and fighter jets, amid growing concerns over the widening conflict with Iran.       US seeking use of military bases in Romania for Iran missions (Stars and Stripes) The United States was granted permission to use bases in NATO ally Romania for operations in Iran on Wednesday following a meeting of defense officials in Bucharest.       NATO sends Patriot system to protect key air-defense radar in Turkey (Defense News) The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that a Patriot air defense system is being stationed in Malatya, following waves of Iranian missile and drone attacks against key military infrastructure in the region.       US maintains strong military force in the Caribbean with 5 warships, thousands of troops (Stars and Stripes) The U.S. military continues to maintain a presence in the Caribbean Sea to strike alleged drug traffickers with five warships and thousands of troops.   Military Culture & History     Facing death 275 feet beneath the sea, this pioneering naval diver earned the Medal of Honor (Military Times) In March 1915, the Great War was spreading like a plague across Europe, Asia and Africa, but the United States of America was still uninvolved and desperately striving to keep out of it.   Video     Why now?: The factors that drove the US and Israel to war with Iran (Military Times) An expert from The George Washington University digs in on aspects of the U.S. and Israel’s strikes on Iran, and why the two countries decided to act now.       Iran, the Middle East and ‘Epic Fury’ | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 3.10.26 (Military Times) An expert on Iran and regional conflict in the Middle provides analysis on the ongoing war and the greater implications of Operation Epic Fury.       Trump talks war motivations, and a battlefield first in Operation Epic Fury (Military Times) The President says a “feeling” helped guide him to approve large scale strikes in Iran, and a new weapon takes to the skies on the fight.       Another Iraq? Examining Operation Epic Fury (Military Times) A Middle East expert looks at how past conflicts compare to the current U.S. effort against Iran.       Iran releases footage it says shows strike on ship off the coast of Iraq (Military Times) Video released by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps appears to show an attack on a tanker.   Commentary & Analysis     France’s Mediterranean armada signals clout as Middle East may rethink alliances (Defense News) France’s “unprecedented” deployment of warships to the Middle East is meant to position the country as a credible security partner for the region, a move that could set up the French to benefit from any realignment of alliances following an end to the American-Israeli war on Iran, analysts said.       Fighter jets are downing Iranian drones—a dangerous, expensive mission (Defense One) U.S. and allied militaries have turned to fighter jets in their struggle to ward off Iran’s cheap, plentiful drones, but former pilots say the mission is expensive, dangerous, and, ultimately, unsustainable with current tactics.       Why time is on Iran's side as Trump faces pressure to end conflict (The Hill) Time may be on Iran’s side in its conflict with the United States as President Trump faces domestic and international pressure to end the war. U.S. and Israeli military superiority has wreaked havoc on Iran, pounding its navy, missile launch sites and other assets.       A blank check for Israel and the war with Iran (War on the Rocks) The United States did not enter the war with Iran because it was attacked or was about to be attacked. It seems to have entered after concluding that once Israel moved, American involvement would be unavoidable. When Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed congressional leaders last week, three days before the strikes began, the debate, as later reported by the Washington Post, was not whether to fight but whether to strike alongside Israel or wait until Iran retaliated against American forces in the region. The choice was not between war and peace. It was between two pathways into the same