Top 5     Pentagon moves recent KIA numbers from Iran war into ‘Overseas Operations’ category (Military Times) The Pentagon altered the way it has reported casualties since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel first launched military strikes against Iran.       Suicidal ideations rise among veterans, but attempts remain stable, study finds (Military Times) Suicidal thoughts among U.S. veterans have risen nearly 50% in the past five years, but the frequency of suicide planning and attempts remained relatively stable, according to a new study based on a survey of 2,636 veterans.       Trump says he is ready for military action if Iran talks fail, Axios reports (Reuters) Trump said on Monday Washington was in "very deep talks with Iran" and warned that he is ready for "strong military action" if diplomacy failed.       67 boat strikes. 221 dead. The cocaine hasn’t slowed, officials report. (Washington Post) The president says Operation Southern Spear has virtually ended drug trafficking by sea. Pentagon and DEA analysts have concluded otherwise.       US Congress approves money for Taiwan defense. Does it mean Trump is done hesitating? (Defense News) U.S. President Donald Trump is still holding off approval of a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan, a potential military rival to Beijing. He pulled back in May after meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, who opposes U.S. military aid to Taiwan.   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 calls for cheaper long-range strike weapons, with testing in just 3 months (Defense News) With the U.S. running low on expensive guided munitions, the Pentagon is pushing yet another project to develop cheap, long-range weapons that can be mass produced.   Congress & Politics     Bipartisan headwinds buffet $1B ‘anomaly’ for Trump battleship (Roll Call) As Congress acts on a stopgap funding bill to keep the government operating beyond Oct. 1 at current levels, unless specified otherwise, it must decide whether to grant exceptions — potentially including $1 billion to start procuring parts for the first of a new line of proposed Trump-class battleships.   Army     Roaches descend on US Army dining facility, viral video appears to show (Military Times) Roaches scurried up one shiny tile to the next, under the hood of cooking equipment. Their twitchy little bodies darted left, right, shimmying up and down as if they were levitating on the walls. In what seemed an insult to their hosts, they swarmed a food safety cutting board guide posted on the wall.       Alaska-based soldiers win US Army Pacific best squad contest (Stars and Stripes) A team of soldiers based in Alaska won top honors over the weekend as Best Squad in the U.S. Army Pacific Competition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.   Navy     Navy announces new flu vaccination requirements for sailors (Military Times) The U.S. Navy released updated influenza vaccination guidelines late last week, instructing a select number of service members to get the shot.       Navy changes its transfer policy in response to sailor’s death (Task & Purpose) The Navy is requiring that sailors under investigation for allegations of sexual assault or stalking only be transferred to shore commands in response to the death of a sailor, said William Speaks, a spokesman for the Chief of Naval Personnel.       USS George Washington operating in South China Sea as China-Philippines tension escalates (Military Times) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington and its carrier strike group are providing a military presence in the western Pacific after two recent hostile incidents between China and the Philippines.       Navy asks private sector for help building temporary housing during renovations (Military Times) The U.S. Navy is looking outside the military to address its need for temporary housing as it renovates barracks and vacates service members who previously lived in them.   Marine Corps     Private bedrooms won’t be available to all enlisted Marines (Military Times) Earlier this year, the Marine Corps unveiled new barracks in Okinawa, Japan, where junior enlisted Marines will have private bedrooms, a departure from the service’s traditional shared-room model.       Marine regiment tests longer-range drone capability (Military Times) The U.S. Marine Corps this month tested a new way to give ground commanders long-range reconnaissance and strike capabilities by experimenting with a medium-sized drone that can launch a separate, one-way attack drone in what the service said was its first regimental-level assessment.   AIr Force     Airmen’s waist-to-height ratios not to be scored in physical fitness assessments (Military Times) As active-duty airmen rush to submit their current waist-to-height ratios by the end of this week, the U.S. Air Force clarified that the ratios will not be scored in their physical fitness assessments.       Air Force asserts B-52 modernization remains on cost and schedule following June crash (DefenseScoop) After a B-52H Stratofortress test aircraft crashed last month, the Air Force is on track to have a replacement bomber ready to resume testing by the end of 2026, according to service officials.   National Guard     NJ National Guard soldiers honored for rescuing family after car crash (Stars and Stripes) Four New Jersey Army National Guard soldiers have been honored for meritorious service after rescuing a family of three from a head-on crash two months ago.   Defense Industry     Austria plans to extend military service in light of Ukraine war (Reuters) Austria’s coalition government plans to extend military service to nine months from six to adapt to a security landscape changed by the war in Ukraine, it said on Monday.       India moves closer to a homegrown, long-range air defense (Defense News) India has successfully tested a long-range surface-to-air interceptor missile, advancing development of a domestic air defense system to counter long-range aerial threats.   International     Zelenskyy warns of major North Korean troop surge to support Russia (Stars and Stripes) North Korea is preparing to send another 30,000 troops to Russia in support of its war against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.       Two wars converge in the Caspian Sea as Ukraine hits Iranian supply line to Russia (The Wall Street Journal) Ukrainian drones have hit military-supply lines connecting Russia and Iran through the Caspian Sea, exploiting a new front in two increasingly intertwined wars.   Video     Hegseth announces testosterone screenings for all troops over 30 (Defense News) Defense Secretary says new program will test troops for low levels of the hormone and offer treatment to ensure a "biological foundation to fight."       US uses unmanned one-way surface drones to attack Iranian port (Defense News) Video released by the Department of Defense shows three Corsair attack drones hitting an Iranian naval base, in what the Pentagon called a first.       Pentagon turns to Mike Rowe to reenergize skilled trades training | Headlines (Defense News) TV presenter Mike Rowe’s foundation got a $10 million kickstart to help the Pentagon train workers for the defense industrial base. Plus, autonomous minelayers.       Navy Reserve announces retention, recruiting bonuses up to $20,000 (Defense News) Service boosts programs to find, keep sailors in uniform.   Commentary & Analysis     How defense bureaucracy is driving elite warfighters out of the military (Military Times) When the military faces a retention crisis among high-value, highly traine personnel, such as Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians and aviation specialists, the diagnosis usually focuses on operational tempo, private sector pay or deployment fatigue. But today, an unexpected and unnecessary driver is forcing elite operators to hand in their uniforms: a broken defense healthcare policy that penalizes their special-needs children.       Trump administration’s revision of Iran war casualties ‘huge disrespect’, say veterans (The Guardian) Defense department updated database of casualties to list four service members deceased in ‘Overseas Operations.'       Taiwan’s tech hurdles threaten military capability and potential coalition defense (War on the Rocks) Taiwan produces the world’s most advanced semiconductors, yet the island’s own military is only in the opening stages of adopting artificial intelligence systems. This mismatch bears directly on Taiwan’s ability to deter Chinese aggression.       The war that shall not be named (The Atlantic) Last week, the Pentagon quietly lowered the death toll of the war with Iran from 18 to 14. This wasn’t happy news about an initial miscount but a sketchy accounting trick. Although the Defense Department at first blamed a data issue, military sources told The New York Times that the Trump administration had removed four recently killed service members from its count “because their deaths occurred after President Trump declared a cease-fire in the war in April.”       We've seen autonomous warfare and we're in trouble (The Cipher Brief) This paper is written expressly for the policy and decision makers across the military and public and private sectors who are bound to translate national strategy into reality.       Why Norway and Finland should preserve two of Europe’s most important security arrangements (War on the Rocks) Svalbard is a stark archipelago of glaciers and coal mines lying 650 kilometers north of Norway’s North Cape, roughly halfway between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole. It belongs to Norway but is governed under a 1920 treaty that grants nationals of more than 40 signatory states sweeping economic rights while barring Oslo from constructing naval bases or using the archipelago for “warlike” purposes. Far to the south, in the Baltic Sea between the Finnish and Swedish coasts, lie the Åland Islands, which are composed of roughly 6,500 islands and reefs. They are also home to 30,000.