Top 5     Seventh US service member killed in action during Operation Epic Fury (Military Times) A service member seriously wounded during an attack on U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia on March 1 has died, U.S. Central Command announced Sunday.       A son of Iran’s late supreme leader is chosen to replace his father as war rages (The Associated Press) Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was named as his successor Sunday, had long been considered a contender to the post even before an Israeli strike killed his father and despite the fact he had never been elected or appointed to a government position.       First US casualties of Operation Epic Fury return as Trump vows escalation (Military Times) President Donald Trump, wearing a white USA baseball hat, rendered six salutes at Dover Air Force base on Saturday as six flag-draped cases of the fallen were returned to U.S. soil – the first American casualties of Operation Epic Fury.       US, Ecuador strike suspected drug trafficking camp near Colombian border (Task & Purpose) American and Ecuadorian forces carried out “lethal kinetic strikes” against drug traffickers in Ecuador near the Colombian border, U.S. Southern Command announced.       US to send anti-drone system to Mideast after successful use in Ukraine, officials say (The Associated Press) An American anti-drone system proven to work against Russian drones in Ukraine will soon be sent to the Middle East to bolster U.S. defenses against Iranian drones, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press.   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     Pentagon acknowledges tough quest to counter Iranian drones (Military Times) Trump administration officials conceded during a private briefing on Capitol Hill this week that Iran’s Shahed-136 drone is proving more disruptive on the battlefield than the Pentagon had anticipated, two people familiar with the matter told Military Times.       Pentagon task force to conduct laser test against drones (Defense News) The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force, Joint Interagency Task Force 401, is set to test a high-energy laser system against drones at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico over the weekend.       Pentagon and FAA agree to conduct anti-drone laser tests in New Mexico (Military Times) The Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration agreed to conduct anti-drone laser tests in New Mexico after the military’s deployment of the lasers led the FAA to suddenly close airspace in Texas twice in the last month.   Congress & Politics     No deal with Iran except ‘unconditional surrender,’ Trump says (Defense News) U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday escalated discourse surrounding the Iran war, saying the U.S. would be abandoning talks of a deal unless the country capitulates entirely.       Trump encourages Latin American leaders to use military action to help US fight cartels (The Associated Press) President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States and Latin American countries are banding together to combat violent cartels as his administration looks to demonstrate it remains committed to sharpening U.S. foreign policy focus on the Western Hemisphere even while dealing with five-alarm crises around the globe.   Army     Using technology, Army moves combat engineers from the breach to save lives (Stars and Stripes) Clearing the path to the front lines of combat only has about a 50% survivability rate for Army combat engineers.   Navy     USS Nimitz not finished yet, deploys to Southern Command (Stars and Stripes) USS Nimitz departed Friday for military exercises in the Southern Command area, the Navy said Saturday.   AIr Force     Air Force test launches Minuteman III with multiple reentry vehicles (Defense News) Air Force Global Strike Command conducted an operational test launch Tuesday of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with two test reentry vehicles.       Air Force Thunderbirds earn final certification to begin 2026 air show season (Stars and Stripes) The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, known as the Thunderbirds, has earned its final certification ahead of the 2026 air show season, authorizing the team to perform for public audiences across the nation.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard rescue swimmer dies from injuries sustained during maritime mission (Military Times) A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer died from injuries he suffered while responding to a distressed mariner aboard a large vessel offshore of Washington state.   National Guard     Guardsman who served as NYPD officer dies in Kuwait in non-combat incident (Military Times) The Pentagon announced Sunday that an Army National Guard officer who also served as a New York City policeman died on March 6 following a non-combat incident.       Army National Guard soldiers earn Norwegian Ski Badge (Military Times) Ten soldiers from the Vermont Army National Guard completed a grueling cross-country skiing challenge to earn the Norwegian Ski Badge, marking what the service said is the first time the event has been hosted by a unit outside of the Norwegian Armed Forces.   Veterans     Veterans buck trend as jobless rates dip below national average (Military Times) Unemployment rates for veterans fell in February following two months of increases, while the rate for the general population ticked up in a weakening labor market rocked by blue-collar job losses, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.       Fake veteran impersonated soldier to claim VA benefits, prosecutors say (Task & Purpose) A Massachusetts man was arrested this week and accused of impersonating an Army veteran for more than three decades, receiving tens of thousands of dollars in VA medical care and committing crimes in the soldier’s name.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Trump's new cyber strategy calls for tougher responses to threats (Defense One) The White House's new national cybersecurity strategy calls for responding more directly to threats and securing critical U.S. technologies.   Defense Industry     Patriot production delays prompt Switzerland to seek European air-defense fallback (Defense News) Switzerland will consider acquiring a second long-range air-defense system, preferably produced in Europe, as delivery of previously ordered Patriot systems by the United States will be delayed by four to five years, the government said.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     3 Palestinians killed in West Bank clash, bringing toll from week of violence to 6 (The Associated Press) Three Palestinians were killed in a violent clash with settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Sunday, bringing the number of Palestinians killed in recent days to six. The surge in violence comes as much of Israel and the world’s attention is focused on the regional war with Iran.   International     Russia provided Iran with information that can help Tehran strike US military, sources say (The Associated Press) Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter.       UK confirms US military now using British bases for operations against Iran (Stars and Stripes) The United States has begun using British military bases to support its airstrikes on Iran, the U.K.’s Defense Ministry said Saturday.       NATO bulks up air defenses in wake of Iran’s attempt to hit Turkey with missile (Stars and Stripes) NATO this week increased its ballistic missile defense posture across the alliance in response to an Iranian missile fired at Turkey, a member of the bloc that hosts a major air base.       Gulf allies complain US did not provide notice of Iran attacks and ignored warnings, sources say (The Associated Press) The Trump administration is confronting mounting discontent from allies in the Persian Gulf who have complained they were not given adequate time to prepare for the torrent of Iranian drones and missiles bombarding their countries in retaliation for strikes launched by the U.S. and Israel.   Military Culture & History     ‘War Machine’ review: Finally, a training scenario with aliens (Military Times) Netflix released “War Machine” on Friday, a science fiction action film starring Alan Ritchson that raises an oddly believable military premise: What if the final phase of U.S. Army Ranger selection suddenly involved fighting a giant alien robot?   Video     CENTCOM posted a video of a strike on an Iranian “drone carrier." (Military Times) Watch now.       Watch jets launch from USS Abraham Lincoln: Operation Epic Fury (Military Times) Aircraft launching from the USS Abraham Lincoln during Operation Epic Fury.   Commentary & Analysis     Iran can still fire drones and missiles — experts weigh the implications on the war (Defense News) Iran’s drone swarm tactics against Gulf states are prompting calls for cheaper regional defense layers that would avoid interceptor exhaustion, as experts warn of the possibility of a prolonged drone war across the Middle East.       Former Joint Chiefs chair on Iran conflict: 'I worry about this getting drawn out' (The Hill) Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Mike Mullen said Sunday that he has anxiety around the potential for a lasting U.S. conflict in Iran — which has led to the deaths of seven U.S. service members as of Sunday.