Top 5     Pentagon reportedly preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran (Defense News) The Pentagon is putting together plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran as U.S. forces amass in the region, the Washington Post reported.       10 US troops wounded in Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Airbase (Military Times) A dozen U.S. service members were wounded Friday in an Iranian missile strike on Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal first reported.       US uses hundreds of Tomahawk missiles on Iran, alarming some at Pentagon (Reuters) The U.S. military has fired over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in four weeks of war with Iran, burning through the precision weapons at a rate that has alarmed some Pentagon officials and prompted internal discussions about how to make more available, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.       USS Tripoli, embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit arrive in Middle East (Military Times) U.S. Marines and sailors assigned to the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group arrived in U.S. Central Command waters on Friday, the command announced.       Israel says it intercepted first incoming missile from Yemen as war in Middle East intensifies (The Associated Press) Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered the monthlong war in the Middle East on Saturday, claiming two missile launches at Israel. About 2,500 U.S. Marines arrived in the region. And Pakistan’s government said regional powers plan to meet Sunday to discuss how to end the fighting.   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 reportedly removes 2 Black, 2 female Army officers from 1-star promotion list (Military Times) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has blocked the promotions of four Army officers — two Black men and two women — to the rank of brigadier general, the New York Times reported.       Judge blocks Pentagon's Anthropic ban, calling it illegal retaliation (Defense One) A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction barring the federal government from enforcing its declaration that Anthropic is a supply-chain security risk.   Congress & Politics     Congressional hearing examines challenges posed by Russia, China in the Arctic (Stars and Stripes) Russia and China are challenging the American and allied presence in the Arctic by expanding military and commercial activity around the North Pole at a time when American military focus is on other parts of the world, a congressional panel was told.   Your Military     US Space Command provides update on phased headquarters relocation to Alabama (Defense News) U.S. Space Command is operating a small Program Management Office with about 20 personnel at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, as part of the phased relocation of its headquarters, Gen. Stephen N. Whiting told the Senate Armed Services Committee.   Army     Army looking to add mobile C2 capabilities onto Infantry Squad Vehicles (DefenseScoop) At the request of some of its units, the Army is looking to add “command and control on the move” capabilities to Infantry Squad Vehicles, according to a notice posted Thursday on a government contracting website.       Army transfers 15 horses to Border Patrol (Stars and Stripes) The Army’s efforts to repurpose money from non-warfighting-related spending into weapons and training led to 15 horses from ceremonial units finding a new mission patrolling the southwest border with Customs and Border Protection.   Navy     Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrives in Croatia for repairs (Reuters) The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which had been deployed in U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran, anchored in Croatia’s Adriatic port of Split on Saturday for repairs and maintenance.       Navy commissions its newest submarine, the USS Massachusetts (Task & Purpose) The U.S. Navy officially welcomed its newest warship into service this weekend, while it sat in Boston Harbor next to the Navy’s oldest operating warship.   Marine Corps     Marine corporal accused of stealing, reselling weapons and ammo from Camp Pendleton (Stars and Stripes) A U.S. Marine formerly stationed at Camp Pendleton is now in federal custody, charged with stealing weapons of war — including a shoulder-fired missile system — with the intent to resell them in Arizona, according to court documents.   Veterans     ‘We can never do enough’: Gary Sinise and Vietnam veterans in DC to celebrate National Vietnam War Veterans Day (Stars and Stripes) Jim Taylor is looking forward to seeing some of his Vietnam “band of brothers” again after they took a two-week trip in November and visited the country for the first time since the war.       The Nationals honor baseball players turned citizen soldiers in Arlington tribute (Military Times) The cherry blossoms are in bloom; glints of hope are still fresh in fans’ eyes; beer is flowing; hot dogs are being consumed at alarming rates— it’s baseball time.       ‘Top Gun’ actor and Navy veteran James Tolkan dead at 94 (Stars and Stripes) James Tolkan, a Navy veteran and character actor known for portraying a cigar-chomping commanding officer who chews out Tom Cruise’s character in “Top Gun,” died Thursday at age 94.       VA executive accused of demanding gifts in the form of cash, casino chips from contractors (Task & Purpose) A Department of Veterans Affairs official who oversaw the effort to modernize VA health records was indicted this week and is accused of leveraging his position to receive gifts from a group of government contractors that he nicknamed “the Power Group.”       $10 million bill would fund outdoor recreation to help veterans reintegrate after military service (Stars and Stripes) Two senators from rural states are leading a bill to provide $10 million in state grants yearly to fund outdoor recreational activities that could help veterans connect with their local communities and improve their well-being after leaving the military.   Defense Industry     Ukraine offers Gulf allies drone defense in bid for scarce Patriot missiles (Defense News) After years of trying to stop Iran-designed Shahed drones over its own cities, Ukraine is now sending counter-drone teams to Gulf partners — and pitching the help as a trade between equals.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Combat zone widens in Lebanon as Israel and Hezbollah escalate attacks (Defense News) Ukraine-style warfare came to Lebanon this week as Hezbollah started posting video taken from its suicide drones colliding with Israeli tanks rolling into the south of the country.   Ukraine     Donbas-for-peace offer raises fears of more war, nuclear spread (Military Times) The price of U.S. security guarantees to end Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine became explicit this week: Kyiv must give up all of Donbas — about 10% of its territory, or about 15% of its prewar GDP.       Ukrainian drones hit all three Baltic States ? did Russia redirect them? (Defense News) Three Baltic states recorded drone incursions within roughly 48 hours this week, as Ukrainian strike drones targeting Russian Baltic port infrastructure were apparently diverted into NATO territory by Russian electronic warfare.       Ukraine’s Zelenskyy agrees to defense cooperation with UAE, Qatar (Reuters) Ukraine on Saturday agreed to cooperate on defense with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to both countries amid escalating tensions in the region.       Role reversal: Ukraine moves training home and exports the lessons abroad (Defense News) Ukraine’s military leadership plans to phase out sending troops abroad for basic training, with a senior official saying much of what Western armies teach is “detached from our realities.”       Nighttime strikes kill at least 5 in Ukraine, as Zelenskyy discusses drone defense on UAE visit (The Associated Press) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday made unannounced visits to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as Ukraine seeks to use its drone expertise to help Gulf Arab states blunt Iran’s attacks during the war in the Middle East.   International     A Houthi missile attack on Israel stokes fears of renewed Red Sea shipping strikes (The Associated Press) A missile attack on Israel by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday raises concern that Tehran’s proxies may again try to block Red Sea shipping routes, as Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz keeps another key global trade passage virtually closed.       Japan sprinkles fresh missiles across its islands to fend off would-be attackers (Defense News) Japan has deployed advanced missiles across various strategic locations amid what the government considers a volatile and complex security environment.       North Korea conducts engine test for missile capable of targeting US mainland (The Associated Press) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed a test of an upgraded solid-fuel engine for weapons capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, and called it a significant development boosting his country’s strategic military arsenal, state media reported Sunday.       Mediators gather in Pakistan for talks on ending the monthlong Iran war (The Associated Press) Pakistan announced Sunday that it would soon host talks between the U.S. and Iran, though there was no immediate word from Washington or Tehran, and it was unclear whether discussions on the monthlong war would be direct or indirect.   Commentary & Analysis     A war zone, minus the war: One year later, has the military really secured the US-Mexico border? (The War Horse) An investigation into how President Trump’s emergency declaration expanded military power, blurred legal lines, and helped spread the use of military-grade technology.       Why Pakistan has emerged as a mediator between US and Iran (The Associated Press) As fears of a wider regional conflict escalate following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that began in late February, Pakistan has emerged as an unexpected mediator, offering to help bring Washington and Tehran to the negotiating table.       Punish Russia for helping Iran target the US military (War on the Rocks) In the second week of March, U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to be “helpful” in the Middle East. More recently, in a spat with the E.U. foreign policy chief over America’s diplomatic stance on Russia and Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly snapped “We are doing the best we can to end the war” and indicated the United States would be happy to stop if Europe thought it could do better.       One month into Iran war, some Trump objectives are unfulfilled as he looks to wind down the conflict (The Associated Press) President Donald Trump has listed five objectives that the U.S. wants to achieve before ending its war with Iran. Now, one month into the conflict, he has suggested the U.S. may soon be “winding down” the operation, even though some of his key aims remain undefined or unfulfilled.       US military needs to keep up as drones advance, former Marine says (CBS News) Iran is launching deadly drone strikes on U.S. forces and allies in the Middle East. The same weapons have been used for years in Ukraine, where drones have transformed warfare.       Iran starts to formalize its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz with a ‘toll booth’ regime (The Associated Press) Iran appears to be setting itself up as the gatekeeper for the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important artery for oil shipments. The move could cement Tehran’s de facto chokehold over the crucial waterway and formalize its ability to keep its own oil flowing to China.