Top 5     US special forces rescue second F-15 airman from Iran (Reuters) U.S. special forces rescued a downed airman in Iran in a complex operation that averted a potential crisis for President Donald Trump, as the war entered its sixth week with little sign of progress in diplomatic efforts for a resolution.       CIA ‘deception campaign’ bought time for rescue of downed airman (Politico) As American special forces raced to locate a U.S. airman stranded inside Iran after the downing of his fighter jet on Friday, U.S. intelligence officers mounted a bold plan to prevent Tehran from getting to him first.       Trump’s budget proposes massive defense spending with 10% cut to other programs (Defense News) President Donald Trump on Friday requested a 10% cut in non-defense discretionary spending for fiscal 2027 and a massive $500 billion increase in defense spending, as the United States continues its war against Iran.       Iran ‘skirmish’ has no effect on strong US economy, White House advisor claims (Military Times) President Donald Trump’s policies have made the U.S. immune to the chaos in the oil markets and the impact on the global economy resulting from the Iran war, White House advisor Keven Hassett claimed.       White House unveils $1.5 trillion defense budget. What comes next? (Air & Space Forces Magazine) President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking a record-breaking $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027—and projecting a $1.28 trillion topline in 2028.   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 plans major boost in spending and research on mass-producing munitions (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Pentagon’s research labs are ramping up their search for munitions that can be mass-produced—an effort likely to be buoyed by billions of dollars in the department’s new fiscal 2027 budget request and tens of billions in the upcoming years.   Congress & Politics     ‘Bold,’ ‘bloated’: Congress has mixed reaction to $1.5 trillion defense budget request (Stars and Stripes) Members of Congress had mixed reactions to President Donald Trump’s request Friday to increase defense spending to $1.5 trillion in the 2027 fiscal year, with Republicans welcoming the unprecedented budget proposal and Democrats panning it.       Netanyahu says he spoke with Trump, congratulated him on rescuing downed pilot (The Hill) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he spoke with President Trump about the mission to rescue a U.S. service member whose aircraft was downed by Iranian forces.   Your Military     Airmen, guardians to follow shorter SkillBridge transition assistance timeline to match their rank (Military Times) The U.S. Air Force and Space Force revised the length of its transition assistance program for service members moving into the civilian workforce.   Army     Night Stalker Little Bird helicopter destroyed at forward landing site In Iran (The War Zone) New images have emerged that appear to show the destroyed special operations C-130s at the forward improvised airfield in Iran.       Soldier in Alaska is sentenced to 32 years in prison for possessing child sex abuse material (Stars and Stripes) A soldier in Alaska who used the online name “ghoulishclown” was sentenced Friday to 32 years in federal prison for possessing more than 3,000 photos and videos of child sex abuse material.   Space Force     How the Space Force guaranteed a safe Artemis II launch (Military Times) NASA’s Artemis II astronauts launched for the moon with prior assistance from a U.S. Space Force unit responsible for all East Coast space launch operations.       ‘This has been my normal’: Operation Homefront names Space Force’s military child of the year (Stars and Stripes) Children of active-duty service members lead an existence that only other military kids can fully understand – lives uprooted, friends left behind, constantly starting over as the “new kid” at school, and missing a mother or father for birthdays, graduations, and other formative milestones.       Space Force budget would more than double in Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense plan (Space News) $71 billion request for the U.S. Space Force for fiscal year 2027 includes more than $60 billion for procurement, research and development.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard rescues 5 near Aleutian Islands with help from good Samaritan vessel (Stars and Stripes) The U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday rescued five people in waters near Umnak Island, in the region of Alaska’s remote Aleutian Islands, the service said in a news release.       1 dead, 3 rescued after boat flips along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Coast Guard says (Stars and Stripes) One person was killed, and three others were left struggling in the water after a fishing boat flipped in Ocracoke Inlet off North Carolina, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.   Defense Industry     India to acquire more air defense systems and drones for modern warfare (Defense News) India has approved a massive $25 billion military modernization package that includes procuring new air-defense missile systems from Russia as well as remotely piloted strike platforms and transport aircraft.       France orders its fifth and final FDI frigate from Naval Group, completing fleet plan (Defense News) France placed an order with shipbuilder Naval Group for the country’s fifth Defense and Intervention Frigate, known by its French acronym FDI and recognizable for its inverted bow, the final vessel currently planned in the class for the French Navy.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel launches new strikes on Lebanon, forces closure of Syria border crossing (France 24) Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon on Sunday killed at least 11 people, including a family of six, and wounded dozens more. The attacks also prompted Syria to temporarily close its main border crossing with Lebanon, as Israel's conflict with Hezbollah intensifies.       Lebanese army says soldier killed in Israeli attack in southern Lebanon (Reuters) Lebanese army says soldier killed in Israeli attack in southern Lebanon.   Ukraine     Several people killed in Ukraine after a Russian drone strike on a market (France 24) On the night from Friday to Saturday, Russia once again targeted Ukraine with 286 long-range drones, 260 of which were intercepted according to Ukrainian forces.   International     Iran leaves door open for peace talks as hunt for missing US pilot continues (Reuters) Iranian forces were hunting for a missing U.S. pilot on Saturday from one of two warplanes downed over Iran and the Gulf, raising the stakes for Washington as the war entered its sixth week with scant prospect of peace talks in sight.       Israel says more than 1,000 Iranian missiles still threaten it (Bloomberg) Israel assesses that Iran still has more than 1,000 missiles capable of reaching it, while Hezbollah’s arsenal in Lebanon includes as many as 10,000 shorter-range rockets, according to military briefings cited by Israeli media this weekend.       Iran using children in military roles as US strikes continue, rights groups say (Stars and Stripes) Iran is recruiting and mobilizing children as young as 12 into a military campaign led by the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to Amnesty International, which says the practice amounts to a war crime.       Ukraine's Zelenskyy meets Syria’s new leader in Damascus, pushes military deals (France 24) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks in Damascus on Sunday with Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, as Kyiv pushes to deepen security ties across the Middle East amid its ongoing war with Russia. Arriving alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Zelensky’s visit signals a bid to secure military cooperation and bolster regional partnerships.       US authorities arrest relatives of late Iranian military commander who were living in Los Angeles (The Guardian) State department said niece and grandniece of Qassem Soleimani, killed in 2020 US drone strike, celebrated attacks against US soldiers       French submarine launches US Navy drone in joint undersea test (Stars and Stripes) A French nuclear-powered submarine deployed a U.S. Navy underwater drone during recent trials off the coast of Toulon, the U.S. and French navies said.       Austria bans US military planes from its airspace (The Hill) Austria is rejecting a request from the U.S. to use its airspace for military flights related to the war against Iran, with the Austrian government reaffirming its neutral stance and separating itself from President Trump’s war.  “We want nothing to do with Trump's policy of chaos and his war, which will bring us the next...   Military Culture & History     $256M Navy SEAL museum proposed for old Navy site on San Diego Bay (Stars and Stripes) In the works for more than two years, a proposal to erect a striking, $256 million waterfront museum that honors the United States Navy’s maritime special operations force will soon go before the government body that controls the site.   Commentary & Analysis     How will the Iran war change the Middle East? We asked 5 experts (The Conversation) On February 28, the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran following weeks of US military build-up in the region and threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.       Right to repair: Why the US military can’t fix much of its own equipment (Task & Purpose) The U.S. military often can’t fix parts of jets, ships, infantry fighting vehicles, and other equipment because they are not allowed to under the contracts the Pentagon signs with manufacturers. Instead, only the manufacturer can fix the equipment, which is a problem in a combat zone or out on a far-flung training exercise.       How did a bomb go undetected for 6 days at MacDill AFB, home of US Central Command? (Stars and Stripes) For six days, a bomb sat at the doorstep of MacDill Air Force Base, the Florida home of U.S. Central Command.       How elite American forces are trained to survive behind enemy lines (The Wall Street Journal) Air Force crew learn to eat bugs, treat their wounds and evade capture before ever flying a mission Elite U.S. military aviators and special forces undergo intense training for the prospect they are trapped behind enemy lines—like the F-15 crew member rescued in Iran.       The jet had a glitch. Was it mechanical error, pilot error, or something dumber? (The War Horse) Writing ‘pilot error’ would mean spending the rest of your day explaining your attitude to someone who outranked you.