Top 5     ‘Warrior dividend’ is on the way to troops, Trump says (Military Times) A “warrior dividend” of $1,776 is on its way to service members, President Donald Trump announced in a speech Wednesday evening.       Corps updates physical fitness test standards for combat MOS Marines (Military Times) The U.S. Marine Corps is slated to implement a sex-neutral physical fitness test scoring system for Marines with combat military occupational specialties beginning Jan. 1, 2026.       Sailors to see $375 million in barracks improvements (Military Times) Sailors at 56 U.S. Navy installations will be the beneficiaries of about $375 million in barracks improvement projects to address “critical living conditions,” Navy officials announced Thursday.       How a US-led peace plan in Ukraine is reshaping global alliances (Defense News) “The problem with this round of negotiations is that they lack all credibility,” one senior European diplomat with knowledge of the peace process told Military Times this week. “It’s just stupid.”       Winning the long game: Sustaining sea power as our enduring advantage (Military Times) In 2025, the U.S. Navy marks 250 years of protecting the American people, defending our values and enabling our prosperity. From the age of sail to an era of nuclear propulsion, long-range strike and undersea dominance, our Navy has been the decisive instrument that keeps danger far from our shores and opportunity close at hand. But as we commemorate this legacy, we must also confront a strategic environment unlike any we have faced in generations.   US strikes in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific (updated)     A list of US military strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels (Military Times) Since early September, 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.   Pentagon     Pentagon will cough up summaries of 3 years of safety investigations, per NDAA (Defense One) The Pentagon will have to provide summaries of nearly three years’ worth of internal safety investigations under the annual defense policy bill, a provision inserted to force transparency amid a rise in military aviation mishaps.       Pentagon holds first Christmas worship service with Reverend Franklin Graham (Stars & Stripes) Continuing with the concept of firsts for the Defense Department, the Pentagon held a Christmas worship service on Wednesday led by the Rev. Franklin Graham.       US military says 2 strikes on alleged drug boats kill 5 in eastern Pacific (The Associated Press) The U.S. military said Thursday that it had conducted two more strikes against boats it said were smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing five people.   Congress & Politics     Stephen Miller’s hard-line Mexico strategy morphed into deadly boat strikes (Washington Post) President Donald Trump’s homeland security adviser, Stephen Miller, and other senior officials were looking for a fight.   Your Military     US civilian interpreter killed in Syria identified as devoted father of 4 (Fox News) The civilian interpreter who was killed in Palmyra, Syria, over the weekend has been identified as Ayad Mansoor Sakat.   Navy     Navy launches suicide drone from ship at sea for first time (Defense News) The U.S. Navy launched a one-way attack drone this week from a littoral combat ship, marking the first time a suicide drone was deployed from a U.S. vessel at sea.   Marine Corps     Marine Corps’ top drill instructor explains the correct way to yell at recruits (Task & Purpose) Marine recruits’ first experiences at boot camp typically involve getting yelled at. A lot. Although they may not appreciate it at the time, there is a proper technique to yelling and screaming at recruits— and it is one in which their drill instructors are well practiced.   Air Force     Air Force shakes up acquisition leadership (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The top of the Air Force’s acquisition enterprise is in the midst of a major overhaul, with the Senate having confirmed a new four-star general to oversee acquisition from the Pentagon and Air Force Materiel Command getting downgraded from a four- to three-star command.       Air Force drops quarterly standards reviews, moves to annual checks (Military Times) Top Air Force leaders announced this week that airmen will only be required to undergo a standards and readiness review once a year, backtracking on a move earlier this year to hold those reviews quarterly.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard abruptly deletes swastika, noose entry from policy manual (Washington Post) The U.S. Coast Guard will remove language from its new workplace harassment policy that downgraded the definition of swastikas and nooses from overt hate symbols to “potentially divisive,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem said Thursday, an abrupt turnaround after the more lenient interpretation took effect this week despite objections from Congress.   Veterans     Trump order would allow more VA research on medical marijuana (Military Times) An executive order signed Thursday by President Donald Trump would reclassify marijuana as a controlled substance with potential medical use — a designation that will make it easier for the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct research on cannabis’s effectiveness for pain management, mental health conditions and other symptoms.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Special operators seek larger ranges for electronic warfare and drone development and training (Defense One) U.S. special warfare trainers are asking government regulators to expand the areas where the military can jam cellular and GPS signals to simulate a modern warfare environment, officials said Tuesday.   Defense Industry     EU flagship defense R&D in 2026 covers hypersonic defense, future tank (Defense News) The European Defence Fund plans to allocate €1 billion (U.S. $1.2 billion) in funding for defense research and development in 2026, with the biggest chunk of money budgeted for work on air and missile defense, including countering hypersonic glide vehicles.       Industry flags DOD’s lack of standardized software attestation processes (Federal News Network) Defense technology companies broadly agree on what secure software looks like. Less consistent, though, is industry-wide understanding of the Defense Department’s mechanisms for demonstrating security compliance. Instead, stakeholders generally see a lack of “consistent and standardized methods for attestation processes,” according to recent industry feedback.       Denmark buys Kongsberg missile systems to defend strategic coastlines (Defense News) Denmark has signed a contract to buy coastal-defense missile systems from Norway’s Kongsberg for more than €100 million (U.S. $117 million), as the country seeks better control of its strategic coastal waters.       Rheinmetall joint venture wins $2 billion space-reconnaissance contract (Wall Street Journal) A joint venture including Rheinmetall secured a contract valued at roughly €1.7 billion (U.S. $2 billion) to supply the German armed forces with space-based reconnaissance data, the latest high-profile order for the defense group as geopolitical tensions remain elevated.   Ukraine     Kremlin envoy set to visit Miami for talks on US peace plan for Ukraine (The Associated Press) A Kremlin envoy will travel to Florida to discuss a U.S.-proposed plan to end the war in Ukraine, a U.S. official said Thursday, part of the back-and-forth diplomacy as the Trump administration pushes for a potential deal.       Zelenskyy gives stark warning as EU leaders start crunch talks on Russia's frozen assets (BBC News) The leaders are deciding whether to loan tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine's military and economic needs.   International     ISIS never really went away (The Atlantic) This week, ISIS reemerged in connection with two disparate acts of violence thousands of miles apart. Two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria by a man the Pentagon says is affiliated with ISIS. A day later, at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, two men opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration, killing 15 and wounding dozens. Are these incidents connected? And do they point to a group that’s evolving?       US preps massive weapons package for Taiwan valued at over $10 billion (The Associated Press) The Trump administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion that includes medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, drawing an angry response from China.       Turkish defense ministry describes tricky shoot-down of wayward drone (Defense News) Turkey’s interception of an unidentified drone approaching from the Black Sea on Dec. 15 has highlighted growing airspace security challenges when it comes to dealing with small, low-observable aerial platforms, Turkish defense officials said.       American-made bomb from WWII uncovered near runway on small Okinawa island (Stars & Stripes) Okinawa authorities discovered a U.S.-made bomb believed to date to World War II during an airport safety survey on a southern Japanese island, the first ordnance found in a series of inspections launched after an explosion last year.       Brazilian army takes delivery of its first UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter (Flight Global) Brazil’s army has formally taken delivery of its first Sikorsky UH-60M utility helicopter, one month after the rotorcraft arrived in the country aboard a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 strategic transport.       UK’s first military barracks housing asylum seekers closes after 6 years (The Guardian) The U.K.’s first and most longstanding military barracks used to accommodate asylum seekers is closing its doors on Thursday after almost six years.       Canadian NORAD commander’s view on future F-35 fighter force (The War Zone) Royal Canadian Air Force Maj. Gen. Chris McKenna knows more than just about anyone how F-35A Joint Strike Fighters will integrate into both the RCAF and the North American Aerospace Defense Command.   Military Culture & History     America’s Dunkirk: The battle of Long Island (Military Times) Wars are not won by evacuation, but Gen. George Washington’s decision to evacuate Long Island and retreat to Manhattan in August 1776 ultimately saved the Continental Army and the patriot cause.   Video     Fireside chat with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle (Military Times) Adm. Daryl Caudle sits down with us to discuss achieving naval supremacy during an era of evolving strategic environments and fierce near-peer competition.       'This night may show us whether Europe is capable of being a real leader' (France 24) As discussions on the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine continue at the EU summit in Brussels, Ukrainian MP Lisa Yasko tells FRANCE 24 that "this evening, this night may show us whether Europe is capable of being a real leader or fear of Russia will win."       NATO members participate in ISTC sniper training in Austria (Military Times) Watch here.   Commentary & Analysis     Weak in battle, dangerous in resistance: Venezuela’s military preparedness and possible responses to US action (War On The Rocks) The dramatic surge in U.S. military power in the Caribbean since August 2025 — anchored by the arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the deployment of F-35s to Puerto Rico, expanded naval patrols, the buildup of some 15,000 U.S. personnel and the announcement of a naval blockade of Venezuelan tankers carrying sanctioned oil — suggests that Washington is preparing for a forceful confrontation with Venezuela.       Congress’s SBIR standoff is slowing Space Force innovation — it must act now (Space News) At a time when space is unmistakably a contested warfighting domain, the United States risks slowing its own progress not because of a lack of technology or talent, but because Congress has failed to act on renewing authority for critical small-business innovation funding.