Top 5     US military to expand by more than 30,000 troops this year (Military Times) Congress is backing increases to the size of the U.S. armed forces this year, having passed and proposed final legislation that will raise and fund rises in end strength by more than 30,000 troops.       Space Force sets wear date for training gear, updates dress guidance (Military Times) Six years after the U.S. Space Force’s founding and four years after the new service’s dress uniform development process began, the force has finally released wear guidelines for the formal uniform and a mandatory wear date for new physical training gear.       Congress clinches $1.2T funding deal for DHS, Pentagon, domestic agencies (Politico) Congressional leaders released bill text Tuesday of a bipartisan compromise to fund the vast majority of the federal government ahead of the Jan. 30 shutdown deadline.       No tax on troops’ $1,776 ‘warrior dividend,’ IRS says (Military Times) The 1.5 million troops who received an unexpected $1,776 so-called “warrior dividend” payment in December won’t have to pay taxes on that money, the Internal Revenue Service has confirmed.       Patients must be offered chaperones for ‘sensitive’ exams, DOD says (Military Times) The Defense Health Agency has clarified the U.S. military’s policy regarding chaperones during medical exams following several prominent cases of Army doctors taking indecent liberties with patients behind closed doors.   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.   Congress & Politics     Ex-military leaders back Mark Kelly in lawsuit against Hegseth (The Hill) More than 40 former military leaders are backing Sen. Mark Kelly’s lawsuit against the Pentagon, saying they are “deeply concerned” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s threats against the retired naval officer could chill the speech of other former service members.       US lawmakers release $839B compromise defense spending bill (Defense News) The House and Senate’s conferenced version of a fiscal 2026 defense budget would restore funding for the Navy’s next-generation F/A-XX fighter and up the Pentagon’s spending request on the Air Force’s F-47.   Your Military     US forces seize seventh sanctioned tanker linked to Venezuela (The Associated Press) U.S. military forces boarded and took control of a seventh oil tanker connected with Venezuela on Tuesday as part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to take control of the South American country’s oil.       Archbishop says it’s ‘morally acceptable’ for troops to defy orders (Military Times) The Catholic archbishop responsible for U.S. military personnel said it is “morally acceptable” for service members to disobey an order if it is against their own conscience, as the Trump administration weighs possible troop deployments to Minneapolis, and the use of force to seize Greenland.   Army     Army Corps of Engineers commander in Little Rock fired (Military Times) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removed the commander of its Little Rock District last week, citing a loss of confidence in his leadership, according to a statement.       Army’s next-gen tank has ‘Formula 1’ cockpit, top general says (Defense News) The chief of staff of the Army is celebrating progress on a new generation of Abrams tank that he said is lighter, more advanced and on track to be delivered years ahead of schedule.   Navy     US Navy vessels pass through Taiwan Strait for first time this year (Stars & Stripes) A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer and a survey vessel sailed through the Taiwan Strait over the weekend, the first such crossing confirmed this year.   Marine Corps     Japan coast guard plucks stranded US service members from cliff off Okinawa (Stars & Stripes) Two U.S. service members on a nighttime scuba dive were rescued from a rocky cliff on an island off Okinawa’s central coast over the weekend, according to Japan’s coast guard.   Air Force     After 8 attempts, airman earns commission (Military Times) U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Chavis Kendrick’s recent commissioning, after the former enlisted airman made eight attempts, shows “perseverance and dedication can overcome any obstacle,” the Air Force said Tuesday.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard suspends search for teen kayaker near state park in Florida (Tampa Bay Times) U.S. Coast Guard crews suspended their search Monday for an 18-year-old kayaker last seen near Honeymoon Island State Park in Florida.   National Guard     Minnesota Guardsmen told to wear reflective vests to distinguish them from ‘other agencies’ (Task & Purpose) Minnesota National Guardsmen will wear bright reflective vests so they won’t be confused with law enforcement agencies that wear military-style camouflage.   Defense Industry     Defense tech startups had their best funding year ever in 2025 (Defense News) Defense technology startups had their best funding year ever in 2025, with investors keen to finance autonomous systems and artificial intelligence for the battlefield, according to data from business-intelligence providers that track venture capital funding.       Britain’s Challenger 3 advanced main battle tank starts firing trials (The War Zone) The British Army’s next main battle tank, the Challenger 3, has successfully fired its main gun for the first time. The new tank is planned to enter service in 2027 and is further evidence of the pivot back toward armored warfare in response to the growing threat from Russia.       French carmaker Renault to produce long-range drones for French forces (Defense News) French carmaker Renault will start manufacturing long-range strike drones under a contract with the country’s Directorate General for Armament, and in partnership with local defense contractor Turgis Gaillard.       Italy faces GCAP warplane price tag topping $21 billion (Defense News) Italy’s outlay on the design and development of the tri-nation GCAP fighter has tripled from $7 billion to $21.8 billion in the last five years, the country’s defense minister has told parliament.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Syrian forces hunt for ISIS fugitives after prison break. Here’s what to know. (CNN) Syrian forces are hunting ISIS fugitives after dozens escaped from a prison in northeastern Syria, the interior ministry said, as the government moves to take territory from Kurdish fighters.       Israel begins bulldozing UNRWA Jerusalem headquarters (The Hill) Israeli authorities on Tuesday started bulldozing United Nations Relief and Works Agency offices in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, part of the country’s crackdown on one of the global agencies focused on delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians.   Ukraine     Ukraine’s new defense minister pushes for more domestic drones (Bloomberg) Ukraine’s military is working to replace Chinese-made drones with domestically produced models to cut the war-ravaged nation’s dependence on imports and sanctioned supply lines, the newly appointed defense minister said.   International     Mexico sends 37 cartel members to US in latest offer to Trump administration (The Associated Press) Mexico’s security minister said Tuesday that it had sent another 37 members of Mexican drug cartels to the United States, as the Trump administration ratchets up pressure on governments to crack down on criminal networks it says are smuggling drugs across the border.       Why is Germany trying to build ‘Europe’s strongest conventional army’? (Al Jazeera English) Germans say they want a powerful military and EU nuclear deterrent to replace US hegemony, discomfiting Russia.       Russia warns UK not to interfere with shadow fleet tankers (The Maritime Executive) The shadow fleet tankers that carry Russian oil from the Baltic to Asia must pass near the U.K., and spend days within reach of British forces.       Greenland PM tells people to prepare for possible invasion (Bloomberg) Greenland’s prime minister said the Arctic island’s population and its authorities need to start preparing for a possible military invasion, even as it remains an unlikely scenario, as President Donald Trump continues to threaten taking over the territory.       Canada’s military has modeled hypothetical US invasion, reports say (Bloomberg) Canada’s military has modeled how it would respond to an American invasion after President Donald Trump publicly talked about the country as a potential 51st state, according to a report in the Globe and Mail.       Iran ‘just getting started’ on punishing ‘rioters’ arrested during protests (Al Jazeera English) Iranian officials continue to promise harsh punishments for “rioters” arrested during recent nationwide protests as they trade barbs with President Donald Trump amid an ongoing digital blackout.   Military Culture & History     When the Air Force had a guy jump from the edge of space (Task & Purpose) By the late 1950s, the Space Race was dominating the Cold War, the United States military was rapidly testing advanced fighter jets and looking at how it could build out its rocket arsenal both for offensive use and to send Americans into space. And then they hit a snag.       This Marine’s furious fight on Tarawa helped to seal the battle’s fate (Military Times) After the U.S. Marine raid on Makin Island on Aug. 17-18, 1942, Japanese garrisons in the Gilbert and Marshall islands got to serious work reinforcing their commands. These took different natures, with differing effectiveness.       Gene Smith, former POW and AFA chair, dies at 91 (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Lt. Col. Richard “Gene” Smith, who overcame five and a half years as a prisoner of war in the notorious Hanoi Hilton from 1967 until 1973, died Jan. 16. He was one day short of his 91st birthday.   Video     Hot tips for fighting in cold conditions, according to a Finnish soldier (Military Times) Watch now.   Commentary & Analysis     Change or just cheating? Overhauling professional military education for the AI era (War on the Rocks) The rising, unauthorized use of AI is not merely an integrity issue. It undermines the very mission of professional military education and erodes the military’s professional ethos.       Why the UK is handing the Chagos Islands to Mauritius (Bloomberg) More than two centuries of British control over the Chagos Islands are coming to an end after the government agreed to cede ownership of the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius and pay an annual fee to allow the UK and US to maintain a key military base there.       Europe has five options for responding to Trump’s Greenland threats. None of them look good (The Conversation) European negotiators believed they had bought stability in July 2025 amid the global trade turmoil sparked by President Donald Trump’s liberation day tariffs. But six months later, as the U.S. president made his intentions regarding Greenland clear, it collapsed.       China is building ‘full-stack’ defense-innovation cities (Defense One) The city of Baotou is now working to establish entire next-generation production chains.