Top 5     The Pentagon wants ketamine wafers as a battlefield medicine option (Defense News) The Pentagon wants ketamine wafers. And it seems to want them now.       Trump, Putin negotiate release of US Air Force veteran from Russian prison (Military Times) Stephen Hubbard, a retired U.S. teacher and Air Force veteran, was released from Russian custody on Wednesday after spending over four years in prison.       Pentagon, Lockheed agree to 10-year deal for 850 F-35 jets (Military Times) The Defense Department and Lockheed Martin agreed to a 10-year framework that the Pentagon says guarantees at least 850 F-35 Lightning II fighters for the U.S. military, pending congressional approval and funding.       Iran says 7 oil tankers attacked in the Strait of Hormuz as fears grow of a return to war (The Associated Press) Seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz overnight after being hit by Iran or striking naval mines, Tehran said Thursday, a markedly high number as tensions rise over concerns about a return to all-out war.       Pentagon ignored cybersecurity flaws before data breach, Marines’ lawsuit says (Military Times) A pair of Marines filed a class-action lawsuit Tuesday against the Pentagon over a data breach at the Defense Manpower Data Center, or DMDC, arguing it allowed scammers to obtain and use their personally identifiable information, or PII.   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 warns troops against using military information for gambling, prediction market bets (DefenseScoop) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum this week barring Pentagon and military personnel from placing financial wagers — specifically “including traditional betting platforms and prediction markets such as ‘Polymarket’ or ‘Kalshi’” — using non-public, government information.   Your Military     USS Abraham Lincoln crew prepares for base move weeks after extended deployment (Task & Purpose) After a 10-month deployment that was extended twice, including 40 days of combat operations against Iran that kept sailors at sea for 265 days without a port call, the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln and their families are preparing to move to a new base just weeks after arriving home.       No money for Camp Lejeune toxic water victims unless GOP wins midterms, Trump says (Military Times) President Donald Trump suggested that monetary compensation for victims of contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, hinges on Republicans winning control of Congress, telling a crowd at a Tuesday political rally that outstanding claims would be settled if his party wins the House and Senate in the midterm elections.   Army     The Army is using virtual reality to give pilots’ brains a workout (Stars and Stripes) A soldier uses the NeuroTrainer virtual reality training system during the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade’s 32-week pilot test at Fort Campbell, Ky., on Oct. 20, 2026. The test pilot uses video game-like exercises to sharpen reflexes and improve concentration so aviators can keep pace with increasingly sophisticated military aircraft. (Andrew Lightsey IV/U.S. Army)       US Army long-range fires make a splash on the frontline with China (Military Times) From Balabac in the southern Philippines to Hokkaido in northern Japan, U.S. Army soldiers have stepped up their training with new long-range weapons along the first island chain, working with allies in exercises that have grown larger and more complex over the past half-decade.       US Army’s overseas combat muscle less formidable than it appears, study says (Stars and Stripes) American soldiers’ ability to wage war in Europe and the Pacific is undermined by extreme distance from potential battlefields and shortages at key overseas headquarters, according to a new report.   AIr Force     USAF confirms bombers could have a major air-to-air combat role (The War Zone) The U.S. Air Force is exploring options for adding air-to-air combat capabilities to its bombers as part of efforts adjacent to its latest fighter force structure plans.   Veterans     Errors in disability cases for ‘painful scars’ resulted in overpayment: VA watchdog (Military Times) The error of Veterans Benefits Administration staff has resulted in approximately $5.6 million in overpayments to veterans, a VA watchdog found.   Defense Industry     Denmark to buy Kongsberg, Covenant missiles for new long-range strike option (Defense News) The Danish government plans to buy two types of “long-range,” precision-strike missiles, one air-launched and one ground-launched, to retaliate against adversaries after an attack on the country, officials announced on Thursday.       US Army seeks manufacturers for 155mm howitzer barrels amid boost in demand (Defense News) The U.S. Army is looking for new manufacturers to build barrels for 155mm howitzers amid concerns at the Pentagon that the government’s only plant for manufacturing them can’t keep up with the increased demand for artillery.       UK’s Royal Navy has ‘serious’ anti-submarine warfare gap, committee finds (Defense News) The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy has a “serious anti-submarine warfare gap” that weakens the country’s ability to respond to Russia’s submarine and underwater-sabotage threat, a parliamentary committee on defense in the High North found.       Qatar looks to bolster its military power with new hub, partnerships (Defense One) Wedged between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Qatar has long used artful diplomacy to keep regional conflicts at arm's length: it provides shelter for Hamas leaders, maintains ties with Israel, and hosts the region's largest U.S. military base. But the Israeli strike on this capital city in September 2025 and subsequent Iranian attacks have Qatari leaders racing to secure allies and boost the peninsular nation’s domestic defense industry.   Ukraine     Ukraine’s strikes on Russian data centers disrupt key services and derail AI research (The Associated Press) Russia prides itself on its digital advances — from an extensive e-commerce services sector to ambitious plans for developing artificial intelligence.       Ukraine to be able to buy military supplies via NATO agency: Report (Reuters) NATO will allow Ukraine to buy weapons, ammunition and military equipment via its centralized procurement agency, potentially allowing Kyiv to obtain defense supplies faster and more cheaply, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.       Russian missiles pound Kyiv as Moscow says over 800 Ukrainian drones downed (The Associated Press) Russia bombarded Kyiv with ballistic missiles in an hourslong nighttime barrage, while the Russian military said Thursday that its air defenses intercepted over 800 drones fired by Ukraine at Moscow and other cities.   Military Culture & History     ‘Jaws of hell’: A B-24 crew’s capture, survival after WWII air raid (Military Times) Bruised and battered, the crew of the Chattanooga Choo Choo were held as prisoners in the complete darkness of an abandoned cistern in rural Romania.   Commentary & Analysis     Salaries, food and sumo wrestling suits: What I learned paying the bills for war (The War Horse) The midsummer heat reflected off the flightline at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. It was the summer of 1990 and the beginning of Operation Desert Shield. The entire base was in full deployment mode, with planes forming a long line for departure, sequenced by priority. I climbed the ladder into the second airplane and handed a briefcase full of cash and checks to the noncommissioned officer.       Brothers in arms, partners in healing: A story about a breakthrough in treating post-traumatic stress (War on the Rocks) After losing fellow marines in Iraq, Jeff Lindquist struggled with post-traumatic stress that was steadily destroying his life. Years later, an innovative technology helped him reclaim it.       The West is thinking too small about Ukraine’s victory (War on the Rocks) Since fall 2023, Ukraine’s supporters have fallen into a pattern: Ukrainians warn that Russia is targeting its energy infrastructure to prevent them from heating their homes, schools, and businesses in the coming winter.       Hybrid threats: Why awareness must transcend individual cyberattacks (The Cipher Brief) Every October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month puts practical security measures in the spotlight. Can an employee recognize a phishing email? Will someone pause before clicking a suspicious link? Are passwords and access credentials being protected? These are important questions; individual behaviors are crucial to maintaining cybersecurity.       The Middle East’s quiet liberal revolution (Foreign Affairs Magazine) The idea that the Middle East is becoming more liberal may sound counterintuitive. Nearly 50 years ago, a revolution in Iran dismantled the country’s secular order and ushered in an absolutist clerical regime grounded in Shiite fundamentalism whose battle cry was “Death to America.”       Deception in mass autonomous warfare (War on the Rocks) “[T]he exigencies of desperate survival do stimulate wise leaders to seek such unorthodox solutions.” —Barton Whaley, StratagemOn the night of Jan. 5, 2025, my first mission in the Pokrovsk command post was to make a fake radio call.       How Russia sees the world now (Foreign Affairs Magazine) In 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine, the Kremlin’s strategic thinking was shaped around several core ideas. It viewed the United States as its principal geopolitical rival, an adversary that had encouraged Kyiv to impose strategic defeat on Moscow. It considered Europe and NATO largely as an extension of American power. And it saw nuclear muscle flexing as efficient means to exert coercive pressure.       Are yearlong deployments the Navy’s new normal? (Defense One) When the U.S. Navy destroyer John Finn left home in January, sailors expected to be home in March. Now, after extensions on top of extensions, their families have been told to expect them next March—after a 14-month deployment.       The limits of American power (Foreign Affairs Magazine) The war in Iran is far from the first time that U.S. policymakers have failed to appreciate the limits of American power. But the Trump administration’s use of military force against the Islamic Republic since February 28 offers a particularly glaring example of a mistake that has often characterized American strategy in recent decades.