Top 5     Pentagon identifies American soldiers killed in Iranian attack in Jordan (Military Times) The Pentagon released the identities Monday of the two soldiers killed in action late last week in an Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack in Jordan.       Ex-soldier started a fire and fired a pellet gun outside a New York federal building, FBI says (The Associated Press) A former U.S. Army soldier toting an anti-ICE sign set off fireworks, lit a fire and shot a pellet gun Monday morning outside a Manhattan federal office building, injuring three people before security officers subdued him, authorities said.       Almost 100 troops injured in recent weeks, Pentagon admits, as Iran launches reprisals on US allies (The Guardian) Iran has attacked a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, after the U.S. launched a tenth consecutive night of strikes.       Lockheed Martin’s Morfius X-Rotor built to fry 50 enemy drones in one flight (Defense News) Navigating the complexities of hostile drone swarms on battlefields with cost-efficient munitions now anchors nearly every discussion on the future of defense.       ‘It needs to end now’: Democrats urge Trump to halt Iran war after US troop deaths (The Guardian) President accused of having "lost control of this war" as deaths of trio in Iranian military strikes fuel rising concern.   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.   Congress & Politics     New Air Force One to get ‘maxed out’ upgrades after security questions (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump said that the Qatari-donated jet that serves as an Air Force One plane will soon be sent away for upgrades, following questions about the plane’s security features.   Your Military     In first, TRANSCOM operationalized AI agents to support Epic Fury (Air & Space Forces Magazine) In an operational first, U.S. Transportation Command planners turned to artificial intelligence agents for help when Spain closed its airspace and bases to U.S. aircraft supporting strikes on Iran in March.       Air Force Reservists swear in as Space Force’s first part-time Guardians (Air & Space Forces Magazine) A dozen and a half Air Force Reservists formally transferred to the Space Force on July 15, becoming the new service’s first 18 part-time Guardians.   Army     Army brigade in Europe revamps logistics for drone-era warfare (Stars and Stripes) The U.S. Army’s only sustainment brigade in Europe is rethinking how it will keep troops supplied in a future conflict, replacing vulnerable logistics hubs with small mobile teams designed to survive drone-heavy battlefields.   Marine Corps     Marine Corps issues new rules to prevent heat and cold injuries (Task & Purpose) Marines operate in jungle environments, hot deserts, and Arctic expanses. Like with other parts of the military, severe heat and cold pose a real risk to them. And now the Corps wants Marines to do better at tracking extreme temperature conditions to prevent them from ending up as hot or cold weather casualties.   AIr Force     Airman dies in equipment incident at California Space Force base (Military Times) A U.S. airman died Thursday after heavy equipment he was operating rolled down an embankment at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.       US Air Force begins piloted flights, autonomy tests for modified F-16s (Defense News) The U.S. Air Force began piloted flights and autonomy tests for modified F-16s that allows artificial intelligence agents to fly the aircraft.       Trust between operators, CCAs starts with simulations: Former Air Force secretary (Defense News) The next step toward further integrating semiautonomous aircraft into the U.S. Air Force and building trust with human operators would be through simulations and training exercises, a former Air Force secretary said.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard monitors Chinese research vessel as it cuts through sovereign-US waters to the Arctic (Military Times) The U.S. Coast Guard began tracking a Chinese research vessel last week near the Arctic to ensure compliance with international law, the service announced.   Veterans     ‘Our veterans deserve better’: Inside the VA nursing shortage (Military Times) The line at the Wendy’s drive-thru barely moved as Hailey Richards sat behind the wheel during her lunch break, staring into the rear-view mirror beneath a pair of dark sunglasses. The driver behind her had pulled close enough that she found herself wondering whether they could tell she was crying.       Surge in veterans’ brain injuries shown in VA records (Roll Call) The number of former servicemembers enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs system who have had traumatic brain injuries spiked considerably in the last four years on record, new data from the department shows.   Defense Industry     New executive order tightens defense supply chain waiver rules (Reuters) President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order making it harder for U.S. defense contractors to obtain waivers allowing them to buy critical minerals and other materials from China and other prohibited foreign suppliers, the administration’s latest effort to reduce reliance on overseas supply chains for weapons production.       Doodle Labs eyes US, European production sites as demand soars for jam-resistant drones (Defense News) Doodle Labs, a radio specialist focused on unmanned systems operating in contested environments, hopes to turn an uptick in deliveries to Ukraine into additional manufacturing activities in Europe and the United States.       As fighter pilots prepare to command drone wingmen, BAE bets on new helmet tech (Military Times) As militaries prepare for a new age of air combat defined by ever-evolving unmanned aerial systems, one defense company is betting that the workload of fighter pilots will swell far beyond flying an aircraft to include directing swarms of drones.       Lockheed Martin announces cheaper Patriot interceptor missile (Defense News) Lockheed Martin on Monday introduced a cheaper Patriot interceptor as the U.S. and partner nations grapple with the exorbitant costs of shooting down cheap drones and missiles.       Israel’s IAI unveils ‘Hypnosis’ system for confusing enemy drone swarms (Defense News) Israel Aerospace Industries has unveiled a new air defense system designed to jam and spoof the satellite navigation signals that guide aerial threats, the company announced this weekend.       Thunderstruck: Anduril unveils autonomous attack rotorcraft (Military Times) The U.S. military will soon field a drone wingman that expands well beyond the fixed wing platforms of the Combat Collaborative Aircraft program.       Sweden’s trio of radar planes will complement NATO’s 10, says air force chief (Defense One) The trio of Saab GlobalEye radar planes ordered by the Swedish Air Force are separate from—but a vital complement to—NATO’s own order of 10, the service’s top officer said Monday.       US Air Force seeking air defense missile system to protect air bases (Defense News) The U.S. Air Force is out to find an air defense missile system to defend the service’s installations against cruise missiles and drones.   Ukraine     Ukraine’s army chief expected to lose job after week of protests (The Guardian) Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff hints government may be about to sack Oleksandr Syrskyi.   International     New AI tool helps Afghan allies at risk find visa pathways (Air Force Times) As the fifth anniversary of the U.S. military’s chaotic departure from Afghanistan approaches, tens of thousands of the Afghan allies America promised to protect remain at risk — either still under threat in their home country or facing instability and limbo abroad.   Video     POV: Your six-mile ruck comes with a free shower (Defense News) Remember: this only sucks if you let it suck in your mind. Army ROTC cadets push through a rain-soaked ruck march and stress shoot.       Could humanoid robots take on dangerous frontline missions? (Defense News) Foundation Robotics co-founder Michael LeBlanc explains what Ukraine testing has revealed about humanoid robots, battlefield logistics and frontline operations.   Commentary & Analysis     How a veterans reform blew up (The Wall Street Journal) The House nixes a bill that would help veterans while reducing dubious disability claims that have soared. Entitlements become harder to reform as they grow and develop more entrenched constituencies.