Top 5     US launches new barrage of strikes on Iran around Strait of Hormuz (Reuters) The U.S. launched new air strikes on Iranian targets on Tuesday, quashing hopes that an exchange of fire last weekend might not lead to a wider renewal of hostilities.       Navy not returning to damaged Bahrain base ‘anytime soon,’ top officer says (Military Times) The Navy’s highest-ranking officer told sailors during a town hall on Monday that it would be a while before the service would return to its main logistics hub in the Middle East after it was heavily damaged early in the Iran war.       House passes funding bill to avert government shutdown (Reuters) The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved legislation to keep federal agencies operating beyond Oct. 1 when existing funds are due to expire with the start of the new fiscal year.       Trump nominates loyalist Hung Cao to be permanent Navy secretary (The Guardian) Acting secretary picked for top role as critics accuse president of overworking sailors during war with Iran.       US approves possible $800 million military helicopter sale to Iraq (Defense News) The United States has approved a potential $800 million sale of Bell helicopters, weapons and related equipment to Iraq, according to the State Department.   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 still failing to secure health records of top officials, audit finds (Military Times) The Department of Defense is still failing to safeguard the electronic health records of top government officials, according to a new watchdog report.   Congress & Politics     Bill to establish monument to Medal of Honor recipients clears Congress (Stars and Stripes) More than 40 million people have served in the armed forces since the Civil War, but fewer than 4,000 have been awarded the Medal of Honor, said Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, who helped lead a successful vote to establish a monument on the National Mall to commemorate the recipients.       Democrats warn of ‘hollowed out’ leadership after army chief resigns amid clashes with Hegseth (The Guardian) Sudden departure of Daniel Driscoll comes after Pentagon chief removed senior officers and blocked promotions, prompting warnings of a leadership crisis.   Army     Suicide prevention efforts at Fort Hood lack ‘professional expertise,’ Army says (Military Times) After years of internal suicide prevention efforts at Fort Hood, the U.S. Army is putting out a call for assistance.       US Army soldiers across the world earn Danish ruck ribbon (Military Times) Thousands of U.S. Army soldiers—from Korea to Virginia—laced up their boots last week to earn a Danish military award now authorized for wear.   Navy     Navy captain gives oath of enlistment to son on last day of service (Military Times) After a 35-year Navy career, Capt. Rich Sussman administered the oath of enlistment to his son, Matthew Sussman, on his final day of service.   Marine Corps     Newly minted Marine officer makes Steelers’ 53-man roster (Military Times) Eli Heidenreich’s first NFL preseason ended with a touchdown, a salute to the crowd and a place on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ squad.   AIr Force     MH-139 Grey Wolf reaches initial operational capability (Military Times) The MH-139 Grey Wolf officially reached initial operational capability as the U.S. Air Force moves to replace the aging UH-1N Hueys.   Defense Industry     Ousted Ukrainian defense chief lands Palantir CEO as first investor in new venture (Defense News) Ukraine’s recently ousted defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov is teaming up with Palantir CEO Alex Karp to launch a new defense company focused on developing technology that will “ultimately make the world safer,” the duo announced on Tuesday.       American Rheinmetall delivers its first prototype to replace Bradley Fighting Vehicle (Military Times) American Rheinmetall delivered the first Lynx XM30 prototype to the Army this week, the company said in a Tuesday statement, the latest move in the service’s yearslong effort to replace the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle.       Defense startup raises $61 million to put AI into a wrist-worn display (Military Times) For the U.S. military, artificial intelligence tools help analysts turn enormous amounts of data into something actionable, like when to strike a target or where to position troops.       Poland readies for record-breaking defense show as opulent budget lures vendors (Defense News) As Poland aims to spend a record-breaking 200 billion zloty ($53.8 billion) on its military in 2026, this year’s edition of the country’s MSPO defense show, set for next week, is shaping up as the largest in history, with around 1,000 exhibitors from across the world, a new hall, and the entire exhibition space sold out to a plethora of foreign and domestic companies.       US Navy unveils new specs for carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft (Military Times) The U.S. Navy this week unveiled an array of new specifications for its future carrier-based Combat Collaborative Aircraft, or CCA.       US tech found in Russian ballistic missiles (Defense News) Dozens of American- and European-made components are still being used to build Russia’s deadly ballistic missiles despite nearly 24,000 sanctions imposed on Russia-linked individuals and entities since 2022, Ukraine’s presidential commissioner for sanctions policy said last week.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel says senior Hamas member seized as strikes kill three during Gaza raid (BBC News) Reports say the Israeli military carried out strikes after a raid by Israeli special forces and Israel-backed Palestinian militiamen was discovered.   International     Putin pledges support to Iran, rallies leaders to challenge U.S. (Washington Post) A regional security meeting in Kyrgyzstan highlighted the increasingly close military and political alliance between Moscow and Tehran.       Germany formally accuses Russia of attempted drone strike On Ukrainian An-124 Cargo Jet (The War Zone) Germany has now formally accused Russia of directing an attempted explosive-drone attack against Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport, a story we previously reported on. At the same time, authorities are separately investigating a sophisticated sabotage attack against a critical power-grid node in Brandenburg, underscoring Germany’s growing concern over hybrid threats to its critical infrastructure.   Video     Monument in DC honors 41 million service members | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 9.1.26 (Defense News) For the nation’s 250th birthday, USAA erected a monument that displays the name of every service member in the military — ever.       82nd Airborne soldiers have Middle East deployment extended out to a year (Defense News) Elements of the 82nd Airborne Division will remain in the Central Command area of operations, according to a memo.       Navy not returning to damaged Bahrain base ‘anytime soon,’ top officer says (Defense News) The Navy’s highest-ranking officer told sailors Monday it would be a while before the service would return to its main logistics hub in the Middle East following damage from Iranian strikes.   Commentary & Analysis     Where the Pentagon can’t go, a small nonprofit searches for America’s war dead (The War Horse) The four Filipino archaeologists knelt shoulder to shoulder in a trench only slightly larger than a toddler’s sandbox, shaving away paper-thin layers of earth and filling buckets with soil beneath a blazing early afternoon sun on the Philippine island of Mindanao.       America is buying an army it cannot command (The Cipher Brief) The U.S. Army has committed to a million small drones by 2028. The Department of Defense has not decided who will authorize how they fire.       The educated operator: Rethinking lethality in special operations (War on the Rocks) Over the course of more than a dozen combat deployments, it is undeniably true that being dumb has sometimes been of benefit to me. Generally, however, I have found much more success in being smart or at least educated. Warfare is an exercise in brutalism, but those who wage it need not be brutes.       Here are the military officials who've been fired or resigned under Hegseth (CBS News) At least 20 generals, admirals and civilian defense leaders have been fired or have departed their jobs since Pete Hegseth became defense secretary at the beginning of the second Trump administration.       A rulebook for surprises: Commanding autonomous aircraft (War on the Rocks) My greatest challenge while flight testing collaborative combat aircraft was not troubleshooting errors at high speed in the cockpit. It was when, in a single keystroke, my job shifted from pilot to something like a dog handler — a supervisor of an autonomous agent.       The growing cost of keeping US submarines idle (The Cipher Brief) “Inactive idle time describes when a [U.S. Navy] attack submarine designated for decommissioning cannot be inducted into a dry dock in a shipyard. As a result, the submarine and its crew must remain pier-side until a shipyard has the capacity in a dry dock to defuel their nuclear reactor.”       The political constraint on America’s data-center power buildout (War on the Rocks) In April, President Donald Trump issued two Defense Production Act determinations covering grid infrastructure and large-scale energy infrastructure.