Top 5     Negotiators push for more talks after US and Iran convene in Oman (Military Times) U.S. and Iranian officials convened in Oman on Friday, opening the door to a modest easing of tensions even as American warships mass in the Arabian Sea.       National Guard troops shot in DC to receive Purple Hearts (Task & Purpose) The two National Guard members shot in Washington, D.C. in November will receive the Purple Heart, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Friday.       Meet the pilots executing the rare Navy-Air Force Super Bowl flyover (Military Times) For Air Force B-1 Lancer bomber pilot Topoff, flying over the Super Bowl as the final notes of “The Star-Spangled Banner” linger in the air isn’t just a stunning flourish for the game; it’s also a way of highlighting the precision that bomber pilots train for.       Navy Secretary John Phelan reportedly listed in Epstein flight manifest (Military Times) The Navy’s top civilian leader was listed on a passenger manifest list for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane, documents reportedly show.       Veteran suicide rate slightly increased, latest report finds (Military Times) Fewer veterans took their own lives in 2023 than 2022, a pace of roughly 17.5 deaths per day, a statistic Veterans Affairs officials say they are working to change given that the rate of veteran suicides continues to be twice that of the U.S. non-veteran population.   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.   Pentagon     Research on problem gambling included in defense funding law (Military Times) Gambling addiction is now a topic that researchers can study under a Department of Defense program that provides federal funding for issues affecting U.S. military personnel and veterans.   Congress & Politics     Warner fears US doesn’t have 'full power of pressure' to bring against Iran (The Hill) Sen. Mark Warner on Sunday said he fears that the United States doesn’t have the “full power of pressure” against Iran. His comments coincide with the Trump administration’s push to dismantle Tehran’s nuclear development program after striking three of their facilities last year.   Your Military     F-22s pulled from Super Bowl flyover due to operations, planner says (Military Times) Look closely at the commemorative flight suit patch for Super Bowl LX and you’ll notice what appears to be an anomaly: while the military aircraft flyover on Sunday is set to include Air Force B-1 Lancer bombers and F-15C Eagle fighters alongside Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning fighters, the patch includes silhouettes of another advanced fighter jet: the Air Force F-22 Raptor.       These are the troops competing in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics (Task & Purpose) The 2026 Winter Olympics are now underway in Italy, with more than 230 Americans on Team USA. And a sizeable number of those athletes and coaches are active-duty military.   Army     Army looks to lease out land on 4 military installations for new commercial data centers (DefenseScoop) Private, public and not-for-profit companies could soon build out and host commercial data centers on U.S. Army installations, as part of a broader Trump administration-led push to expand the nation’s AI and technological infrastructure.       Soldier sentenced to life in prison after search history, bullet in a banana led to murder conviction in sergeant’s death (Stars and Stripes) A Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., soldier will spend the rest of his life in prison without parole after a bullet lodged in a banana was among the evidence that led to his conviction in the shooting death of a sergeant.   Navy     USS Arleigh Burke sailors awarded Armed Forces Service Medal for ‘12-Day War’ operations (Military Times) Sailors who served aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke have been awarded the Armed Forces Service Medal for their support and execution of ballistic missile defense operations in 2024 and during last June’s “12-Day War” between Iran and Israel, the ship said.       More Navy sailors gain access to Headspace mental health therapy, coaching program (Stars and Stripes) The U.S. Navy has expanded its partnership with the mental health app Headspace to a handful of overseas installations, extending free access to coaching and mindfulness tools for sailors and their families.       Navy orders new fixed-wing pilot helmets (Military Times) The U.S. Navy purchased a new contract for helmets meant to replace ones that have been around for decades and improve the safety aboard all fixed-wing jets, a Navy release announced.   Marine Corps     US Marine designs Corps’ first NDAA-compliant 3D-printed drone (Military Times) The U.S. Marine Corps has pioneered a 3D-printed first-person view drone that is easy to assemble, ready for field use and conforms to national security standards.   Air Force     Wearing smart glasses in uniform jeopardizes OPSEC, Air Force says (Military Times) The U.S. Air Force is prohibiting the use of smart glasses while airmen are in uniform, citing security concerns.       Air Force’s anticipated William Tell Weapons Meet postponed (Air & Space Forces Magazine) A few weeks after the Air Force announced its prestigious William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Meet would return in March, the service has decided to postpone the event to later this year, according to Air Combat Command.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard suspends search for missing surfers off California coast (Stars and Stripes) Two rescue efforts were launched in two days in Santa Cruz, Calif., as recreators took to the ocean amid dangerously high waves.   National Guard     An Air Guard wing touched down on all 7 continents in 2-year span (Task & Purpose) A unit with the Nevada Air National Guard completed a series of literal around-the-world missions in 2025, with crews completing airlift missions that took its flyers to all seven continents.   Veterans     Appeals court strikes down decision that let the VA deny claims without clearly notifying veterans (Stars and Stripes) A federal appeals court overturned a veterans’ court decision that allowed the Department of Veterans Affairs to deny claims without issuing a formal notice to the veteran.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Shield AI, ST Engineering join forces on fine-tuning drone swarms (Defense News) American drone company Shield AI plans to integrate its AI-enabled software into Singaporean manned-unmanned-teaming applications, enabling the coordination of drone swarms.       Hunt for container launchers packed with drones kicked-off by Pentagon (The War Zone) The entire U.S. military is now pushing to acquire hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of new drones, especially smaller types, in the coming years, spurred on by new direction from the Pentagon.   Defense Industry     Singapore is in line to get its first F-35 fighters later this year (Defense News) Singapore is slated join the F-35 operator club once the first of its Lockheed Martin F-35B fighters enter service later this year, becoming the fourth Asia-Pacific nation to fly the fifth-generation fighter.   Ukraine     US-Ukraine talks expected in Miami next week as attacks continue (Bloomberg) Ukrainian negotiators expect to meet with their American counterparts in Miami next week for talks intended to help bring about a breakthrough to end the war that began with Russia’s invasion four years ago this month, according to a Ukrainian official.       Russian forces in Ukraine scramble to overcome Musk’s Starlink restrictions (The War Zone) Russia is frantically trying to plug massive communications gaps after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk restricted the Starlink satellite communications system in and around Ukraine to only registered users.   International     China secretly testing nuclear weapons and covering its tracks, US alleges (The War Zone) The U.S. government has accused China of secretly conducting at least one “yield-producing nuclear test” in recent years despite the country having a stated moratorium on such activities.       UK threatens to seize Russia-linked shadow fleet tanker in escalatory move (The Guardian) Capture of rogue ship could open a new front against Moscow at a time when Russia’s oil revenues are tumbling.       French Navy dials up stress level in crew drills after Red Sea experience (Defense News) The French Navy is toughening crew drills to better prepare sailors for the stress of coming under fire, following deployments to the Red Sea where Houthi rebels targeted Western warships and commercial traffic with drones and ballistic missiles.   Video     National Guard & allies conduct fire phobia drills (Military Times) Florida Army National Guardsmen and Portuguese Army military police conduct fire phobia training focused on civil disturbance control during a Joint Multinational Readiness Center rotation, Feb. 2, 2026. The training enhanced interoperability and preparedness for multinational operations in complex operational environments.   Commentary & Analysis     The US Army’s quiet rotation in the Philippines (Defense News) The U.S. Army’s rotation in the Philippines is easy to overlook. Experts say that might be the point.       A Marine father, an Air Force son and the distance between them (The War Horse) My father believed trauma and discipline would result in success and a stronger livelihood. And so he enlisted. Years later, I did, too.       First US warship visit to Chinese-built port in Cambodia cements new drift for Phnom Penh (Defense News) After a U.S. warship visited the Chinese-built Ream Naval Base on the south coast of Cambodia last week, analysts warn the government here should brace for a response from Beijing.       The US Navy's new insurance policy for war with China is an Australian base (The Wall Street Journal) If the U.S. and China come to blows over Taiwan, this naval base in Western Australia offers a berth to bring American nuclear-powered submarines close to the fight.       Is the age of drones really the age of poor maneuver? (War On The Rocks) On today’s battlefields, drones are undeniably lethal. They kill with precision, shape movement across the battlespace, and impose a constant psychological presence.