Top 5     13 US troops killed, more than 380 wounded in Operation Epic Fury (Military Times) In the 40 days since the start of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, 13 U.S. service members have been killed and 381 have been wounded, according to data provided Wednesday by U.S. Central Command.       Automatic registration for US military draft-eligible men to begin in December (Military Times) Automatic registration into the U.S. military draft pool for eligible men is slated to begin in December, following efforts from lawmakers and the selective service agency to streamline the previous self-registration process.       As US claims victory, Iran emerges bruised but with leverage over Hormuz (Reuters) Nearly six weeks of war in Iran have ended, for now, with President Donald Trump claiming victory, but the U.S.-Iran ceasefire locks in a harsh reality: an entrenched, radical government with control over the Strait of Hormuz and a powerful lever over global energy markets and Gulf rivals, analysts say.       Air Force offers up to $50,000 annual bonuses to keep aviators in the service (Task & Purpose) The Air Force is offering active duty pilots and other aviators up to $50,000 per year to stay in the service as part of this fiscal year’s Aviation Bonus program.       US forces will be ‘hanging around’ Middle East after Iran ceasefire, Hegseth says (Defense News) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday emphasized that American forces would be “hanging around” in the Middle East for the duration of the armistice between the United States, Israel and Iran — even as Washington edges toward an offramp from its 38-day campaign.   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.   Pentagon     Anthropic loses appeals court bid to pause supply chain risk label (Politico) A three-judge panel at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday rejected a request by the artificial intelligence startup Anthropic to pause the government’s designation of the company as a supply chain risk.       As aircraft losses mount, Pentagon wants a software fix to see through the fog of war (Nextgov) The U.S. planes that have gone down in the Middle East since the launch of Operation Epic Fury all lacked the same thing: a common operating picture that includes relevant intelligence and data. The Defense Innovation Unit announced Monday it’s looking for a fix.   Your Military     Here's how much caffeine the US military consumed during the Iran war (CBS News) Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. military has consumed nearly 1 million gallons of coffee and an unspecified amount of nicotine.   Army     Guardsman in DC saves life of same person on separate occasions (Military Times) Spc. Darrion Rackley of the South Carolina Army National Guard recently saved the life of the same man on two separate occasions while supporting the Guard’s “D.C. Safe and Beautiful” mission.       Air Force offers up to $50,000 annual bonuses to keep aviators in the service (Task & Purpose) The Air Force is offering active duty pilots and other aviators up to $50,000 per year to stay in the service as part of this fiscal year’s Aviation Bonus program.       Green Berets infiltrate 90-plus miles undetected in weeklong exercise (Military Times) Green Berets recently tested their ability to operate without being detected by drones or enemy personnel in a battlefield exercise that required adapting to today’s advanced surveillance.       Army eyeing automated target recognition tech to detect explosive hazards, battlefield obstacles (DefenseScoop) The Army is conducting market research for new algorithms and sensors that could help its forces detect hazardous objects on the front lines.   Marine Corps     A first, Marines launch FPV drone at unmanned vessel while aboard naval craft (DefenseScoop) For the first time, Marines and Naval Special Warfare operators struck an unmanned vessel with a small first-person view drone they launched from a boat during a test in the Pacific, the service said, billing it as a new chapter for the amphibious branch.   AIr Force     Air Force reduces training days for SkillBridge career transition program (Stars and Stripes) The Air Force is reducing the number of days that airmen and guardians are given to sharpen their job skills in the private sector as they prepare to leave the military.       A new device gives the A-10 Warthog another way to refuel (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Air Force has developed a probe refueling adapter that could give the aging A-10 Thunderbolt II more options for refueling.   Coast Guard     US Coast Guard rescues family missing for 7 days in Micronesia (Military Times) The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three passengers aboard a vessel that was missing for seven days near the Federated States of Micronesia, the service announced Tuesday.   Veterans     A smarter, simpler VA: Reimagining the veteran experience (Federal News Network) How is the VA transforming the customer experience for veterans and their families?   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Spy agencies eye new Anthropic AI model that spots cyber flaws (Defense One) Anthropic’s decision to keep close hold on a powerful frontier AI model, paired with a new initiative to study its effects on global networks, is prompting intelligence-community discussions about the ways such tools might help friendly and adversary forces alike.   Defense Industry     Polish firm teams with Northrop, ST Engineering to tap Poland’s massive ammo spending (Defense News) Privately-owned Niewiadów Polish Military Group has teamed up with Northrop Grumman and Singapore’s ST Engineering to launch 155-millimeter and 40-millimeter ammunition production in Poland, catering to the country’s plans to spend $6.5 billion on ammo and rockets from the European Union’s Security Action for Europe loans.       Eurofighter Typhoon test fires laser-guided counter-drone rockets (The War Zone) In another step toward what would be a major boost to the drone-killing capabilities of Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons, BAE Systems test fired its air-to-air optimized variant of the laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System rockets from one of the jets. The move comes as the RAF seeks a lower-cost option to counter drones at a time when its Typhoons and those from Gulf nations have been tasked with fighting off Iranian one-way attack munitions during the war with Iran.       New Zealand defense minister to help shepherd military-integration push with Australia (Defense News) Chris Penk this week became New Zealand’s 44th minister of defense, replacing Judith Collins who is retiring from politics.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel strikes central Beirut without warning after saying Iran ceasefire doesn’t apply there (The Associated Press) Israeli strikes hit busy commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning on Wednesday, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Lebanon said at least 182 people were killed and hundreds were wounded, making it the deadliest day in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.   International     US military says it's ready to resume Iran fighting if diplomacy fails (Reuters) U.S. military says it's ready to resume Iran fighting if diplomacy fails.       Cameroon 'military contractors' killed in Russia-Ukraine war (BBC News) The government usually refrains from commenting on the participation of its citizens in the conflict.       UAE says Iran’s nuclear, military capabilities must be addressed (Bloomberg) The United Arab Emirates has called for a “sustained approach” to address Iran’s full range of threats, including its nuclear capabilities and ballistic missiles, as a truce with the Islamic Republic appears precarious.       What we know about Iran’s 10-point plan for ending war with US, Israel (France 24) Iran proposed a 10-point plan for ending the war with the US and Israel early Wednesday after the establishment of a two-week ceasefire just before a US-imposed deadline and threats to destroy Iranian "civilisation". US President Donald Trump said the plan was "workable", despite several points which Washington had previously said were unfeasible.       The campaign ends at the breach: Lessons from Ukraine on why armies fail (War on the Rocks) Somewhere behind the Novodarivka breach point in June 2023, Ukrainian armored formations sat staged and ready. The ammunition was there. The fuel was there. The original concept of operations called for 12 brigades to push through roughly 30 kilometers of frontage, isolate Tokmak within days, and drive south before Russian forces could consolidate. They never moved. The engineers could not open the lane. Without the lane, none of the rest of it mattered.   Video     How Leonardo DRS is speeding up counter-drone warfare (Defense News) Leonardo DRS explains how faster integration is key to countering evolving drone threats.   Commentary & Analysis     A transient life and hard goodbyes: The realities of my lonely military childhood (The War Horse) When my military family received orders to transfer to another duty station, my dad would organize our packing effort, chart a course, and drive us there. He preferred to start as the twilight faded, continuing through the night while the rest of us slept in our station wagon.       How Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire deal between Iran and the US (France 24) Pakistan cast itself as an unlikely diplomatic broker on Wednesday, saying it had helped secure a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said he would host talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the Middle East war beginning on April 10.       How the Iran war Is reordering the world, second and third-order effects (The Cipher Brief) Five weeks into the US-Israeli war against Iran, the immediate military picture — decapitation strikes, missile exchanges, and the grinding attrition of Iranian launch capacity — dominates headlines. But the more consequential story is playing out in the war’s cascading second- and third-order effects.       Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia emerge as a new regional power bloc amid Iran war (The Conversation) Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, announced that a two-week ceasefire had been agreed between the US and Iran in the early hours of April 8. Delegates from both sides are expected to attend further talks in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Friday.