Top 5     Air Force opens applications for warrant officer jobs in cyber, IT (Air Force Times) The Air Force on Thursday opened applications to join its first active duty warrant officer corps in nearly 45 years as the service seeks to ramp up its technical and operational expertise in cyber and information technology operations.       US Army’s next-gen helicopter engine could fly in Black Hawk next year (Defense News) The U.S. Army’s next-generation helicopter engine is projected to hit the skies early next year, powering a UH-60M Black Hawk, according to the service and industry representatives involved in the program.       US-led Gaza humanitarian aid pier comes under fire, UN officials say (The Associated Press) An under-construction pier for a U.S.-led project to bring aid into the Gaza Strip came under fire Wednesday, forcing U.N. officials to take shelter there, Israeli and U.N. officials said.       VA expands benefits options for vets with other-than-honorable status (Military Times) Officials said the rules are designed to ensure that troops booted for homosexuality, undiagnosed mental health issues or other questionable reasons can access needed care and are recognized for their service.       Ukraine pulls US tanks from front lines over Russian drone threats (The Associated Press) Ukraine has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now in its fight against Russia, in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press.   Helpful Resources     Your 2024 Military Times Pay and Benefits Guide (Military Times) Learn how your military benefits — including health care, retirement pay and more — have changed in 2024.       Your 2024 Military Times Tax Guide (Military Times) It’s that time of year again — tax season. And April 15 is just around the corner.       Your 2024 Military Times PCS Guide (Military Times) Read up on tips and tricks in Military Times' 2024 Permanent Change of Station Guide ahead of peak moving season.       All the Houthi-US Navy incidents in the Middle East (that we know of) (Military Times) A running list of every instance where a Navy ship or jet has shot down a Houthi attack, and every instance where the United States and its allies have hit back at Houthi sites in Yemen, since October.   Ukraine     Trump held his tongue on Ukraine aid. McConnell says it may have made the difference. (ABC News) Former President Donald Trump has blown up his fair share of deals on Capitol Hill, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says Trump's decision to hold his tongue on a massive $95 billion foreign aid package -- including critical aid for Ukraine -- may have made all the difference in getting the legislation across the finish line.       Ukrainian duo heads to the Eurovision Song Contest with a message: We’re still here (The Associated Press) Even amid war, Ukraine finds time for the glittery, pop-filled Eurovision Song Contest. Perhaps now even more than ever.       US preparing to announce $6B in weapons contracts for Ukraine (Politico) The package could be finalized and announced as soon as Friday, and will include Patriot systems.       Risk of military incidents on Belarus-Ukraine border quite high: Lukashenko (Al Jazeera) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said that the risk of military incidents along his country’s border with Ukraine was quite high, according to Russia’s state-run RIA news agency.   Pentagon     Economic hardship bonuses for enlisted troops? Clock is ticking on Pentagon decision. (Military.com) Months after Congress gave the Pentagon the authority to give bonuses this year to junior enlisted troops facing economic hardships and a month after lawmakers provided funding for the benefit, the department is still deciding whether to actually give out the bonuses.       Advocates urge Austin to act on active duty obesity ‘epidemic’ (Military Times) The military must take swift, decisive action to address obesity in the ranks, according to a new letter sent to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Wednesday by a group of more than 50 individuals and organizations, including 21 retired senior military leaders.   Congress & Politics     Senators unsure about House plan to boost troop pay, housing stipends (Military Times) House lawmakers are pushing ahead with plans to boost junior enlisted pay and other military family financial support as part of an ambitious quality of life overhaul for troops, but Senate lawmakers still aren’t sold on the idea.       Sullivan urges Israeli restraint on Rafah, stresses Ukraine munitions (Defense News) U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday urged Israel against a pending invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza and stressed the need for defense contractors to increase munitions production as the Biden administration readies an influx of new aid for Ukraine.       Johnson demands Biden send in National Guard during raucous Columbia visit (Politico) The speaker faced an unruly crowd shouting “Mike, you suck!” and chants of “free Palestine.”       GOP critics vow no more US aid for Ukraine (The Hill) Conservative skeptics of funding the war in Ukraine predict the bill signed into law this week will be the last major U.S. aid package for Kyiv that passes.   Army     US Army to shift aviation force structure back to tailored brigades (Defense News) The U.S. Army’s aviation force structure will move away from modular Combat Aviation Brigade designs needed during heel-to-toe rotations in Iraq and Afghanistan and return to a model that tailors those units for specific divisions, according to the service’s branch chief.       One in five soldiers see sexual harassment, hardly any report it (Military Times) A Pentagon report on how the Army deals with harassment found that surveys omitted hazing and bullying questions, commanders failed to compare results in order to spot trends and only a handful of soldiers who experienced or witnessed sexual harassment filed complaints.       Reservists say they warned of Maine killer’s decline before shootings (The Associated Press) Fellow U.S. Army reservists who witnessed the mental and physical decline of a colleague who would commit Maine’s deadliest mass shooting told a commission investigating the killings Thursday that they tried to intervene before the tragedy.       US Army to field long-range combat aircraft to first unit in FY31 (Defense News) The U.S. Army’s plan to field its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft with an initial unit is delayed by one year, due to Lockheed Martin’s protest over the service’s choice of Textron Bell’s advanced tiltrotor design, according to the director of Army aviation in the service’s G-3/5/7 branch.       At Army’s special-ops school, the biggest changes in a generation (Defense One) Ukraine, robotics, and more are driving a six-year plan to improve training in irregular warfare, technology, and psyops.       First Japanese troops qualify for US Army’s Expert Soldier Badge (Stars & Stripes) A soldier in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force became one of the first Japanese troops to earn the U.S. Army’s Expert Soldier Badge after a five-day test of physical and mental endurance.   Navy     First T-54A trainer jet arrives at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi (Military Times) The inaugural T-54A multi-engine training system aircraft arrived at Training Air Wing 4 at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, last week — a move that comes as the Navy phases out the T-44C Pegasus aircraft the service commissioned in 1977.       The New Jersey, first Virginia-class submarine designed with female sailors in mind, delivered to Navy (Stars & Stripes) The Navy has received the New Jersey, its 23rd Virginia-class fast-attack submarine.       When sailors deploy on USS George Washington, they will have a 'good vibe' recreation and gaming center (Virginian-Pilot) When the USS George Washington pushes off the Norfolk pier Thursday, it will deploy with a new rest and recreation den installed on board as part of a servicewide effort to improve sailor quality of life.       Alcohol, brain injury contributed to US sailor’s beach rampage in Japan, defense says (Stars & Stripes) The U.S. sailor accused of slamming into and injuring a group of Japanese people in 2022 was heavily intoxicated and suffering from side effects of a preexisting brain injury, his wife testified Thursday.   Marine Corps     Man pleads guilty to stabbing Marine to death outside bar in Boston, prosecutor says (The National Desk) A 40-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a U.S. Marine veteran outside a Boston bar in 2022 appeared in court Thursday and pleaded guilty to manslaughter, according to prosecutors.       Biden changes walking routine to Marine One (Axios) President Biden has introduced a change to his White House departure and return routine. Instead of walking across the South Lawn to and from Marine One by himself, he's now often surrounded by aides.   Air Force     Air Force’s Radiant Falcon tests Spangdahlem’s ability to recover and redeploy radioactive plane (Stars & Stripes) Airmen at this F-16 fighter wing installation in rural southwestern Germany are learning how to safely receive and relaunch an aircraft exposed to nuclear radiation.       Super Hercules makes Air Force history with marathon flight from Texas to Guam (Stars & Stripes) An Air Force C-130J Super Hercules from Texas recently set a new endurance standard on a one-stop, daylong flight halfway around the globe to Guam.       Air Force detonates WWII-era bomb discovered at hangar construction site on Okinawa (Stars & Stripes) Air Force officials said 18th Wing explosive ordnance disposal technicians safely detonated a 500-pound bomb left over from World War II on Thursday evening.   Coast Guard     Chaplain of the Coast Guard fired for 'loss of confidence' after not acting on case of sexual misconduct (Military.com) The Coast Guard's top chaplain was removed from his duties Wednesday as a result of a "loss of confidence" in his ability to fulfill his duties, according to the service.       The Coast Guard’s only Medal of Honor recipient died rescuing Marines (Military Times) Over a month into the hellish fight for control of Guadalcanal, then-Marine Lt. Col. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller ordered elements from the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines to conduct an exploratory mission to the peninsula Point Cruz along the Matanikau River.   Your Military     US coalition ship shoots down Houthi missile after lull in attacks (Military Times) A warship in the U.S.-led coalition that defends shipping in Middle Eastern waters shot down a missile Wednesday, defending against the latest attack by the Houthi militant group that comes after a recent lull in the assaults.       US to withdraw from Chad, Niger amid counterterrorism role questions (The Associated Press) The United States will pull the majority of its troops from Chad and Niger as it works to restore key agreements governing what role there might be there for the American military and its counterterrorism operations, the Pentagon said Thursday.       Losing a foot never held her back — until she tried to join the military (New York Times) Amputees who try to join the U.S. armed forces are rejected, no matter how capable they are. Hannah Cvancara wants to change that.       Fleet of military aircraft from Oklahoma evacuated to Sacramento due to weather (CBS News) Sacramento's McClellan Air Force Base was shut down more than two decades ago, but you wouldn't know that by looking at the tarmac Thursday night.   Veterans     ‘Invisible’–More women veterans are dying of suicide and VA still lacks resources, advocates say (The War Horse) When she joined the Navy in 2001, Jennifer Alvarado wanted to excel, to be, in her words, a “stellar sailor.” After boot camp, she worked as a hospital corpsman and pursued extra medical and weapons certification courses to prove her work ethic.       Minn. teen faces upgraded manslaughter charge for punch that killed Vietnam veteran (St. Paul Pioneer Press) An 18-year-old Rosemount, Minnesota, man now faces an upgraded charge of manslaughter for killing a Vietnam vet with a punch at Harriet Island Regional Park in late January.   Education & Transition     As military style school’s embattled principal gets promoted, parents demand accountability (Chicago Tribune) Embattled Marine Leadership Academy principal Kristin Novy is resigning from her post as the head of the Logan Square school for 7-12 grade students – to take a city-wide position within Chicago Public Schools, the district said in an emailed statement Wednesday.       DODEA schools push back on Pentagon probe finding fault in classroom discrimination reporting (Stars & Stripes) Discriminatory conduct at Defense Department schools is underreported and stronger policies are needed to better track cases of bad conduct, DOD investigators concluded in a new report.   Military Culture & History     Dead Reckoning calls on ‘warrior poets’ for final anthology of veteran writing (Task & Purpose) “We hope it brings closure and peace to veterans who may have something to say in this medium but not sure who to say it to."       Pilot reported fire on vintage military plane before Alaska crash (The Associated Press) One of the two pilots of a vintage military plane that was delivering heating oil to a remote Alaska Native village reported a fire on board shortly before the aircraft crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both of them and leaving debris over a wide area, a federal transportation official said Wednesday.       I Will Tell No War Stories: A writer uncovers his father's hidden World War II history (Military.com) "You're not getting any war stories from me," Pincus Mansfield would say when prompted to talk about his time in World War II.       ‘I didn’t care if I got carried out’: US soldier gave his all in Netflix reality competition (Stars & Stripes) An Army officer who competed in a South Korean reality show said he pushed beyond his physical limit to become one of the top 20 contestants battling in theatrical feats of strength for a chance to win roughly $220,000.       NFL Draft prospects Joe Alt, Bo Nix enjoy Black Hawk flight over Detroit with National Guard thanks to USAA (Fox News) Alt and Nix interacted with members of the Selfridge Air National Guard Base   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Drone-killing costs must come down, says Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer (Defense News) The price tag for weapons and munitions used to destroy drones must come down, as the costs are “getting too expensive” and uncrewed systems are expected to saturate battlefields, according to the Pentagon’s acquisition boss.       China is ‘moving at breathtaking speed in space,’ Space Force general says in Tokyo (Stars & Stripes) U.S. Space Command’s new leader warned of China’s rapidly advancing space capabilities this week following meetings with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts.       Army heads into competitive flight demos for future tactical drone (Defense News) The U.S. Army is moving its Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System competition into a flight demonstration phase with two teams, Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems.   Defense Industry     Raytheon to develop two Standard Missile types with better targeting (Defense News) The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon a $344 million contract for the development of two Standard Missile variants with a common guidance section that will bring additional targeting capability to the American and foreign fleets.       Army inching towards late FY25 Chinook Block II full-rate production contract (Breaking Defense) Boeing recently announced the Block II helo's first maiden flight and plans to deliver the first production aircraft to the service in the coming weeks.       Saab unveils technology incubator using Enforcer 3 as test bed (Defense News) When Saab’s Combat Boat 90 first entered service with the Swedish Navy in 1991, it was as a fully manual vessel — a crewed, amphibious landing craft designed for high-speed operations.       Virginia defense contractor acquires Ohio business near Wright-Patterson AFB (Dayton Daily News ) A Chantilly, Va.-based national security company has announced its acquisition of Vana Solutions LLC, in Beavercreek, positioning the company to better serve the Air Force and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.       French missile double punch adds new naval capability for Europe (Defense News) France’s synchronized test firing of naval cruise missiles from a surface ship and a submarine 400 kilometers apart adds a land-attack capability for European navies that may be more difficult for air defenses to counter, analysts told Defense News.       Northrop sees F-16 IVEWS, IBCS as ‘multibillion dollar’ international sales drivers (Breaking Defense) In addition, CEO Kathy Warden says the company sees a chance to sell up to five Triton UAVs to the NATO alliance.       Pentagon canceled Northrop’s classified satellite program due to ‘budgetary concerns’ (Defense One) Its CEO also said the company won’t compete to build cheap, non-survivable drones.   International     Poland to spend $2.9 billion on missile equipment from South Korea, US (Defense News) Poland’s Ministry of National Defence has signed a contract to buy 72 K239 Chunmoo multi-barreled missile launchers from South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace for roughly $1.6 billion, the company said in a statement.       Turkey seen backing Dutch prime minister for NATO chief after Erdogan meeting (Bloomberg) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is likely to throw his weight behind Mark Rutte to become the next NATO chief within weeks after the Dutch prime minister visits Istanbul Friday.       Ship comes under attack off coast of Yemen as Houthi rebel campaign appears to gain new speed (The Associated Press) A ship traveling in the Gulf of Aden came under attack Thursday, officials said, the latest assault carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over Israel’s ongoing war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.       Questions hang over UK’s new, ambitious defense spending plan: Analysts (Breaking Defense) Such is the scale of British Army acquisition problems alone that they could not be resolved if the UK moved to a long term spending settlement of even 4 percent GDP, an expert told British lawmakers.       Upcoming UN report will shed new light on North Korea’s human rights abuses, experts say (Stars & Stripes) An upcoming report will revise the United Nation’s decade-old review of North Korea’s record of human rights abuses, according to experts on the humanitarian crisis at a panel discussion hosted Friday by the South Korea Ministry of Unification.       Burkina Faso’s army massacred over 200 civilians in a village raid, Human Rights Watch says (The Associated Press) Military forces in Burkina Faso killed 223 civilians, including babies and many children, in attacks on two villages accused of cooperating with militants, Human Rights Watch said in a report published Thursday.       From F-16s to NATO, Argentina’s moves tilt West, but ties to China to last (Breaking Defense) There are flashpoints to watch as Argentina navigates its future between the polar attractions of Washington and Beijing, including future defense deals and a deep space facility.       France and the Philippines to start talks on a `visiting forces agreement,’ French envoy says (The Associated Press) France and the Philippines will begin talks next month on a defense pact that would allow troops from each country to hold exercises in the other’s territory, the French ambassador said Thursday.       Sweden should hike military budget to 2.6% of GDP, defense committee says (Reuters) Sweden should raise its military spending to around 2.6% of GDP by 2030, a parliamentary committee said in a report on Friday, as the country rebuilds its defence capabilities after joining NATO in March.       Third man is detained in a major bribery case that involves Russia’s deputy defense minister (The Associated Press) A third man has been detained in a bribery case involving one of Russia’s most senior defense officials, Moscow’s court service said Thursday.       Kenyan military deployed as East Africa floods kill dozens (Reuters) Kenya's military was deployed on Thursday to rescue victims of heavy rains that have killed dozens of people across East Africa over the past month.       A Chinese ship remains the focus of the investigation into Baltic Sea gas pipeline damaged last year (The Associated Press) A Chinese container ship remains the focus of an investigation into what caused the damage last year to a Baltic Sea gas pipeline between NATO members Finland and Estonia, Finnish authorities said Thursday.       China warns US of ‘downward spiral’ as Blinken meets with Xi Jinping (NBC News) A primary goal of Blinken’s visit to China was to warn about its support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, which began weeks after Moscow and Beijing declared a “no limits” partnership in 2022. Though China does not appear to be supplying Russia with lethal assistance, Blinken said last week that it was providing machine tools, semiconductors and other dual-use items that make it the “primary contributor” to Russia’s defense industrial base.       Another ex-State Department official alleges Israeli military gets ‘special treatment’ on abuses (The Associated Press) A former senior U.S. official who until recently helped oversee human-rights compliance by foreign militaries receiving American military assistance said Wednesday that he repeatedly observed Israel receiving “special treatment” from U.S. officials when it came to scrutiny of allegations of Israeli military abuses of Palestinian civilians.   Video     The Coast Guardsman who was the calm voice amid a firestorm (Defense News) Over four days, the Coast Guard search-and-rescue team assisted in saving 40 people.       FedEx founder credits Marine Corps for giving him the tools to succeed (Defense News) Frederick Smith may be the founder of a multibillion-dollar company, but his greatest honor was when his Marines dug a hole for him in Vietnam.       This Marine colonel went from flying fighter jets to exploring space (Defense News) As a child growing up in Northern California, Marine Col. Nicole Mann would look at the stars and wonder if she could ever explore them herself.       First Space Force Ranger hopes guardians follow in his footsteps (Defense News) Space Force guardian Capt. Daniel Reynolds became the first in his service to earn the coveted Ranger tab.       From combat medic to Paralympian: What drives Ellie Marks? (Defense News) Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Marks is our 2024 Soldier of the Year. But that only scratches the surface.       The Navy petty officer ensuring the Carney stays focused on the fight (Defense News) Meet Personnel Specialist 1st Class Alexander Boston, Military Times' Navy Service Member of the Year.       Ukraine-born airman’s translations aided allied efforts as war erupted (Defense News) Khymchenko’s translations during multiple deployments may have helped save countless lives since the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022.   Commentary & Analysis     Speaking Russian in America (New York Times) In January 2022, I was planning a summer trip to Ukraine and Russia for my 4-year-old son and me.       How Americans felt about campus protests against the Vietnam War (Washington Post) Fifty-four years ago next month, members of the National Guard were called to the campus of Kent State University in Ohio in response to student protests over the Vietnam War. President Richard M. Nixon won election in 1968 in part on his pledge to end the conflict; in late April 1970, though, he announced that it was expanding with the U.S. invasion of Cambodia.       How I experienced the MV-22 Osprey change Marine aviation (Stars & Stripes) The recent return to flight of the Osprey made me think back to my many experiences with the MV-22 and how transformational the aircraft has been for Marine Corps aviation.       Lidar: Another emerging technology brought to you by China (Defense News) The exponential growth in connected and automated systems has increased the demand for the sensor technology necessary to make them operate safely. Light detection and ranging, or lidar, is just such a remote sensing technology that uses pulsed light to measure and map the surrounding environment. Lidar’s ability to quickly and precisely map complex environments has made it essential for autonomous vehicles, and has given it an increasing role in airports, infrastructure mapping, ports and other emerging connected systems.       How the government came to embrace good-faith hacking of its networks (C4ISRNET) Public-private security partnerships first emerged when Congress passed the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-283), which supported “developing and conducting targeted operational evaluations, including threat and vulnerability assessments” on government information systems. Soon after, the Department of Defense launched its “Hack the Pentagon” program in 2016 to invite public security researchers to help secure its networks and IT systems from cyberattacks.       ‘Welcome home’–For years his family waited for his return. Now, he waits for his daughter. (The War Horse) My wife and I sit in a large auditorium in El Paso, Texas, waiting in anticipation, along with other families, for our daughter’s return from deployment. Upbeat music fills the air and the feeling in the assembled crowd is of a group of fans awaiting a rock band to take the stage. This isn’t far off. The main characters are our own family members—the balloons, signs, and flowers overt displays of affection marking the safe return of mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, daughters and sons.       Here are 4 ways to defend against unmanned ground vehicles (C4ISRNET) Global militaries are increasingly building, deploying, and operating unmanned ground vehicles, or UGVs. Mykhalio Fedorov, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister for Innovations, wrote on Twitter that, “I believe ground robotic systems will become the next game changer in this war, the same as drones.”