Joint Chiefs head makes first official visit to post-Maduro Venezuela
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his first official trip to Venezuela this week, five months after the high-risk U.S. military operation that removed the country’s strongman leader, Nicolás Maduro, from power. Caine held bilateral discussions with senior leaders of the interim government and with U.S. embassy personnel. During those meetings, he underscored the impor...[Read More]
House panel votes to reinstate non-Confederate base names and adopt ‘Department of War’
A House panel voted Thursday to return the names of nine southern U.S. military bases to those recommended in 2023 by a congressional commission assigned to study the Defense Department’s Confederate honorifics. After a spirited 30-minute debate late Thursday evening, members of the House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment offered by Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash., to change the name...[Read More]
Pentagon must divulge cost of Iran war under House proposal
The Defense Department would be required to report on the total cost of U.S. operations in Iran, including the costs of damaged property, expended munitions and unplanned deployments and mobilizations, under a proposal advanced by the House Armed Services Committee on Friday. The measure, which has bipartisan support, was added as an amendment to the House version of the fiscal 2027 National Defen...[Read More]
BALTOPS 2026 Takes Sail from Gdynia, Poland
The 55th iteration of exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2026 kicked off as 20 NATO Ally ships departed the Port of Gdynia, Poland, June 4, 2026.
Spanish Armada and U.S. Navy personnel participate in a bilateral oil spill response exercise
NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (June 4, 2026) – Base Naval de Rota hosted the slick response exercise on June 4, 2026. This event is one of the annual bilateral exercises between the U.S. Navy and the Spanish Armada.
US forces board sanctioned tanker in Indian Ocean, Pentagon says
U.S. forces conducted an interdiction of the sanctioned stateless oil tanker Davina overnight in the Indian Ocean, the U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command said on Friday. Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran’s sea trade while Tehran has fired on ships to prevent them sailing through the Strait of Hormuz waterway at the entrance to the Middle East Gulf. U.S. forces have intercepted multiple ...[Read More]
House advances measure to give troops a discount on gas
House lawmakers advanced a measure Thursday to slash gasoline prices at military exchanges in an effort to make fuel cheaper for U.S. service members. The proposal would authorize Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to offer a discount at exchange stores that’s equivalent to the price of the federal gas tax. The tax is 18.4 cents per gallon for regular and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel. The proposal...[Read More]
The US needs drones, not Trump-class battleships, Democrats argue
House Democrats expressed frustration with the U.S. military for seeking funding for a $17 billion battleship instead of investing more in cheaper autonomous weapons systems as warfare continues to change rapidly. During a House Armed Services Committee markup of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, lawmakers said that investing in Trump-class battleships would mean ignoring lessons...[Read More]
Navy fires leadership trio of ship repair facility in Japan
The U.S. Navy fired a trio of top brass at an overseas maintenance center due to a loss of confidence in the leaders’ ability to command, the service announced Wednesday. Rear Adm. Dan Lannamann, who commands the Navy Regional Maintenance Center, ousted the commanding officer, executive officer and command master chief of the U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center. C...[Read More]
Navy eliminates regular performance, fitness reports for select paygrades
The Navy is eliminating regular performance reports for a handful of senior paygrades in an effort to “reduce administrative burdens on senior leadership,” the service announced Wednesday. Effective immediately, master chiefs (E-9), chief warrant officers 5 (CWO5) and limited duty officers at the rank of captain (O-6) are now exempt from regular periodic performance evaluations and fitness reports...[Read More]
Navy recognizes USS Carl Vinson with Battle ‘E’ award
The USS Carl Vinson has been awarded the 2025 aircraft carrier Battle Effectiveness award, the Navy recently announced Wednesday. The Battle “E” is awarded to U.S. Navy commands that display “superior performance during operations, inspections, certifications, assessments and training events in a competitive cycle, assessing their proficiency and overall effectiveness in all phases of operations,”...[Read More]
U.S. Navy, ROK Navy complete 2026 ROK-US Combined Mine Warfare Exercise
The U.S. Navy and the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) concluded the 2026 ROK-U.S. Combined Mine Warfare Exercise in the vicinity of Pohang, April 20-24, 2026.