Senior military leader calms fears over aid operation off Gaza coast
Some Republican lawmakers, though, remain skeptical.
Mar 29, 2024•8 min•Ep. 400
Early Bird Brief
The most important military and defense stories of the day, delivered each weekday morning. Brought to you by Defense News and Military Times, the most trusted, nonpartisan sources for news about the military and defense worlds.
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Episodes
Russia, Iran military partnership rears its head with drones in Ukraine
The assessment comes from a U.S. Central Command report.
Mar 28, 2024•8 min•Ep. 399
Coast Guard conducts search and research mission after Baltimore bridge collapse
The Associated Press reported that six construction workers are presumed dead from the accident.
Mar 27, 2024•11 min•Ep. 398
House China Committee gets new leader as Gallagher exits
Gallagher's previous efforts included legislation over the social media site TikTok -- and efforts to force the company to become American-owned for national security reasons.
Mar 26, 2024•11 min•Ep. 397
Marine wargames offer a look at the future — and fuel dissent
Marine Corps reporter Irene Loewenson breaks down how wargames are fueling strategic choices in the service.
Mar 25, 2024•11 min•Ep. 396
March Madness…of defense spending
Congress released the nearly six-month late defense budget yesterday.
Mar 22, 2024•13 min•Ep. 395
North Korea drone tech may present challenge in Asia
Adm. John Aquilino testified before the House Armed Services Committee yesterday.
Mar 21, 2024•8 min•Ep. 394
In effort to deter China, US military wishlist triples in size
The wishlist comes as China’s actions grow more aggressive in the region.
Mar 20, 2024•11 min•Ep. 393
One key senator eyes troop pay raises, increased funds for military housing
Sen. Reed leads the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Mar 19, 2024•11 min•Ep. 392
Nearly $1 trillion defense budget faces scrutiny both for being too large and falling short
That figure is drawing criticism both for being too large and for falling short.
Mar 18, 2024•18 min•Ep. 391
Military was slow to process COVID vaccine waivers, watchdog says
The Army and the Air Force routinely overran deadlines, the report said.
Mar 15, 2024•10 min•Ep. 390
House passes TikTok ban in bipartisan vote
President Joe Biden said he would sign the bill into law if it passes the Senate.
Mar 14, 2024•12 min•Ep. 389
Another round of Army ships deploy for humanitarian mission off the coast of Gaza Strip
Four additional Army vessels shipped out to the Mediterranean, as U.S. airdrops of aid continue.
Mar 13, 2024•10 min•Ep. 388
Pentagon releases its fiscal year 2025 budget
This comes as Congress is approaching six months of continuing resolutions for fiscal year 2024.
Mar 12, 2024•14 min•Ep. 387
How Military Times discovered high tanker suicide rates
Army Times reporter Davis Winkie breaks down how Freedom of Information Act requests shed light on the high rates of suicide for tankers.
Mar 11, 2024•28 min•Ep. 386
State of the Union: Biden outlines military operation to build port in Gaza for aid
The biggest national security headlines from Biden’s 2024 State of the Union speech.
Mar 08, 2024•8 min•Ep. 385
Sweden joins NATO, ending the country's post-WWII neutrality
Sweden formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance.
Mar 08, 2024•11 min•Ep. 384
First fatalities confirmed in Red Sea attacks by Iran-backed Houthis
The Barbados-flagged ship was abandoned, with two crew members dead and six wounded.
Mar 07, 2024•9 min•Ep. 383
“Alarming” percentage of vets, troops accept conspiracy theories: Military Times survey
Survey participants were quizzed on their ability to differentiate between reliable and unreliable information.
Mar 06, 2024•13 min•Ep. 382
US sends aid to Gaza as Harris calls for ceasefire
The U.S. airdrop over the weekend is expected to be the first of many.
Mar 05, 2024•9 min•Ep. 381
Navy leaders see power evolution with information warfare
"We are in the middle of another epochal change,” Adm. Samuel Paparo recently said.
Mar 04, 2024•9 min•Ep. 380
Lawmakers grill Lloyd Austin over hospitalization
Austin was hospitalized on Jan. 1 after complications from a surgery for prostate cancer.
Mar 01, 2024•10 min•Ep. 379
Mitch McConnell, staunch Ukraine advocate, to step down as Senate Republican leader
McConnell is the longest serving leader in the Senate's history.
Feb 29, 2024•9 min•Ep. 378
Mental health outreach efforts need more focus on women vets: report
Female veterans account for nearly 10% of veterans in the VA system.
Feb 28, 2024•9 min•Ep. 377
Pentagon releases review on Austin’s hushed-up hospitalization
The review comes days before Austin is set to testify before Congress on the incident.
Feb 27, 2024•11 min•Ep. 376
Pentagon wants industry to transform to meet demands for wars in Ukraine, Israel
The Pentagon’s new defense-industrial strategy calls for “generational” investment in the industrial base.
Feb 26, 2024•13 min•Ep. 375
Navy chief charged with spying for foreign government
Chief Fire Controlman Bryce Steven Pedicini faces eight espionage charge specifications for alleged crimes that occurred between November 2022 and May.
Feb 23, 2024•11 min•Ep. 374
Inside the Navy’s quest to fix the recruiting crisis
Navy leaders hope to reverse a troubling trend that culminated in the service falling well short of its annual recruiting goal for the first time
Feb 22, 2024•11 min•Ep. 373
Pentagon indicates Iran-backed Houthi rebels shot down a US drone
The drone-downing is only the latest in a string of attacks on the shipping lanes in the Red Sea vital to the global economy.
Feb 21, 2024•8 min•Ep. 372
From Red Sea to Ukraine, use of missile defense batteries increases
Reporter Jen Judson and analyst Tom Karako discuss growing worldwide air and missile defense activity from Patriot batteries in Ukraine to persistent Red Sea attacks to what might be needed to prevent another Tower 22-like attack.
Feb 20, 2024•15 min•Ep. 371
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