https://www.commondef.com Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:22:09+0000 en-us hourly 1 https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/uss-theodore-roosevelt-enters-the-pacific-as-extended-middle-east-deployment-looms/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104404 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Bethany Loveland The Theodore Roosevelt has entered the Pacific ahead of an anticipated Middle East deployment, with sailors prepared for about eight months away as the Navy applies lessons from prolonged missions and continuing operations connected to the Iran war. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/space-force-guardians-conquer-armys-green-hell-in-historic-panama-first/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104407 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Julian Dorsett Maj. Alyson Gleason and Capt. Stephen Brown earned the Jungle tab after completing 18 days of combat, navigation and survival training, becoming the first Space Force guardians to graduate from the Army’s demanding Panama course. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/meet-axel-the-remarkable-deaf-rescue-dog-ready-to-deploy/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104411 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Julian Dorsett Deaf rescue dog Axel will deploy with Sgt. Mollie Karazim and Michigan National Guard soldiers, offering comfort, supporting readiness and helping chaplains connect with troops across the 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/ohio-races-to-land-the-u-s-space-academy-as-washington-weighs-its-blueprint/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104471 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Vicki Schwarmer Ohio is racing to secure the U.S. Space Academy for Wright-Patterson while federal officials decide how the school will operate, whom it will admit and what role Congress must play in establishing it. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/congress-turns-up-the-heat-on-oracle-over-vas-exploding-27-billion-ehr-contract/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104417 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Common Defense Staff Congress is demanding answers from Oracle after VA raised its EHR contract ceiling by roughly $17 billion, while officials could not explain the increase and 14 Government Accountability Office recommendations remained not fully implemented. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/heavy-mq-9-reaper-losses-loom-over-air-force-replacement-plans/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104425 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Vicki Schwarmer The Reaper fleet has fallen to around 135 aircraft while its production line remains closed. Congress is weighing retirement restrictions as the Air Force pursues a cheaper replacement fleet of 500 aircraft by 2032. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/coast-guard-enshrines-fallen-rescue-swimmers-legacy-at-cape-may-training-pool/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104472 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Common Defense Staff Coast Guard Training Center Cape May dedicated its aquatic facility to AST2 Tyler J. Jaggers, ensuring every recruit who trains there learns the name and sacrifice of the rescue swimmer who died after a Feb. 27 operation. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/green-beret-who-survived-an-ied-now-battles-ukraines-deadly-landmines/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104433 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Frank Guy After surviving an IED and returning to Afghanistan seven more times, retired Green Beret Ryan Hendrickson found renewed purpose clearing Ukraine’s landmines, helping civilians and creating humanitarian missions for veterans searching for service and identity. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/pentagon-personnel-database-breach-exposed-sensitive-data-of-millions/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104477 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Vicki Schwarmer Unauthorized users accessed unencrypted Pentagon personnel files containing Social Security numbers and military job details, exposing information tied to millions of living and deceased individuals before officials discovered and patched the vulnerability. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/nato-commander-warns-drone-threat-has-put-all-of-europe-on-the-front-line/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104459 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Vicki Schwarmer Gen. Alexus Grynkewich warned that drones, airspace incursions and increasingly brazen sabotage have expanded NATO’s front line across Europe, while allied nations must prepare for a security environment that could grow more unsettled over several years. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/north-korean-mines-likely-triggered-dmz-blasts-that-injured-three-south-korean-soldiers/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104481 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Julian Dorsett Investigators say preliminary evidence points toward North Korean mines after two blasts injured three South Korean soldiers near the Military Demarcation Line, while two additional unexploded devices were discovered during the continuing joint inquiry. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/armys-hidden-motor-pool-crisis-is-devouring-combat-readiness/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104443 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Vicki Schwarmer Equipment stranded outside ownership, maintenance, and supply systems is quietly draining Army readiness. A proposed Asset Management Chief in every company sized formation would give one trained leader responsibility for keeping critical assets visible, validated, and synchronized. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/texas-man-convicted-in-brazen-26-million-tricare-fraud-to-fund-lavish-lifestyle/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104432 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Bethany Loveland Kevin Curry was convicted on nine counts after prosecutors said his clinics billed Tricare more than $26 million for fraudulent TMS claims, with $17 million paid and luxury spending that included a $100,000 gold plated Tesla Cybertruck. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/mounting-toll-38-sailors-and-marines-wounded-in-september-middle-east-operations/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104420 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Common Defense Staff Pentagon records show 38 sailors and Marines were wounded in September as continuing Middle East casualties shifted into the Overseas Operations category following the May 5 conclusion of Operation Epic Fury. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/russia-raises-2027-military-spending-27-to-ukraine-war-high-documents-show/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104452 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Bethany Loveland Russia’s 2027 defense budget is set to reach $202.6 billion, the highest since the Ukraine war began, as the government also plans higher taxes, increased borrowing, fund withdrawals, and a larger debt burden. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/eu-locks-in-five-major-priorities-for-joint-defense-spending/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104448 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Vicki Schwarmer EU members approved five multinational defense projects spanning drones, missile defense, maritime security, space, and the eastern flank, with projected investments reaching tens of billions of euros and Ukraine participating in four initiatives. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/tokyo-air-base-axes-free-tax-help-after-more-than-two-decades/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104461 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Common Defense Staff Yokota Air Base is closing a volunteer tax center that served its military community for more than two decades, leaving users with remote assistance or paid services that may require substantial travel from the installation. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/french-artillery-overhauls-gun-batteries-to-survive-relentless-drone-threat/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104447 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Common Defense Staff France’s 68th African Artillery Regiment is dispersing Caesar howitzers, centralizing battlefield preparation and expanding deception measures as drone surveillance and counter battery threats force artillery units to rethink how they move, conceal themselves and fire. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/trump-rejects-irans-latest-offer-signals-new-talks-this-week/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104287 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Bethany Loveland President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest proposal but expects talks this week, while his administration points to dwindling oil leverage, open shipping through Hormuz, and military dominance as economic pressure mounts on Iran. https://www.commondef.com/2026/09/navy-deploys-roosevelt-to-middle-east-as-iran-war-grinds-on/ https://www.commondef.com/?p=104263 2026-09-29T22:07:46+00:00 Julian Dorsett USS Theodore Roosevelt is heading toward the Middle East as the Navy sustains a major regional presence, eight Marines recover from an Iranian missile attack and U.S. forces keep watch over vital shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.