The story of Four Branches Bourbon didn’t begin with a whiskey barrel, but with the loss of a brother-in-arms. In the moments of reflection, four men came together to build a business that honored not just him but all the fallen, one sip at a time. Alfredo “Rick” Franco’s dad was in the oil business so his early years were spent moving all over the world before the family eventually settled in Louisiana. At 18 years old, he left home for the Virginia Military Institute. “I had no idea what I was getting into. No clue,” Franco laughed. His mom passed away when he was just 16 and he was the first person in his family to go into the service. To prepare him for the military, his dad handed him a copy of “An Officer and a Gentleman” from Blockbuster. It’s a moment Franco likes to laugh about now.  (Courtesy of Rick Franco) “I had a few friends that were Marines and told me I would have a good time if I joined. That summer I enlisted and went to Parris Island,” Franco shared. “But my dad told me he sent me to school to be an officer. Not long after boot camp…

This video describes the military situation in Ukraine on the 11th of November 2026 0:00 👋 Intro 0:13 🤝 First round failed — second round of talks begins in Abu Dhabi 0:37 🗣 Zelensky: "Putin lives in a different reality" on Donbas 1:12 💰 Zelensky demands 10 years of funding for an 800,000-strong army 1:42 🔄 Large prisoner exchange discussed — 1,000 for 1,000 2:52 🛡 Russia claims 627 Ukrainian drones intercepted overnight 3:15 🌐 Strike on Leningrad region — reportedly through NATO airspace 3:44 💥 Drones falling over Smolensk, heavy interceptions over Tver 4:53 🚨 Lithuania issues air alert — Latvia and Estonia stay silent 6:14 🔥 Ust-Luga: export terminal badly damaged, two fire anomalies 7:39 🛩 Russia’s answer: 155 drones by day, 163 at night 8:22 ⚡️ Southwestern Ukraine targeted — Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Odesa 9:39 🔌 Kryvyi Rih goes dark — one of the most powerful attacks since the war began 11:40 🔥 Substations hit in Maiaky and Usatove — Odesa region 13:16 🚛 Russia hunts truck parking sites — Kovel, Chernihiv, Shostka 14:56 ⚔️ Front: heavy clashes near Sumy, gains in Zaporizhzhia direction 18:01 👋 Outro Marketing: marketing@militarysummary.com Android Military Summary Map Application: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.militarysummary.app&pli=1 iOS…

This video describes the military situation in Ukraine on the 11th of November 2026 Marketing: marketing@militarysummary.com Android Military Summary Map Application: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.militarysummary.app&pli=1 iOS Military Summary MapApplication: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id6477433117 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/military.summary.official Telegram channel: https://t.me/militarysummary X: https://twitter.com/MilitarySummary #russia #ukrainewar

Dockery, et al.,, RCD Ukraine has shown that the power grid, fuel network, and people who keep them running are part of the battlefield.

Michael Carvelli, Small Wars Journal Future combat will require simultaneous engineer support for movement and protection.

S. Ferenzi, RCD The industrial base has grown brittle from a generation of optimizing for peacetime efficiency, and compute sized for peacetime reporting rebuilds that brittleness in software….

Raelene Lockhorst, The Strategist (ASPI) A wave of cyberattacks on European supermarkets last week exposed a vulnerability that extends well beyond refrigeration.

AP A member of the U.S. Army assigned to a NATO unit was arrested Tuesday in England on suspicion of espionage related to Russia

During a 2022 wargame I ran, bilateral planners reached a familiar barrier. U.S. forces needed to disperse from concentrated bases before the adversary’s first missile salvo. Participants believed Japan could grant emergency access to private land only after an attack, which would be too late — the authority’s trigger was also its deadline.This appeared to be a hard political constraint: the kind alliance planners record in after-action reports, script into next year’s exercise, and then carry, untested, into contingency plans, where assumptions harden into fact. But in 2022 one participant read the law differently, identifying an earlier cabinet option every The post Japan’s Most Dangerous Military Constraint Is Time appeared first on War on the Rocks.

New footage released by Russian media outlets has shown Russian Army and Korean People’s Army personnel operating closely together in the Ukrainian theatre, including engaging in firefights and advancing to capture objectives. While Russian and North Korean forces have often operated alongside one another, it was previously unknown to what extent they were integrated at the lowest tactical levels. Earlier assessments described North Korean assault groups receiving objectives from Russian commanders before conducting operations with considerable independence. Analysts previously speculated that coordination could be complicated by language barriers, differing military cultures and unfamiliarity with each other’s procedures, with joint exercises having been limited before the outbreak of Russian-Ukrainian hostilities in 2022. North Korean frontline personnel are widely reported to have maintained higher training standards than their Russian counterparts, with Russia having invested relatively little in modernising its ground forces after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. North Korean special forces operations in South Korea in the 1990s, and in support of counterinsurgency efforts in Syria in the 2010s, both made considerable impressions highlighting the high effectiveness of its ground units. Training standards in both Russia and Ukraine, by contrast, have been widely questioned. While Russian ground units have gained the benefit…

These days, it’s hard to think of a veteran who could have served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It’s happened, of course. But imagine a veteran of the War of 1812 and the Mexican War fighting in the Civil War. Also Read: That time an entire battle stopped to watch two soldiers in a fistfightThat’s a span of more than 60 years, significantly longer than the 24 years that separated the beginning of World War II and the Vietnam War. But pivotal battles weren’t literally in our front yard in the 20th century. An average 69-year-old might be happy to ride out his golden years from a rocking chair.But not John Burns.Burns fought in the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and even tried to work as a supply driver for the Union Army. Unfortunately for the old timer, he was sent back to his home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He wasn’t too happy to be excluded from the Civil War.He was already considered “eccentric” by the rest of the town (that’s what happens when you’re fighting wars for longer than most people at the time spent in school), and he had already lived twice as…

My husband has been on active duty in the Air Force for over 21 years. In our 15 years of marriage, we’ve moved six times, survived two deployments, and raised two kids.I’ve embraced almost every part of military life, except for one thing: giving up on having a real career.Just months after we got married, while I was in nursing school and caring for our newborn, we moved across the country. We had no family nearby, and full-time daycare cost more than we could afford without two incomes. So, I made the tough choice to drop out.Over the next decade, I constantly pivoted to whatever worked around our chaotic schedule. I worked as a retail cashier, went to cosmetology school to do hair, managed a salon, ran a side business as a photographer, poured coffee as a barista, and raised my kids.When my husband deployed, working full-time without childcare was almost impossible. So I threw myself into base volunteering, serving as a Key Support Liaison and managing projects for the spouse club.On paper, my resume looked like a random collection of short-term gigs. Every time we moved to a new base, hiring managers looked at my scattered work history and…

New footage of an underground missile complex operated by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has provided new insight into the kinds of fortifications that are key to allowing Iran to sustain its long war with the United States, which has been ongoing since Washington initiated hostilities on February 28. The footage has shown an extensive arsenal of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and associated launch vehicles, highlighting the limitations of U.S.-led efforts to neutralise Iranian strike capabilities. Major General Ali Abdollahi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, and Brigadier General Seyed Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, were seen touring the facility and inspecting the armaments stored there. The unveiling comes amid renewed tensions with Washington and follows Iranian claims that missile production is increasingly being relocated to underground installations to protect the country’s arsenal and sustain manufacturing during wartime. The footage appears to show a substantial collection of medium-range ballistic missiles, with independent observers identifying several weapons as members of Iran’s Fattah and Kheibar Shekan missiles. The Fattah-1, unveiled in 2023, was presented by Tehran as a hypersonic missile capable of manoeuvring during flight, with the missile having first been combat tested against targets in Israel…

A veteran Democratic strategist is warning President Donald Trump that his problems are only just beginning following the Republicans’ devastating defeats in the November 3 midterm elections. Carville, one of the architects of President Bill Clinton’s election victories, believes the president will now face two years of difficult investigations into alleged corruption and misconduct within his administration. President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump work the rope line at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks on the economy at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York on Friday, May 22, 2026.(Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) Speaking on a November 4 episode of the Politics War Room podcast, Carville warned Trump that his position is only set to deteriorate as Democrats use their new congressional majorities to investigate the president, his family, administration officials, and business deals. Since Carville made those remarks, developments suggest his prediction is accurate, with President Trump himself recognizing the threat and instructing his Justice Department to begin criminal investigations into Democratic legislators and figures who have threatened to launch investigations, arguing that they…

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently instructed senior Pentagon and military officials to record any delay or denial in their requests to employ counter-drone capabilities as a “risk of inaction,” and report those instances to Joint Interagency Task Force 401. Hegseth issued a “corrected copy” of that memorandum — dated Nov. 5 and viewed by DefenseScoop on Tuesday — that outlined multiple policies to reform the Defense Department’s historically lengthy approval processes for buying and fielding weapons that can take down unauthorized unmanned aerial systems.  “Protection against the threat of drones will not be delayed by self-imposed restrictions,” he wrote. The five-page memo updated directions that were issued by Hegseth in late September, which expanded on others across the second Trump administration.  All these moves are emerging as the Defense Department and other federal agencies hustle to integrate their responses to a recent surge in unauthorized drone incursions over U.S. military bases and sensitive national security sites. Some events have reportedly involved coordinated, potentially high-tech swarms with extended flight durations — sparking fears of foreign surveillance and reconnaissance operations.  “Small unmanned systems are the defining threat of our time,” Hegseth wrote.  Launched last year, JIATF-401 is the Pentagon-led operational hub charged…

Ukraine just went after the Iskander missile, where its fuel is being refined. On the night of November 8-9, Ukrainian forces struck the Morozov Plant in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast, just outside St. Petersburg. As the Kyiv Independent reported, Ukraine’s General Staff said the strike damaged three production workshops “at once.” The plant belongs to Rostec, Russia’s state-owned defense conglomerate, and Kyiv describes it as one of the key links in the chain that keeps the Russian military supplied with ballistic missiles. Putin at SCO summit. Creative Commons Photo. Putin at SCO Conference Creative Commons Image The extent of the damage is still being assessed. That description is quite accurate. According to the General Staff, the Morozov Plant manufactures and supplies the solid-fuel charges for the 9Kh820 rocket motor that drives the 9M723 Iskander-M. It also developed the solid fuel for the Topol-M ICBM’s engines. “Each such strike makes it more difficult for the enemy to produce missiles for the ‘Iskander’ systems, which it uses to strike our cities,” the General Staff said. “The chain is broken at the very beginning, long before the launch pad.” Militarnyi reports the plant’s product line includes RDX, HMX, TNT, solid rocket propellant components, and…

In October, President Donald Trump promised not to launch any strikes against Iran until after the midterm elections in November. However, now that the elections are over and the Republicans have lost, Trump’s rhetoric has changed, and the U.S. is now trying to distance itself from the war altogether. On Monday, the President expressed confidence that the war would end relatively soon as Washington and Tehran renew their diplomatic efforts through Qatari intermediaries. USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) cruise side-by-side in the Philippine Sea June 18, 2006, during exercise Valiant Shield 2006. The joint exercise consists of 28 naval vessels, more than 300 aircraft, and approximately 20,000 service members from the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer’s Mate Spike Call) (Released) Aug. 8, 2017 – The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) maneuvers between the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), left, and the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77), right, for a photo exercise during exercise Saxon Warrior 2017, Aug. 8. Saxon Warrior is a United States and United Kingdom…

Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s second-largest refinery overnight this week, striking oil facilities in Kirishi, in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast, about 800 kilometers, or around 500 miles, from Ukraine. The refinery there can, under normal circumstances, handle about 20 million tons of oil per year, which translates to roughly more than six percent of Russia’s total refined oil output. Finnish artillery units fire Howitzers At Rovajärvi exercise area In northern Finland. Image Credit: NATO Flickr. Finnish artillery units fire Howitzers At Rovajärvi exercise area In northern Finland. Image Credit: NATO. It is part of Ukraine’s ongoing effort to strike the Kremlin’s coffers hard and knock out the single largest source of Russian state revenue: tax on the export of oil and other energy products abroad. Dubbed Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” regime against the Russian state by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the effort has produced tangible results. Russian oil and gas infrastructure across the country has repeatedly gone up in flames following Ukrainian drone and missile strikes against Russia’s fuel facilities, forcing Russian authorities to ease fuel environmental standards and temporarily ban the export of diesel fuel abroad, measures aimed at alleviating a domestic fuel squeeze and long lines at the pump for Russian…

Could the longest-running conflict in Europe since World War II be nearing an end? We’re not quite there yet, but representatives of Ukraine and Russia sat down for mediated talks this week for the first time in nine months. According to the Associated Press, the talks, which are mediated by the United States, took place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Vladimir Putin Russian President 2019. Image Credit: Kremlin. Putin Back in 2020. Image Credit: Creative Commons. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the talks “very productive,” while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described them as “constructive and quite substantive.” However, there is no indication that any significant breakthrough was achieved. Neither Zelensky nor Russian President Vladimir Putin was present in Abu Dhabi for the talks, which were presided over by envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Vladimir Medinsky led the Russian delegation, along with deputy foreign ministers Sergei Ryabkov and Mikhail Galuzin, and Russian military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov. Negotiating for Ukraine were Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, and Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov. “There’s a lot of work to be done in that regard,” Rubio said from the G7 summit in France this week, according to…

According to leaked documents, the Russians have lost more than 400,000 killed in action in Ukraine since the beginning of the war in 2022. The data was supposedly leaked from Rosstat, the Russian state statistics agency. Putin in Briefing. Image Credit: Russian Government. Vladimir Putin in Syria. Image Credit: Creative Commons. The information was revealed by a Belarusian opposition group, Cyber Partisans, working alongside the Ukrainian hacker group Silent Crow. The hacker groups suggest that, due to delays in reporting, the real death toll from the war in Ukraine may be even higher for the Russian side. The leaked registry was sent to multiple news outlets. The data falls in line with multiple independent estimates, revealing the staggering toll of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Leaked Russian Casualty Figures The hacker groups announced the breach on November 1 and published the data over the weekend. Rosstat confirmed the breach but denied that any sensitive data was obtained. If real, the information offers a more detailed look at the human cost of Putin’s war ahead of the scheduled peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Although Western outlets have not been able to confirm the authenticity of the leaked documents, the claims…

New footage has shown the Chinese Type 076 aircraft carrier Sichuan operating at sea, following the landmark first launch of a stealth drone from the ship which was reported on  October 30. This represented the first publicly reported take-off and landing of a fixed-wing stealth drone aboard the vessel, which is the third in the world equipped with an electromagnetic catapult and arresting gear. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy described the achievement as a breakthrough in its ability to operate fixed-wing unmanned aircraft from large maritime combat platforms, with the GJ-21 unmanned stealth fighter expected to form the backbone of the warship’s air wing. The Sichuan is the fourth warship launched in China capable of accommodating fixed wing combat aircraft. Launched on December 27, 2024, Sichuan is the first vessel of China’s Type 076 class and has a full-load displacement exceeding 40,000 tons, approximately equal in size to Europe’s largest aircraft carrier the nuclear powered ship Charles De Gaulle. Although its full-length flight deck and twin-island superstructure resemble those of an aircraft carrier, the vessel also retains the ability to transport amphibious forces and equipment, including through a stern well deck for landing craft. This combination of aviation and amphibious…

Former President Joe Biden, with the unique distinction of being both the successor to and predecessor of President Donald Trump, had a lot to say about that in his new book, “Promise Me, America.” ‘Dismissive and Destructive’ President Donald J. Trump greets the crowd in Medora, North Dakota, after arriving on the Freedom 250 Train en route to the grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) President Donald J. Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum, attends a roundtable for the American mining industry, Friday, August 7, 2026, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) Given their political and personal differences, the picture Biden paints of Trump is unflattering. In one instance, the former commander-in-chief recounts Trump’s — who was then president-elect — visit to the Oval Office following the latter’s victory in the 2024 presidential election. The visit was supposed to be formal, with the outgoing president briefing his successor on key policy and national security matters. Instead of a formal meeting that should have lasted 30 minutes, Biden said…

During the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump asserted that, if re-elected, he could end the Russia-Ukraine War, which had been raging since 2022, in the first 24 hours of his second presidency. Alas, two years and nine months after returning to the Oval Office, President Trump still hasn’t achieved that lofty and laudable goal. President Donald Trump receives the news he’ll be awarded the Israel Prize from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Monday, December 29, 2025, at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) President Donald Trump delivers remarks alongside Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and CMMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz during a Rural Health Transformation Event in the East Room of the White House, Friday, January 16, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) But now, Mr. Trump is seeing a new hope for a Ukraine peace deal thanks to upcoming talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). So then, is this just more political bluster and premature hope on the President’s part, or is there more substance to it this time around? Bottom Line Up Front…

The Army Black Knights and Navy Midshipmen spent most of this college football season wondering what would happen to their annual rivalry game after 2026.They now have an answer.The Army-Navy Game, which dates to 1890, will move up one week to the first Saturday in December. The change will take effect for the 2027-2028 season and coincides with the announcement Monday of an expanded, 24-team college football playoff.Also Read: Air Force captures Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy while Navy edges TempleWith the bump from 12 to 24 playoff teams, the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, and Atlantic Coast Conference will eliminate their championship games. They played those title games on the first weekend in December. Without them, that opens a spot for the Army-Navy Game.The change preserves the historic matchup between the military service academies in a standalone window on CBS.In 2027, the 24-team playoff will begin on the second weekend in December. Army, Navy Approve of the Change FOXBOROUGH, MA – DECEMBER 09: Army Black Knights players celebrate at the conclusion of the 124th Army-Navy football game on December 9, 2023, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire Both Army and…

The unveiling of NASA’s X-70 Fractal experimental aircraft has fuelled speculation regarding how the design may be intended to advance flight technology, with the aircraft confirmed to have been designed to test advanced flight-control systems and explore manoeuvrability beyond what has previously been demonstrated in crewed flight. NASA expects the aircraft to fly within the next two years, although the agency has disclosed few details about its manufacturer, development history or precise configuration. The aircraft was announced shortly after one of China’s new sixth generation fighter designs demonstrated an unprecedented level of manoeuvrability with a tailless design in late June, before doing so again in August, fuelling speculation that the X-70 may be intended to support efforts by American programs to narrow the flight performance gap.  While conventional aircraft rely primarily on movable aerodynamic surfaces, including ailerons, elevators and rudders, to change their orientation and control their flight path, new approaches can reduce reliance on traditional control surfaces, improve manoeuvrability or allow aircraft to adapt their aerodynamic characteristics to changing flight conditions. One possible research area is active flow control, which seeks to manipulate airflow around an aircraft using techniques such as carefully directed jets of air rather than relying…

Gurkha recruits have been focused on reaching the end of training and joining their new units. But it was during this final stretch that Nepal was hit by the worst floods and landslides in generations – a disaster that brought widespread devastation, weighing heavily on the young men training in North Yorkshire. Yet the Gurkhas are nothing if not a brotherhood. More💻: https://www.forcesnews.com/services/gurkhas/duty-amid-disaster-nepal-floods-weigh-heavily-gurkhas-they-pass-out-catterick #bfbsforcesnews #forcesnews #news #uk #shorts #army #military #gurkha #nepal

He went from the frontline to the front of the charts🌠 From serving in the British Army to becoming a global music star to a favourite faithful🏰 James Blunt’s career has had quite the progression… #bfbsforcesnews #forcesnews #news #uk #shorts #army #navy #airforce #military #jamesblunt #celebritytraitors #traitors #music

An industrial site in the Novgorod region of Russia came under drone attack overnight on November 10, the region’s governor, Alexander Dronov, said. Ukrainian monitoring sources said the site targeted was likely the 123rd Aircraft Repair Plant in Staraya Russa, which overhauls military transport aircraft and aerial refueling tankers. The claim has not been independently verified. Site Previously Hit in the Spring Su-57 Felon Fighter Ready for Action. Image Credit: Creative Commons. Su-57 Felon Fighter. Image Credit: X Screenshot. Ukraine claimed to have struck the facility on March 17, later stating they had damaged an A-50 airborne radar plane during maintenance. Ukraine has yet to claim responsibility for this latest strike in Staraya Russa. A regional emergency was issued by regional emergency services, Interfax said. A wave of explosions was also reported in the area by the Ukrainian monitoring group Exilenova+, which said that “Ukrainian Defense Forces likely targeted the 123rd Aircraft Repair Plant.” RBC-Ukraine reported that local social media posts showed “a fire and fire trucks moving toward the aircraft repair facility.” Video footage shared by monitoring groups appeared to show fires in the area, although the precise location has not been verified. Debris fell onto two vacation homes,…

In the weeks before the midterm elections, President Donald Trump promised that he would not attack Iran again until after the vote. This led many to assume that a major attack would come as soon as the election was over, or that Trump might go the other way and reach a peace agreement. A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the Air Force F-22 Demonstration Team, Air Combat Command, performs aerial maneuvers during the 2025 Marine Corps Base Hawaii Kaneohe Bay Air Show, Aug. 9, 2025. The Kaneohe Bay Air Show provides an opportunity to showcase the aircraft, equipment and capabilities of the armed forces in the Indo-Pacific region to the local community. The air show, which contained aerial performances, static displays, demonstrations and vendors, was designed to celebrate MCBH’s longstanding relationship with the local community. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Blake Gonter) U.S. Air Force Maj. Josh Gunderson, F-22 Demo Team commander, performs the Raptor slide during the Geneseo Airshow July 10, 2021, Geneseo, N.Y. During the maneuver the aircraft actually slides down and backwards under control before Gunderson adjusts the aircrafts position and powers out of the maneuver. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt.…

All the signals are that President Donald J. Trump is preparing for a major war. No, I’m not referring to the next round of fighting in the Middle East conflict. Or even the war in Ukraine. I’m talking about the impending conflict between the Trump administration and the incoming Democratic Party majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Changes Afoot in the Trump Administration President Donald Trump attends UFC 314 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) President Donald Trump attends UFC 314 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) After the Republican Party’s collapse in the Midterm Elections, Trump did what many in his base had been pleading for: fire the White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles. But Trump isn’t selecting a more serious chief; he’s elevating one of the most controversial–hardline–members of his embattled administration: Stephen Miller. Miller is a gonzo figure who has been a noted hardliner on immigration, on the Middle East conflict, and is seen as one of the key enablers for Trump’s worst instincts. But Miller’s selection clearly…

Federal defense and intelligence teams are under tremendous pressure right now from the top down to demonstrate that super intelligence (SI) can and will make a difference in their operations. Part of that pressure comes from not having a clear directive much beyond “figure out how to do SI.”  Even where there is a vision for using SI, many agency leaders are still grappling with how best to deploy SI across existing systems, domains and workflows. Jay Meil is Vice President of Innovation and Asymmetric Technologies and Chief Data Scientist at SAIC. I regularly encounter scenarios in my work with agencies that go something like this: A deployment team sifts through a barrage of vendor claims that their AI-capable tools will solve a particular problem. They settle on an approach and put it to the test. On Monday, the AI tool feels almost miraculous. It analyzes complex threat streams, drafts technical code, and recalls vast historical data. Yet on Friday, that same tool fails to retain context across three basic steps, hallucinates facts, and generates nonsensical answers. Overnight, enthusiasm turns to deep skepticism.  What many agencies are still learning is that the same AI model, with the same built-in algorithms,…

VA has selected CLEAR as a new sign-in option for VA.gov. Setup takes under two minutes, online or in person at a participating VA location. After that, getting into your account is as simple as snapping a selfie. There’s no cost, and it’s optional — you can keep using your current sign-in method if you prefer. Learn more at https://clearme.com/VA — The Marine Corps is well known for lots of things, including keeping old gear around for a long time, but 167 years is pushing it. For the Marines’ 251st birthday, we wanted to talk about the longest continuously serving weapon in the United States military, the M1859 Marine Noncommissioned Officer’s Sword. We talk about how it came about, bust some myths about it, and get into how Marines use it today, and if they’ve ever used it in battle. Happy birthday, Marines. Semper Fi. 00:00 – Intro 01:11 – Ad 02:19 – What swords do Marines have? 03:39 – How Marine NCOs got a sword 06:02 – Why do Marines still have swords? 08:33 – Was the NCO ever used in combat? 12:43 – Happy Birthday, Marines Recorded on: November 10, 2026. Written/Edited by: Kyle Gunn Task & Purpose…

Facing the threat of impeachment, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held a press conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, where he argued that actions taken under his watch were legal operations ordered by President Donald Trump.  That includes the ongoing war with Iran; airstrikes against Houthi fighters in Yemen; the raid that captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro; and airstrikes against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that have killed at least 240 people. “Iran, the cartels, Maduro, Yemen: every one was a lawful operation ordered by the commander-in-chief, then ordered by myself, notified to Congress and executed by American warriors who did their jobs,” Hegseth said at a press conference at the Pentagon. “These are not high crimes,” he added later. “This is the job. And it’s the job well done.” Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Monday, accusing the country’s top civilian defense official of usurping congressional power to wage war, overseeing extrajudicial killings abroad, and attempting to suppress a member of Congress’ freedom of speech. Top Stories This Week News An A-10 named ‘Rainbow Warrior’ sports Marilyn Monroe door art in the Middle East By…

Former President Joe Biden has denied that he concealed his cancer diagnosis from the American public, addressing longstanding rumors that he was hiding his true physical and mental condition during his presidency. He rejected the allegations in his forthcoming memoir, Promise Me, America, which will be published on November 17. Photo by Adam Schultz / Biden for President In excerpts from the book obtained by MS NOW and published on Tuesday, the former president expressed his frustration with commentators and political opponents who have suggested he must have been aware of his illness before announcing it in May 2025, after he had left office. The former president was diagnosed with aggressive stage 4 prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. Biden insists he was unaware of the disease while serving as president. The excerpts were published shortly after the former president also announced that his cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment would prevent him from promoting his new book as extensively as he had hoped. The 83-year-old former president said in a social media statement that his doctors are encouraged by his response to treatment. Still, he also admitted that the disease continues to affect his daily life. What Biden…

The number of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers leaving the Strait of Hormuz reached its highest monthly total since the Iran war began in October. 31 LNG carriers left the Persian Gulf, according to S&P Global Energy tracking data cited by Reuters, marking an increase of eight from September’s tally. An F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to the “Salty Dogs” of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, prepares to land on the flight deck of Pre-Commissioning Unit John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) during flight operations in the Atlantic Ocean, Oct. 15, 2026. John F. Kennedy is underway conducting Aircraft Compatibility Testing, which assesses the operational capabilities of the ship’s aircraft launch and recovery equipment with U.S. Navy aircraft. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jayden Howard) A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet approaches a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker to refuel in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Aug. 3, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Adriana Jordan-Alcaniz) The news comes after a month in which Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) increasingly targeted vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. Wartime High for LNG Exports October’s exports of LNG were the highest since February,…

Russia has attacked targets in eight Ukrainian regions, knocking out power supplies in Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv. Ukraine’s national grid operator Ukrenergo said power outages impacted six regions. The attack comes as Russian and Ukrainian delegations held their first U.S.-brokered three-way talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, since February. Putin in 2024 Image Credit: Russian Federation Putin Back in July of 2024. Russian Government Photo Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said Russian forces attacked five large substations used for transferring power between regions in the Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Vinnytsia and Kirovohrad regions. He added that two people died in the attack on the city of Ladyzhyn in the Vinnytsia region. The Ukrainian Air Force said its airspace had been attacked by 162 drones and one Iskander-M ballistic missile. Air defense systems intercepted 135 drones by 7:30 a.m. local time. The Air Force reported that Russian weapons struck 19 locations, while debris from intercepted drones fell at nine others. Power Disruptions in Dnipropetrovsk More than 600,000 residents in Dnipropetrovsk were hit by power outages after attacks on November 8. Regional authorities said power was cut to five districts, and hospitals and other critical infrastructure were moving to backup generators. DTEK–Ukraine’s largest private…

When Stephanie Carter went to London to remember her first love, David, lost to a helicopter crash in Aden, she couldn’t have predicted what would happen when she arrived on Remembrance Sunday🌹 A chance encounter at the Parade on Sunday led to her meeting the man whose place he took on that fateful flight. #bfbsforcesnews #forcesnews #news #uk #shorts #army #airforce #military #veteran #remembrance #aden #helicopter

U.S. President Donald John Trump has acknowledged the role the Iran War played in the utterly disastrous losses suffered by the Republican Party in the November 2026 midterm elections. Now, barely a week later, and on the heels of a meeting with the Qatari prime minister, he seems to be declaring the Iran War—aka Operation Epic Fury in the United States and Operation Roaring Lion in Israel—to be over. F-16 fighter from Lakeland, Florida Air Show. National Security Journal Original Photo. A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off from a base in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility May 21, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Justin W. Moore) But is this mere political bluster on the President’s part, or is there more substance to it? Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) As reported by Aamer Madhani of the Associated Press (AP), on Monday, 9 November 2026, Mr. Trump, after meeting with Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, paid a surprise visit to the White House briefing room, whereupon he told reporters that “Iran militarily is effectively over. We’re just keeping it the status quo,” adding that though he considers Iran…

The Air Force is surveying industry for ready-made artificial intelligence and machine learning software geared toward autonomous space vehicles operating outside of the near-Earth domain, a new document says.  The service is seeking out “flight-ready” concepts to help cislunar space vehicles run through autonomous maneuvers like “station-keeping, trajectory optimization, and hazard avoidance” of objects moving outside of planetary orbit, according to a request for information published Monday.  “The Government has an over-arching policy objective to develop a sustained architecture beyond earth orbit,” the RFI states. The replies, due Dec. 4, should drive future requirements, it says.  Cislunar systems deal with a much larger domain volume than that of near-Earth systems, which can cause communications delays and issues for command and control systems on the ground, according to the RFI.  “Communication latencies that result from the increase in volume may mean that traditional, ground-based, command and control and mission planning systems are no longer scalable on operationally relevant timelines,” the RFI states.  The Air Force is therefore asking for industry expertise in the form of white papers that should outline concepts for the cislunar domain around five topics: autonomous mission planning, predictive analytics, trajectory planning, computer vision and other potential technical…

Germany has hit the bottom of the Patriot Missile barrel. According to a report from Militarnyi, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told the Berliner Morgenpost on November 7 that Berlin has no more Patriot missiles it can hand over to Ukraine. Germany has already shipped several Patriot systems and a significant number of interceptors to Kyiv. The cupboard is now bare of the missiles Germany can afford to give up. A MIM-104 Patriot Surface-to-Air Missile System assigned to the Fort Bliss, Texas-based 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade fires as part of a bi-lateral live-fire exercise with military members from the Royal Netherlands Ground-based Air Defense Command at McGregor Range, N.M., May 11, 2024. The Patriot Missile System is a highly mobile air defense guided missile system designed to engage and intercept any aerial threats whether it be aircraft or tactical ballistic missiles under any weather conditions and in natural or induced environments. The command showcased its capabilities firing interceptors at simulated drone targets during the training event working with Dutch Allies.(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. David Rincon) Patriot Missile Launch. Image Credit: Creative Commons. Pistorius didn’t sugarcoat it. Speaking to Focus, he said anything Germany transfers now can’t be replaced…

This video describes the military situation in Ukraine on the 10th of November 2026 0:00 👋 Intro 0:14 ❌ First round of talks in Abu Dhabi has failed 0:35 🕊 Kushner: Putin is ready for peace under appropriate conditions 1:40 ⚡️ Key difference: Ukraine wants a ceasefire first, then negotiations 2:37 🚫 Lavrov: no new truce without a durable peace and Europe’s security architecture 3:52 🗺 Territorial issue: the fate of the Sloviansk–Kramatorsk–Druzhkivka agglomeration 4:56 ✋ Zelensky’s final statement: no territory for peace, only NATO guarantees 6:17 🌉 Gerasimov reportedly orders destruction of all bridges across the Dnipro 7:04 ✈️ Zelensky surfaces in Denmark — 10 days outside Ukraine 8:18 🚀 Massive attack expected tonight — Russia’s usual move after day one of talks 9:25 🏴 Sumy direction: Russians claim control over Nikolskoye 11:02 📏 Just 6 km to Sumy, 3 km to the agglomeration — no evacuation announced 13:43 ⚔️ Kupiansk direction: offensive toward Velykyi Burluk from north and south 14:24 💥 Four villages reportedly taken by the West grouping from the Oskil side 16:06 🔥 Gas pipeline destroyed between Kramatorsk and Sloviansk 16:51 🗺 Zaporizhzhia direction: map clarified near Vasylkivka 17:33 📦 Mall wiped out in Kropyvnytskyi —…

Vice President JD Vance in the White House Situation Room. Photo: The White House, public domain. We agree with Vice President JD Vance that the push to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is a costume for a case that is absurd. JD Vance on X just hours before a House vote today called the question of whether Secretary of War Pete Hegseth committed impeachable crimes absurd and answered it for the record — no. More, he explained that impeachment had become a farce to distract from real policy and that instead of actually working to pass legislation that they disagree with, Congress has instead determined that impeachment is easy and thus a substitute for policy, as it was with Donald Trump. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced a privileged resolution with eight articles today. The articles address the war with Iran, airstrikes against suspected drug running ships, Yemen, the capture of Nicolas Maduro, and a fight with Sen. Mark Kelly over civilian casualties. The Hill reports that House Republican leaders intend to kill the measure, while Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has said Hegseth has got to go. This is what really matters. Legislators are most angry at Secretary Hegseth…

As Democrats prepare to go all out against President Donald Trump once the new session of Congress begins in January next year, the president is not planning to be a sitting duck and is already preparing an offensive that promises to bring the full force of the executive branch against his enemies. Letting the Ultra-MAGA Behind the Wheel President Donald Trump signs an executive order on Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patient at a press conference with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Monday, May 12, 2025, in the Roosevelt Room. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) President Donald J. Trump signs executive orders, Friday, May 9, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley) What many see as the biggest indicator of Trump’s strategy to take on the Democrats is his appointment of Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff. Miller, a hardcore MAGA proponent, is widely credited as the driving force behind some of the Trump administration’s most controversial policies, such as the massive immigration crackdowns by ICE. He has also reportedly served as an advisor on Trump’s war in Iran. Miller has been part of…

Wars don’t end because one side says so. On Monday, President Donald Trump walked into the White House briefing room and told reporters the conflict with Iran is “effectively over.” As The Guardian’s Andrew Roth reported, Trump downplayed concerns that Washington would ramp up its military campaign against Tehran now that the midterms are behind him. A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft flies during the Heritage Flight Training Course at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, Feb. 28, 2025. The F-35 is designed to provide the pilot with unsurpassed situational awareness, positive target identification and precision strike in all weather conditions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jasmyne Bridgers-Matos) A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II taxis during a cross-servicing event at NATO Allied Air Command’s Ramstein Flag 2025 exercise April 4, 2025. Successful cross-servicing at RAFL25 is an example of the importance of integrated logistics and maintenance training that enhances U.S. warfighting readiness by strengthening United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa’s ability to deploy, sustain, and project fifth-generation capabilities across the European theater. (Royal Netherlands photo by Sgt. Maj. Jan Dijkstra) He said Israel and the Gulf states are well protected, that further…

In 2024, James Barnett wrote, “A Port Deal Puts the Horn of Africa on the Brink,” where he argued that tensions in countries like Ethiopia and Somalia threaten to escalate into a broader regional conflict if not contained. Two years later, with U.S. attention largely diverted to other areas of concern, we asked James to revisit his arguments.Image: Joseph Rullo via DVIDSIn your January 2024 piece, you warned that a memorandum of understanding signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland could actually accelerate al-Shabaab’s expansion into the two countries, pointing to its 2022 incursion into Ethiopia and its sleeper cells in cities The post Analyzing the Ethiopian-Somaliland Deal, Two Years On appeared first on War on the Rocks.

A CNN report revealed on Tuesday, November 10, some of the details of a major Russian attack that hit a civilian shelter in southeastern Ukraine on November 2. The strike killed at least 55 people, with CNN claiming that Russian forces used a massive bunker-busting bomb to destroy an underground school where rescue workers and civilians had taken cover following a previous attack. Su-27 Flanker Up Close. Image Credit: National Security Journal Taken on July 19, 2025. Russian Su-27 Flanker from USAF Museum. Image Credit: National Security Journal. The report, which used police body camera footage and cited eyewitness accounts, offers a look into the circumstances surrounding one of the deadliest Russian attacks of the war so far. The news also comes as Ukrainian authorities work to recover bodies from the destroyed shelter. The site is located in Komyshuvakha, a village in the Zaporizhzhia region. Ukrainian intelligence officials are also reportedly working to identify Russian military personnel who were involved in the strike, including those who ordered and carried out the attack. Meanwhile, Russia continues to launch strikes across Ukraine, even as negotiators from Ukraine, the United States, and Russia continue to discuss a potential peace deal in Abu Dhabi.…

A veteran Democratic strategist is warning President Donald Trump that his problems are only just beginning following the Republicans’ devastating defeats in the November 3 midterm elections. Carville, one of the architects of President Bill Clinton’s election victories, believes the president will now face two years of difficult investigations into alleged corruption and misconduct within his administration. President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump work the rope line at the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks on the economy at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York on Friday, May 22, 2026.(Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) Speaking on a November 4 episode of the Politics War Room podcast, Carville warned Trump that his position is only set to deteriorate as Democrats use their new congressional majorities to investigate the president, his family, administration officials, and business deals. Since Carville made those remarks, developments suggest his prediction is accurate, with President Trump himself recognizing the threat and instructing his Justice Department to begin criminal investigations into Democratic legislators and figures who have threatened to launch investigations, arguing that they…

If you’re a veteran in the DC area, here’s a great way to spend this Veterans Day. Freedom Haulers, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s initiative to help veterans build careers in trucking, is hosting a Veterans Day celebration in Washington, DC on Wednesday, November 11, at 3 PM ET. It’s free, it’s open to the public, and you don’t need to RSVP. Bring the family. Bring a buddy you served with. The program is short, there will be trucks to check out, and there’s time set aside for photos. What to expect The event is built to be quick, with plenty of time to meet people and take photos. Short remarks from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, trucking industry leaders, and CEOs who are veterans themselves. Big rigs parked on site, including the America 250 truck. Veterans who were recently hired through Freedom Haulers, in driving and office roles alike. Time for photos once the program wraps. What’s being announced DOT plans to share new updates on Freedom Haulers at the event, including: Millions of dollars in funding for trucking schools dedicated to veterans. New programs with states to help veterans…

Douglas Emhoff, the husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris, does not want his wife to run for president again after her failed presidential campaign against President Donald Trump, according to reports. 30% of Democrats, however, reportedly do want Harris to run again in 2028. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Emhoff, the former second gentleman of the United States, was “among those who have shared concerns with others about another run,” as Harris makes moves that appear to signal her intent to try for the presidency another go. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the CHCI 47th Annual Legislative Conference, Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson) Kamala Harris. Image Credit: Creative Commons. “She is one of several high-profile Democrats who are weighing a White House bid and laying the groundwork for a campaign if they decide to move forward,” the Wall Street Journal reported. Harris is the Frontrunner Among Potential Democratic Candidates in 2028 While Emhoff might be among those who do not want to see the former vice president run for the presidency again, members of the Democratic base…

The Polish Army has received its final shipment of South Korean K2 Black Panther main battle tanks and K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers scheduled for delivery in 2026, with several dozen vehicles arriving in the country on November 9. Poland’s Armament Agency confirmed that the equipment would be transferred to operational units on the country’s eastern flank within days. The newly delivered vehicles are expected to reinforce the 16th Mechanised Division, which operates in northeastern Poland near Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and the strategically important Suwalki Gap. The delivery marks another milestone in Warsaw’s extensive military modernisation programme, which has made South Korean armoured and artillery systems a central component of efforts to strengthen NATO’s eastern defences.The latest arrival is particularly significant due to  the 16th Mechanised Division’s deployment at the Suwalki Gap, which is strategically important because it represents a key land connection between the Baltic states and the rest of the alliance. Reinforcing formations in the region with modern tanks and self-propelled artillery is intended to improve their ability to conduct high-intensity operations and respond to potential military contingencies along NATO’s eastern flank. The K2 and K9 provide distinct advantages over Russian tanks and artillery, as well as those fielded…