By now, most veterans have probably encountered a for-profit company that promises VA disability compensation or a VA disability rating increase. Some charge a flat fee, others charge a percentage of your compensation back pay, and still others might charge a percentage of disability pay for an undetermined amount of time.
Related: The early projections for the VA’s 2026 disability COLA increase
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) calls them “claim sharks.” Disabled American Veterans (DAV) calls them “predatory.
Author: Michael
Key Points and Summary: While the U.S. military met its 2025 recruitment goals, it faces a catastrophic retention crisis, losing highly specialized talent faster than it can be replaced.
-The Drain: Critical experts in cyber, AI, and logistics are leaving for the private sector, with officer attrition rates in the Air Force skyrocketing 350-550% above the national average.
An Estonian Defense Forces M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fires a training rocket during a live-fire exercise in Undva, Estonia, July 11, 2025. U.S.
“You might not have a leg tomorrow morning̷
Key Points and Summary: The U.S. Navy has canceled the Constellation-class frigate program at a Wisconsin shipyard due to excessive design modifications and delays, opting for faster-to-build alternatives.
-The Failure: Initially based on a proven Italian design, constant government-mandated changes pushed the launch from 2026 to 2029, costing $2 billion without a single ship in the water.
An artist rendering of the U.S. Navy guided-missile frigate FFG(X).
Key Points and Summary: Sweden’s next-generation A26 Blekinge-class submarine is poised to become the premier conventional hunter-killer of the Baltic Sea, despite a turbulent development history.
The Tech: It features Stirling Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) for 18 days of submerged endurance and “GHOST” stealth technology to minimize acoustic and magnetic signatures.
Blekinge-Class. Image Credit: Saab.
The Innovation: A unique 1.5-meter “Multi-Mission Portal” in the bow allows for the deployment of special forces, divers, and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).
Key Points and Summary: The America-class Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) ships are transforming the U.S. Marine Corps from a ground-heavy force into a lethal, sea-based strike arm for the Indo-Pacific.
The Shift: Under Force Design 2030, the Marines have divested tanks to focus on island-hopping campaigns using ships like the USS America (LHA-6) and USS Tripoli (LHA-7).
F-35 test pilot Marine Maj. Paul Gucwa from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23), Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), flies an F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft to the U.K.
Bottom Line Up Front: A direct comparison between the legendary F-14D Tomcat and the modern Dassault Rafale reveals how raw power has given way to sensor fusion and agility.
The Tomcat Advantage: Built for fleet defense, it dominated with Mach 2.34 speed and the massive AIM-54 Phoenix missile (160km+ range).
F-14D Tomcat Onboard USS Intrepid in NYC. Image Taken by National Security Journal on 9/19/2025.
The Rafale Advantage: A 4.5-gen omnirole fighter, it utilizes superior sensor fusion (RBE2 AESA radar), SPECTRA electronic warfare, and high-agility canards.
Key Points and Summary: The Tupolev Tu-95 “Bear,” a Cold War icon and the world’s only frontline turboprop bomber, is facing an existential crisis in Ukraine.
-The Threat: Used as a “missile truck” to launch Kh-101 cruise missiles, the Bear remains a potent weapon, but its bases are now vulnerable to Ukrainian drone strikes.
Tu-95 Bear Bomber. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-The Losses: Recent attacks have reportedly destroyed or damaged over a dozen Tu-95s—losses the Russian Air Force cannot replace because production lines closed in the 1990s.
This video describes the military situation in
Born to Go Until the End | Military Motivation