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Tom Lehrer, the social satirist and mathematics professor who used music to poke at the world, died this weekend at the age of 97. Known for songs such as “The Vatican Rag,” “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park” and “The Elements,” his music remained comedy staples for decades after he recorded them and influenced performers such as Weird Al Yankovic. He also was a former enlisted soldier, whose time in the U.S. Army influenced much of his musical repertoire.

A U.S. Army ROTC cadet died this past week while training at Fort Knox, the Army announced.
Cadet Neil Edara, 22, died on Thursday, July 24 after becoming unresponsive during land navigation training. He was there as part of the Army’s ROTC Cadet Summer Training (CST), an annual program that brings in thousands of trainees to the Kentucky base. 
After being found unresponsive, Edara was given medical attention on the scene and transported via helicopter from Fort Knox to the University of Louisville. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The cause of death is being investigated, U.S.

Iranian media outlets have reported that a Russian S-400 long range air defence system was deployed to the country for testing under operational conditions, which took place near the city of Isfahan. The test reportedly included a 91N6E acquisition radar, 92N6E engagement radar, a command and control unit, and multiple mobile surface-to-air missile launchers. Should these reports be confirmed, it remains uncertain whether this would signal that Iran has ordered the system, or whether the Russian Aerospace Forces have made a deployment to the country to advertise the system’s capabilities.

The German government has submitted a formal Letter of Request to the United States to procure the Typhon mobile missile system, as confirmed by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius during an official visit to Washington. “The range of these weapons systems is significantly greater than what we currently have in Europe,” the minister stated, adding that “with them, Germany can increase its own defence capabilities and significantly improve its deterrent capability – but also that of Europe.

Ukraine personal operating inside Russia have destroyed a Russian Aerospace Forces Su-27UB twin seat heavyweight fighter aircraft at the Armavir airfield in the Krasnodar Krai region, according to a number of reports. Ukrainian government sources have released video footage showing the incident from a first-person perspective, which indicates that the aircraft was destroyed from a very short distance, rather than by drone strike as was previously the case for several high profile Ukrainain attacks launched from within Russia’s borders.

Korea Aerospace Industries has showcased a conceptual air combat mission involving a formation of small unmanned stealth fighters operating alongside the KF-21 Boramae manned stealth fighter, during which the UAVs identified and attacked enemy targets and performed higher risk missions. Referred to by the firm as a “low-observable loyal wingman,” it was announced that the new UAV “minimises radar detection through its stealth design and is intended to operate in formation with the KF-21.

We’ve heard them all a thousand times. Your roommate heard from a guy in another unit who swears up and down that when his cousin went through basic training, his roommate had been doing funny stuff with ether. Did his friend’s cousin really see the Etherbunny? It’s probably just one more military urban legend that just won’t die – along with these other myths that have been hanging around since Elvis was in the Army.
Be more skeptical, troops.
1. Your favorite childhood TV star fought in Vietnam.
Fred Rogers, Slayer of Bodies. Supposedly.

A Marine veteran is getting a burial with full military honors next week after his body was hidden for months by a family member in a financial fraud scheme.
Michael S. Blankenship died last year from an illness at the age of 72 in his long-time home of Fairfield, New Jersey. A Marine veteran, he served during the Vietnam War. However his death was not discovered for eight months.

The Fedayeen Saddam were loyal to one man: Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Established in 1995, it was an irregular unit designed to protect the Ba’athist regime and the Iraqi president himself. It was a significant force of 30-40,000 troops (approximately the size of an American corps) all wearing a completely black combat uniform, black ski masks, and some familiar-looking helmets.
…familiar to fans of the original “Star Wars” trilogy, anyway.
Yes, Saddam’s Fedayeen, Arabic for “Men of Sacrifice,” wore enormous Darth Vader helmets.

American military forces successfully captured multiple members of ISIS-Somalia on Friday in a ground raid in Somalia’s Puntland state.
U.S. Africa Command announced on Saturday that it carried out an operation against ISIS-Somalia on July 25. The release did not include details on the nature of the operation or if any ISIS members were killed or captured; saying that “[s]pecific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.