Happy Friday! As usual, trying to keep up with the latest defense news has been like trying to drink from the FIREHOSE! Case in point, President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that the United States could take over and redevelop Gaza.
When Trump was asked if he would consider sending U.S. troops to Gaza, he initially said, “If it’s necessary, we’ll do that.”
But on Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social that “the Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting,” adding that “No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!”
Currently, no U.S. government officials have specified exactly how or when the United States might assume control of Gaza, so Trump’s comments appear to be more of an idea than a formal directive.
Prior to Trump’s most recent comments, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. military is “prepared to look at all options” on Gaza.
“But we certainly would not get ahead of the president or provide any details about what we may or may not do,” Hegseth said. “That’s just bad military planning.”
As always, there’s much more. Here’s your weekly rundown:
- Forever Wars 2.0. There’s been no letup in the conflict formerly known as the Global War on Terrorism — which by 2014 had morphed from a large-scale mobilization to a far-flung and far-reaching air and special operations campaign across the Middle East and parts of Africa. The Trump administration conducted its first overt military operation in Somalia on Saturday, with airstrikes that killed “multiple” suspected members of the Islamic State group, or ISIS, according to U.S. Africa Command. Trump posted on social media that the strikes targeted “the Senior ISIS Attack Planner,” whom he did not name. Separately, U.S. Central Command announced on Tuesday that its forces had “enabled” Iraqi strikes near Kirkuk on Jan. 31, killing five suspected ISIS members. This came a day after a U.S. airstrike in Syria on Jan. 30 killed a “senior operative” in an al-Qaida-linked group, according to CENTCOM. By comparison, former President Joe Biden’s administration announced its first airstrikes against Iranian-backed groups in eastern Syria on Feb. 25, 2021.
- U.S. troops could leave Syria, again. Despite the recent military actions against ISIS and al-Qaida, the Pentagon is developing plans to withdraw the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria after Trump voiced an interest in ending America’s military presence there, according to NBC News, which cited two unnamed defense officials. During his first term, Trump twice tried to withdraw from Syria. He reversed himself the first time following the resignation of then-Defense Secretary James Mattis in December 2018. The following year, Trump initially ordered all U.S. troops out of Syria amid Turkey’s invasion to push Kurdish fighters away from its border. Shortly after that, Trump announced that American service members were staying in Syria to protect oil fields. U.S. troops have remained in Syria to fight the remnants of ISIS with the help of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a mostly Kurdish organization, which guards thousands of ISIS fighters and their families in detention camps.
- Combination of prescription drugs puts vets at risk. A recent report found that veterans were at a higher risk of dying if they were prescribed both opioids, which are typically used to treat pain, and benzodiazepines, which can be prescribed for anxiety, panic disorders, insomnia, and seizures. Brian Strom, chair of the committee that wrote the report, said the findings describe “the effect of care that occurred in the past rather than being indicative of the mortality risks of current practices.” Between 2004 and 2009 – before the Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, implemented guidelines to limit opioid prescriptions – 27% of veterans who received opioids were also given benzodiazepines by VA doctors. By 2023, the VA announced it had reduced the number of patients receiving opioid drugs from 875,000 to 289,000 over the past decade.
- Navy prep course success. Launched in 2023, the Navy’s Future Sailor Preparatory Course has not only helped the service meet its recruiting goals, but six of the recruits who have gone on to boot camp became honor grads. The program helps people meet the Navy’s physical standards and test scores to be able to enlist. The course has sent more than 90% of its graduates to boot camp. Seaman Apprentice Jason Lorentz, who went through the course, was named the top sailor in his boot camp class, which graduated on Jan. 23. “I’ve wanted to be a sailor for as long as I can remember,” Lorentz, who will now train to become a hospital corpsman, said in a Navy news release. “While I was in high school, I took the ASVAB so many times and came up short. I gave up my aspirations to serve for a few years until the Navy gave me a second chance to improve my test scores. I jumped at the opportunity, as it’s something I knew would help me to develop and become the kind of person my little brother and sister could be proud of. I wanted to show them that as long as you don’t give up anything is possible in life.”
- Final Black Hawk crew member identified. Friends remembered Army Capt. Rebecca Lobach, 28, as a standout soldier, role model, and mentor. Lobach was killed on Jan. 29 when a Black Hawk helicopter she was aboard collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside of Washington, D.C. All 64 people aboard the airliner were killed along with two other soldiers in the helicopter: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39; and Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28. Army 2nd Lt. Lexi Freas said that Lobach inspired her to fly Black Hawks, helped her become a pilot with the Washington, D.C. National Guard, and even helped her find a civilian job in the capital region. “She was not only a friend, but she was a mentor,” Freas said. “I wouldn’t be the woman I am, and I wouldn’t be the officer that I am today if it weren’t for her impact on my life.”
Hope everyone has a good weekend and have fun trying to stay abreast of the latest news. This reporter’s coffee maker is getting one hell of a workout!
Jeff Schogol