The U.S. Capitol dome seen through a window of another building.

House GOP appropriators propose 3.8% pay raise for troops in flat 2026 defense budget

House appropriators on Monday released a draft of the defense budget that will give service members a 3.8% pay raise, reduce the civilian workforce by nearly 45,000 jobs and keep the Pentagon’s budget flat from 2025 to 2026.

Guests visit the Fort Bliss National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 26, 2025, in El Paso, Texas. In 2007, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facility became the first national cemetery to adopt a xeriscape landscape in response to the arid West Texas climate and water conservation needs. Traditional turf grass was replaced with decomposed granite and drought-tolerant native plants. It is one of only three National Cemetery Administration xeriscape national cemeteries.

Veterans commemorated with urn or plaque would get VA burial option under new bill

Families who choose to receive an urn or commemorative plaque on behalf of a deceased veteran forfeit the right to bury that veteran in a national cemetery under a new Department of Veterans Affairs rule.

Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, left, and Gen. Randy George are seated at a table. Driscoll looks at George as the general talks, making a gesture with his right hand.

National Guard prepares 20,000 troops for immigration crackdown

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Gen. Randy George, the service chief of staff, said they did not yet know what role National Guard members would play in the immigration enforcement effort but said troop involvement would be legal and in line with training. 

Senate proposes $150B for defense in its version of reconciliation bill

The Senate’s version of a sweeping bill to advance President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda includes nearly $150 billion for defense, deviating slightly from the House’s legislation with extra boosts for munitions and technology and less for shipbuilding.

Space Command HQ in Colorado “not sustainable” without new construction, report says

New military construction would be needed to support a permanent U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado, a government watchdog found as lawmakers continue to argue over the final location of the combatant command.

Former U.S. Marine Corps Maj. James Capers, the distinguished guest, salutes the battalion colors during a change of command ceremony for 2d Reconnaissance Battalion (Recon), 2d Marine Division, on Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 18, 2021. During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Geoffrey Hoey relinquished command of 2d Recon to Lt. Col. Eric Tee. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Patrick King)

Medal of Honor upgrade sought for recon Marine injured in Vietnam

In April 1967 near the village of Phu Loc in South Vietnam, Maj. James Capers Jr. charged ahead to free his injured men from an enemy assault even though the attack, initiated by claymore mines, ripped open his abdomen and broke his leg.

Tommy Tuberville, wearing a blue suit and seen from the side, sits at a table in a congressional hearing room.

Tuberville’s military promotion hold disrupted family lives but did not hurt readiness, according to watchdog

The Government Accountability Office found the effect of the hold on 447 military promotions initiated by the Alabama senator varied based on individual circumstances.

Lt. Col. Erin Fritzler, commander of the Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion, and recruits salute Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, the commanding general of the United States Army Special Operations Command, during the Torrance Armed Forces Day Parade in Torrance, California May 17, 2025. The Department of Defense sponsors the event each year to honor the service and sacrifices of the U.S. armed forces while fostering patriotism and community connections. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Brea DuBose)

Lawmakers propose tax-free military bonuses

While service members deployed to combat zones are exempt from income taxes, other troops are subject to the federal income tax and are shortchanged when their bonuses are also taxed, lawmakers argue.

Colosimo answers questions.

Army Corps of Engineers official denies politicization of construction funds amid Democrat outcry

An Army Corps of Engineers official denied Wednesday that the agency’s 2025 work plans had been politicized as Democrats accused President Donald Trump’s administration of shifting construction funds away from Democratic-led states to Republican-led ones.

Allvin in uniform, Meink and Saltzman, also in uniform, at a table in the hearing room with nameplates in front of them.

‘A large hit’: Space Force losing almost 14% of civilian workforce

Many of the civilians who work for the service, which is the smallest military branch, have highly technical skills and provide expertise that the Space Force does not have among its active-duty service members, the service’s chief of space operations said.