Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that the Defense Department was preparing to convene a Special Review Panel to fully and thoroughly investigate the disastrous withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in August of 2021.
Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/full-accountability-hegseth-promises-review-of-bidens-botched-afghanistan-withdrawal">promised</a> early on that the DoD would review every bit of available information and deliver accountability after the previous administration, under President Joe Biden, presided over the chaotic evacuation of civilians and troops through Hamid Karzai International Airport — which resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members and grievous injuries to dozens more. Tuesday&#8217;s announcement made good on that promise.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Memo regarding the Review of the U.S. Military Withdrawal from Afghanistan. <a href="https://t.co/2V7Dt8biOm">pic.twitter.com/2V7Dt8biOm</a>
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1924885591075795254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Defense Department also posted a press release on Tuesday detailing the plans for the panel and noting that the deeper investigation would be spearheaded by Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs — and Army Ranger veteran — Sean Parnell.
&#8220;Three and a half years ago the Biden Administration&#8217;s disastrous and embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and 170 civilians in a suicide bombing at the Kabul International Airport’s Abbey Gate. President Trump promised accountability for what transpired during that military withdrawal, and I am committed to delivering on that promise,&#8221; the release from Hegseth&#8217;s office read.
&#8220;We have an obligation to the American people and to the warfighters who fought in Afghanistan to get the truth &#8211; and we will. Today, I am directing the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell to convene a Special Review Panel for the Department into the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Sean Parnell spent 485 days serving in Afghanistan. Sean was wounded in action along with 85% of his platoon and lost countless friends to the War on Terror. It is fitting that he will lead the effort to reexamine previous Abbey Gate investigations conducted by U.S. Central Command during the Biden Administration.&#8221;
Hegseth also noted several others who would be included in the investigative team: &#8220;In addition, Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, a combat-decorated Marine officer who spoke out about the Afghanistan withdrawal, and Jerry Dunleavy, an author, journalist, and investigator who helped lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s investigation into the Afghanistan withdraw, will serve on the Special Review Panel. Sean and his team will look at the facts, examine the sources, interview witnesses, analyze the decision making, and post-mortem the chain of events that led to one of America’s darkest moments. Sean and his team will provide updates at appropriate times to keep the American people informed of our findings and any directed actions resulting from our review.&#8221;
Previous investigations have determined that Biden&#8217;s firm insistence on reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan on his timeline had forced the military to accommodate a withdrawal through HKIA in Kabul rather than the more easily-defended <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-matter-the-cost-biden-harris-admin-pushed-afghanistan-withdrawal-despite-warnings-committee-finds">Bagram Air Base</a> — and that the chaos of attempting evacuations amid a busy urban environment had resulted in assets and allies being abandoned in addition to setting the stage for the terror attack at Abbey Gate.

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Pete Hegseth To Launch Probe Of Biden’s Afghanistan Debacle

Afghanistan

Joe Biden

Military

Pete Hegseth

Politics

President Donald Trump praised American troops as the &#8220;tip of the spear&#8221; in the fight against the &#8220;enemies of civilization&#8221; in a Thursday speech at an American military base in Qatar.
Trump made the comments to troops at the Al Udeid Air Force Base, the largest American military facility in the Middle East, before departing Qatar for the United Arab Emirates. In his speech, Trump laid out his priorities for the Middle East and promised that American troops would soon get a raise through his proposed budget bill.
“All of you are the tip of the spear, you&#8217;re the finest we have, anywhere in the world, you’re the finest we have, you’re the finest anyone has in the fight against the enemies of civilization,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;You’re the people that are defeating chaos, combating terror, defending our interests, supporting our allies, securing our homeland, and making America incredibly proud, and you know what, making America great again.”
Trump also promised the troops that he would make the U.S. military &#8220;bigger, better, stronger, and more powerful than ever.&#8221;
“You are without a doubt the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. That&#8217;s the way it is. I said it last night. I said it&#8217;s strong. We have the strongest military in the world. It&#8217;s not even a contest. We have the best equipment, nobody has equipment like us, nobody has the planes or the missiles or anything else,&#8221; he said. 
Echoing his speech on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, Trump said he was focused on keeping the peace by projecting American strength.
&#8220;As president, my priority is to end conflicts, not start them — but I will never hesitate to wield American power if it&#8217;s necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners. And this is one of our great partners right here,&#8221; Trump told the troops on Thursday.
The day before his speech, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-major-defense-deal-with-qatar-despite-past-accusations-of-terror-financing?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Signs+Major+Defense+Deal+With+Qatar+Despite+Past+Accusations+Of+Terror+Financing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a defense agreement with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, where the country signed a letter of intent to purchase $2 billion worth of MQ-9B Reaper drones and $1 billion in counter-drone technology. At the same time, Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-defends-400-million-flying-palace-offered-as-gift-from-qatar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faced criticism</a> over his acceptance of a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar.
In attendance at Thursday&#8217;s speech to the troops were comedian Theo Von and country music singer Lee Greenwood, who sang &#8220;God Bless America&#8221; before Trump took the stage.
Throughout his Middle East trip, Trump has signed defense agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, announced billions of dollars worth of business deals with both countries, and met with the president of Syria, marking the first time the leaders from the two countries have met since 2000. Trump is now headed to the United Arab Emirates to meet with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other top officials.

QATAR-US-DEFENCE-DIPLOMACY

Trump Praises American Troops In Qatar: ‘Tip Of The Spear’ Against ‘Enemies Of Civilization’

Air Force

Donald Trump

Executive

Foreign Policy

Middle East

Qatar

U.S. Military

President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States needs a missile defense system akin to Israel’s Iron Dome.
“We need the Golden Dome by the way in this world, though this world is a lot safer today than it was a week ago and a lot safer than it was six months ago,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
Trump spoke beside graphics of the proposed Golden Dome, including a quote from the president stating, “This is a Very Dangerous World. We’re going to protect our citizens like never before.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump says that the U.S. needs the Golden Dome <a href="https://t.co/LEisXM6GnI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/LEisXM6GnI</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1922008082403496121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump joked that the reduction of costs in Medicaid, Medicare, and pharmaceuticals could pay for the Golden Dome.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS</a>
“That’ll easily pay for the Golden Dome, and we will have a lot of money left over,” Trump said.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-executive-order-initiating-the-construction-of-americas-iron-dome" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump signed</a> an executive order in January initiating the construction of the missile defense system that would “provide for the common defense of its citizens and the Nation by deploying and maintaining a next-generation missile defense shield.”
“Over the past 40 years, rather than lessening, the threat from next-generation strategic weapons has become more intense and complex with the development by peer and near-peer adversaries of next-generation delivery systems and their own homeland integrated air and missile defense capabilities,” Trump said.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-world-stop-buying-iranian-oil-or-else?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+To+World%3A+Stop+Buying+Iranian+Oil+%E2%80%94+Or+Else" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRUMP TO WORLD: STOP BUYING IRANIAN OIL — OR ELSE</a>
The order added that President Ronald Reagan endeavored to build such a system to defend against nuclear attacks, but that his program was cancelled before it reached its goal.
While the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-were-gonna-have-an-iron-dome-like-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iron Dome</a> is highly effective in protecting Israel — a country roughly the size of New Jersey — a  “Golden Dome” would face far greater logistical challenges due to the vast size of the United States.
<div id="attachment_221009" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-221009" class="size-large wp-image-221009" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2021/05/GettyImages-1232819480-865x576.jpg" alt="Israel's Iron Dome aerial defence system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian Hamas movement, above the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, on May 11, 2021. - Israel and Hamas exchanged heavy fire, in a dramatic escalation between the bitter foes sparked by unrest at Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound." width="865" height="576" />President Trump said that the U.S. should have a &#8220;Golden Dome,&#8221; which is inspired by Israel&#8217;s &#8220;Iron Dome&#8221; missile defense system. (JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
A Space Force general said that such a project is of the magnitude of the Manhattan Project, the secretive World War II program that led to the first atomic bomb and the development of nuclear weapons.
&#8220;This is on the order of magnitude of the Manhattan Project, and it’s going to take concerted effort from the very top of our government. It&#8217;s going to take a national will to bring all this together,&#8221; Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force, said, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trumps-golden-dome-need-manhattan-project-scale-whole-of-government-effort-space-force-general-warns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News reported</a>.
Israel expects to roll out its &#8220;Iron Beam&#8221; laser air defense system by the end of 2025, which will drastically reduce the costs of intercepting missiles, reported <a href="https://www.jns.org/israels-iron-beam-laser-defense-system-to-launch-by-years-end/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jewish News Syndicate</a>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-will-pay-the-consequence-pete-hegseth-warns-iran-over-lethal-support-to-houthis?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=9&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98You+Will+Pay+The+Consequence%E2%80%99%3A+Pete+Hegseth+Warns+Iran+Over+Lethal+Support+To+Houthis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘YOU WILL PAY THE CONSEQUENCE’: PETE HEGSETH WARNS IRAN OVER LETHAL SUPPORT TO HOUTHS</a>
In March, aerospace and defense company <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-esg-scores-became-the-new-weapon-in-the-war-on-israel?author=Isaac+Willour&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+ESG+Scores+Became+The+New+Weapon+In+The+War+On+Israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lockheed Martin</a> posted a promotional video of a future Golden Dome system.
“Imagine a defense system that shields America from aerial threats, hypersonic missiles and drone swarms with unmatched speed and accuracy,” the company posted. Thanks to President Trump’s vision, Golden Dome will make this a reality, securing our future.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Imagine a defense system that shields America from aerial threats, hypersonic missiles and drone swarms with unmatched speed and accuracy. Thanks to President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@realDonaldTrump</a>&#8216;s vision, Golden Dome will make this a reality, securing our future. <a href="https://t.co/vyXHzpbTw2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/vyXHzpbTw2</a>
— Lockheed Martin (@LockheedMartin) <a href="https://twitter.com/LockheedMartin/status/1902356028416537005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March 19, 2025</a></blockquote>

President Trump Signs Executive Orders In The Oval Office

Trump Says U.S. Needs ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Defense System: ‘This Is A Very Dangerous World’

Israel

Technology

While President Donald Trump&#8217;s desire for Canada to become the 51st state <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-tells-newly-elected-canadian-pm-never-say-never-to-canadian-statehood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">didn&#8217;t sit well</a> with Prime Minister Mark Carney, the newly elected Canadian leader credited the president with changing Canada&#8217;s outlook on security.
During the first meeting between Trump and Carney in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Carney said that Canada&#8217;s government is prepared to reorient itself on security spending and play its &#8220;full weight&#8221; in NATO. Shortly before Trump welcomed Carney to the White House, the president <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114461575736468146" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questioned</a> why the United States was &#8220;subsidizing Canada by $200 Billion Dollars a year, in addition to giving them FREE Military Protection.&#8221;
&#8220;My government is committed for a step change in our investment in Canadian security and our partnership,&#8221; Carney told reporters in the Oval Office. &#8220;And I&#8217;ll say this as well, that the president has revitalized international security, revitalized NATO and us playing our full weight in NATO, and that will be part of it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Pres. Trump on Canada becoming 51st state: We&#39;re not going to be discussing that, unless somebody wants to discuss that&#8230;it really would be a wonderful marriage.
Canadian PM Carney: There are some places that are never for sale&#8230;it&#39;s not for sale. It won&#39;t be for sale, ever. <a href="https://t.co/axZSwbeO9C">pic.twitter.com/axZSwbeO9C</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1919790726583603294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In 2024, Canada <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/econographics/whos-at-2-percent-look-how-nato-allies-have-increased-their-defense-spending-since-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent</a> just 1.37% of its GDP on defense, falling near the bottom among NATO allies in defense spending and coming up short of NATO&#8217;s 2% guideline. During his election campaign, Carney <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canadas-carney-promises-defense-spending-boost-if-he-wins-election-2025-03-25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> to increase defense spending with an &#8220;unprecedented acceleration of investment&#8221; in Canada&#8217;s armed forces, but did not specify what the total increase in spending would be, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canadas-carney-promises-defense-spending-boost-if-he-wins-election-2025-03-25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. While the United States doesn&#8217;t directly fund Canada&#8217;s military or defense, it has <a href="https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1958-60v07p1/d296#:~:text=Canada%20is%20given%20special%20treatment,the%20production%20in%20Canada%20of" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played</a> a key role in information sharing and exchanging defense materials and research and development data.
Carney&#8217;s promise to increase the Canadian government&#8217;s focus on security came immediately after Trump told Carney to &#8220;never say never&#8221; to Canada becoming the 51st state. Trump said that the United States “essentially” provides “free” military support for Canada already.
“Because we’re protecting Canada if you ever have a problem,” the president added, gesturing toward Carney. “It would really be a wonderful marriage because it’s two places that get along very well.”
Carney dismissed any notion of his country joining the United States, but added that a &#8220;partnership&#8221; is important for the future of both nations.

Donald Trump/Mark Carney

Carney Says Trump Revitalized International Security, Vows Canada Will Play ‘Full Weight’ In NATO

Canada

Defense

Global Politics

Mark Carney

NATO

President Donald Trump said Sunday that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is so afraid of drug cartels that &#8220;she can&#8217;t even think straight,&#8221; and that&#8217;s why she rejected his proposal to send American troops into Mexico to fight them.
Trump made the comments after he was asked whether news that he had made the offer was true. On Saturday, Sheinbaum said that she had turned down Trump&#8217;s offer because it would impugn Mexican sovereignty.
&#8220;It&#8217;s true,&#8221; Trump told reporters. &#8220;[The cartels] are horrible people that have been killing people left and right. They&#8217;ve made a fortune on selling drugs and destroying our people. We lost 300,000 people last year to fentanyl and drugs. They are bad news.&#8221;
&#8220;If Mexico wanted help with the cartels we would be honored to go in and do it,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I told her that, &#8216;I&#8217;d be honored to go in and do it.&#8217; The cartels are trying to destroy our country. They are evil! And you know, we had 300,000 people die last year from fentanyl and all that. We had millions of people brought into this country that shouldn&#8217;t be here. The cartels brought them in.&#8221;
He said that he thought Sheinbaum was nice but that she refused American help because she was scared of the cartels.
&#8220;So if she said that I offered to do that, she&#8217;s 100 percent right,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;She&#8217;s so afraid of the cartels she can&#8217;t walk so you know, that&#8217;s the reason. And I think she&#8217;s a lovely woman. The president of Mexico is a lovely woman. But she is so afraid of the cartels that she can&#8217;t even think straight.&#8221;
On Friday, it was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-pressures-mexico-to-allow-u-s-military-to-lead-fight-against-drug-cartels?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Pressures+Mexico+To+Allow+U.S.+Military+To+Lead+Fight+Against+Drug+Cartels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Sheinbaum and Trump got into a heated phone call last month after he pushed for the U.S. military to lead in the fight against cartels.
&#8220;He said, &#8216;How can we help you fight drug trafficking? I propose that the United States military come in and help you.&#8217; And you know what I said to him? &#8216;No, President Trump,'&#8221; Sheinbaum <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-sheinbaum-mexico-drug-cartels-c2113e74cfc122f8f5a9e162644a470f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Saturday, confirming the conversation.
&#8220;Sovereignty is not for sale. Sovereignty is loved and defended,&#8221; she added. &#8220;We can work together, but you in your territory and us in ours.&#8221;
Trump has designated cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-it-is-time-for-america-to-wage-war-on-the-cartels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> in a speech before Congress to &#8220;wage war&#8221; on them.
White House National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt said Saturday that while the United States-Mexico border had largely been secured, Mexico still needed to do more to crack down on drug cartels.
&#8220;Dangerous Foreign Terrorist Organizations, however, continue to threaten our shared security and the drugs and crime they spread threaten American communities across the country,&#8221; Hewitt said. &#8220;The President has been crystal clear that Mexico must do more to combat these gangs and cartels and the United States stands ready to assist and expand the already close cooperation between our two countries.&#8221;

MixCollage-05-May-2025-07-30-AM-9035

Trump Says Mexico’s President ‘Afraid’ To Let American Troops Come Fight Cartels

Cartels

Claudia Sheinbaum

Drugs

Fentanyl

Mexico

The Army confirmed on Friday that a massive military parade featuring 6,600 soldiers, 150 vehicles, and 50 helicopters will be held on President Donald Trump&#8217;s 79th birthday as part of the service&#8217;s 250th anniversary celebration.
The parade will follow a route from Arlington, Virginia, to the National Mall and has been submitted for classification as a &#8220;national special security event,&#8221; bringing additional federal resources to secure the area, PBS <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/army-confirms-military-parade-for-its-250th-anniversary-will-be-held-on-trumps-birthday">reported</a>.
White House officials confirmed the commemorative parade would be one of the first events to kick off a yearlong celebration of the nation&#8217;s 250th anniversary planned through July 4, 2026.
&#8220;The Army is celebrating its 250th Birthday with multiple events leading up to June 14,&#8221; the Army <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/7000-troops-tanks-parachute-jumps-military-parade-coinciding/story?id=121410722">said</a> in a statement Friday evening. &#8220;The national level celebration will include a spectacular fireworks display, a parade, and a day-long festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The festival will feature displays of Army equipment, military demonstrations, musical performances, and a fitness competition.&#8221;
&#8220;Parade planning is actively underway, and we anticipate approximately 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and 6,600 Soldiers to highlight the Army’s 250 years of service to the nation,&#8221; it added.
President Trump has advocated for a military parade since witnessing France&#8217;s Bastille Day celebration in 2017, with White House-Pentagon discussions for this event beginning just two months ago. The parade fulfills Trump&#8217;s vision that was previously unrealized when a similar plan during his first term was reportedly cancelled.
According to military planning documents <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-army-military-parade-birthday-2f5cd12c8ccd4efddc29bfa3cf8f2705">obtained</a> by the AP, the massive display will include soldiers from at least 11 corps and divisions nationwide, and Stryker vehicles, tanks, Bradley vehicles, Paladin artillery, and Howitzers are expected in a display of American military power.
Army spokesman Steve Warren stated the Army is looking at options &#8220;to make the celebration even bigger, with more capability demonstrations, additional displays of equipment, and more engagement with the community.&#8221; The late afternoon parade will be followed by a parachute jump by the Golden Knights, a concert, and a &#8220;spectacular fireworks display.&#8221;
Beyond military units, the parade is expected to include civilian participation with historical vehicles, aircraft, representatives from veterans groups, military colleges, and historical reenactor organizations.

The Inauguration Of Donald J. Trump As The 47th President

Army Announces Massive 250th Anniversary Parade To Be Held On Trump’s Birthday

Military parade

Patriotism

U.S.

U.S. Army

The pilot of the Black Hawk that crashed into a passenger jet in January, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft, failed to turn the military helicopter when advised to do so by her co-pilot, according to a new report.
On Sunday, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/27/business/dc-plane-crash-reagan-airport.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> new details on various &#8220;failures&#8221; underlying the mid-air <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-suggests-airport-tower-understaffed-at-time-of-collision-had-been-for-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collision</a>, which happened over the Potomac River in the Washington, D.C., area.
In the final moments, Capt. Rebecca Lobach, who was piloting the Army Black Hawk Helicopter involved in the crash, was told by her co-pilot and instructor, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, that he believed air traffic control wanted them to turn left to avoid the American Airlines passenger jet as it was about to land at Reagan National Airport.
&#8220;Turning left would have opened up more space between the helicopter and Flight 5342, which was heading for Runway 33 at an altitude of roughly 300 feet,&#8221; the New York Times report said. &#8220;She did not turn left.&#8221;
Investigators &#8220;might never know why&#8221; Lobach continued flying the helicopter straight, the report asserted.
&#8220;There is no indication that she was suffering from health issues at the time or that a medical event affected her during those final moments aboard the Black Hawk, according to friends and people familiar with the crash investigation, which included autopsies and performance log reviews,&#8221; it said.
As noted in the report, there were other issues underlying the deadly incident, including those related to the helicopter&#8217;s altitude and radio communications.
The air traffic controller had contacted the Black Hawk, asking if its crew had seen the passenger jet, according to the report. Eaves said they saw &#8220;traffic&#8221; and requested permission for &#8220;visual separation&#8221; that would allow the helicopter to maneuver around it.
But cockpit voice recordings &#8220;indicate&#8221; the controller&#8217;s command for the Black Hawk to &#8220;pass behind&#8221; the passenger jet may not have been heard by the military helicopter crew because of a &#8220;bleep-out&#8221; when they activated their microphone.
Two seconds after the controller&#8217;s cut-out instruction, Eaves again communicated that the helicopter had the jet in its sights and sought the go-ahead for visual separation. In their last communication, the controller replied, &#8220;Vis sep approved.&#8221; That&#8217;s when, with 15 seconds to go, Eaves told Lobach that he believed air traffic control had given them the go-ahead to turn.

Emergency Crews Respond To Aircraft Crash Near Reagan National Airport

New Revelation From Deadly Mid-Air Collision: Black Hawk Pilot Failed To Turn When Advised

Air Travel

Washington D.C.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promised an overhaul of military physical fitness standards — and accountability to ensure that those standards are met — in an X post on Friday, declaring that on his watch, service members would be &#8220;FIT, not FAT!&#8221;
Hegseth was responding to a Military Times <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2025/04/24/more-than-two-thirds-of-reserve-troops-are-overweight-report/#:~:text=The%20Defense%20Department's%20latest%20data,figure%20is%20closer%20to%2068%25." target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published Thursday revealing that the overwhelming majority — more than two-thirds — of reserve troops did not meet the prescribed weight standards.
&#8220;Completely unacceptable. This is what happens when standards are IGNORED — and this is what we are changing. REAL fitness &amp; weight standards are here. We will be FIT, not FAT,&#8221; Hegseth declared in an X post, noting that part of the problem was the fact that even the existing standards were not being enforced.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Completely unacceptable.
This is what happens when standards are IGNORED — and this is what we are changing. REAL fitness &amp; weight standards are here.
We will be FIT, not FAT. <a href="https://t.co/KWMlFbS1c8">pic.twitter.com/KWMlFbS1c8</a>
&mdash; Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1915725082820764054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Citing a new study released earlier this week by the American Security Project (ASP), The Military Times reported that an estimated 68% of National Guard and reserve troops would be classified as either overweight or obese. The problem was slightly more pronounced among National Guard members, where some 21% of all personnel are estimated to be obese.
The ASP noted in the study that a large percentage of Active Duty service members are also considered to be overweight or obese. But because National Guard and reserve service members serve and train on a part time basis, enforcing physical fitness standards can be a much more complicated issue than when dealing with those serving in an active duty capacity — but the risks, in addition to the impacts on military readiness, remain high.
&#8220;These service members experience heightened risk for a wide variety of serious health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and osteoarthritis, which may lead to life-threatening health events such as stroke and heart failure,&#8221; the ASP report stated.
Hegseth has stated repeatedly that his main goal is to restore the United States military&#8217;s reputation as the most lethal fighting force on the planet, and as such, he plans to overhaul and enforce fitness standards that will bring about that end.

‘FIT, Not FAT!’: Pete Hegseth Promises Standard Overhaul After ‘Unacceptable’ Troop Fitness Report

'FIT, Not FAT!': Pete Hegseth Promises Standard Overhaul After 'Unacceptable' Troop Fitness Report

Department of Defense

Trump Administration

Vice President JD Vance poured a few beers for American service members at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, speaking to troops briefly while his plane refueled during his return trip back to the United States.
The vice president has seen a busy week beginning with Easter Sunday at the Vatican, where he briefly met with the late Pope Francis just hours before the pontiff died of a stroke, followed by a trip to India with Second Lady Usha Vance and their three children.
Vance, according to the pool report, commented on the hectic nature of his schedule as he spoke to the crowd, saying in part, &#8220;I have no idea what the hell day it is, what time it is, but we’re glad to be here with you guys.”
&#8220;I guess as a small token of appreciation, I’m going to serve you guys some beers,&#8221; the vice president said after he&#8217;d finished speaking. He drank first, raising a traditional German painted stein and prepared to toast the gathered service members.
Initially joking that he should chug the beer, Vance quickly course-corrected, saying, &#8220;That would go viral, and not in a good way, my friends.&#8221;
Instead, he sipped from the stein and offered his toast: &#8220;To the airmen of this base, the airwomen of this base, and all of our troops serving overseas, God bless you guys. Cheers.&#8221;
Vance proceeded to pour beers from the &#8220;kegerator,&#8221; designed and built by Air Force Master Sgt. Anthony Davis, as the troops filed in, some exchanging greetings and asking the vice president to take photos with them.
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Vice President <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance</a> pouring up some beers for the troops during a refuel stop at Ramstein Air Base🍻 <a href="https://t.co/eU4VJYBqBZ">pic.twitter.com/eU4VJYBqBZ</a>
&mdash; William Martin (@wsmartin218) <a href="https://twitter.com/wsmartin218/status/1915385110536265776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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One airman asked how his flight had been, to which Vance replied, &#8220;It was 9 hours and 20 minutes with three little kids and as good as it could be &#8230; I’m not giving everybody a full pour here.&#8221;
&#8220;What’s up man?&#8221; Vance asked one airman. &#8220;Drinking on the job here, now that your tour’s over?&#8221;
&#8220;Are you old enough to drink this beer?&#8221; he asked another.
One female airman reportedly asked Vance to do &#8220;the Trump dance.&#8221;
Davis asked Vance to sign his &#8220;kegerator,&#8221; and he happily obliged. &#8220;This thing is awesome,&#8221; he said.
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Per pooler <a href="https://twitter.com/natalie_allison?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@natalie_allison</a>: VP Vance served beer to 100+ Air Force, Army and Space Force today at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on his way back to the USA.
The airman who built this kegerator (Air Force Master Sgt. Anthony Davis) asked <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> to sign it.
Vance wrote: “To… <a href="https://t.co/qrcDHpR8nx">pic.twitter.com/qrcDHpR8nx</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1915463080999260209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>

U.S. Vice President Vance Visits Italy And India

JD Vance Serves Beer To Service Members During Refueling Stop, Reminds Himself Not To ‘Chug’

JD Vance Serves Beer To Service Members During Refueling Stop, Reminds Himself Not To 'Chug'

Alcohol

JD Vance

Multiple media outlets ran with a story on Wednesday claiming that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had demanded the addition of a make-up studio at the Pentagon where officials could prepare for media appearances.
CBS News White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs shared the news via X, posting, &#8220;News: @SecDef Hegseth recently ordered modifications to the green room next to the Pentagon press briefing room to add a makeup studio that can be used to prep for TV appearances, sources told @CBSNews. The price tag for the project was several thousand dollars. The space previously had minimal furnishings. A new director-style chair and large mirror with makeup lighting was installed. Hegseth has used the briefing room for Fox News hits.&#8221;
It was not until the very end of the post that Jacobs qualified her assertions with a quote from a spokesperson, who confirmed only that the green room had been updated, but added, &#8220;For this upgrade we were deliberately conservative and opted for several less expensive, on-hand materiel solutions.&#8221;
The @DODRapidResponse account fired back with a photo of the updated green room, adding, &#8220;Does the fake news NOT have anything better to do? 1. No lighted mirror. 2. It didn&#8217;t cost thousands. 3. The items that were added to the GREEN ROOM (not a makeup studio) came from existing inventory. This story is TRASH!&#8221;
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Does the fake news NOT have anything better to do?
1. No lighted mirror. 2. It didn&#39;t cost thousands. 3. The items that were added to the GREEN ROOM (not a makeup studio) came from existing inventory.
This story is TRASH! <a href="https://t.co/hOrF5VNqcg">https://t.co/hOrF5VNqcg</a> <a href="https://t.co/FQzXX4QgpW">pic.twitter.com/FQzXX4QgpW</a>
&mdash; DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1915123461631918529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Defense Secretary Hegseth also took aim at CBS News, suggesting that he might have gotten more favorable media coverage if he&#8217;d installed tampon dispensers in the Pentagon men&#8217;s rooms.
&#8220;1) Totally fake story. No &#8216;orders&#8217; and no &#8216;makeup&#8217; — but whatever. 2) We should have installed tampon machines in every men’s bathroom at DoD instead — the leftist &#8216;news&#8217; media would have loved that,&#8221; he said.
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1) Totally fake story. No “orders” and no “makeup” — but whatever.
2) We should have installed tampon machines in every men’s bathroom at DoD instead — the leftist “news” media would have loved that. <a href="https://t.co/7LypyVObXJ">https://t.co/7LypyVObXJ</a>
&mdash; Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1915180944157196773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Chief Pentagon spokesman and Army Ranger veteran Sean Parnell added, &#8220;This story is 100% Fake News.&#8221;
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This story is 100% Fake News. <a href="https://t.co/ya8hXPeZhh">https://t.co/ya8hXPeZhh</a>
&mdash; Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellATSD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanParnellATSD/status/1915223544180465682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Still, numerous outlets went on to claim that Hegseth had demanded a &#8220;make-up studio&#8221; at the Pentagon — but while media persisted in chasing the fake story, it was business as usual at the Department of Defense.
Hegseth continued to push an end to &#8220;woke&#8221; policies and programs, saying, &#8220;No more social engineering. No more climate change worship. No more electric tanks. No more gender confusion. No more pronouns. No more excuses. No more quotas. No more WOKE bulls*** that undermines commanders and command climates. We are laser focused on our mission of warfighting.&#8221;
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. <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> &quot;No more social engineering. No more climate change worship. No more electric tanks. No more gender confusion. No more pronouns. No more excuses. No more quotas.
No more WOKE bullsh*t that undermines commanders and command climates. We are laser focused on our mission… <a href="https://t.co/02v9OTHDij">pic.twitter.com/02v9OTHDij</a>
&mdash; DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1915067656266281242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Army recruitment announced that it was six full months ahead of schedule with regard to 2025 goals.
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SIX MONTHS ahead of schedule. <a href="https://t.co/Ho6f6xnbB4">pic.twitter.com/Ho6f6xnbB4</a>
&mdash; Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1915359536451383408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And U.S. military forces overseas continued the onslaught against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists.
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Continuous 24/7 operations against Iran-backed Houthis from USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouthisAreTerrorists?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouthisAreTerrorists</a> <a href="https://t.co/lh5DpvdCOR">pic.twitter.com/lh5DpvdCOR</a>
&mdash; U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1915188353059692607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Poland

Media Outlets Peddle Pentagon Makeup Studio Story In Latest Effort To Smear Pete Hegseth

Media

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he was planning to sit for an interview with The Atlantic&#8217;s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, in spite of the fact that Goldberg has used his outlet to perpetuate &#8220;many fictional stories&#8221; about the president and his administration.
Trump declared his intentions in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying that he planned to take the meeting with Goldberg and two of his writers — both of whom he described as unfriendly to the administration — &#8220;out of curiosity.&#8221;
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<a href="https://t.co/9ZtlJfRCfZ">pic.twitter.com/9ZtlJfRCfZ</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1915433979454410756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Later today I will be meeting with, of all people, Jeffrey Goldberg, the Editor of The Atlantic, and the person responsible for many fictional stories about me, including the made-up HOAX on &#8216;Suckers and Losers&#8217; and, SignalGate, something he was somewhat more &#8216;successful&#8217; with,&#8221; Trump began, referencing one story that had circulated during his first term in the White House before pivoting to the recent SNAFU in which Goldberg had accidentally been added to a Signal chat group where high-level administration officials had discussed plans to retaliate against Houthi terrorists in some detail.
Despite the fact that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz took responsibility for the incident — and that Goldberg&#8217;s addition to the group has been linked to an algorithm-based &#8220;contact suggestion&#8221; feature on his iPhone — Democrats and media still attempted to weaponize the story in their efforts to bring down Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
&#8220;Jeffrey is bringing with him Michael Scherer and Ashley Parker, not exactly pro-Trump writers, either, to put it mildly!&#8221; Trump&#8217;s post continued. &#8220;The story they are writing, they have told my representatives, will be entitled, &#8216;The Most Consequential President of this Century.&#8217; I am doing this interview out of curiosity, and as a competition with myself, just to see if it’s possible for The Atlantic to be &#8216;truthful.&#8217; Are they capable of writing a fair story on &#8216;TRUMP&#8217;? The way I look at it, what can be so bad – I WON!&#8221;

President Donald Trump

Trump Agrees To Interview With Repeat Hoax-Peddler Jeffrey Goldberg ‘Out Of Curiosity’

Trump Agrees To Interview With Repeat Hoax-Peddler Jeffrey Goldberg 'Out Of Curiosity'

Signal

The Atlantic

President Donald Trump&#8217;s counter-terrorism operation has been humming in the first three months of his second administration, taking out 74 terrorist leaders who were planning attacks on United States soil, according to National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
Among those neutralized in Trump&#8217;s airstrikes were terrorists from al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, and ISIS. None of the 74 terrorists taken out by Trump-approved strikes were being pursued by the Biden administration, Waltz told <a href="https://justthenews.com/government/security/wedtrump-has-killed-74-leaders-terror-groups-hoping-strike-us-homeland-mike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Just The News</a>. Waltz said the Biden administration&#8217;s failure to find these terrorist leaders and its lack of border security created an &#8220;incredibly dangerous&#8221; situation that the Trump administration is seeking to fix.
“I can tell you, from ISIS to al-Qaeda, to groups like Al-Shabab, all have plots and plans to hit the homeland once again, And if you look under the Biden administration, with a wide-open border, that was incredibly dangerous,” he said. “President Trump has eliminated 74 named terrorist leaders that the Biden administration wasn&#8217;t going after. You add to that 45 Americans who are being held hostage by various regimes and groups around the world that he&#8217;s brought home and that is just an incredible achievement in just a couple of months.”
In March, a top ISIS leader was killed in a precision airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. A senior military leader of a terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaeda was taken out in a separate strike in Syria in February, and on February 1, a U.S. Africa Command operation took out 13 high-ranking Islamic State operatives, along with an attack planner.
&#8220;Americans should sleep better at night,&#8221; Waltz added. &#8220;We&#8217;re only three months in, and look at the results President Trump is getting. The mainstream media doesn&#8217;t want to talk about those.&#8221;
Trump has also ramped up strikes against Houthi terrorists in the Middle East, vowing to protect U.S. military and commercial ships. On Tuesday, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-troops-to-middle-east-to-counter-houthi-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that he was ordering more U.S. forces &#8220;equipped for combat into the Middle East to enhance the defensive capabilities available to United States forces and facilitate necessary military actions.&#8221;
The continued pressure on the Houthis — and other radical Islamic terrorists in the Middle East — comes as the Trump administration is also seeking to negotiate a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-saturdays-nuclear-talks-between-the-u-s-and-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear deal</a> with Iran, which funds the Houthis. The president is hoping to bring more stability to the Middle East after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking hundreds hostage.

U.S. airstrikes

Trump Strikes Have Killed 74 Terrorist Leaders Planning Attacks On U.S. Soil: Mike Waltz

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