
Early Bird Brief
100 episodes — Page 1 of 2
Ep 400Senior military leader calms fears over aid operation off Gaza coast
Some Republican lawmakers, though, remain skeptical.
Ep 399Russia, Iran military partnership rears its head with drones in Ukraine
The assessment comes from a U.S. Central Command report.
Ep 398Coast Guard conducts search and research mission after Baltimore bridge collapse
The Associated Press reported that six construction workers are presumed dead from the accident.
Ep 397House China Committee gets new leader as Gallagher exits
Gallagher's previous efforts included legislation over the social media site TikTok -- and efforts to force the company to become American-owned for national security reasons.
Ep 396Marine wargames offer a look at the future — and fuel dissent
Marine Corps reporter Irene Loewenson breaks down how wargames are fueling strategic choices in the service.
Ep 395March Madness…of defense spending
Congress released the nearly six-month late defense budget yesterday.
Ep 394North Korea drone tech may present challenge in Asia
Adm. John Aquilino testified before the House Armed Services Committee yesterday.
Ep 393In effort to deter China, US military wishlist triples in size
The wishlist comes as China’s actions grow more aggressive in the region.
Ep 392One key senator eyes troop pay raises, increased funds for military housing
Sen. Reed leads the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Ep 391Nearly $1 trillion defense budget faces scrutiny both for being too large and falling short
That figure is drawing criticism both for being too large and for falling short.
Ep 390Military was slow to process COVID vaccine waivers, watchdog says
The Army and the Air Force routinely overran deadlines, the report said.
Ep 389House passes TikTok ban in bipartisan vote
President Joe Biden said he would sign the bill into law if it passes the Senate.
Ep 388Another round of Army ships deploy for humanitarian mission off the coast of Gaza Strip
Four additional Army vessels shipped out to the Mediterranean, as U.S. airdrops of aid continue.
Ep 387Pentagon releases its fiscal year 2025 budget
This comes as Congress is approaching six months of continuing resolutions for fiscal year 2024.
Ep 386How Military Times discovered high tanker suicide rates
Army Times reporter Davis Winkie breaks down how Freedom of Information Act requests shed light on the high rates of suicide for tankers.
Ep 385State of the Union: Biden outlines military operation to build port in Gaza for aid
The biggest national security headlines from Biden’s 2024 State of the Union speech.
Ep 384Sweden joins NATO, ending the country's post-WWII neutrality
Sweden formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance.
Ep 383First fatalities confirmed in Red Sea attacks by Iran-backed Houthis
The Barbados-flagged ship was abandoned, with two crew members dead and six wounded.
Ep 382“Alarming” percentage of vets, troops accept conspiracy theories: Military Times survey
Survey participants were quizzed on their ability to differentiate between reliable and unreliable information.
Ep 381US sends aid to Gaza as Harris calls for ceasefire
The U.S. airdrop over the weekend is expected to be the first of many.
Ep 380Navy leaders see power evolution with information warfare
"We are in the middle of another epochal change,” Adm. Samuel Paparo recently said.
Ep 379Lawmakers grill Lloyd Austin over hospitalization
Austin was hospitalized on Jan. 1 after complications from a surgery for prostate cancer.
Ep 378Mitch McConnell, staunch Ukraine advocate, to step down as Senate Republican leader
McConnell is the longest serving leader in the Senate's history.
Ep 377Mental health outreach efforts need more focus on women vets: report
Female veterans account for nearly 10% of veterans in the VA system.
Ep 376Pentagon releases review on Austin’s hushed-up hospitalization
The review comes days before Austin is set to testify before Congress on the incident.
Ep 375Pentagon wants industry to transform to meet demands for wars in Ukraine, Israel
The Pentagon’s new defense-industrial strategy calls for “generational” investment in the industrial base.
Ep 374Navy chief charged with spying for foreign government
Chief Fire Controlman Bryce Steven Pedicini faces eight espionage charge specifications for alleged crimes that occurred between November 2022 and May.
Ep 373Inside the Navy’s quest to fix the recruiting crisis
Navy leaders hope to reverse a troubling trend that culminated in the service falling well short of its annual recruiting goal for the first time
Ep 372Pentagon indicates Iran-backed Houthi rebels shot down a US drone
The drone-downing is only the latest in a string of attacks on the shipping lanes in the Red Sea vital to the global economy.
Ep 371From Red Sea to Ukraine, use of missile defense batteries increases
Reporter Jen Judson and analyst Tom Karako discuss growing worldwide air and missile defense activity from Patriot batteries in Ukraine to persistent Red Sea attacks to what might be needed to prevent another Tower 22-like attack.
Ep 370Air Force unveils sweeping changes, Navy secretary vows to hold contractors accountable
An update on the major announcements from the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air Warfare Symposium and the Navy’s West 2024 conference.
Ep 369Biden admin urges calm over Russian space weapon threat
The weapon has yet to be launched into space, an administration official said.
Ep 368Lawmakers say VA leader ignored sexual harassment charges
The agency has already given 50,000 documents to lawmakers that pertain to the allegations and their handling.
Ep 367Senate passes Ukraine, Taiwan military aid, House vote uncertain
House Speaker Mike Johnson called the previous version of the supplemental "dead on arrival" after it was released.
Ep 366Biden criticizes Trump over encouraging Russian invasion of NATO
The former president also attacked his sole primary challenger about her husband’s tour of duty in Africa.
Ep 365Lessons and mistakes on a B-52 bomber training flight
Defense News air warfare reporter Stephen Losey joins a B-52 crew to experience a training run aboard the aircraft with decades-old hardware.
Ep 364How the Air Force is prepping to fly century-old bombers
It comes amid the most sweeping revamp of the U.S. bomber fleet in more than a generation.
Ep 363Five Marines declared dead in helicopter crash
The crash occurred east of San Diego in California.
Ep 362Senior militia leader killed in U.S. airstrike
The strike comes after three U.S. service members were killed by a drone in Jordan last month.
Ep 361Rep. Gonzales wants more Ukraine aid, sees bigger role for military intelligence at southern border
In an Early Bird Brief special episode, Rep. Tony Gonzales joins the podcast to talk about Ukraine military aid, the Israel-Hamas War, military pay issues and border security.
Ep 360After fatal Jordan attack, Pentagon weighs base safety
The Pentagon said that no plans are underway to pull troops out of the Middle East.
Ep 359Ukraine military aid, border security bill in limbo
Today, a Senate agreement on Ukraine military aid and immigration reform at the U.S.-Mexico border is released.
Ep 358The Pentagon says it's trying not to open a wider Middle East war
A discussion with Military Times Pentagon Bureau Chief Meghann Myers for an update on the rise of attacks against American forces in the Middle East.
Ep 357Biden administration approves drone sale to India as China military threat grows
Today, Capitol Hill reporter Bryant Harris joins the episode to discuss a recent drone sale to India.
Ep 356Tensions over the migrant crisis swell at the border and on Capitol Hill
Today, Military Veterans in Journalism Fellow Nikki Wentling breaks down tensions at the southern border between the Texas National Guard and federal government.
Ep 355Pentagon not taking Iran-backed militia pause declaration seriously
The attack in Jordan took the lives of three soldiers.
Ep 354Drone that killed three US troops reportedly mistaken as friendly
Today, more information is revealed about the drone that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan, near the Syrian border.
Ep 353Amid Red Sea clashes, Navy leaders ask: Where are our ship lasers?
Today, Naval warfare reporter Megan Eckstein and C4ISRNET reporter Colin Demarest discuss the Navy's operations in the Red Sea -- and the service's desire for ship lasers.
Ep 352Border crisis pits National Guard against feds in Supreme Court ruling
Texas National Guard soldiers are still erecting border wire — and some Republicans are calling on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to defy the Supreme Court.
Ep 351Houthi rebels and US airstrikes: How do war powers work?
Today, Capitol Hill reporter Bryant Harris dives into the world of presidential war powers -- and how sometimes Congress tries to reign them in.