Today is my first day as a defense reporter at CQ Roll Call! Very excited to dive back into the congressional defense beat with a great team. Send tips/re-add me to your press lists/say hello at rebecca.kheel@cqrollcall.com. I'm also still on Signal at rhkheel.52.

Here Are the 596 Books Being Banned by Defense Department Schools The list was released by the order of a federal judge as part of the ACLU's lawsuit against the Department of Defense Education Activity's implementation of President Donald Trump's anti-diversity…

Here Are the 596 Books Being Banned by Defense Department Schools www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Food Assistance Cuts Softened, Veterans Education Benefits Protected in Senate Version of Trump Agenda Bill Two aspects of a sweeping bill to enact President Donald Trump's agenda that alarmed veterans and military family advocates have been watered down by Senate Republicans.

Senate pares back cuts to food stamps for troops and their families, but cuts are still there - @kheel.bsky.social with the story

Hegseth Suggests LA-Style Troop Deployments Could Happen Anywhere in US 'if Necessary' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added that "hopefully" governors in other states would mobilize their Guards themselves and took a swipe at California Gov. Gavin Newsom for "playing politics."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested Wednesday that the Trump administration could send troops to any city in America over the objections of state and local officials, as it is doing now in Los Angeles.

Story by @kheel.bsky.social

'In No Way Incompatible': Service Academy Alums Sign Letter Supporting Transgender Cadets, Midshipmen Alumni representing every academy and a broad spectrum of generations have signed onto an open letter aimed at providing transgender and other gender-nonconforming students with encouragement.

Nearly 300 alumni from across the military service academies have signed an open letter telling transgender cadets and midshipmen they are "in no way incompatible" with military values amid the Trump administration's efforts to ban transgender troops. My story: www.military.com/daily-news/2...

'Different Spanks for Different Ranks': Hegseth's Signal Scandal Would Put Regular Troops in the Brig Despite what amounts to among the most startling security snafus in recent memory -- one that would almost certainly trigger severe disciplinary action for lower-level personnel -- Hegseth and others ...

"How are soldiers supposed to interpret this?" an Army brigade commander said. "It's a cartoonish lapse in security."

Story by @stevenbeynon.bsky.social, @ktoropin.bsky.social, @dflawrence.bsky.social + @kheel.bsky.social

Been remiss in not doing this earlier, but today seems like as good a day as any: If you have any news tips or other information you want to share discreetly (either intentionally or inadvertently), you can use the QR code below to find me on Signal

VA Plans to Fire 83,000 Employees with Musk's Help, Eliminating PACT Act Staffing Increase If implemented, the layoffs would bring the department down to the level of employees it had before the PACT Act, the wide-ranging 2022 law that expanded VA health care and benefits for millions of ve...

Extreme, unprecedented firings planned for VA under the direction of Elon Musk. "VA, in partnership with our DOGE leads, will move out aggressively ..."

Mass terminations could imperil the recent extension of benefits to veterans sickened by toxic exposures.

Story by @kheel.bsky.social

Dan Caine's Nomination: Trump Family Business Connection, Fellow Classmates' Concerns President Donald Trump's choice last week to nominate Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine as his pick to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff marks uncharted territory for the military.

NEW from me and @ktoropin.bsky.social: Ethics experts raise concerns about Trump’s pick to lead the Joint Chiefs given his role with a Kushner investment firm. Also, the officer’s VMI classmates worry that Trump may try and put the general in a precarious position.
www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Pentagon Offers Few Details on Hegseth's $137,000 Housing Upgrades, But Secretary Will Pay Rent Hegseth is eyeing a move into military family housing at Fort McNair, a historic Army installation tucked away in southwest D.C., where the Anacostia and Potomac rivers meet.

NEW from @militarydotcom.bsky.social -
We spent all week trying to figure out what's going on with Sec Hegseth and his $137K house repairs

Seems the DoD doesn't want to offer details

They did confirm he'll pay rent

w/@stevenbeynon.bsky.social, @kheel.bsky.social

www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Navy Starts Turning Away Transgender Recruits Ahead of Trump Ban's Deadline A Navy memo dated the day after Trump signed his order directed recruiters to reject transgender applicants immediately, according to a copy of the memo obtained by Military.com.

Scoop: The Navy is already rejecting transgender recruits even though Trump's trans ban executive order gave the Pentagon 60 days to implement the policy www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Hegseth Confirmed as Defense Secretary After Republicans Dismiss Misconduct Allegations Pete Hegseth is the new secretary of defense following a bruising confirmation fight that revealed he has been accused of sexual assault, excessive drinking and financial mismanagement.

Hegseth confirmed as only the second ever cabinet member pushed over the finish line by a VP - reporting by @kheel.bsky.social

Hegseth Grilled About Women in Combat, Officer Purge in Confirmation Hearing Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Pentagon, dismissed allegations that he committed sexual assault and mismanaged veterans groups as his confirmation hearing got…

Hegseth Grilled About Women in Combat, Officer Purge in Confirmation Hearing

Biden Administration Closing Without Fulfilling Promise to Provide Gender-Affirmation Surgery to Transgender Vets In June 2021, Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough delivered a high-profile speech in which he announced his department would work to cover gender-affirmation surgery for transgender veterans.

Biden Administration Closing Without Fulfilling Promise to Provide Gender-Affirmation Surgery to Transgender Vets

The Top 10 Military.com News Stories of 2024 This year's list includes investigations into abuse at military base child care facilities and alarming indications of cancer in the missileer community, along with critical stories about abuse of…

The Top 10 Military.com News Stories of 2024

Troop Pay Safe After Congress Approves Extension of Government Funding Troop pay is no longer in jeopardy after Congress approved legislation to keep the government funded through mid-March and prevent a holiday season government shutdown.

Quick hit on military paychecks surviving the budget brinksmanship from @kheel.bsky.social

Troop Pay Could Be Delayed Under Elon Musk-Inspired Government Shutdown The potential loss of pay in the midst of the holiday season was looming Thursday after plans negotiated by Republicans and Democrats in Congress to fund the government and avert a shutdown on…

Troop Pay Could Be Delayed Under Elon Musk-Inspired Government Shutdown

Promotion of Last Soldier Out of Afghanistan Held Up by Republican in Senate Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, who has been nominated to receive a fourth star and take command of U.S. Army forces in Europe, was noticeably absent from a batch of military promotions the Senate appro...

The military promotion of the last U.S. soldier to leave Afghanistan is being held up by GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Senate aide confirmed to Military.com on Friday.

NEW from @kheel.bsky.social

Musk, Ramaswamy Proposal to Slash Spending Could Include VA Medical Services Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy confirmed that they plan to target "unauthorized" federal spending, a category that includes the VA's medical services.

A DOGE plan by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to slash government funding could kneecap Department of Veterans Affairs health care. New from @kheel.bsky.social

Kings of Campus: How Some Army Instructors Use Their Clout to Prey on College Cadets To the young students in the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), the officers who run the programs on college campuses are impressive.

NEW: Senior officers and other instructors have taken advantage of the Army's little oversight over ROTC -- where young women are groomed, assaulted, harassed, and, in some cases - raped. Those women do not have clear mechanisms to report abuse.
www.military.com/daily-news/2...