Early Bird Brief: February 4, 2025

Welcome to the Early Bird Brief's LinkedIn Edition, a tightly edited round-up of today's most important military and defense stories. To get the full EBB, with dozens of stories, subscribe here.

Today's Top 5:

VA will end remote work status for thousands of staffers this month

(Military Times) Veterans Affairs officials will require thousands of department staffers to return to in-office work by the end of February, part of a government-wide effort to eliminate remote duty assignments launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

Army set to dramatically grow basic training, riding recruiting high

(Military.com) The Army is set to dramatically expand how many new recruits it can send to basic training this spring, riding the momentum of recent gains toward reversing a recruiting slump it has struggled with in recent years. Read More

Texas Guard can make immigration arrests under new Trump agreement

(The Texas Tribune) Texas National Guard soldiers now have the authority to make immigration arrests and help detain and deport undocumented people under an agreement between the state and the Trump administration that requires those duties be done under the supervision and direction of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official. Read More

Air Force equal opportunity programs not included in DEI purge

(Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Air Force is not shutting down its equal opportunity programs, it said in a new memo, distinguishing them from the department’s sweeping review of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Read More

Apple’s new Vietnam War series captures ‘shards of light’ amid chaos

(Military Times) The dulcet sounds of Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” could be heard around the city, but it wasn’t to mark the approaching holiday season, it was the American code signaling the start of Operation Frequent Wind — the evacuation of Saigon. Read More

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