Early Bird Brief: June 5, 2024

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:

Marines fast track qualified cyber, signals recruits to rank of gunny

(Marine Corps Times) The Marine Corps has launched a pilot program that will allow qualified recruits to enter the Corps with a rank as high as gunnery sergeant. Read More

No firings planned after VA executive bonus mistakes, secretary says

(Military Times) Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough on Tuesday acknowledged “a series of massive mistakes” in the improper awarding of about $11 million of incentive bonuses to senior department officials last year but told lawmakers he still has confidence in his leadership team to make up for the errors and reform agency processes. Read More

House defense spending bill nixes funding for second Virginia sub

(Defense News) The House’s annual Pentagon spending bill only funds the procurement of one Virginia-class attack submarine for fiscal 2025 instead of two vessels as it has in previous years. The draft spending bill, released Tuesday, overrides legislation the House Armed Services Committee advanced last month, which authorized partial funding for a second Virginia-class submarine. Read More

With a drop of blood, this new device will test for TBIs in 15 minutes

(Military Times) A new rapid test that checks for traumatic brain injuries using a single drop of blood is expected to make its debut in the military in the coming months. Read More

Gunman captured after shootout outside US Embassy in Lebanon

(The Associated Press) A gunman was shot and captured by Lebanese soldiers after a shootout outside the U.S. Embassy outside Beirut on Wednesday morning, the military said. Read More

For the full EBB, with dozens of daily story links, subscribe here.