Early Bird Brief: May 22, 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:

Gaza aid pier mission involving US troops is off to a chaotic start

(Military Times & The Associated Press) An effort involving the U.S. military to surge much-needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is off to a chaotic start, with aid trucks being overrun and at least one person feared dead over the weekend, prompting a pause in aid distribution. Read More

Inside the USS Carney’s harrowing and unprecedented deployment

(Navy Times) When they left Naval Station Mayport, Florida, on Sept. 27, Cmdr. Jeremy Robertson and the sailors he commanded aboard the destroyer Carney had no idea what was in store for them. Read More

Radars and drone killers: Revamped Marine office hastens tech creation

(Defense News) The U.S. Marine Corps is developing new radars and leveraging its counter-drone systems as it looks to modernize and expand key capabilities. Read More

Republicans back abortion ban in $360B VA budget draft for next year

(Military Times) Republican appropriators advanced a budget bill Tuesday that includes more than $360 billion for Veterans Affairs operations but also limits on abortion access and diversity programs that Democratic lawmakers vowed to fight as the measure moves through Congress. Read More

Army to release findings on 2023 Maine mass shooting in coming weeks

(Army Times) Army officials said that early this summer they expect to release the results of their long-awaited investigations into mistakes leading up to the mass murder of 18 people by an Army reservist last fall. Read More

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