Early Bird Brief: May 23, 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:

House advances $884 billion defense bill with enlisted troop pay raise

(Defense News) The House on Wednesday night advanced an $883.7 billion defense policy bill for fiscal 2025. It provides a 20% pay boost to junior enlisted troops while pushing back against the Defense Department’s shipbuilding and Air Force procurement plans. Read More

Airmen, guardians could skip shaving under congressional plan

(Military Times) Congress wants to know if airmen and guardians will still be able to defend the skies with facial hair. Read More

The Air Force doesn’t know why maintenance mishaps spiked in 2023

(Air Force Times) The Air Force has been unable to pinpoint what caused last year’s costly spike in maintenance-related aircraft mishaps, according to the service’s top leaders. Read More

Lawmakers move to automate Selective Service registration for all men

(Military Times) A new plan from House lawmakers would automatically register men for a potential military draft when they hit age 18, avoiding potential legal consequences connected to failing to file the paperwork at the proper time. Read More

First aid from US pier in Gaza has reached starving Palestinians, the UN says

(The Associated Press) The U.N. World Food Program said Wednesday that it has handed out in Gaza in recent days a “limited number” of high-energy biscuits that arrived from a U.S.-built pier, the first aid from the new humanitarian sea route to get into the hands of Palestinians in grave need. Read More

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