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(The Associated Press) President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including people convicted of assaulting police officers, using his clemency powers on his first day back in office to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy.

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January 21, 2025

Welcome to the Early Bird Brief, compiled by Riley Ceder and Editor Beth Sullivan . Please email news tips and suggestions to riley.ceder@sightlinemg.com.

  Top 5  

• Trump grants sweeping pardon of Jan. 6 defendants, including rioters who violently attacked police *
  (The Associated Press) President Donald Trump on Monday pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including people convicted of assaulting police officers, using his clemency powers on his first day back in office to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy. Read More

• Biden pardons Milley in move to guard against possible Trump ‘revenge’ *
  (The Associated Press) President Joe Biden on Monday pardoned retired Gen. Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, in an extraordinary use of the powers of the presidency in his final hours to guard against potential “revenge” by the incoming Trump administration. Read More

• Trump's promises to radically change the military *
  (Military.com) Since incoming President Donald Trump announced his campaign for reelection, the public has weighed and dissected the merits and shortfalls of his aims for the military. Read More

• Will US President Trump end the Russia-Ukraine war in 100 days? *
  (Al Jazeera) Donald Trump, the new president of the United States, and his team have promised to hit the ground running on Monday, with plans to sign a number of executive orders on the day of his inauguration. Read More

• Trump promises to bring back troops booted for refusing COVID vaccine *
  (Military Times) Just minutes after returning to office Monday, President Donald Trump vowed to reinstate more than 8,000 troops dismissed from military service for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine, promising them back pay that could cost the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars. Read More

  Ukraine  

• Ukraine war briefing: Putin ‘destroying Russia’ and has to make a deal, says Trump *
  (The Guardian) Vladimir Putin is “destroying Russia” by not making a deal to end the war with Ukraine, Donald Trump said after his inauguration on Monday as US president for the second time. Read More

  Pentagon  

• Senate panel advances Hegseth’s bid to become next defense secretary *
  (Military Times) Just hours after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, Senate Armed Services Committee members voted along party lines to advance the new commander-in-chief’s pick to lead the Defense Department. Read More

• For Trump and Musk, reforming how the Pentagon works is possible—but not easy *
  (Defense One) Incoming President Donald Trump and advisor Elon Musk have promised to reform Pentagon spending, a long-sought goal for officials on both sides of the aisle. But while current and former officials told Defense One the new administration could make some changes, reforms to the way Congress allocates funding and provides oversight would still be necessary for a true overhaul. Read More

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• Key Senate confirmation moves follow Trump’s inauguration *
  (Military Times) With President Donald Trump’s inauguration now finished, the Senate will return to work this week confirming key roles in his new administration. Read More

• Culture war fights poised to take lead in Trump's Pentagon agenda *
  (Military.com) Fighting culture wars while prepping for any real wars. Read More

  Congress & Politics  

• Troop pardons set to complicate military's muddled response to Jan. 6 *
  (Military.com) The military for now is leaving open the possibility of active-duty troops serving or continuing to serve if they are pardoned by incoming President Donald Trump for participating in the violent Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol four years ago. Read More

• Restoring Fort Bragg, other Confederate base names: Can Trump keep his campaign promise? *
  (Stars & Stripes) President-elect Donald Trump has made no attempt to hide his disdain for the name changes to nine southern Army installations in 2023, which grew out of a yearslong, multimillion-dollar effort that began in his first administration. Read More

• Trump administration to convene Quad foreign ministers on Tuesday *
  (Politico) One of the Trump administration’s first foreign policy acts will be a meeting with foreign ministers of the Quad alliance — Japan, India and Australia — on Tuesday, according to four people familiar with the planning. Read More

• Report to Congress on Ford-class aircraft carrier program *
  (USNI News) The following is the Jan. 14, 2025, Congressional Research Service report, "Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress." Read More

• CISA should abandon disinformation fight, Trump’s DHS pick says *
  (Defense One) America’s main cybersecurity agency needs to be smaller and should no longer fight misinformation and disinformation, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Homeland Security said Friday. Read More

  National Security  

• Everything Trump said about national security on Day 1 *
  (Defense One) Within minutes of becoming commander-in-chief for the second time, President Donald Trump vowed to send troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, reinstate service members dismissed for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, and reclaim the Panama Canal. Read More

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• Learn More *

• NC man wanted to help Islamic State terrorist group, FBI says *
  (The Charlotte Observer) Federal authorities have charged a North Carolina man with attempting to help ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Read More

• Trump orders military to plan to ‘seal the borders’ *
  (Defense One) The U.S. military must produce a plan to “seal the borders” under an executive order signed Monday by the new president. But experts suggest that the order may set up a legal challenge that turns on the word “invasion.” Read More

• How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat *
  (The Associated Press) If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, that’s probably because it has, at least if you’re measuring via internet time. What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form? Read More

• Acting chiefs named for national-security agencies *
  (Defense One) Donald Trump has named the acting heads of national-security agencies—all career federal executives—to serve until Senate-confirmed nominees are in place, according to a White House press release issued soon after the inauguration on Monday. Read More

• Tracking Trump’s national-security conflicts of interest *
  (Defense One) It is a quirk of constitutional checks-and-balances interpretation that presidents are generally exempt from laws that seek to prevent U.S. officials from acting in their own interests instead of the country’s. Still, modern chief executives have customarily taken steps to reduce conflicts of interest—particularly to keep the prospect of personal gain or foreign pressures from emboldening or even empowering America’s enemies. Read More

  Army  

• Army Ranger-turned-lawyer who recorded himself deleting files and lied about Russian contacts gets prison *
  (Task & Purpose) A former Ranger who became an Army lawyer was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for lying about contacting a Russian embassy and deleting military-owned training materials from a computer system. Read More

• Army expects to meet recruiting goals for 2nd straight year *
  (The Associated Press) The Army expects to meet its enlistment goals for 2025, marking a dramatic turnaround for a service that has struggled for several years to bring in enough young people and has undergone a major overhaul of its recruiting programs. Read More

• Army program that includes peer reviews ahead of command selection is now permanent *
  (Task & Purpose) An Army pilot program that requires soldiers to appear before selection boards to determine if they are ready for command will now be permanent. The program involves board panelists looking at peer reviews of each candidate. Read More

  Navy  

• Del Toro caps final days as Navy secretary by naming 19 future ships *
  (Stars & Stripes) Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro in recent days has named more than a dozen future ships, including aircraft carriers and submarines, to culminate his time leading the sea service. Read More

• Florida jury says CNN defamed Navy veteran in story about endangered Afghans *
  (The Associated Press) A Florida jury on Friday found that CNN defamed a U.S. Navy veteran in a 2021 story about people paid to rescue endangered Afghans following the Taliban takeover of that country. Read More

• Houthis claim 7th strike on carrier Truman as Red Sea conflict continues *
  (USNI News) The Houthis announced that they targeted the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group on Friday, casting doubt on whether the Yemen-based terrorist group would stop its attacks on ships in the Red Sea following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Read More

• The Navy is upgrading littoral combat ships to fight drones *
  (Task & Purpose) The U.S. Navy is hoping that new upgrades can let the troubled littoral combat ships can help protect American forces from enemy drones. Read More

• US submarine makes stop in Gibraltar after personnel transfer *
  (Stars & Stripes) A U.S. Navy submarine spotted earlier this week near Gibraltar made a port visit to the city on Saturday, the service said. Read More

• Navy to simplify drone ship plans, focus on containerized payloads that look alike *
  (The War Zone) After spending years charting a way forward to a family of unmanned surface vessels in a specific array of sizes and configurations, the Navy is eyeing a major course alteration that would see it pursuing a simpler and more interchangeable design. Read More

  Marine Corps  

• Oil spill reported at Marine Corps airfield construction site on Okinawa *
  (Stars & Stripes) A construction vessel leaked oil at the site of a future Marine Corps airfield in northern Okinawa this week but caused no environmental damage, according to Japan’s coast guard. Read More

• New ‘Marine One’ flies President for first time after 20-year search *
  (USNI News) The Marines flew a U.S. president in a new helicopter for the first time in decades. Read More

• Okinawa loses final appeal in lawsuit over future Marine Corps airfield *
  (Stars & Stripes) Japan’s Supreme Court recently denied Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki’s final legal challenge to stop construction at a future Marine Corps airfield in the island’s north. Read More

• Marine Corps Osprey loses load of MREs while training off Okinawa *
  (Stars & Stripes) A Marine Corps Osprey accidentally dropped a load of rations weighing nearly 1,000 pounds into the ocean west of Okinawa during training last week. Read More

  Air Force  

• F-15E Strike Eagle with new EPAWSS electronic warfare suite heads to frontline unit *
  (The War Zone) A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle equipped with a sophisticated new radar warning and electronic warfare suite that provides a major boost to its survivability has returned to its unit. Read More

• Report to Congress on US Air Force Next-Generation Air Dominance Fighter *
  (USNI News) The following is the Jan. 17, 2025, Congressional Research Service In Focus report, U.S. Air Force Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Fighter. Read More

• ‘Same threats’ drive Air Force, Marines to different visions of future war. How will they work together? *
  (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Air Force became the latest service to roll out a new operating concept for the future when Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin unveiled the service’s Force Design last fall. But the Air Force is hardly the only service with a Force Design, and a pressing question for military and civilian leadership is how to stitch them all together. Read More

  Space Force  

• Space Force officer who was relieved of command tapped for senior Air Force role *
  (Task & Purpose) A former Space Force officer who was previously relieved from his command role has been nominated to serve as the undersecretary of the Department of the Air Force. Read More

  Coast Guard  

• Philippines challenge ‘Monster’ China Coast Guard Cutter, US Carrier Vinson Drills with Philippine Forces in South China Sea *
  (USNI News) The Philippine Coast Guard has entered its third week of actively challenging its Chinese counterparts, including a 12,000-ton “monster” China Coast Guard cutter within the country’s exclusive economic zone off Western Luzon. Read More

  National Guard  

• National Guard troops issued special identification patch for Presidential inauguration *
  (Task & Purpose) Members of the National Guard activated to support Monday’s presidential inauguration have been issued a special identification patch for the event, with the goal of making it easier to identify them as members of the Guard. Read More

  Pay & Benefits  

• Experts: Troop pay report is a big step forward. Now they want policy changes *
  (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Experts and advocates commended a new Pentagon report on military pay and compensation, saying the document will help guide much-needed changes to how the Defense Department sets benefits and bring more awareness to the role of military spouses in service members’ financial health. Read More

  Your Military  

• Pentagon’s overhaul of military relocations faces a skeptical moving industry *
  (Stars & Stripes) The Defense Department’s effort to streamline its global system of shipping service members’ household goods is meeting resistance from the moving industry and a federal lawsuit challenging the bidding process for a multibillion-dollar contract. Read More

  Veterans  

• Lawmakers again push to ease firing rules for misbehaving VA staff *
  (Military Times) House and Senate Republican leaders introduced legislation this week designed to make it easier to discipline and fire Veterans Affairs employees, reviving a priority of President Donald Trump’s first term in office just before his second term begins. Read More

• Homeless vets evacuated from VA shelters to avoid LA fires return to uncertain future *
  (Military.com) Homeless veterans who were evacuated from the grounds of the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center have begun returning to an uncertain future on the facility's spacious campus as the fire threat has receded. Read More

• Veteran’s ex-wife tried hiding divorce after he died to steal his VA benefits, feds say *
  (The Charlotte Observer) A U.S. Army veteran’s ex-wife insisted she was his surviving spouse after he died so she could steal his military benefits, federal prosecutors said. Read More

• Use your leadership skills: Become a mentor for a veteran *
  (Military.com) The leadership gene does not sleep. After our recent master class Positioning for Power: Jobs in Management and Leadership, I received a slew of calls from employed veterans who told me how they miss using the leadership skills they learned in the military. No matter how fulfilling their current work was, they still wanted to lead, to guide, to mentor. Read More

  Military Culture & History  

• Two soldiers who fought in the Philippine Insurrection to be awarded Medals of Honor approved more than a century ago *
  (Stars & Stripes) Two soldiers will posthumously receive Medals of Honor for their combat heroics in the Philippines in 1899 that they never got because of a mix up with their mailing addresses, the Army said Thursday. Read More

• Army officers had to write haikus about Pacific theater of World War II during a leadership course *
  (Task & Purpose) Instructors at a military leadership course gave field grade and warrant officers a lesson in communicating complex ideas in a simple format. Their chosen medium: a haiku. Read More

  Cyber, Space & Unmanned  

• How Trump’s Air Force pick could elevate space priorities *
  (Defense News) Among the resumes of President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for key Pentagon posts, aspiring Air Force secretary Troy Meink’s stands out. Read More

• FAA investigating Starship debris reports *
  (SpaceNews) The Federal Aviation Administration says it is investigating reports that debris from the failed Starship test flight landed, and caused property damage in, the Turks and Caicos Islands. Read More

• Sweden unveils drone swarm to be paired with ground troops *
  (Defense News) Sweden has unveiled a cluster of swarming aerial drones envisioned to equip ground and air units of the Swedish Armed Forces for intelligence and surveillance applications. Read More

• SpaceX loses spacecraft after catching rocket booster at the launch pad in latest Starship test *
  (The Associated Press) SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on its latest test flight Thursday, but the spacecraft was destroyed following a thrilling booster catch back at the pad. Read More

• Is bad data to blame for missing weapons parts? *
  (Defense One) Virtually all of the Army’s weapons are affected by delayed or backordered parts — and mismatched computer systems are largely to blame. And it’s only been a month since a new digital tool has started to replicate that. Read More

• Navy ramping up production of autonomous GARC vessels *
  (DefenseScoop) The Navy is aiming to boost production of Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft to a rate of 32 systems per month amid a broader push by the sea service to field more robotic platforms to counter China in the Pacific. Read More

• Army experimenting with what the ‘edge’ is for cloud computing capabilities *
  (DefenseScoop) The Army is conducting experiments to determine what its edge is at echelon and what tools those forces will require. Read More

• Drone boats being rushed to help prevent Baltic seafloor cable sabotage *
  (The War Zone) In the coming weeks, uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) will join NATO’s new Baltic Sentry effort to protect power and communications cables running under the Baltic Sea, some of which have recently been sabotaged. Read More

• Trump’s second term: the space priorities and players *
  (SpaceNews) President Donald Trump was sworn in today. His first term included several space-related initiatives including the initiation of the Artemis Accords and the creation of the Space Force. Since his election in November, SpaceNews’ journalists have been writing about what to expect during a second term. Read More

• Littoral combat ship can now rapidly shoot down aerial drones with Hellfire missiles *
  (The War Zone) The U.S. Navy carried out a crash program last year to enable Freedom class littoral combat ships (LCS) armed with radar-guided AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles to fire those weapons against uncrewed aerial systems. Read More

• Second Trump administration begins with confusion on acting NASA leadership *
  (SpaceNews) The second Trump administration started with soaring rhetoric about sending humans to Mars but confusion about who was leading NASA on an acting basis. Read More

  Defense Industry  

• Æsir Technologies secures Navy contract to expand battery production *
  (The Joplin Globe) Joplin battery producer Æsir Technologies Inc. has secured a contract from the U.S. Navy to increase its capacity to manufacture battery packs for submarines. Read More

• Latest F-35 airframe contracts coming in spring; engine deal later in 2025 *
  (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The F-35 Joint Program Office doesn’t expect to sign a contract with Lockheed Martin for production Lots 18 and 19 until the spring, while a deal for the engines powering those aircraft may take longer to reach, a spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Read More

  International  

• France slams ‘unacceptable’ Russian targeting of Baltic patrol flight *
  (Defense News) France says a Russian S-400 air-defense system targeted a French maritime patrol flight over the Baltic Sea this week in what the country’s Armed Forces Minister Sébastian Lecornu called an “unacceptable” act of aggression. Read More

• Polish general fired after anti-tank mines found in Ikea warehouse *
  (Military Times) A Polish general was dismissed last week by the nation’s defense minister after reportedly misplacing a batch of anti-tank mines that were later found in an Ikea warehouse, according to Polish news outlet Onet. Read More

• Amid Houthi threats, a mysterious airstrip appears on Yemeni island *
  (Defense News) A mysterious airstrip being built on a remote island in Yemen is nearing completion, satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show, one of several built in a nation mired in a stalemated war threatening to reignite. Read More

• Taiwan may cut its defense budget, just as Trump returns *
  (Washington Post) Taiwan is entering a period of political upheaval that could hinder its combat readiness amid intensifying military intimidation from China — just as Donald Trump, who has previously questioned why the United States should defend the island, is inaugurated. Read More

• US green lights $39 million sale of stand-off missiles to Japan *
  (Stars & Stripes) Japan’s counterstrike capabilities is set to receive a boost from the U.S. Defense Department, which on Wednesday backed a $39 million sale of air-to-surface missiles for the country’s F-15J and F-35 fighters. Read More

• Russia and Iran sign a partnership treaty to deepen their ties in the face of Western sanctions *
  (The Associated Press) Russia and Iran sign a partnership treaty to deepen their ties in the face of Western sanctions Read More

• ‘Not a one-trick pony’: NATO fighter jet response reflects growing role apart from US forces, Cavoli says *
  (Stars & Stripes) A new NATO-led air defense mission in Poland sprang into action this week, scrambling F-35 jets in response to a potential Russian drone incursion, the American general who serves as the alliance’s top military commander said. Read More

• What lies ahead for South Korea’s impeached president as investigators seek his arrest? *
  (The Associated Press) Law enforcement authorities on Friday requested a court warrant to formally arrest South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, who was in his third day at a detention center after his lawyers failed in a last-minute effort to secure his release. Read More

• Swedish officials warn of hybrid warfare threats from Russia, China *
  (USNI News) The Swedish Armed Forces issued a statement this week warning about the threat of hybrid warfare, stating Russia, China and Iran were conducting intelligence operations against Sweden and the nation’s political, military and civil authorities must be prepared for indirect and direct threats. Read More

• Wake up and spend more on defense, Macron tells Europe as Trump takes office *
  (The Associated Press) French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europe Monday to “wake up” and spend more on defense in order to reduce its reliance on the United States for its security, in a speech to the French military as Donald Trump returns to power. Read More

• WWII explosive removed from city building site on Okinawa *
  (Stars & Stripes) Japanese troops removed and defused an American shell believed to be from World War II from a construction site in Okinawa’s capital city over the weekend. Read More

• Gaza challenges mount as hostages and prisoners walk free *
  (Bloomberg) The Gaza ceasefire has entered a second day, with hundreds of aid trucks cleared to enter the war-ravaged strip after the initial hostages-for-prisoners exchange. Read More

• Africa ushers in the Trump era *
  (The Africa Report) The US president’s inauguration offers a chance for Africa to court the new administration. Read More

  Video  

• Experience the breathtaking POV of an Army Golden Knight diving into Galveston, Texas *
  (Military Times) Experience the breathtaking POV of an Army Golden Knight diving into Galveston, Texas Read More

• The Navy fires another CO. Plus, a TikTok kidnapping scandal. *
  (Military Times) Get the latest military headlines. Read More

• Next SecDef confirmed? Hegseth faces fire in confirmation hearing. *
  (Military Times) President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, soldiers through a contentious hearing ahead of his potential confirmation to the post. Read More

  Commentary & Analysis  

• The Navy is in trouble. Trump’s secretary needs to rescue it. *
  (Bloomberg) As always when a new presidential administration takes office, we are seeing a flurry of new names and faces set to take charge of important government departments and agencies. But one such position that usually receives relatively little notice could turn out to be very important in Donald Trump’s second term: secretary of the Navy. Read More

• In Syria, America should be ruthlessly focused on the Islamic State *
  (War On The Rocks) Five years ago, we warned that a snap decision to depart Syria — abandoning the U.S. Kurdish-led partner force that has fought the Islamic State in Syria for the last 10 years while thousands of suspected fighters remained in detention — would provide a devastating setback to the fight against the terror group and damage overall American credibility. Read More

• China’s plan to rule the heavens *
  (Defense One) The race to return to the Moon and push beyond has entered a new, more intense phase. While Elon Musk and NASA have been arguing over whether to go to the Moon or Mars, China's recently published space-sciences plan declares its intent to surpass the United States and become the world's preeminent space power. Read More

• US officials need to explain the stakes in Taiwan *
  (War On The Rocks) Only 34% of Americans can find Taiwan on a map and they are even less aware of U.S. strategic interests there. The Chinese Communist Party leadership likely knows this. Read More

• Why organizing the White House for sustained space leadership is necessary *
  (SpaceNews) As the Trump 2.0 administration begins to take shape, one of the questions orbiting in the beltway space community is whether President-elect Trump will retain the National Space Council — a dedicated space policy coordination and oversight function within the Executive Office of the President. The National Space Council, first established by the 1958 law that created NASA, has been used intermittently by presidential administrations over the history of the space age, with its necessity and efficacy debated seemingly during every transition. Read More

• Trump’s Panamanian aspirations are a canal to nowhere *
  (War On The Rocks) Will President Donald Trump really seek to use U.S. military force to retake the Panama Canal as he has threatened? Let’s hope not. Read More

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