The Aiming Circle

Spirit of 17: The American Revolution in the Great War - Google Arts & Culture How the American Revolution shaped morale, identity, and participation during World War I

Buried lede: Alliances are clutch, baby.

Dear French and British Army, we couldn’t have don’t it without you! “Lafayette, we ARE here!”

artsandculture.google.com/story/GwVhBn...

INTERVIEW: German space chief backs virtual European command | Euractiv Space capabilities have become increasingly important as Europe invests in defence

"Traut stressed that it is still unclear which European country is responsible for defending Europe’s interests in space. Next to Germany, France and Spain maintain military space command centres, and Italy is in the process of establishing one." www.euractiv.com/interview/ge...

When the Border is Both the Crime and the Crime Scene | Inkstick In a world divided by borders, the US has a long tradition of blaming people fleeing the wars and violence it played a part in fueling.

"Imperialism defines much of this country’s history, but the latest escalation comes at a time when ICE agents have also been deployed to grab immigrants off the streets and whisk them to detention centers. Meanwhile, Trump has continued to preach the jingoistic gospel of stopping new arrivals."

RSVP: Securing Your Devices Against Raids, Seizure, and Surveillance, Part 2 Join us for a live training on how to secure your computers against raids, seizure, and surveillance, brought to you by The Intercept’s Press Freedom Defense Fund. This is the second of two sessions…

JOURNALISTS: Today at 3 PM ET, join the second part of our training on how to secure your devices against raids, seizure, and surveillance.

New today for War on the Rocks members:

Endless Talks, Elusive Outcomes

Mutually Assured Shrugging? The End of New START

How Reliable is Extended Deterrence, Really? The Case for a Nordic Nuclear Capability warontherocks.com/ca...

Hack-proofing our space infrastructure | The Strategist The biggest and most immediate threat to space systems isn’t anti-satellite weaponry; it’s hacking. In October 2025, a group of computer scientists from the University of California, San Diego and the...

"For determined adversaries, that combination can make space systems low-hanging fruit: high-value targets with uneven protections, complex supply chains and the promise of strategic leverage." www.aspistrategist.org.au/hack-proofin...

Google's Cyber Disruption Unit Kicks Its First Goal The latest edition of the Seriously Risky Business cybersecurity newsletter, now on Lawfare.

This week's Seriously Risky Business looks at Google's cyber disruption unit disrupting the world's largest residential proxy network, SpaceX preventing Russian forces from using Starlink, and more. Read the newsletter, from @tom.risky.biz.

Read @jesswash.bsky.social's piece from November on how White Christian Nationalism is shaping Trump's policies in Africa:

Soldiers with the Alabama National Guard patrol around the Gallery Place-Chinatown area in Washington in support of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission on Feb. 3, 2026. (Sherald McAulay/U.S. Army National Guard)

REPORT: National Guard members deployed to Washington, D.C., have broken up fights, administered opioid overdose medication and helped deliver a baby, but they have not had a measurable impact on crime reduction.

Read more:
www.stripes.com/theaters/us/... #Flashes

FREE Veterans Music & Poetry Workshop Starts Feb. 6, 2026 | The Aiming Circle Get more from The Aiming Circle on Patreon

A FREE, veterans-centered arts workshop, inspired by the poetry of U.S. veteran Brian Turner and the music of Kurt Erickson, will focus on themes of trauma and resilience. Meets on-line weekly on Fridays, Feb. 6 to Mar. 27, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

Info: www.patreon.com/posts/150037...

The Chinese Yoke: Russia’s Return to Vassalship In the 13th century, Muscovy, the medieval antecedent to modern Russia, was a small outpost on the periphery of Kyivan Rus. It would not emerge as a

To what degree will Russian dependency on China continue after the Russo-Ukrainian War?

Russia and Ukraine Resume Talks After a Huge Attack by Moscow

Read the full piece ⬇️
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/w...

Warum Epstein eine Kölner Privatbank kaufen wollte Jeffrey Epstein wollte offenbar nicht länger nur Kunde sein – er wollte selbst eine Bank besitzen. Aus den „Epstein Files“ geht nun hervor, dass er 2009 die Kölner Privatbank Sal Oppenheim übernehmen ...

The deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein attempted to buy the Cologne-based private bank Sal. Oppenheim in 2009. His motive was likely not a lucrative investment—but rather to use the bank for money laundering to confuse US authorities as his funds moved in and out of Moscow.

Ron Wyden Only Talks Like This When The Spies Do Something *Real* Bad No, I don't know what they did. But I have a lot of experience with the senator

@wyden.senate.gov's record of warning that there is deep and constitutionally-serious dirt being done by the intelligence agencies in secret is unblemished. The vaguer he is, the filthier the dirt is. This is the vaguest I've ever seen him

Destroyer USS Truxtun Back in Norfolk for Equipment Repair, Delaying Deployment - USNI News A maintenance issue forced USS Truxtun (DDG-103) to return to Norfolk on Wednesday, just one day after the destroyer left for an independent deployment, USNI News has learned. “Truxtun departed Naval ...

Destroyer USS Truxtun Back in Norfolk for Equipment Repair, Delaying Deployment — USNI News
news.usni.org/2026/02/05/d...

There's a VA townhall with the secretary this afternoon, the first such one since Alex Pretti was killed. The invite that went out to staff last week didn't mention him or Minneapolis, but did ask employees to submit questions. We'll see how that goes.

Good lord

Donald Trump’s plan to be king of the world His Board of Peace is essentially a global slush fund, run by him and him alone.

The so-called Board of Peace is shaping up to be a Trump-dominated, crony-ish operation that will decide the fate of 2 million Gazans. Not surprising. But it’s turning out to be much more.

The corpsman who gave all on ‘Bunker Hill’ in Korea Ted Benfold saved wounded Marines by desperate means in Korea.

Ted Benfold saved wounded Marines by desperate means in Korea.

What Will the End of the US-Russia Nuclear Arms Treaty Mean? | Inkstick The New START nuclear arms reduction pact is slated to end on Feb. 5, 2026.

It’s hard to imagine today, but 50 years ago, at the height of the Cold War, the US and Russia (then the Soviet Union) jointly possessed 47,000 nuclear warheads — enough to exterminate all life on Earth many times over.

On a bad day for Journalism, a very good day for a SCOOP by Patty at Task & Purpose.

The Aiming Circle ​The Aiming Circle is an on-line resource for writer-practitioners of military-themed literary and genre fiction; creative non-fiction; history; poetry; opinion/analysis; and other storytelling. We il...

JAN26 round-up 3 of 3—"rounds complete!"

IMAGE: U.S. soldiers assigned to 4th Bn., 319th Airborne Field Artillery Reg't, 173rd Airborne Brigade, conduct live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr Training Area Jan. 29, 2026. U.S. Army photo

*****
Follow and sample us for FREE: www.aimingcircle.com

The Aiming Circle ​The Aiming Circle is an on-line resource for writer-practitioners of military-themed literary and genre fiction; creative non-fiction; history; poetry; opinion/analysis; and other storytelling. We il...

JAN26 round-up, con't (2 of 3)

* Horror Press Calls for Military-Base Short-Fiction

* 2026 Vonnegut Lit Journal Theme Announced

* Contest Seeks Books & Articles on World War I

* 2-Week Subs Window Opens Jan. 15 at MEA

* Editors Extend Deadline on 500-word Craft Essays

Here’s our latest salvo of RESOURCES, TIPS, and MARKETS for writers of military- and war-themed fiction, non-fiction, poetry, scholarship, and more!
www.aimingcircle.com/2026/01/a-ro...

* Feb. 17: On-Line Colloquy on Vets-Writing Groups

* Jan. 28 Reading to Celebrate 'Proud to Be' Vol. 14

1 of 3

Minnesota National Guard members have arrived at a federal building and were directed to distribute donuts, coffee, and hot chocolate to anti-ICE protesters. Guard members were issued reflective vests so they would not be mistaken for federal agents.

Navy base in Bahrain breaks ground on $15.8 million barracks renovation Unaccompanied sailors in Bahrain are in for a multi-million upgrade to their living quarters as part of a Pentagon push to spruce up barracks.

U.S. sailors on unaccompanied tours in the Middle East are in for a major upgrade to their living quarters after Naval Support Activity Bahrain broke ground this month on a $15.8 million renovation of its housing facilities, part of a Pentagon push to improve barracks.

US military assets heading to Middle East even as Trump backs off toughest Iran rhetoric A U.S. military aircraft carrier strike group and other assets will arrive in the Middle East region in the coming days, two U.S. officials said on Thursday, even as U.S. President Donald Trump voices hopes of avoiding new military action against Iran.

US military assets heading to Middle East even as Trump backs off toughest Iran rhetoric reut.rs/49Ox3A2

Left: NATO fatalities in Afghanistan.
Right: Coalition fatalities in Iraq.

Some of us, at least, remember.

Pentagon wants a ‘refocus,’ but Stripes hasn’t wavered from its true mission

The ombudsman for Stars and Stripes, the deployed servicemember's paper of record, writes in its pages that the publication "is in peril of losing its editorial independence and becoming nothing more than a public relations arm of the Pentagon."
www.stripes.com/opinion/2026...

101st Airborne pauses major training exercise ahead of massive winter storm Freezing temperatures, snow and ice are in the forecast, forcing Fort Campbell to pause Operation Lethal Eagle.

Citing soldier safety, the 101st Airborne Division will pause a major exercise during the upcoming weekend as a massive winter storm bears down on Fort Campbell.