Today's BLUF
U.S. Central Command has conducted strikes against Iran following an attack on a civilian vessel in the Strait of Hormuz — the day's most operationally significant development. Concurrently, two Wyoming Air National Guard commanders were relieved of duty, the Navy advances West Coast carrier infrastructure, and the U.S. signed a landmark nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia.
Top Stories
Two Wyoming Air National Guard Commanders Relieved of Duty
BLUF: The 153rd Airlift Wing and its Operations Group are without their commanders after Col. Brian Diehl and Col. Lawrence Sullivan were relieved from their posts on July 17.
No cause was identified in available reporting. The simultaneous relief of both a wing commander and operations group commander is an unusual development with few recent parallels in the Guard.
Coverage: Military Times, Task & Purpose
U.S. Navy Moving Forward on West Coast Dock for Aircraft Carriers
BLUF: The Navy is advancing plans to construct a new aircraft carrier dock on the West Coast, addressing a longstanding gap in maintenance and surge capacity for the Pacific Fleet.
The move is a significant infrastructure investment with direct implications for carrier availability and Indo-Pacific readiness in a period of heightened strategic competition.
Coverage: Defense News, Military Times
U.S. Signs Landmark Nuclear Deal with Saudi Arabia
BLUF: The U.S. Department of Energy has finalized a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, opening the kingdom's nuclear energy program to American firms under a "peaceful use" framework.
The deal grants U.S. companies significant access to the Saudi market.
Coverage: BBC World News, Foreign Policy
CENTCOM Completes Latest Strikes Against Iran
BLUF: U.S. Central Command has completed strikes against Iran following Iranian attacks on a civilian ship in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a direct U.S. kinetic response to Iranian maritime aggression.
Editor's Note: BLUF previously covered this on 2026-07-17. What's new: CENTCOM Completes Latest Strikes Against Iran
As BLUF reported on July 22, U.S. forces had already completed an eleventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran — a campaign BLUF has tracked continuously since July 8, when CENTCOM first struck more than 80 targets inside Iran following Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Today's strikes represent the latest round in that sustained campaign, again triggered by Iranian maritime aggression in the same waterway.
This represents a significant escalation in the Strait of Hormuz and has immediate implications for freedom of navigation, regional force posture, and diplomatic channels throughout the Middle East.
Coverage: DVIDS
Also in discourse: X.com (@SecWar)
U.S., Malaysia, and Australia Conduct Joint Mortar Training During Keris Strike 26
BLUF: Soldiers from the Guam Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment joined Malaysian Army and Australian Defence Force personnel in live-fire mortar training near Kota Belud, Malaysia, on July 20, as part of Exercise Keris Strike 26.
The trilateral exercise refined interoperable tactics and techniques applicable to multinational peacekeeping and contingency response missions.
Coverage: DVIDS
U.S. and Partner Nations Conduct SINKEX During RIMPAC 26
BLUF: RIMPAC 2026 participants conducted live-fire sinking exercises on July 12 and 17, sending two decommissioned vessels — USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) and USS Peleliu (LHA 5) — to the bottom in deep water off Kauai.
The exercises provided multinational crews with realistic anti-surface warfare training against full-scale naval targets in open-ocean conditions.
Coverage: DVIDS
U.S. Army and Malaysian Forces Conduct Force-on-Force Exercise During Keris Strike 26
BLUF: Guam National Guard Soldiers and Malaysian Army troops from the 5th Infantry Division conducted a simulated force-on-force tactical engagement on July 22 near Kota Belud, Malaysia, replicating battlefield conditions without live ammunition.
As BLUF reported on July 22, the Guam Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment had already participated in live-fire mortar training with Malaysian and Australian forces during Keris Strike 26 on July 20; today's force-on-force exercise marks a continuation of the multilateral drills at Kota Belud.
Coverage: DVIDS
62d AMXS Stands Up Phoenix AMU to Sustain Airlift Capacity
BLUF: The 62d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron has activated a third Aircraft Maintenance Unit — the Phoenix AMU — to provide dedicated maintenance support to the 7th Airlift Squadron.
The new unit is designed to improve aircraft availability for both combat and humanitarian airlift missions.
Coverage: DVIDS
Maritime Pre-Positioning Ship Squadron 3 Conducts Multi-Ship Group Sail Off Korea
BLUF: Ships assigned to Maritime Pre-Positioning Ship Squadron 3 (MPSRON 3) completed a multi-ship underway training exercise off the coast of Pohang, South Korea, from June 30 to July 3.
The exercise tested coordinated maneuvering and sustainment procedures critical to rapid, large-scale logistics support in the Indo-Pacific.
Coverage: DVIDS
USACE Japan District Highlights Missions and Partnerships at Pacific Senior Leader Seminar
BLUF: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan District hosted senior leaders from across the Pacific from July 20–23 in Tokyo, showcasing active projects, regional partnerships, and the district's operating environment.
The seminar aligned with the Pacific Ocean Division's broader theme of "Beyond Posture: Engineering the Transformed Pacific," emphasizing infrastructure's role in theater readiness.
Coverage: DVIDS