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August 15 is recognized as the birthday of the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army Soldier program, or KATUSA. The program was created only weeks after the Korean War ignited, and to this day KATUSAs continue to serve side-by-side with Eighth Army Soldiers providing priceless support and friendship. The Korean War began June 25, 1950. Roughly three weeks later the KATUSA program was initiated July 15 by an informal agreement between the Honorable Syngman Rhee, president of the Republic of Korea, and General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, commander in chief, United Nations Command. During the first two months…

Welcome to Midnight Mania!Let’s start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026.Michael Page on the RAF canvas is the most unexpected crossover of the year.I am also not a math guy, but this doesn’t seem like a particularly impressive payout if you play with the numbers at all. There are easier ways to make $60k a year (and that’s before manager fees and gym dues).If this is true and UFC is actively not allowing its fighters to even grapple Muhammad Mokaev, the odds of a UFC return are grim.Juicy…

Key PointsFootage shows the rollout of a new Il-78MK-90A tanker in what appears to be export configuration, with the customer unconfirmed.Algeria has reportedly signed a contract for three Il-78 tankers with an option for three more, alongside its separate Su-35 and Su-57 fighter purchases.Footage has emerged showing the rollout of a new Il-78MK-90A aerial refueling tanker, apparently built in export configuration, according to posts circulating on Russian social media and aviation channels. Social media users have claimed the aircraft was built under an export contract to supply 20 Il-78 tankers to China, but The Defence Blog could not independently verify…

Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA) announced that it has won a contract from the U.S. Army to deliver prototype K9 Mobile Howitzers (K9MH) for the Army’s new Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) program. The agreement provides for the accelerated delivery of six prototype MTC systems, with an option for an additional 12. This award marks HDUSA’s first major contract with the U.S. Army. HDUSA will provide a technically superior and rapidly fieldable 155mm artillery system that supports the U.S. Army’s modernization and long-range precision fires objectives. With more than 2,500 K9 Howitzers already fielded globally, Hanwha is uniquely positioned to partner with…

Arman Tsarukyan believes Ilia Topuria’s return fight will be against a well-known veteran in the lightweight division, but maybe one anyone is expecting.In an interview on the UFC on Paramount+ YouTube channel, Tsarukyan was asked where Topuria fights in the 155-pound title picture after losing his championship and suffering his first defeat to Justin Gaethje in a shocking upset at UFC White House this past June. Topuria suffered facial injuries in the hard-fought contest and his recovery timetable is unclear, but Tsarukyan thinks Michael Chandler is a logical tune-up for Topuria before throwing Topuria back into the thick of contender…

The new head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says she will focus on restoring trust with a workforce spread thin by staffing cuts and public health challenges. CDC Director Erica Schwartz told staff at an all-hands meeting on Wednesday that she will “speak truth to power,” and ensure CDC employees can offer candid feedback on policy matters without fear of retaliation. “I will listen to you. I will respect your expertise, and I will support you as you carry out this mission. I want CDC to be a place where an employee can respectfully say, ‘But ma’am, the evidence…

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is headed back to “The City of Love.”Today, the promotion released UFC Paris’ official promotional poster on social media.Not bad, UFC poster designers. Not bad.Hooker (24-14) is riding a two-fight losing streak, suffering stoppage losses in both appearances. In his most recent outing, “The Hangman” was stopped by Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 325 (watch highlights). Before that, he was submitted by No. 2-ranked Lightweight Arman Tsarukyan in UFC Qatar’s main event (watch highlights).Before his recent skid, Hooker was riding a three-fight winning streak with victories over Claudio Puelles, Jalin Turner and Mateusz Gamrot.Now, he has…

Managing multiple WordPress.com sites just got easier.  The Hosting Dashboard now has a persistent top bar and left sidebar that move with you between sites. Domain names, hosting, updates, and performance are now just one click away. So whether you manage one WordPress.com site or 20, you’ll always know where things are. Navigation that stays with you across sites Instead of navigating through a separate set of controls for each site, you now work from the same persistent interface as you move between them. If you’ve used WordPress Admin, the layout will feel familiar.We intentionally aligned the sidebar with WP…

Today is squat day. But there’s a problem. You tossed and turned all night. Your legs feel heavy, and every stair to the 3rd-floor gym already feels like a workout. The program says squats, and you’re disciplined, dammit. So, stop complaining and get to work. But should you? That brings us to the myth we’ve all encountered probably once a week in our fitness journeys: A scheduled workout must happen as scheduled, regardless of fatigue. Strength coach and multiple-time world-record powerlifter Matt Wenning has spent decades competing and coaching, and his experience has taught him something many stubborn lifters learn…

In 2020, the NATO Defence Planning Capability Review for Denmark was highly critical. The concluding remark said it all: “Allied Defence Ministers agreed that Denmark should give priority to the development of: a heavy infantry brigade, including associated CS and CSS elements; JISR capabilities; and ASW capabilities. The lack of progress since the previous Capability Review is of concern. These developments lead to the conclusion that the Danish and the NATO defence planning priorities are misaligned. Denmark needs to fully implement all its NATO Capability Targets, in full and on time, with a special emphasis and urgency on all three…