• Palmer Luckey's Anduril is set to take over Microsoft's US Army contract for mixed-reality goggles.
• The 10-year contract, worth $22 billion, has been plagued by development issues.
• Anduril now has a shot — a moment that Luckey said was part of Anduril's original vision.

Palmer Luckey just clinched a big personal win — his defense startup, Anduril, is set to take over Microsoft's $22 billion contract to make high-tech goggles for the US Army.

Both firms announced the transition on Tuesday, saying Anduril would spearhead "oversight of production, future development of hardware and software, and delivery timelines" for the Integrated Visual Augmentation System program.

The IVAS is meant to give soldiers a headset that uses augmented and visual reality to feed them information on the battlefield in real time. One of its most important functions is to help the wearer identify drones quickly and clearly.

For Luckey, the contract transition is his own watershed moment. In his blog on Tuesday, he wrote that the announcement is "deeply personal."

"Everything I've done in my career — building Oculus out of a camper trailer, shipping VR to millions of consumers, getting run out of Silicon Valley by backstabbing snakes, betting that Anduril could tear people out of the bigtech megacorp matrix and put them to work on our nation's most important problems — has led to this moment," he wrote.

The move calls back to Luckey's original foray into the tech industry, when he founded Oculus VR and sold it to Facebook in 2014 for $2 billion. After being ousted from Facebook, he started Anduril in 2017, and his defense startup has since delved into drones, AI, and counter-electronic warfare systems for the US military.

In September, Microsoft and Anduril said they were collaborating on the IVAS program, with Luckey's firm providing its Lattice software for the headsets.

Now, the entire program is set to be under Anduril's control.

Luckey wrote in his blog that he'd recognized the combat potential for high-tech goggles since he was a teenager, and that providing them to the US military was part of Anduril's original pitch deck eight years ago.

Yet Anduril's size at the time, which he estimated was a team of about a dozen people, hurt its chances at scoring the contract.

"I do believe our crazy pitch could have won this from the start — as things stand, though, there is no time like the present," Luckey wrote.

The US Army is having a rough time with IVAS

The handover still needs to be approved by the US government. The US Army awarded Microsoft the 10-year contract in 2021, when the deal was valued at up to $22 billion.

The IVAS program has since faced a tough road in development and testing. Microsoft converted its HoloLens 2 headsets for military use, but soldiers criticized the devices, complaining of software glitches and side effects like headaches, nausea, and neck strain.

The feedback prompted the US Army to delay the IVAS program in October 2021, and the systems have been repeatedly retweaked for the battlefield in the years after.

Within Microsoft, the entire HoloLens project appeared to be ailing. Business Insider's Ashley Stewart reported in 2022 that plans for a third version of the headset were scrapped, and that the company had lost billions on its mixed-reality program.

In October 2024, Microsoft confirmed plans to halt production of the HoloLens 2 and cut support for the device, throwing the IVAS program into question. Microsoft's move tracked with a shift in the entire industry, as tech giants stepped back from developing mixed-reality headsets to instead focus on the AI race.

After Microsoft's decision, the US Army hinted in late January that it was surveying the market for a new contender for its 10-year contract, releasing a request for information related to the IVAS program.

With Anduril now in the driver's seat, it's not immediately clear what hardware it will use for the IVAS. There was no mention of the discontinued HoloLens 2 in its joint statement with Microsoft.

Instead, the joint statement said that part of Anduril's deal is to make Microsoft's Azure cloud service its "preferred hyperscale cloud" for the IVAS.

As Anduril takes over IVAS, Luckey projected confidence in his blog, writing that he wanted to "turn warfighters into technomancers" through his heads-up displays.

"We have a shot to prove that this long-standing dream is no windmill," he wrote.

Microsoft confirmed to Business Insider that its agreement with Anduril is now pending DoD approval. Anduril did not respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Sen. Tom Cotton attributed increased Army recruiting numbers to "America First" leadership and "the Trump effect." 

However, data indicates that recruiting numbers began to improve months before the U.S. Presidential election, according to a former official.

"You had some number of young men and women who didn't want to join the army over the last four years under Joe Biden and Christine Wormuth, the former secretary of the Army, when they thought it was more focused on Wokeness and DEI and climate change," Cotton told Fox's "America's Newsroom." "That's not why young men and women join our military. They do it because they love the country." 

The uptick in recruiting started months before the election on Nov. 5.

"No, it did not all start in December," former Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, who served until Jan. 20, said in an interview with Fox News.

ARMY RECRUITING SHATTERS RECORDS AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP ELECTION WIN

"Army's recruiting started getting better much earlier. We really started seeing the numbers, the monthly numbers, go up in February of 2024. We were seeing sort of in the high 5000 contracts per month, and that accelerated, you know, into the spring all the way into August, when the Army really hit a peak."

Starting in October 2023, the Army put 1,200 more recruiters in the field. By September 2024, before the election, the Army announced it had exceeded its recruiting goals. 

The groundwork was laid that October when Wormuth and Gen. Randy George, the Army chief, began a sweeping initiative to help those who did not meet academic standards or fitness requirements. The six-week pre-boot camp, called the Future Soldier Prep Course, helps lower-performing recruits meet enlistment standards. They also moved away from just recruiting in high schools to posting on job message boards. Recruiters got trained by Amazon, Wells Fargo and other industry leaders in talent acquisition. Additionally, the Army brought back the "Be All That You Can Be" branding campaign from the 1980s.

"We've been selecting soldiers who have personalities that are more suited to recruiting. We improved our marketing very dramatically in terms of being very data driven and very targeted. And then, of course, the future Soldier Prep course, which the Army established some time ago, has been a big success and has accounted last year for about 25% of the new recruits that came in," Wormuth said. "If you look at our Army ads, we show young people, you know, jumping out of helicopters. We show kids doing, you know, night patrols in the jungle."

DEMOCRATS PRESS ARMY SECRETARY NOMINEE IF ‘READINESS’ AFFECTED BY SOUTHERN BORDER DEPLOYMENTS

Army data shows the Army has struggled with recruiting numbers since COVID, including a shortfall of 15,000 recruits in 2022.

It reported record-breaking recruitment in December 2024, with nearly 350 recruits enlisting daily and the total number of active duty soldiers reaching 5877 recruits that month. Secretary Hegseth praised the recruiting numbers in a post on X.

"@USArmy: @USAREC had their most productive December in 15 years by enlisting 346 Soldiers daily into the World's greatest #USArmy!

"Our Recruiters have one of the toughest jobs - inspiring the next generation of #Soldiers to serve.

"Congratulations and keep up the great work!"

However, August of last year, three months prior to the election, saw a higher number of recruits than in December – 7,415 recruits compared to the 5,877 in December. January 2025 still has not surpassed August 2024 for the highest monthly count of the past year. 

In other words, the positive recruiting trend began before the election.

ARMY SEC NOMINEE QUESTIONS WHETHER MILITARY PILOTS SHOULD TRAIN NEAR DC AIRPORT

The increased recruiting numbers resulted from more women joining. Women made up 19% of the recruits last year, the highest rate to date. 

"For example, right now, 16% of the overall Army is women. And so, having a year where almost 20% of the new recruits are women is a notable increase," Wormuth said. "In 2024, we also had the highest ever recruiting year for Hispanics." 

There is a lag of about 10 to 12 weeks from the time a recruit enters a recruiting office and actually signs up due to medical exams and other paperwork.

"The biggest reasons young people are hesitant to join the Army is because of fear of death or injury, fear of leaving their families, a sense that maybe somehow, you know, joining the Army will put their lives on hold for a period of time," Wormuth said. "Concerns about so-called wokeness are very low on the list of obstacles for most young people. And the last time the Army ran that survey, we didn't really see a change. That remains to be a small concern." 

During its recruiting crisis, the Army had seen a drop in the number of families who typically send their children to serve, families whose members have served for generations. Many of those families tended to be White and from one of the 10 states that make up nearly half of the recruits: Texas (13.3%), California (10.5%), Florida (9.7%), Georgia (5.1%), North Carolina (4.6%), New York (4.3%), Virginia (2.9%), Ohio (2.8%), Illinois (2.6%) and Pennsylvania (2.4%). 

There is no data suggesting a surge in White males joining the Army last year. In FY2024, 40% of the Army recruits were Caucasian, 25% were Black and 26% were Hispanic.

"From the data we saw, there was no discernible change in young White men joining the Army compared to the spring of 2024. The Army had about 7,400 recruits in August, and in December it was about 5,800," Wormuth said.

The Army is also set to expand its basic training capacity in the spring.

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"U.S. Army Recruiting Command is on track to exceed the fiscal year 2025 recruitment goal of 61,000 new Soldiers and an additional 10,000 in the Delayed Entry Program," Madison Bonzo, Army Recruiting Command spokeswoman, said in a statement. "As of today, USAREC has contracted 59% of the current FY25 goal. Our success couldn't be possible without the hard work of our Recruiters, continued transformation of the recruiting enterprise and modernization initiatives to attract qualified talent into America's most lethal fighting force." 

Wormuth said, "I would say we saw in the Army recruiting numbers, we started seeing us really get traction in February of 2024."  

"And we continued to build those numbers up to about, you know, high 5,000, 6,000 a month in August. And the Army has continued that momentum going into the end of the year. And I think the winds are at the Army's back for coming into 2025," she continued. 

Former Army officials warn that it is dangerous to link Army recruiting successes to the election cycle, since the military is supposed to be apolitical. Soldiers sign up not to serve a president or a party but to serve the Constitution.

• Russia's dead and wounded have averaged over 1,500 a day in recent months, according to Ukraine.
• Russia's recruitment rate will likely struggle to replace those lost, military analysts said.
• The Kremlin is trying to avoid a politically unpopular military mobilization to support its war.

Russian battlefield casualties — dead and injured — have risen to more than 1,500 a day over the last three months, posing serious problems when it comes to replacing their numbers, military analysts said.

UK Ministry of Defence reports suggest that Russia lost an average of 1,523 soldiers a day in November, 1,570 in December, and 1,556 in January, citing figures from Ukraine's General Staff. (Russia doesn't regularly release its own casualty figures.)

It's a significant jump that matches the pace and intensity of Russian assaults along the front line in Ukraine and in Ukrainian-occupied Kursk throughout 2024.

In January 2024, Russia was losing far fewer troops — an average of 846 a day, according to the UK MOD.

But it was attracting between 1,000-1,100 new recruits a day, according to an estimate from Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy chief major general of Ukraine's main military intelligence arm, more than enough to replace those lost.

Some estimates of Russia's current military recruitment, alongside soaring casualty figures, suggest that this may no longer be the case.

"The Russian military may be struggling to recruit enough new military personnel," analysts at the Institute for the Study of War said in an assessment this week.

They added that they had observed reports in recent months that parts of Russia were failing to meet their monthly recruitment quotas, with people less willing to sign up to fight.

Russia announced a large military recruitment drive last year, but calling up reservists is both politically unpopular and removes workers from its already stretched labor force.

The Kremlin has tried to tempt recruits by more than doubling its one-time signup payout to about $4,640 per soldier.

And on February 3, Russia's defense ministry proposed reclassifying illnesses like syphilis and schizophrenia as less serious medical conditions, loosening restrictions on military service, Russian state-run news agency TASS reported.

Estimates of current Russian recruitment rates vary.

In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that 430,000 recruits — or an average of 35,833 a month — signed up in 2024.

But Pavel Luzin, a defense expert for the Center for European Policy Analysis, wrote in January that Putin "appears to have been exaggerating again."

Luzin's own analysis of Russian budget figures gave a "probable assessment" of no more than 60-70,000 new troops in the last quarter of the year, or 23,300 new troops a month at most.

That's less than an estimate by one NATO official, who said that Russia was likely recruiting around 25-30,000 a month over that period.

Ukraine has also struggled to recruit additional troops, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy so far resisting US calls to lower the military draft age from 25 to 18.

Russia's recent losses are a marker of the pace and ferocity of its assaults along the front line in Ukraine. The UK MOD said that 48,240 Russian troops were killed or wounded in January alone.

West Point has disbanded a number of identity-based clubs at the military academy to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders and new Pentagon guidance, Fox News has confirmed. 

Some of the clubs no longer sanctioned by the university include the Asian-Pacific Forum, the Korean-American relations seminar, the Latin Cultural Club, the National Society of Black Engineers Club and the Society of Women Engineers Club. 

The U.S. Military Academy communications office said the clubs had been dissolved because they were affiliated with the DEI office. 

"In accordance with recent guidance, the U.S. Military Academy is reviewing programs and activities affiliated with our former office of diversity, equity and inclusion," the office told Fox News Digital in a statement. "The clubs disbanded yesterday were sponsored by that office."

'INCOMPETENCE': REP BANKS RIPS WEST POINT AS SCHOOL APOLOGIZES FOR 'ERROR' SAYING HEGSETH WASN'T ACCEPTED

Trump has instituted sweeping policies to eradicate DEI across the federal government since taking office. 

A dozen clubs were disbanded, according to the memo, while other clubs have had their activities paused until the directorate of cadet activities can review and revalidate their status. 

WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY DROPS 'DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY' FROM MISSION STATEMENT

"More than one hundred clubs remain at the U.S. Military Academy, and our leadership will continue to provide opportunities for cadets to pursue their academic, military, and physical fitness interests while following Army policy, directives, and guidance."

The memo, circulated around the university and verified by Fox News Digital, says such clubs are no longer permitted to "use government time, resources or facilities." 

Last year, the Supreme Court eliminated race- and gender-based admissions policies at universities but left a carve-out for military institutions like West Point. It later rejected a challenge to the exceptions for military academies, allowing their affirmative action programs to move forward. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote late last month in a memo that DEI practices are "incompatible" with the values of DOD and instructed the Pentagon to stop celebrating "identity" months like Black History Month and Pride Month. 

Wednesday’s deadly collision between an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter outside Washington, D.C., followed the Army’s highest rate of flight mishaps in more than a decade. 

Army aviation saw 17 class A mishaps, accidents that killed someone or caused more than $2.5 million worth of damage during fiscal year 2024. Fifteen of those were during flights, and two were ground aircraft mishaps. 

That followed nine flight and one aircraft ground incidents in 2023 and four flight and four ground mishaps in 2022. 

"FY24 will be a year that Army Aviation looks back on in hopes of never repeating," stated a dismal Army report, released just before the deadly collision near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people.

THIRD SOLDIER INSIDE BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER INVOLVED IN DC MIDAIR COLLISION IDENTIFIED

Fiscal year 2024 saw the most class A mishaps per 100,000 flight hours since 2007. Nine soldiers and one civilian died in flight mishaps, while one contractor died in an aircraft ground accident, according to the report.  

The 1.9 class A mishaps per 100,000 was nearly four times the rate of 2022, 0.5 per 100,000.

In an average year, Army aviation mishaps kill six crew members. 

There were 66 class A-C mishaps, meaning aviation incidents where over $60,000 worth of damage was incurred or personnel were injured enough to miss work. 

READ THE ARMY REPORT BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE

The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter involved in the Washington, D.C.-area crash is not the force’s most accident-prone aircraft; it was only involved in one of the 2024 major incidents, while nine such incidents involved AH-64 Apaches.

Last week’s crash was the first class A mishap for fiscal year 2025. 

55 VICTIMS IN WASHINGTON, DC MIDAIR COLLISION PULLED FROM POTOMAC RIVER AS RECOVERY OPERATION CONTINUES

The Navy had 11 Class A aviation mishaps in FY 2024, and the Marine Corps had six. Five Marines died in a CH-53E Super Stallion crash last February. The Air Force, which has more aviators than any other branch, had 20 class A mishaps in FY 2024. 

The Army attributed the spike in incidents to an "ineffective safety culture." 

Its aviation review called for more recording and reviewing of flight footage with superiors after it found that the average flight experience is down 300 hours per aviator from 2013. While crew experience was not cited in every incident, the Army deemed it "a hazard that must be considered."

"While it’s understandable to have concerns about "big brother" monitoring, the primary goal of flight data analysis is to improve safety, not to punish or scrutinize individual pilots," the Army’s Combat Readiness Center said in the report. 

HARROWING VIDEO FROM MILITARY BASE SHOWS NEW ANGLE OF MIDAIR CRASH CATASTROPHE

After more than a dozen aviators died in the first half of fiscal year 2023, the Army conducted an aviation-wide stand down in April 2023, temporarily grounding all regular missions and training to assess safety issues. 

However, the accidents continued. In April 2024, the Army executed a safety "stand up" with training on new safety protocols and procedures. After the stand up, the class A mishap rate for the remainder of FY 2024 dropped to 0.86 per 100,000 flight hours. 

Last week Army secretary nominee Daniel Driscoll promised senators he would emphasize a "culture of safety" after the deadly crash, which he said "seems to be  preventable." 

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"There are appropriate times to take risk and there are inappropriate times to take risk," he said. "I don’t know the details around this one, but after doing it, if confirmed, and working with this committee to figure out the facts, I think we might need to look at where is an appropriate time to take training risk, and it may not be near an airport like Reagan."

The Black Hawk, carrying three Army pilots, was conducting an "annual proficiency training flight" when it collided with a commercial regional jet from Wichita, Kansas, as it was on the descent to land at Reagan, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. 

The Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Democrats sounded off about the White House sending U.S. troops to the southern border — but Army secretary nominee Daniel Driscoll insists he does not believe it will affect readiness. 

"Is there a cost in terms of readiness?" Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat in the Senate Armed Services Committee, asked Driscoll during his confirmation hearing on Thursday. 

"The Army has a long, 249 history of balancing multiple objectives," Driscoll said. "If this is important to the commander-in-chief, the Army will execute it." 

"I think border security is national security," he went on. "We’ve had soldiers at the border for a number of years, and the Army stands ready for any mission."

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., also voiced concerns about sending the military to the U.S. border.

"We're seeing now active duty military, Army, be sent to the border, being sent on missions right now to support" the Department of Homeland Security, she said. "But according to our Constitution, the US military active duty cannot perform law enforcement roles." 

ARMY SEC NOMINEE QUESTIONS WHETHER MILITARY PILOTS SHOULD TRAIN NEAR DC AIRPORT

Slotkin, a former CIA agent, said she was concerned that without proper training an incident could occur that would turn public opinion against the nation’s armed forces. 

"I'm deeply concerned that active duty troops are going to be forced into law enforcement roles, and we're already hearing stories that really, really touch right on the line," she said.  

"They're not properly trained. There's going to be an incident," she said. "Someone's going to get hurt, there's going to be some sort of blow up, and suddenly we're going to have a community that’s deeply, deeply angry at uniformed military who were just told to go and drive those DHS vehicles through that building, perform support for somebody." 

Slotkin asked Driscoll if he would follow an order from President Donald Trump or Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if it "contravened with the Constitution." 

"I reject the premise that the president or the secretary would ask for an order like that, but I will always follow the law," Driscoll said. 

HEGSETH SHARES DETAILS ON BLACK HAWK CHOPPER TRAINING FLIGHT

Slotkin shot back: "Your predecessor, Army Secretary [Mark] Esper, had this exact thing that he wrote about in his book, 82nd Airborne Army was asked to come in and clean up a peaceful protest in Washington, DC. So I reject your rejection that this is theoretical."

"We’re counting on you to protect the integrity of a non-political military that is not trained in law enforcement roles," Slotkin said. 

Immediately upon taking office, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border and 1,500 active duty troops — 1,000 Army personnel and 500 Marines — deployed to the southern border. 

There already were 2,500 U.S. service members stationed at the southern border. The troops were ordered there in May 2023 during the Biden administration under Title 10 authorities approved by former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and are planned to be there until the end of fiscal year 2025, according to a U.S. Northern Command spokesperson. 

"Whatever is needed at the border will be provided," Hegseth said Monday, hinting at the possibility of additional deployments in the coming weeks.

Trump also signed an executive order designating drug cartels in Latin America as foreign terrorist organizations, granting the military greater authority to interdict them. 

• A Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight during training.
• The Black Hawk, a versatile military aircraft, is used for various operations.
• The Black Hawk has millions of flight hours logged and is known as a "workhorse" aircraft.

The US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight Wednesday evening is one of the most popular and recognizable helicopters in the US military, with variants of the aircraft serving in a range of roles.

Here's what you need to know about the Black Hawk.

What are Black Hawks used for?

The Black Hawk, which is made by Lockheed subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft, is known as a military "workhorse" because of its versatility. It's used for battlefield medical evacuations, search and rescue operations, troop and cargo movement, and special operations, including high-profile missions by Army special operations.

The Army has been flying the aircraft since 1979.

The aircraft was famously a feature of the 2001 film Black Hawk Down, based on a book of the same name that detailed US actions during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.

The US Navy's SEAL Team 6 also used two specially modified Black Hawks, one of which crashed and had to be destroyed, during their 2011 mission to kill 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden.

What are its specifications?

According to Lockheed, the medium-sized aircraft can hold up to 12 fully-kitted troops — and more without gear — and can be reconfigured to fly passengers or injured troops.

Black Hawks usually have a three-person crew, including a pilot, co-pilot, and crew chief. They have an external hook capable of lifting up to 8,000 pounds, and their top speed is around 170 mph.

The Black Hawk helicopter does not have any dedicated weapons systems, but it is equipped with mounts for machine guns and miniguns. It can also be outfitted with rockets and missiles, among other weaponry.

Who makes the Black Hawk?

According to Lockheed, which now owns original developer Sikorsky, the company has built over 5,000 Black Hawks for three dozen nations since the program's inception.

The aircraft is named after the chief of the Native American Sauk tribe and has accumulated over 15 million flight hours.

Various versions of the aircraft have been released over the past four decades. Lockheed is working on even more advanced versions with more powerful engines that the company says could one day allow it to hover or fly autonomously. The Army has been looking into partnerships that could lead to that degree of autonomy.

What's the Black Hawk's safety record?

Given its extensive use by the US military and numerous overseas operators, there have been a number of Black Hawk crashes over the years, including many incidents that have been fatal due to either human error or mechanical issues.

Last year, an Israeli Black Hawk crashed during operations in Gaza. And in 2023, three separate Black Hawk crashes resulted in the death of 16 American service members. Those accidents included one midair collision, one ground crash, and another into the sea.

In mid-2023, Military.com, citing Army data, reported 60 training-related deaths over the past decade.

What happened just outside DC?

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the American Airlines flight and its crew were undergoing annual proficiency training. The helicopter was part of the 12th Aviation Battalion out of Fort Belvoir, Va.

The 12th Aviation Battalion has a unique mission, ferrying VIP military leaders and government officials throughout the National Capital Region.

"It was a fairly experienced crew," Hegseth said in his statement, adding that the crew had night vision goggles, though it's unclear if the night vision goggles were being used at the time of the crash.

US military pilots routinely train with night vision devices, part of larger military mandates that troops of all ranks perform certain proficiency training as part of their annual requirements. Military pilots are expected to be able to land in areas where a well-lit runway or bright aircraft lights could pose tactical risks, like attracting fire, and must train to perform in ultra-dark conditions.

Night-vision goggles sometimes limit depth perception and peripheral vision, and they can be difficult for new users to acclimate to.

For residents in DC and northern Virginia, it's not uncommon to see Black Hawk helicopters flying up and down I-395 or around the Beltway area.

For one impressive shot of the Pentagon, DoD media officials coordinated a trip with the 12th Aviation Battalion in 2023. Planning for the aerial photography included a detailed flight plan coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration and in-air communications with air-traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to deconflict airspace. These are routine 12th Aviation Battalion flight procedures.

The 12th Aviation Battalion helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight inbound to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Wednesday evening. All crew members and passengers are presumed dead. The current death toll is at least 67.

The cause of the collision is under investigation.

Army secretary nominee Daniel Driscoll questioned whether Army helicopters should be flying training missions in one of the nation’s most congested flight paths after Wednesday's tragic Washington, D.C.-area collision.

"It’s an accident that seems to be preventable," Driscoll, an Army veteran, said during a Thursday confirmation hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"There are appropriate times to take risk and inappropriate times to take risk," he said. "I think we need to look at where is an appropriate time to take training risk, and it may not be at an airport like Reagan." 

Sixty-four people were aboard the American Airlines flight inbound from Wichita, Kan., which collided with an Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter just before it was set to touch down at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. Authorities do not believe anyone survived. 

BLACK HAWK CHOPPER UNIT WAS ON ANNUAL PROFICIENCY TRAINING FLIGHT, HEGSETH SAYS

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed the three soldiers who were aboard the chopper were a "fairly experienced crew" doing a "required annual night evaluation." 

"We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the quarter at the right altitude at the time of the incident," he said. 

In a blunt Truth Social post, President Donald Trump called the crash "a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented."

AMERICAN FIGURE SKATER SAYS HE WAS BARRED FROM FLIGHT THAT COLLIDED WITH ARMY HELICOPTER

"The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time," Trump wrote. "It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane."

Ronald Reagan Washington National, an airport owned by the federal government, has been the subject of debate for years. It has one of the shortest runways in the industry, yet Congress approved additional flight slots in 2024 as part of its Federal Aviation Administration bill. The flight from Wichita, Kan., had just been added in 2024. 

The airport faces complicated aviation logistics near hyperprotected airspace near the Pentagon, White House and Capitol, but lawmakers have pushed to keep it open due to the convenience of its proximity to D.C. 

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"We’re gonna have to work together to make sure that never happens again," Driscoll said in his Thursday confirmation hearing, promising to take a hard look at what training was needed, particularly amid the Army's increased use of its vertical lift aircraft. 

Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked a helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight, according to air traffic control audio. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later, saying "PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ" — apparently telling the chopper to wait for the Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet to pass. There was no reply, according to the audio. Seconds after that, the aircraft collided.

Military helicopters regularly cross over the D.C.-area airport's flight paths to ferry senior government officials over the Potomac River into D.C. No senior officials were on board the downed Black Hawk, according to the Army. 

Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

• A North Korean who escaped the country described his days in the Korean People's Army.
• He told BI that he trained men from the Storm Corps, the elite unit believed to be fighting Ukraine.
• He described tough training conditions, dated equipment, and little ammo.

Constant propaganda as well as limited access to ammunition — or even toilet paper — were the stark realities of being in North Korea's army, a former soldier told Business Insider.

Hyunseung Lee, who was born in North Korea in 1985, defected with his family in 2014. Today he lives and works as a consultant for the Global Peace Foundation in Washington, DC.

During his years in the military, Lee says he trained soldiers from the 11th Corps — or Storm Corps — the elite unit now believed to be fighting alongside Russia in its war against Ukraine.

In an open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in November, Lee described those soldiers as victims of a "ruthless deal" between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's President Vladimir Putin. He urged Zelenskyy to target them with psychological tactics.

Lee spoke to Business Insider for an in-depth interview about how North Korea really works.

Shared underwear and no ammo

Lee's firsthand knowledge of the North Korean military was developed during the rule of Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father, who died in 2011.

Nonetheless, his insight gives a rare snapshot of the hermit kingdom, as well as its military operations.

Lee told BI that he joined the North Korean military in April 2002.

After training, he said his first unit was the 4th Corps Reconnaissance Artillery Battalion, a special force devoted mainly to infiltrating enemy bases and transmitting back their coordinates for artillery attacks.

It was a grueling life — one in which there were no proper shower facilities, food was poor, and trainees had to improvise their own toilet paper, he said.

"The first day, I used my sock to wipe," Lee said, adding that later it was leaflets, books, or leaves.

Underwear was also communal, he added.

"We washed them together and then the senior officers distribute underwear randomly."

Lee said he was paid 50 North Korean won a month — about the price of an ice cream.

Soldiers would then supplement their income with private business, which was against the law, he added. "Basically, no one could make a living with the North Korean payroll system."

Having no experience of the outside world, Lee said he believed that the North Korean army could take on the US and win. Yet he said the equipment they were using was "from World War II."

Training was also massively restricted due to fears of breaking equipment that could not be replaced, he told BI.

When it came to weapons training — on a North Korean version of the AK-47 — there was very little shooting because bullets were "strictly controlled," Lee said.

"So the first year of my military service, I was only able to shoot three bullets," he said.

Storm Corps: 'Zero relationship with modern warfare'

Lee said he spent six months training soldiers from the Storm Corps, after being transferred to a special tactics unit that taught techniques in shooting, knife throwing, and martial arts.

Drawn from taller and more well-built soldiers, Lee said the corps is an elite unit trained in operations on foreign soil — namely airborne missions, sniping, and light infantry work.

In October, reports emerged that North Korea was using the Storm Corps for the forces it was sending to Russia.

During Lee's time with the corps, they at least had more bullets to work with, he said. But "the regime cannot provide fuel and an airplane," which meant the airborne troops had to practice by jumping off a model, he said.

While North Korea and Russia have long shared similar tactics and equipment, when it comes to advanced tactics it's likely another story, Lee said.

"I would say their training has zero relationship with modern warfare," he said of the Storm Corps.

Last year, a Ukrainian official told Business Insider that the Storm Corps was likely learning deadly new drone techniques on the battlefield.

North Korea experts have also previously told BI that the soldiers — despite their proud status back in North Korea — would likely be at the bottom of the pecking order in Russia. It's an assessment Lee shares.

He said there would also be communication problems, with Russian soldiers taking advantage of the North Korean troops. Ukraine has already claimed that language barriers have caused deadly friendly fire incidents.

Asked if the Storm Corps will survive fighting alongside Russia against Ukraine, Lee said: "I honestly don't know."

But he said they'll want to get back home as soon as possible. "They want to go back, and they want to be alive."

• The US Army is working on improving its Black Hawk helicopters with new technology.
• It is partnering with Skyryse to make aircraft easier to fly, with or without a pilot.
• There have been other efforts to deliver autonomous Black Hawk capabilities.

The US Army is partnering with aerospace company Skyryse on tech solutions that could be used to make its workhorse Black Hawk helicopters easier to fly, with or without a pilot.

It's part of an effort to increase the safety and effectiveness of aircraft like the Black Hawk. This helicopter is heavily used but has also been involved in deadly accidents. Increased autonomy and ease of use could reduce those risks for the numerous operators worldwide using these aircraft.

Skyryse and the Army announced the plan earlier this week. It focuses on Skyryse's signature SkyOS program, which the company described as the world's first universal flight operating system.

The partnership will "develop solutions to reduce time to train for pilots, increase interoperability between aircraft, and deliver optionally-piloted capability which could be applied" to the Army's 2,400 Black Hawks and other aircraft, Skyryse said.

The pilotless element of this cooperation follows previous efforts exploring autonomous Black Hawk flight options.

One of the stated goals of the partnership between the Army and Skyryse is to make the Black Hawk safer and simpler to fly while maintaining its mission flexibility. The Black Hawk has long been a premiere platform for the US military, as well as global militaries, seeing combat across the world.

Black Hawk helicopters have been used in a range of locations, including Iraq and Afghanistan, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, the war in Ukraine, and other places and have supported a variety of missions.

Highly modified Black Hawks were, for instance, used during the assassination of Osama Bin Laden in May 2011. It first entered service in 1978 and has been upgraded several times.

The Black Hawk, which comes in several variants, is operated by three dozen countries and has been used by the US Army for over 40 years. It is known for its versatility, conducting air assaults, transporting troops and supplies, evacuating injured soldiers, and serving as a command and control center.

But there have been safety concerns about the aircraft after decades of crashes and malfunctions. In 2023, US Army data reviewed by Military.com revealed 60 deaths had occurred in Black Hawk-related training incidents. And there have been many operational accidents as well.

Through the new partnership, Skyryse and the Army aim to use SkyOS to simplify pilot operations, improve safety features, employ autonomy, and explore the ability to fly with or without a pilot.

Skyryse and the US Army did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on the cooperation.

Dr. Mark Groden, CEO of Skyryse, said in a statement on the partnership that "by combining the Army's operational expertise with Skyryse's leadership in rotorcraft flight controls and automation, we have a unique opportunity to make flying simple and safe enough that any serviceperson can fly any aircraft."

Autonomy efforts involving the Black Hawk date back a decade, when the Army successfully tested an uncrewed Black Hawk picking up and delivering an autonomous amphibious all-terrain vehicle. More recent examples in this space include a demonstration in October 2022 of a Black Hawk flying autonomously to perform internal and external cargo resupply missions, as well as rescue operations. 

And in October 2024, the Army and aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company that produces the Black Hawk and other helicopter models, showed how the latter's MATRIX autonomy system can employ a Black Hawk to receive remote mission commands in real-time and then carry out said operations without remote control.

Two months later, in December, Lockheed announced that Sikorsky had been selected by the Marines to showcase the autonomous capabilities of the Black Hawk helicopter in demonstrations intended to show "how autonomous aircraft can keep future Marine forces supplied, whether operating from Navy ships or expeditionary bases ashore."

President Biden awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, to seven U.S. Army veterans for their heroism during the Korean and Vietnam Wars at the White House on Friday.

Private Bruno Orig, Private First Class Wataru Nakamura, Corporal Fred McGee, Private First Class Charles Johnson, retired General Richard Cavazos, Captain Hugh Nelson, Jr., and Specialist Fourth Class Kenneth David were all honored.

BIDEN TO AWARD MEDAL OF HONOR TO UNION SOLDIERS IN 'ONE OF THE EARLIEST SPECIAL OPERATIONS' IN ARMY HISTORY

"These are genuine to their core heroes. Heroes of different ranks, different positions, and even different generations. But heroes who all went above and beyond the call of duty. Heroes who all deserve our nation's highest and oldest military recognition," Biden said.

Five of the recipients were killed in battle, including Capt. Hugh Nelson Jr. who is the first-ever graduate from The Citadel Military College in South Carolina to receive the Medal of Honor. Nelson was previously awarded the U.S. Army’s Distinguished Service Cross.

28-year-old Captain Nelson served as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam war under the 114th aviation company Air Mobile Light. On the fateful day of June 5th, 1966, near Moc Hoa, a rural district in Southern Vietnam, Nelson was the acting aircraft commander on a search and destroy reconnaissance mission. The armed UH-1B Huey helicopter he was flying was struck by hostile gunfire that made the aircraft virtually uncontrollable. Captain Nelson and his co-pilot were able to crash land the aircraft without lateral controls.

'WE BELIEVE IN DONALD TRUMP': MORE THAN A DOZEN MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS ENDORSE FORMER PRESIDENT

But they crash landed right in the middle of enemy positions. The crash destroyed all the weapons on board. Nelson was the first of his crew to gain consciousness. He quickly saw the enemy was surrounding the crash site. Ignoring his own injuries and enemy fire from 30-feet away, Nelson sprang into action and began evacuating his three wounded crew mates—the crew chief, the door gunner, and co-pilot. The crew chief was pinned down in the cargo compartment and the door gunner was trapped in the Huey. With his bare hands, Nelson ripped off one of the helicopter doors to evacuate himself and his crew while insurgents were firing rounds from 30-feet away. Nelson used his own body as a human shield as he lifted the door gunner to the ground and was killed by the gunfire after being shot between six and 20 times while doing so.

Because of Nelson’s sacrifice, the wounded specialist was able to signal support with a smoke grenade. Supporting aircraft responded immediately, preventing the insurgents from advancing on the downed aircraft and successfully rescued the three wounded crew members and Captain Nelson’s remains.

Nelson’s daughter Debra McKnight accepted the award on her father’s behalf at the White House ceremony. She was just 5-years-old and her little brother, Hugh Nelson III, was 6-months-old when their father left for Fort Bragg, now named Fort Liberty, to start his tour in Vietnam. The Army notified Nelson’s family that he was killed in battle just one day before his infant son’s first birthday.

BIDEN AWARDS LIZ CHENEY, JAN 6 COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN A MEDAL: US 'IS BETTER BECAUSE OF THEIR DEDICATION'

"Nelson’s conscious decision to sacrifice his own life for that of his comrades saved the lives of his three fellow crew members that fateful day," his Medal of Honor citation reads. "Nelson’s distinctive accomplishments are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army."

Captain Nelson graduated from The Citadel in 1959. Before the fateful battle he served three years in Taiwan. His co-captain who was rescued was Captain Bailey Jones. Jones also graduated from the Citadel, in the class of 1964.

Top Army ROTC Cadet at the Citadel, Tomas Fitzpatrick, attended the ceremony on Friday.

"The sacrifice of Captain Hugh Nelson is a powerful reminder of the values we uphold at The Citadel — honor, duty and respect. As someone who plans to enlist in the U.S. Army after graduation, we all strive to lead with the same bravery and commitment," Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick will be joining the Army infantry after graduation in May. The Citadel’s Army ROTC department is one of the largest commissioning sources in the country. 120 Army 2nd lieutenants were commissioned in 2024 alone.

"Captain Hugh Reavis Nelson, Jr. exemplified the highest values of courage, selflessness and leadership that we instill in every Citadel cadet. Nelson’s service to his comrades and country remains an enduring inspiration for us all," Citadel President Gen. Glenn Walters said in a statement. 

"To learn these stories of Americans like Bruno and Wataru, and Fred, and Charlie, Richard, Hugh, Ken, Americans who have not only fought for our nation but who embodied the very best our nation has to offer. Let me also say this today we award these individuals a medal of honor. We can't stop here because as a nation, it's up to us to give this medal meaning, to keep fighting, to keep fighting for one another, for each other, to keep defending everything these heroes fought for and many of them died for," Biden said. 

• The driver suspected of exploding a Tesla Cybertruck left a note saying that his act "was a wake up call."
• Authorities identified the driver as Matthew Livelsberger, 37, of Colorado Springs.
• Livelsberger had been an active-duty Army service member for nearly two decades, the US Army told BI.

The driver of the Tesla Cybertruck loaded with explosives behind Wednesday's Las Vegas blast was an active-duty US Army soldier who, a coroner said, committed suicide.

In a press release on Thursday, the Clark County coroner identified the driver as Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old man from Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The coroner's report said the cause of death was the result of an intraoral gunshot wound by suicide.

Livelsberger was a master sergeant who served as a special-operations soldier, a US Army spokesperson said in a statement provided to Business Insider.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters on Thursday that the driver appeared to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the material in his truck exploded.

McMahill said authorities found a military ID and credit cards with Livelsberger's name on them inside the Cybertruck. They have also confirmed that he rented the Tesla vehicle in Denver on December 28, driving through parts of New Mexico and Arizona before reaching Las Vegas.

Spencer Evans, Special Agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI Field Office, said the bureau has no information about any other suspects. There is no current evidence connecting Livelsberger to any terrorist organization around the world.

There is also no evidence that the Las Vegas explosion is connected with a deadly attack in New Orleans, McMahill said.

Authorities on Thursday said both Livelsberger and Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who is suspected of driving a rented truck into a crowd of people in Louisana, both served in the military and spent time together at what was then known as Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Bragg, now known as Fort Liberty, is one of the nation's largest military bases. There is no evidence that Livelsberger and Jabbar were in the same unit.

The LVMPD said in a press release on Friday that two phones were also discovered inside the Cybertruck. After detectives gained access to one of the phones, they are said to have found two "letters" that "include grievances regarding political, social, cultural, personal, and other issues."

In one of the letters, authorities said Livelsberger wrote: "This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wake up call."

He added that the US was "terminally ill and headed toward collapse" and that he had acted in order to "cleanse" his mind of the "brothers I've lost" and to relieve himself of "the burden of the lives I took."

"There may be a lot more information that we recover that explains either more or shows a change in mindset at different times," LVMPD Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said at a press conference on Friday.

A military background

Livelsberger served in active duty from January 2006 to March 2011, the Army spokesperson said. After a stint in the National Guard and service in the Army Reserve, Livelsberger returned to active duty in December 2012.

"US Army Special Operations Command can confirm Livelsberger was assigned to the command and on approved leave at the time of his death," the Army spokesperson said. "USASOC is in full cooperation with federal and state law enforcement agencies, but as a matter of policy, will not comment on ongoing investigations."

Livelsberger served in the Army for more than 19 years. A military official told BI he was an operations sergeant assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group in Germany but was recently on leave at home in Colorado.

The official added that Livelsberger had a clean record, "by all accounts was great," and that this would have been "out of character" for him.

The FBI said it was searching a home in Colorado Springs in connected with the incident.

"FBI Denver personnel and specialized teams will be on-site for several hours," the bureau said in a statement to BI. "This activity is related to the explosion in Las Vegas on Wednesday; due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, no further information will be provided out of Denver."

The Cybertruck had been filled with firework-style mortars and canisters of camping fuel, authorities said Wednesday. The driver was the only person killed. Seven other people were injured.

The vehicle explosion occurred hours after an attacker drove a rented pickup truck through crowds on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. That attack left 15 people dead, including the attacker, and injured dozens more.

Both vehicles were rented using the Turo app. Authorities in Louisana on Thursday also said the New Orleans attack appeared to be unrelated to the Cybertruck explosion.

On X, Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised the Cybertruck for limiting the destruction from the blast. McMahill said Musk has dispatched a team of Tesla officials to assist with the Las Vegas investigation.

Update: The first paragraph of this article has been updated to reflect that the driver of the vehicle containing explosives involved in the Las Vegas blast committed suicide, a coroner said.

Additional reporting by Ryan Pickrell and Kevin Tan.

• China unveiled its newest amphibious assault ship in a launching ceremony in Shanghai on Friday.
• The Sichuan's standout feature is a catapult system capable of launching fixed-wing aircraft.
• The first-in-class flattop also has a massive flight deck as large as three football fields.

China unveiled the new amphibious assault ship it has been secretly building this past year at a launching ceremony at a shipyard in Shanghai.

The Sichuan, the first Yulan-class landing helicopter assault (LHA) ship, has a massive flight deck as large as three football fields. Once completed, it will be the largest vessel of its kind.

But the ship's large size isn't the only detail that sets it apart.

While other amphibious assault ships have only been able to carry helicopters and vertical/short takeoff and landing aircraft, the Sichuan is equipped with a carrier-style catapult system and arresting gear that allows it to launch heavier fixed-wing aircraft, the Chinese navy said. Even with the unveiling, mystery still shrouds what is essentially a light aircraft carrier and China's ambitions for it.

World's largest amphibious assault ship

Construction on the next-generation assault ship began in early 2024, according to the Pentagon's annual congressional report on China's military.

With a displacement of 40,000 tons, satellite images show the Sichuan measures more than 850 feet long and about 170 feet wide, making it considerably larger than its Chinese predecessor, the Type 075, but smaller than the Fujian, the People's Liberation Army's newest and largest aircraft carrier.

The Type 076 is also much larger than Japan's Izumo-class helicopter carriers. While the Sichuan is about as long as the US Navy's America-class LHAs with a similar displacement, it is more than 60 feet wider.

The Chinese warship's larger size and deck space allow it to accommodate both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, with additional storage capacity for more personnel and equipment.

Electromagnetic catapult system

Unlike traditional light aircraft carriers, the Sichuan is equipped with a catapult system and arresting gear for the launch and recovery of fixed-wing aircraft — an operative capability typically reserved for aircraft carriers.

"This is not something that we've seen before," Matthew Funaiole, a senior fellow with the China Power Project at CSIS, told BI previously. "No other country has an LHA that has a catapult system on it."

The electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) is likely similar in design to the catapult aboard the US Navy's advanced Ford-class supercarriers.

The only warship in operational service that employs EMALS is the US Navy carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which has been undergoing shake-down trials at sea, also features three EMALS-style catapults, but the Sichuan's catapult trench, which is over 425 feet long, is significantly longer by comparison.

Earlier Chinese carriers had ski-jump-style ramps for launching aircraft without catapults, leaping past steam-power catapult technology to pursue the more advanced electromagnetic launch system.

Operating for a little over a decade, China's relatively young carrier force could still face a"steep learning curve" in employing modern catapult technology, retired Adm. Raymond Spicer, the CEO and publisher at the US Naval Institute, previously told BI. But the installation of the technology aboard the Type 076 could indicate China's confidence in the design.

Potential future 'drone carrier'

The Chinese navy has yet to confirm what kind of air wing will operate aboard the Sichuan, but it could have a future role as a massive drone carrier, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The vessel's catapult, wider flight deck, and unobstructed runway make it highly capable of large-scale drone operations as China expands its arsenal of UAVs, like the Hongdu GJ-11 stealth combat drone, Guizhou WZ-7 reconnaissance drone, and the CASC CH-4B Rainbow strike UCAV.

'A substantial step forward'

While the exact timeline for the Type 076 still remains unclear, the Pentagon estimated the ship could join China's naval fleet by the second half of the decade.

Operating more than nearly 400 naval platforms, China has the world's largest maritime fighting force but has long been considered a green-water navy, meaning it operates mostly near its shores. Amphibious assault ships and carriers change that equation.

"I think it is as important, if not more important, to emphasize how mind-bogglingly impressive China's ability to build ships is," Funaiole said.

While not much is known about the capabilities or primary mission of China's next-gen amphibious flattops, the CSIS said the Sichuan "represents a substantial step forward" toward the PLAN's blue-water ambitions, projecting power in waters thousands of miles away.

Tommy Lazzaro, a former Central Michigan quarterback and a sergeant in the United States Army, was tragically killed in a hunting accident over the weekend, according to officials. He was 27. 

Lazzaro, who served with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, was shot by a stray bullet at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida on Sunday when he was driving to help another soldier who was experiencing car trouble, a spokesperson for 7th Special Forces Group told Task & Purpose.

A hunter shooting on the range fired the shot. According to the report, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office described the incident as a "tragic hunting accident." 

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"We deeply mourn the loss of U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Lazzaro of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)," Col. Patrick Nelson, 7th SFG(A) commander, said in a statement to the news site. 

"We will never forget his dedication, courage, and commitment to safeguarding our freedoms.  His absence leaves a void that will be felt professionally and personally among those who had the honor of working with Thomas. Our heartfelt condolences extend to his family, friends, and comrades during this difficult time.

Central Michigan also released a statement mourning the loss of the former Chippewas quarterback.

20-YEAR-OLD COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER DIES FROM HEAD INJURIES SUSTAINED DURING GAME

"When we took over the program, Tommy was truly our leader in so many ways," former head coach Jim McElwain said in a statement provided by the school. "CMU Football was blessed to have him and will always remember him for all he did for many of us. He will be missed by all of the Chippewas."

Lazzaro played four years at Central Michigan, where he had five starts from 2016-2019. During the 2019 season, he led the Chippewas to a 6-2 record in conference play and bowl appearance. He finished his career at Central Michigan with 542 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns and 758 passing yards and five touchdowns. 

According to Central Michigan, Lazzaro graduated with a degree in entrepreneurship in 2019 and joined the Army to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. 

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As millions of Americans gather together with loved ones to celebrate the Christmas holiday and ring in the new year, hundreds of thousands of American men and women in uniform will mark the holidays away from family in decidedly less festive corners of the world. 

As of June, 165,830 U.S. service members were on deployment across the Middle East, Indo-Pacific region and Europe. That figure has likely ticked higher amid recent unrest across the Middle East, and it doesn’t include service members working at U.S. bases over the holidays and civilian personnel on overseas contracts.

Here’s a look at where service members will spend the holidays on deployment across the world: 

Around 43,000 troops are stationed across the Middle East as of October, an increase from the usual 34,000 amid the recent unrest and outbreak of war between Israel and Iranian proxy forces Hamas and Hezbollah. 

The Pentagon announced in October it would be moving troops into Cyprus to prepare for escalating unrest in Lebanon. And last week the Pentagon divulged that some 2,100 troops were in Syria — not the 900 they had long claimed. Another 1,000 troops are in Iraq carrying out missions to thwart ISIS. 

U.S. forces are stationed across Europe to support NATO forces and deter any potential Russian aggression. 

Major areas of deployment include Germany (34,894), Italy (12,319) and the United Kingdom (10,180).

SECOND US NAVY FIGHTER JET NARROWLY AVOIDED BEING SHOT DOWN IN 'FRIENDLY FIRE' INCIDENT: SOURCE

U.S. forces partner with allies in Asia to conduct joint exercises and coordinate on countering the threat of China and 

Areas of deployment include South Korea (23,732), Japan (52,852) and Guam (6,453).

TWO US NAVY PILOTS SHOT DOWN OVER RED SEA IN APPARENT ‘FRIENDLY FIRE’ INCIDENT: US MILITARY

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin thanked U.S. troops for serving over the holiday season in a Christmas message. 

"We know firsthand the holidays can be especially hard if you're far away from your loved ones. So for our troops stationed around the globe, we deeply appreciate your sacrifice," he said. "We know that your families serve too, and our military families are the foundation of America's strength."

• China wants to hit a military modernization milestone in 2027.
• But China's ongoing crackdown on military corruption could disrupt its progress, says the Pentagon.
• China suspended a top military official last month, a year after firing its last defense minister.

China's near-term military modernization goal could be bogged down by its corruption scandals, a senior US defense official said on Monday.

"The substantial problems they have with corruption that have yet to be resolved certainly could slow them down on the path toward the 2027 capabilities development milestone and beyond," the official told journalists during a press briefing.

A transcript of the briefing was published on Wednesday, the same day the Defense Department released its annual assessment on China's military capabilities.

According to the Pentagon's report, at least 15 high-ranking Chinese military officials and defense industry executives were removed from their positions between July and December 2023.

Last month, The Financial Times reported that defense minister Adm. Dong Jun was under investigation for graft, the third consecutive person in the role to be investigated. A defense ministry spokesperson denied the FT's report, calling it a "sheer fabrication."

Also last month, China's defense ministry said a senior military official, Adm. Miao Hua, was suspended and under investigation for "serious violations of discipline." The accusation usually refers to corruption.

The 69-year-old oversaw political indoctrination in the People's Liberation Army and served on the Central Military Commission. The six-person commission, chaired by China's leader, Xi Jinping, oversees China's armed forces.

Miao's suspension came just a year after China's last defense minister, Gen. Li Shangfu was fired. Li was in office for seven months before he was removed.

Li and his predecessor, Wei Fenghe, were eventually expelled from the Chinese Communist Party for alleged corruption in June. They were also stripped of their military ranks.

"In 2023, a new wave of corruption-related investigations and removals of senior leaders may have disrupted the PLA's progress toward stated 2027 modernization goals," the Pentagon's report said.

Earlier this year, US intelligence highlighted corruption effects including missiles filled with water and intercontinental ballistic missile silos sporting improperly functioning lids that could derail a missile launch.

US intelligence sources told Bloomberg in January that corruption was so severe in China's Rocket Force and the wider PLA that it would most likely force Xi to recalibrate whether Beijing can take on any major military action soon.

US officials believe that Xi wants China to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. China first announced the modernization goal in October 2020. The 2027 milestone will coincide with the centennial of the PLA's founding.

"That doesn't mean that he's decided to invade in 2027 or any other year," CIA chief William J. Burns said in an interview with CBS in February 2023.

Representatives for China's defense and foreign ministries did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance attended the annual Army-Navy game in Landover, Maryland, on Saturday, and they brought along some high-profile guests. 

In the 125th meeting of the Black Knights and Midshipmen, Trump brought Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, while Vance's guest was Marine veteran Daniel Penny. Also on hand were House Speaker Mike Johnson, incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Trump's director of national intelligence pick, Tulsi Gabbard, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Navy won the game, 31-13, behind quarterback Blake Horvath, who passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more. The Midshipmen raised their record to 9-3, while the loss dropped Army to 11-2. Both teams have had strong seasons. Navy will face Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl, and Army is slated to play in the Independence Bowl, although no opponent has been announced since Marshall dropped out.

While the game was a highly anticipated matchup, the guests brought by Trump and Vance created a pregame buzz.

Penny was found not guilty in the subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely in New York City earlier this week, a decision which was criticized by some commentators on the left and underscored a divide between crime and mental health. Neely had been menacing riders when Penny acted to defend fellow straphangers. Penny faced up to 15 years in prison, but was acquitted of all charges.

DANIEL PENNY FOUND NOT GUILTY IN SUBWAY CHOKEHOLD TRIAL

Hegseth is still courting members of the Senate to secure his nomination for the top defense role, but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whoi has been floated as a possible alternative, was also in attendance.

Hegseth’s appearance will mark a very public declaration of support from Trump, as some senators are still holding out on committing to his confirmation. Hegseth, an Army National Guard and former longtime Fox News host, deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and has been the focus of misconduct reports.

Trump's defense secretary nominee has denied allegations that he mistreated women but did reach a financial settlement with an accuser from a 2017 incident to avoid a lawsuit. He has vowed that he won't drink "a drop of alcohol" if confirmed as defense secretary.

JD VANCE CONFIRMS DANIEL PENNY WILL ATTEND ARMY-NAVY GAME AFTER ACQUITTAL IN SUBWAY CHOKEHOLD TRIAL

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Elon Musk were also spotted in Trump's box at the game.

Meanwhile, Vance took a swipe at New York City prosecutors for taking on the case in a post on X confirming Penny’s attendance.

"Daniel’s a good guy, and New York’s mob district attorney tried to ruin his life for having a backbone," Vance wrote. "I’m grateful he accepted my invitation and hope he’s able to have fun and appreciate how much his fellow citizens admire his courage." 

Penny, 26, was charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for the May 2023 subway chokehold death of Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia who had barged onto the train shouting death threats while high on a type of synthetic marijuana known as K2.

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Trump attended the game as president in 2018, 2019 and 2020, while he also appeared as president-elect in 2016.

President Biden has never attended the annual clash as president, although he did appear as vice president.

This season has been a banner year for both football programs, adding buzz to the annual rivalry match. The teams have a combined 19 wins this year and with victories over Air Force, the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy will be awarded to the winner of Saturday’s game. 

Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie, Paulina Dedaj and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.