The Department of War’s Economic Defense Unit (EDU) in partnership with the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSW(A&S) today announced a $25 million investment with ReElement Technologies Corp. to expand domestic refining capacity for rare earth elements and other defense-critical minerals at the company’s Marion, Indiana facility. This investment will strengthen the U.S. industrial base by securing domestic access to materials essential for advanced defense systems, aerospace components, and secure communications. "Strengthening our domestic refining capacity for rare earth elements and other critical minerals is a national security imperative," said HON Michael Cadenazzi, Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy. "Executed by the Economic Defense Unit (EDU) and financed by the OASW(IBP) Industrial Base Fund, this investment actively rebuilds a domestic, mine-to-magnet supply chain. This effort guarantees the join...
The Pentagon has reported two more casualties from Iranian attacks. 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii was killed in action on July 18, 2026, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, was killed in action on July 17, 2026, during an enemy attack on July 17, 2026, at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan. The incident is under investigation. 1st Lt. Feehan was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Pvt. Gonzales was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command, Ansbach, Germany.