US Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, sent a letter to all 26 NATO defense chiefs asking them to drop troop restrictions in Afghanistan, reports Stars and Stripes. Jones says that some countries restrict which areas their troops can be used in while others have imposed strict rules about combat participation. He likened the situation to NATO’s early problems in Kosovo, when initially “commanders spent more time deciding what they couldn’t do with their forces rather than what we could do.”
Some Guard Troops Won’t Get Paid Until Shutdown Ends
Oct. 29, 2025
The National Guard Bureau says most units are postponing drills during the shutdown, but some states are sticking to their training schedule, resulting in a patchwork of different policies and some confusion in the ranks.

