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The Duffel Brief · the free edition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Vol. 15 · No. 122 · Monday, 12 October 2026

Army

AI deemed ‘too smart’ to replace infantry

Prototype proved too competent, financially responsible for infantry service

Hegseth opens up new TradWife MOS

DTS works properly after hack by rogue AI

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Vol. 15 · No. 122

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Vol. 15 · No. 122 · Deployed worldwide

Monday

12 October 2026

1251 Zulu

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Navy & Marines · Page 5

Marines honor J.D. Vance by bronzing locker they shoved him in during service

Uncommon valor with common storage.

Filed · 0502

Photo by Aedrian Salazar on Unsplash

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER, Calif. — Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric M. Smith today honored Vice President-Elect J.D. Vance with a bronzed locker that he was regularly locked in while serving as a Marine.

“This really brings back a lot of great memories,” Vance told the regiment as he fondly patted the locker. “Every time I told people that I was too busy to help because I was a press correspondent, they never hesitated to remind me of what it means to be a part of the Marines.”

Vance served in the Marines from Sept. 22, 2003, to Sept. 21, 2007, with one deployment to Iraq. While hazing isn’t anything new to military life, many Marines who served with Vance are proud of the results.

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