The Army Brief: Ukrainian training; Defending vaccine mandates; Sick horses; and more...

Welcome to The Army Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the service’s future. 

Training or not? Military and defense officials have given contradictory statements about whether the U.S. is currently training Ukrainian troops, Defense One reports. Some officials have said they are not; however Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said there is training happening on using the equipment the Pentagon has sent. 

Vaccines and recruiting. Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley rebuffed GOP lawmakers who claimed the military was struggling to recruit new troops because of vaccine mandates, Defense One reports. “I think getting vaccinated is part of the readiness issue of the health of the force,” Milley said at a House hearing.

Poor conditions for iconic horses. The Army horses used during funerals at Arlington National Cemetery are living in poor conditions; many are sick with parasites and eating poor feed, CNN reports. Two horses died in February, including one that had 44 pounds of gravel in its gut.

Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On April 9, 2003, Baghdad fell to American troops, ending the reign of Saddam Hussein.

From Defense One

Hicks: Today's Russia Problem Mustn't Distract from Tomorrow's China Problem // Patrick Tucker

An increasingly complex security environment is complicating the Pentagon's efforts to ease tech firms' frustrations.

What Is China Learning from the Ukraine War? // Thomas Corbett, Ma Xiu and Peter W. Singer

From battlefield concepts to geopolitics, Beijing is sure to be watching with avid interest—and some chagrin.

The Ukraine War Is Giving Commercial Space an 'Internet Moment' // Jacqueline Feldscher

Improvements spurred by Russia's invasion will help the industry long after the fighting ends.