WHERE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD: It’s one thing to authorize the Pentagon to spend hundreds of billions for defense in fiscal 2019, but the real action comes when it’s time to cough up the hard cash to fund the priorities outlined in the National Defense Authorization Act. And unlike recent years when the Pentagon was constrained by spending caps imposed because Republicans and Democrats couldn’t compromise on a budget, this time around the spending bill is moving through the Congress on greased skids, thanks to a two-year deal agreed to in February.

HAPPENING TODAY, THE FUTURE IS NOW: The Army is formally standing up its Futures Command in a ceremony in Austin, Texas, today, and all the top Army leadership will be on hand for the festivities. The Army is billing its Futures Command as “the most significant reorganization of the U.S. Army since 1973.” Along with Army Secretary Mark Esper and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Austin Mayor Steve Adler will help officially mark the opening of the Army’s newest command.

The Army says it selected Austin for its “entrepreneurial spirit” and “quality of life” as it charges the new command with transforming the service into a more modern, innovative force. “Our vision describes the Army of 2028, one that is ready to deploy, fight and win decisively against any adversary anytime, anywhere,” Esper said last month when the site for the new command was announced.

“Unique in structure and design, Army Futures Command is being headquartered in Austin to better partner with academia, industry, and innovators in the private sector, in an environment where ideas and solutions can be developed rapidly to meet Army requirements,” an Army statement said.

The ceremony will be streamed live from the campus of the University of Texas at 11 a.m. Austin time, 12 p.m. Washington time.

TRANSCOM CHANGE OF COMMAND: At Scott Air Force Base, Ill., today, Air Force Gen. Darren McDew relinquishes command of U.S. Transportation Command to Army Gen. Stephen Lyons. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford are both scheduled at the change-of-command ceremony at 10:30 a.m. The event will be streamed live.

GROUND TRUTH: One thing you learn early in your career as a Pentagon correspondent is that combat as described in the antiseptic setting of the climate-controlled Pentagon Briefing Room bears little resemblance to the dirty, dangerous kill-or-be-killed business of warfare on the front lines.

And the back and forth over the significance of the four-day Taliban siege of Ghazni in Afghanistan is a textbook example. U.S. military officials have downplayed the assault in which the Taliban went into people’s homes and murdered civilians in the street. “Tactically, operationally and strategically, the Taliban achieved nothing with this failed attack except another eye-catching, but inconsequential headline,” said spokesman Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell, as the combat was winding down, and the Taliban repulsed. “The fact remains that the Taliban are unable to seize terrain and unable to match the Afghan security forces or our enablement, retreating once directly and decisively engaged.”

“This was not a military victory by any stretch,” Gen. John Nicholson told Pentagon reporters Wednesday. “They were driven out of the city, and it was done in about four days,” the senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan said, noting the Taliban suffered higher casualties than they inflicted.

But thanks to the intrepid reporting of W.J. Hennigan and combat photography of Emanuele Satolli for Time magazine, we have a much grittier and revealing picture of the harrowing four days in which U.S. Green Berets braved unrelenting barrages of rocket-propelled grenades, and narrowly avoided death to help the Afghans turn the tide of battle for the strategic provincial capital just 75 southwest of Kabul

THERE ARE THREE As: The U.S. often describes the role of NATO-led coalition forces as an “advise and assist” mission, often omitting the third A, “accompany.” The impression is often left that U.S. advisers are behind the front lines, and only occasionally come under direct enemy attack. But Hennigan’s harrowing report underscores just how much U.S. special operations forces are in the thick of the fighting when things go south.

U.S. CASUALTIES: Due to the Pentagon’s policy of announcing combat deaths, but not combat wounded, the press and American people have no way of gauging the human cost of the war to the U.S. Here’s one very telling paragraph from the Time report:

“Nine Americans were evacuated from the battlefield by helicopter because of injuries incurred by the Taliban’s multiday barrage of roadside bombs, mortar shells and rockets. At least two soldiers received Purple Hearts after suffering serious wounds. Seven out of 10 armored vehicles in ODA 1333’s convoy were lost to battle damage. The Special Forces team considered themselves lucky: a shoulder-fired rocket had a near miss with a medevac helicopter retrieving an injured soldier.”

The report shows the value of something that is becoming increasingly rare, the willingness of the U.S. military to allow journalists to embed with American troops to witness the war firsthand. Hennigan was able to base his account of the Ghazni siege on interviews with dozens of U.S. and Afghan soldiers, commanders and citizens on the ground.

“The extent of the destruction has not been previously reported,” he writes. “The Pentagon doesn’t make the information publicly available, and Time witnessed it only after gaining approval for an embedded deployment in Afghanistan after months of trying, long before the August offensive began.”

ASTRONAUT ENDORSES SPACE FORCE: In an opinion piece in the Washington Post this morning former astronaut Terry Virts, a retired Air Force colonel, writes in favor of creating a Space Force as a sixth, and fully separate military service, as envisioned by Trump. Virts, who served as commander of the International Space Station, argues much of the criticism stems from a basic misunderstanding about what such a force would be. “It wouldn’t, of course, be a collection of ‘Star Wars’ troops fighting battles in outer space,” he writes.

“Why should Congress make the Space Force a reality? Because space is important and unique enough to deserve its own place at the Defense Department table to ensure rightful allocation of budget resources and power,” Virts writes. “It simply defies logic to keep that domain in the Air Force — akin to having the infantry in the Navy. Air and space are completely unrelated domains, and the equipment, techniques and culture required to operate airplanes are entirely different from those required to launch and operate in space.”

HUNTER PLEADS NOT GUILTY: After a defiant public statement, embattled Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife Margaret Hunter appeared in a federal court in San Diego Thursday to plead not guilty to charges they misspent campaign funds. During their court appearance, Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Halpern said neither Hunter nor his wife were considered a flight risk, and said a “fairly low bond” was appropriate given their financial situation. He said the couple was “living paycheck to paycheck.” Bail for Hunter was set at $15,000 and his wife’s bail was $10,000.

OFF THE HASC, FOR NOW: Following the federal indictment Tuesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan said he was stripping Hunter of his seats on Armed Services and two other committees. Hunter initially refused and was fighting the decision, Politico reported. But the California Republican wrote to Ryan Thursday saying he will step down for now.

“In light of recent events, I am requesting to be temporarily removed from my positions” on the committees, Hunter wrote. “I fully intend to resume my position as an active member of these committees upon a successful resolution of pending legal matters.” He told Ryan the charges that he and his wife misspent $250,000 in campaign funds are “politically motivated and without merit.”

HEY, MY DISTRICT IS EXPENSIVE: Hunter said Thursday that his $174,000 annual salary does not provide him with enough money to live in his Southern California congressional district.

“I mean, $174,000 per year is what a member of Congress makes. Do you think they should make more than that, is it not enough to live on?” Fox News host Martha MacCallum asked Hunter in his first TV interview since charges were filed Tuesday.

“It depends where you live. It’s difficult to live in a place like San Francisco or San Diego or New York or D.C.,” said Hunter, whose district includes part of San Diego. “It’s probably easier to live in Kansas or Missouri, so it’s all relative.”

McSALLY FLYING HIGH: Former A-10 squadron commander Rep. Martha McSally, the Republican establishment favorite for the open U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, has widened her lead by 16 points over opponents ahead of next Tuesday’s GOP primary, according to a new poll.

With McSally polling at 48.1 percent of the vote, she is now 26 points ahead of her closest rival, state Sen. Kelli Ward, who has the support of just 22.1 percent of voters, according to a survey by Data Orbital. Ward, a pro-Trump candidate is also vying for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, along with former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was pardoned by the president for a contempt of court conviction. Arpaio is polling in third place with 17.6 percent of votes.

McSally is seen as the moderate candidate who has the best chance of keeping the seat in Republican hands by beating Democrat Rep. Krysten Sinema in the November general election. But the last RealClearPolitics poll has McSally trailing Sinema by 7 points.

KAVANAUGH’S NAT SEC RECORD: The political fight over Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has remained mostly outside the world of defense. But it spilled over Thursday when Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, requested committee members get access to any documents “pertaining to Kavanaugh’s work on national security issues, terrorism, torture, international and domestic surveillance, and the scope of presidential authority.”

Democrats have been claiming for weeks that Republicans are keeping a lid on documents that could shed light on Kavanaugh’s past in President George W. Bush’s White House and his judicial positions. “Every senator needs to do their due diligence as they perform their constitutional duties, and the American people deserve to have a fair and thorough understanding about the nominee’s views and record,” Reed said in a statement.

GOWDY SEEKS WHITE PAPERS: Congress is getting involved in investigating allegations that the Pentagon’s chief spokeswoman misused and retaliated against staff. House Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy has asked the Department of Defense to produce records related to the allegations against Dana White, according to a CNN report.

In a letter to Mattis, Gowdy requests “all documents and communications to, from, or about Dana White regarding her tasking other Department employees with non-official business,” and “all documents and communications to or from Dana White regarding the transfer of staff to different positions” by Sept. 7, and to arrange a briefing for the committee by the end of the month.

BACK TO PYONGYANG: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will return to North Korea next week for a new round of negotiations to dismantle dictator Kim Jong Un’s nuclear weapons program, he announced Thursday, and he’ll be bringing a new diplomat devoted to the talks.

Pompeo has tapped Stephen Biegun, the vice president of international affairs for Ford Motor Co., as the special representative for North Korea. The position has been vacant since the retirement of Ambassador Joseph Yun in February, while Pompeo has played the leading role in talks with the Kim regime.

Before joining Ford, Biegun spent nearly two decades working in the foreign policy arena including jobs on Capitol Hill and in the White House. He is a former national security adviser to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, executive secretary at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush and the chief of staff at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

WHAT DOES NORTH KOREA WANT NOW? A peace treaty, says Bruce Klingner over at the Heritage Foundation. “There are some indications that North Korea may be looking to achieve a “data declaration for peace declaration” exchange in which Pyongyang would provide extensive information on its nuclear programs and arsenal in return for a multilateral proclamation ending the Korean War.” But the former CIA Korea deputy division chief warns: “Even a limited peace declaration could prematurely create advocacy for reducing U.S. deterrence and defense capabilities.”

He says the upcoming trip to Pyongyang by Pompeo and Biegun “is critical to regain momentum on the stalled denuclearization talks.”

PROPS FROM BIDEN: Former Vice President Joe Biden lauded retired Adm. William McRaven after he claimed it would be an “honor” for Trump to revoke his security clearance as was done to former CIA Director John Brennan last week.

Biden, who has remained in touch with several people who worked alongside him during the Obama administration, called McRaven on Sunday to say how “proud” he was of him, Axios reports. “It is presumptuous of me to say, but I’m so incredibly proud of you,” Biden told McRaven. “I saw up close your physical courage, including your incredible calm during planning for the bin Laden raid.”

THE RUNDOWN

Washington Examiner: Former Indiana resident charged with providing material support to ISIS

Washington Examiner: John Bolton: Hezbollah forces in Syria must go back to Lebanon

New York Times: Army Recommends Silver Star for Captain Criticized in Deadly Niger Ambush

Reuters: Pompeo to travel to North Korea with new special envoy

Defense News: These 7 Chinese companies each topped $5B in defense sales — and could rival American firms

Bloomberg: Pentagon Cyber Shortfalls Leave Data at Risk, Key Senators Warn

Task and Purpose: Here’s How Top Military Leaders Have Described US ‘Progress’ In Afghanistan Over The Last Decade

Defense Tech: Total Hydraulic Failure Caused Deadly T-38 Crash in November, Air Force says

Breaking Defense: Special Ops Command To Hold Flyoff Of Tiny Drones

USA Today: Andrew Brunson was a missionary in Turkey for 24 years. Now he’s at the center of a crisis