Good morning. It’s Friday, August 8, 2025, and today’s SOFREP Morning Brief has plenty to unpack. The Pentagon will restore Arlington’s Confederate memorial in a $10 million project, while a Fort Bliss soldier faces espionage charges for trying to pass Abrams tank secrets to Russia. Rheinmetall expands in Virginia, and Lockheed advances the “Golden Dome” missile shield. The US doubles its bounty on Venezuela’s Maduro, Israel moves to seize Gaza City, and Washington pitches a phased Hezbollah disarmament for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Plus, a US-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal is set for signing, and Japanese warships make a rare New Zealand port call.

—Pentagon to Restore Confederate Memorial at Arlington in $10M Project

The Pentagon will reinstall the Confederate memorial a

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