LET THE DRILLS BEGIN: The Pentagon has announced that its annual spring combined military exercises with South Korea, delayed for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, will begin April 1, and be of the “same scale, scope and duration as previous years.” As it does every year, the U.S. stressed that the drills are defensive in nature, designed to ensure the U.S. and its allies are ready to respond to any attack on the south.

HAPPENING TODAY, SERVICE SECRETARIES TESTIFY: After more than a month of subcommittee budget hearings, the full House Armed Services Committee will hear testimony this morning at 10 from three service secretaries on their fiscal 2019 requests. Army Secretary Mark Esper, Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer and Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson will likely face hours of questioning about how they plan to spend their extra defense dollars. But Armed Services is also looking for an update on its efforts over the past few years to cut costs on expensive Pentagon weapons programs.

HYTEN AT SASC: The top U.S. nuclear commander testifies this morning at 9:30 to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Gen. John Hyten is likely to lay out the Trump administration’s new nuclear posture plans, including the development of new low-yield cruise and sub-launched missiles, and the growing threats from Russia and North Korea.

MBS MEETS DJT: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who likes to go by his initials MBS, meets at the White House today with Trump before embarking on a marathon tour of the nation aimed at burnishing the Kingdom’s image as a good business partner and military ally. The prince is also expected to meet with Mattis at some point, but the Pentagon has not confirmed that as of this morning. While in Washington, he will also meet with members of Congress and the Cabinet before heading to Boston, Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

OMNIBUS SPEED BUMPS: Congress is struggling to find agreement over several dozen “riders” on a $1.2 trillion omnibus spending package that must pass by Friday midnight. Republican appropriators had hoped to introduce the legislation by last night but are not ready, which could stall the release until some time today.

The House is scheduled to leave town for a two-week recess on Thursday, but Republicans were warned yesterday to keep their schedules flexible. “I don’t think they can get all of these things resolved by tonight,” Rep. Mike Simpson said.

DANCING AROUND TURKEY: The Pentagon is decidedly unhappy with NATO ally Turkey, which insists on pursuing its own agenda in northern Syria and continues to ignore all U.S. entreaties to find some kind of accommodation that would secure it southern border without disrupting the final phase of the war against the Islamic State. The Turkish military offensive, paradoxically named “Operation Olive Branch,” is not only killing Syrian Kurds, it’s killing the momentum that the U.S. had built up against the last remnants of ISIS in the Middle Euphrates River Valley. U.S.-backed Kurds are abandoning the fight against ISIS in the east to counter Turkish forces in the west.

“We cannot allow ISIS to regain momentum at this critical point,” Manning said, reading a prepared statement at yesterday’s off-camera briefing. “We are very concerned about the effect that fighting there has had on our defeat ISIS efforts. And would like to see an end to the hostilities before ISIS has an opportunity to regroup in eastern Syria.” The Pentagon says ISIS retains small pockets of territory throughout Syria, but the largest concentration of ISIS forces is near Abukamal, where ISIS retains about 2 percent of the combined territory it held in Iraq and Syria at its peak.

Manning was sharply critical of the humanitarian disaster being created in the Afrin region of Syria where Turkish troops captured a dam and pumping station, and according the U.N., cut off the supply of clean water to local residents. “Clean water is vital to survival. We encourage all parties to allow the free flow of these resources and much needed humanitarian aid throughout Syria,” Manning said, while carefully avoiding calling out Turkey by name.

When Kasım İleri of Turkey’s Anadolu news service tried to pin down who Manning was blaming for the water shortage, Manning again refused to point the finger at the U.S. ally. “More than who to blame, is the need to stop it, and the need to ensure that all parties focus on the reason why they are there. Civilian casualties, them not getting that humanitarian assistance, a growing humanitarian crisis. It’s gotta be stopped. It’s gotta be averted,” he said.

DEEP STATE BELIEF: A majority of Americans think unelected federal bureaucrats wield too much influence over national policy and believe in the existence of a “deep state,” according to a new poll.

NO CALL TO PUTIN: Trump does not plan to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin on his election for a new six-year term, the White House said Monday, days after the U.S. agreed with Britain’s assessment that Moscow was behind a nerve agent attack in London earlier this month.

POISONING CONDEMNED: Russia’s alleged poisoning of a former spy in the United Kingdom drew the condemnation of Europe’s top diplomats, who echoed British complaints that the incident violated bans on the use of chemical weapons.

A ‘SERIOUS’ QUESTION: As yesterday’s off-camera briefing was wrapping, Jeff Schogol, a reporter for Task and Purpose, said he had a “serious” question for Manning. Tongue planted firmly in cheek, Schogol asked if the much-debated Space Force, which just won the endorsement of the president, would have different uniforms from the other services. Manning didn’t take the bait, and the question drew a few laughs. Manning called space “an important domain,” and said as for uniforms, “we’re taking a look at that.”

Which led me to wonder on Twitter if the Space Force would also have its own service academy, and if the students there would be space cadets?

THE RUNDOWN

Reuters: Exclusive: Trump to boost exports of lethal drones to more U.S. allies

New York Times: Soldier in Bloody Niger Mission Had Warned of Gaps, Defense Officials Say

USNI News: Navy, Newport News Taking Steps Towards Two-Carrier Buy

Washington Post: There’s a small chance an asteroid will smack into Earth in 2135. NASA is working on a plan.

Reuters: Britain wins fresh EU, NATO support over nerve attack

Bloomberg: Navy Weighs Buying Two More Costly Carriers in One Big Contract

Defense News: South Korea to deploy ‘artillery killer’ to destroy North Korean bunkers

Task and Purpose: The Anatomy Of A Bullsh*t SAS Sniper Story

Military Times: DoD’s cost of low-yield nuclear warhead for submarines set at $48.5 million

New York Times: Kremlin Credits the West for Big Turnout for Putin

AFP: In Mosul post-IS, paragliders take to the skies again

AP: What’s next after Turkey seizes Syria’s Afrin

Business Insider: 15 years ago, the US invaded Iraq — here’s how it changed the Middle East country

Army Times: Army to get THAAD and Patriot systems to communicate within two years

Breaking Defense: Washington Must Tell Saudi Prince No More Help For Yemen

CNN: Meghan McCain shares a photo of her dad

Marine Corps Times: Meet Chesty XV, the new Marine Corps mascot