MORE NDAA CONFEREES: Just before the holiday break, House Speaker Paul Ryan named 30 lawmakers to assist with the conference committee on the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. “The defense bill is always critical, but even more so now as we work to rebuild our nation's military,” Ryan said in a statement. The lawmakers represent 15 House committees and will work with the 31 members of the House Armed Services Committee already picked by the chairman, Rep. Mac Thornberry, to hash out the final bill with the Senate. When Congress returns, the Senate will name its own representatives and proceed to the conference.

AIR FORCE FLY-OFF ENDED EARLY: The Air Force said Tuesday that it has prematurely ended its experimental fly-off competition between two prospective light attack aircraft following a crash that killed a Navy pilot last month. Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, the military deputy in the office of the service’s assistant secretary for acquisition, said the program will continue and that the Air Force believes it has enough flying data on the two aircraft to eventually make a decision on the future of the program. “We will work with our industry partners to complete any remaining test requirements (developmental, maintenance and/or sustainment data) that are necessary to support future acquisition decisions,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said.

Lt. Christopher Carey Short died and a copilot was injured June 22 when the A-29 Super Tucano he was flying crashed at a test range in New Mexico, where the experiment was taking place. The fly-off between the A-29, made by Sierra Nevada and Embraer, and the Beechcraft AT-6B Wolverine by Textron Aviation, began on May 7 and was slated to run three months before being cut short. Bunch said he does not expect the crash or the ending of the flying portion of the experiment to change the service’s timeline for OA-X. It could publish a request for proposals from defense contractors by the end of the year.

ANOTHER UPBEAT ASSESSMENT: Just before the July 4 holiday the Pentagon released its twice-yearly congressionally-mandated report on progress in Afghanistan. The report titled “Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan” covers the six months from Dec. 1 to May 31. It takes the optimistic view that Trump’s new strategy, announced in August, is beginning to show results. Here are some excerpts:

“The shift from a time-based to conditions-based approach also sowed new doubt in the Taliban, as fighters and leadership recognized that the United States is committed to Afghanistan and committed to transforming the ANDSF into a lethal force capable of defending its homeland.

“During this reporting period, the ANDSF remained in control of all provincial capitals, quickly defeating the Taliban’s sole attempt to take control of the provincial capital of Farah in May. The mild winter allowed for sustained military pressure against insurgent and terrorist forces, and built positive momentum heading into the 2018 fighting season.

“The assets and authorities to implement the South Asia Strategy in Afghanistan are now in place and have generated optimism within the Afghan government and ANDSF that a political settlement with the Taliban is possible.”

MEANWHILE IN AFGHANISTAN: Thousands of demonstrators in Afghanistan’s northern Faryab province protested yesterday the arrest of a commander loyal to Abdurrashid Dostum, who is technically first vice president under President Ashraf Ghani but has fled the country, according to a dispatch from the Washington Post.

From the Post report: “Unruly ethnic factions remain a persistent challenge to central authority and stability in Afghanistan, periodically clashing with government forces and following leaders like Dostum, who broke with the Ghani government that had handpicked him to serve as a bridge to his ethnic group.

“Ghani’s government remains politically divided, with long-delayed parliamentary elections scheduled for October and the president expected to seek re-election next year. Ghani, an ethnic Pashtun, is often accused of ethnic bias, and revolts such as the one by Dostum’s supporters can fan such flames.”

ONE-ON-ONE: Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will reportedly meet privately, without the company of aides, at the onset of their July 16 summit in Helsinki. Both presidents have previously spoken in-person, but the Finland meeting will be the first without interpreters or top diplomats in attendance, CNN reports.

NEXT STOP, CARACAS: At a meeting last August in the Oval Office to discuss sanctions on Venezuela was concluding, Trump turned to his top aides and asked an unsettling question: With a fast unraveling Venezuela threatening regional security, why can't the U.S. just simply invade the troubled country?

The suggestion stunned those present at the meeting, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and national security adviser H.R. McMaster, both of whom have since left the administration. The account of the previously undisclosed conversation comes from a senior administration official familiar with what was said, the Associated Press reported.

In an exchange that reportedly lasted around five minutes, McMaster and others took turns explaining to Trump how military action could backfire and risk losing hard-won support among Latin American governments to punish President Nicolas Maduro for taking Venezuela down the path of dictatorship, according to the official. The idea, despite his aides' best attempts to shoot it down, would nonetheless persist in the president's head.

McCAIN’S QUIET FOURTH: Since the 9/11 attacks, Sen. John McCain has made a point to spend nearly every Independence Day with American service members and diplomats serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. This year his treatment for brain cancer kept him at his home in Arizona.

“As we celebrate our nation’s independence, I am especially mindful of the value of our freedom. America is the freest and most prosperous country in the world, offering a life of liberty and endless opportunity. May we all remember the sacrifices made by generations of Americans to secure the liberty we so often take for granted, and that we celebrate today,” McCain said in a statement.

SALUTE TO SERVICE: In his remarks at a Salute to Service dinner at the Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., Trump said, “Every time we see an American in uniform, any time we have the chance to shake the hand of a veteran, and whenever we hear the stories of our warriors, we are reminded how truly blessed we are to be American and to live in this land of our great heroes … This 4th of July, let us pledge to renew the bonds of love and loyalty that unite us together as Americans. Let us pledge to expand the blessings of liberty, prosperity, and justice to all of our citizens.”

THE RUNDOWN

AP: NATO Allies Defend Military Spending Amid Trump Criticism

New York Times: Two Britons Were Exposed to Nerve Agent That Sickened Ex-Spy, Britain Says

Washington Post: For the U.S., a frustrating history of recovering human remains in North Korea

Reuters: Iran threatens to cut cooperation with nuclear body after Trump move

Stars and Stripes: Navy Awards Additional $27 Million For Fitzgerald Repairs

Washington Times: Erdogan Presses U.S. Over F-35 Jet Sale

CNN: Analysis: Trump's approach puts NATO at risk

Fox News: Pompeo's 'Mission: Impossible' — Is North Korea serious about giving up its nukes? We'll find out soon enough

Defense News: China launches two destroyers with tech similar to US Navy’s Aegis system

Foreign Policy: Yemen on Brink of Catastrophe as U.N. Envoy Pushes for Truce

The Hill: Ex-military officials sign on to oppose Trump’s transgender troops ban

Defense Tech: Pentagon Memo Grounds Air Force Special Ops Quadcopters

Task and Purpose: Get A Taste Of The Army’s Next Short-Range Air Defense System With This Explosive Video

Washington Post: Why isn’t Trump bragging about his NATO successes?